2018 SCCA Solo Nationals

[TedV]

The loose nut turning the steering wheel has a suprising effect on how fast a car goes. Probably more so than the tire scuffing/heat cycle thing.

[Barry Ott]

From Jeff Spear (Hoosier Rep) a couple years ago:
First, the R25B slicks just need a light scrub on them before you make your first autocross run. Find an open area at your event site and drive the car around on the new tires. Drive in circles and circle 8’s for a few minutes.

It is not scientific or has to follow exact instructions, just get them lightly scrubbed.

[captain_pants]

Limited experience here, but Ron Ver Mulm suggested driving them just hard enough to get the pebbled texture without major sliding and then letting them sit.

We scrubbed sticker tires on the OPR-cleaning circle last year - about 12 hours before competition. I was sitting 4th after day 1, but suffered with driver issues on day 2. Tires seemed good.

[TeamFRD]

Somehow, I'm missing one washer for Compomotive wheel lug nut. ID .627 OD .922 Any spares?




Also, my Dad is along again. Need extra ticket for Wed awards.

[Lynn]

It's going to rain the whole damn week.

80% chance of thunderstorms for Tuesday, 60% the rest of the week.

[captain_pants]

It's going to rain the whole damn week.

80% chance of thunderstorms for Tuesday, 60% the rest of the week.

Well, you'll get to use those new rains! I'm going to pray that a forecast a week out is pretty unreliable, but I'll still antifog the inside of my visor and RainX the outside.

[Lynn]

Follow the Lincoln weather at https://www.facebook.com/pg/solonatsweather/posts/ Severe weather tonight with 45 mph winds, lots of lightning, and hail in the area. Nebraska game on hold.

Andy Howe is waiting out the storm in beautiful Scottsbluff, NE

[captain_pants]

Packed house in C-Mod! First day results are up here: http://sololive.scca.com/CM.php

Here's my best run from today: (uploading now, should be live shortly)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45e_ZvyDyJI

[lowside67]

Here is mine, #51 CM in P4 after day 1:

Day 1 West Course (#4/30):


Day 2 East Course (dirty run, would have been #1/30):


-Mark

[R. Pare]

What's the weather there today?

[lowside67]

No real rain, just spotty short mists. Dry for us.

edit - started raining 1 hour ago and harder now.

-Mark

[Lynn]

Congratulations to Ben Martinez, 2018 C Modified National Champion.

Many thanks to Chris Pruitt for giving John Powell a co-drive today.

[captain_pants]

Congrats to Ben, and watch out for Mark next year! He had fastest scratch times both days.

Here's my day 2. Frustrated to be 2 seconds off the leaders, but I see many mistakes in this video that all add up:


That was a really fun but challenging course. A number of decreasing radius sweepers into precision sections.

[OneWayOut]

Here is mine...

Would you mind sharing some detail about your SoloStorm hardware setup? I'm having a hard time trying to find out where to mount the tablet, camera, and GPS in a secure yet accessible spot.

[Lynn]

The east course could be improved by removing 75% of the cones.

[R. Pare]

Have I heard correctly that they actually allow tire warmers and blankets on the tires in between runs?

[lowside67]

You are allowed any non-active (ie not electric) tire blankets, this is not a new rule and has beeen used for many years across all classes.

-Mark

[Lynn]

Richard, most the the CM cars were using https://www.etsy.com/listing/5864836...lating-thermal or a similar blanket,

[R. Pare]

I'm surprised that they allow them at all - puts the guys/gals that are there by themselves at a great disadvantage.

[lowside67]

I'm surprised that they allow them at all - puts the guys/gals that are there by themselves at a great disadvantage.

I’m not sure that’s true - single drivers are disadvantaged either way and I would think that single drivers not having blankets would actually be worse than allowing everyone blankets.

Mark

[-pru-]

I’m not sure that’s true - single drivers are disadvantaged either way and I would think that single drivers not having blankets would actually be worse than allowing everyone blankets.

Mark

For 2018, I ran as a single driver on Day 1 (Thu) and with a co-driver (John Powell) on Day 2 (Fri). I have a set of custom RCX tire blankets that I used both days. The conditions were such (cloudy / lower 60's / steady wind) both days that it was imperative to use the blankets both days to keep ANY heat in the tires. Even with the blankets, Day 1 was a challenge for me as the run count progressed; those with co-drivers and blankets had an advantage. Running on Day 2 with John was vastly better even with the numerous distractions (coil / wiring failure, run order issues, pallet wrap stuck to fronts, rear brakes locked after arriving to grid)...

[-pru-]

2018 CM Competitors. Photo courtesy of John Carriere.



Folks in photo (left to right):

Back Row
~ David Fauth
~ Barry Ott
~ Brandon Lavender
~ Jonathan Clements
~ Vernon Maxey
~ Andrew Howe
~ Robert Qualkinbush
~ Brent Cary
~ Eric Clements
~ John Becker
~ Greg Maloy

Middle Row
~ John Ryan
~ Michael Nienhuis
~ Patrick Barber
~ Joshua Parker
~ Cory Dyck
~ Ben Martinez
~ Jaime Mendoza
~ Joseph Sim
~ Mark Uhlmann
~ Phillip Leavens
~ David Flesher
~ Jon Krolewicz

Front Row
~ Stacey Strout
~ Chris Pruett
~ Gary Godula
~ John Krotez
~ Michael Marich

[lowside67]

Would you mind sharing some detail about your SoloStorm hardware setup? I'm having a hard time trying to find out where to mount the tablet, camera, and GPS in a secure yet accessible spot.

Sure - we have a RaceCapture Pro 3 which is mounted in our Van Diemen in the factory fire bottle location under driver's legs. It provides an accelerometer and GPS (antenna mounted just in front of our steering wheel on the top of the body). The camera is a GoPro which is hardwired via a USB cable for power and pairs via Wifi. The phone is the smallest Android phone and we have a slide in mount just above our shifter (under the bodywork) where it is cabled via a wired-in USB.

The RCP3 is paired with the phone via bluetooth, the GoPro via Wifi, and Solostorm controls both.

Hope that helps!

-Mark

[bassracer]

Congratulations Ben! So well deserved.

That was fun! Krystal and I are so thankful to have great competitors and friends to be able to show up and co-drive in CM and CML this year. John Ryan and Greg Maloy, Eric Jon Mari Clements thanks for opening your cars to Krystal. All I heard about on the ride home is how we need to buy one or the other .

Gary Godula deserves a special thanks for quickly getting his car together and reliable for this event. We had no idea what to expect after 11 years in hibernation but tried to find the magic through the week. The car had it in it but we just couldn't polish the runs enough.

You guys and gals are the best.

[-pru-]

Interesting couple of SCCA issued Solo National updates from last week (better late then never? ):

Thursday Evening Tire Rack Solo Nationals Update
Second Set of ’18 Tire Rack Solo Nats Champs Crowned

[TeamFRD]

It was great to see this group again. Great competition!

So, I'm not happy with my performance. Not so much the place but the time deltas. My first look at video shows my 3rd runs were 1.1 & 1.2 secs ahead of 2nd runs up to the point of the spins. I don't think anyone noticed but I tried regular 8/22 slicks squeezed onto the rears. That gave up an inch of contact patch.

I'm a not a setup wizard and obviously need help. Bilstein shock rebuild and various ride heights did not seem to matter. There are not any better shocks for sale on here lately. Options? 1. Drive a well setup car to see if I have 'it' (My 30th year of Solo BTW) 2. Have someone drive my car and offer advice. [ I have 1 event at Roebling Road and 2 at TheFIRM left this year, if anyone is in the NE FL area. ]

[CM/FFdriver]

Here is mine, #51 CM in P4 after day 1:

Day 1 West Course (#4/30):


Day 2 East Course (dirty run, would have been #1/30):


-Mark

What cones are they saying you hit.?

Ben

[chrisw52]

What cones are they saying you hit.?

Ben

If you listen carefully, I think you can hear it. time mark 0.22

[lowside67]

What cones are they saying you hit.?

Ben

I'm not really sure - I didn't check the audit sheet. In hindsight I should have!

-Mark

[captain_pants]

So, I'm not happy with my performance. Not so much the place but the time deltas. My first look at video shows my 3rd runs were 1.1 & 1.2 secs ahead of 2nd runs up to the point of the spins. I don't think anyone noticed but I tried regular 8/22 slicks squeezed onto the rears. That gave up an iI'm a not a setup wizard and obviously need help. Bilstein shock rebuild and various ride heights did not seem to matter. There are not any better shocks for sale on here lately. Options? 1. Drive a well setup car to see if I have 'it' (My 30th year of Solo BTW) 2. Have someone drive my car and offer advice. [ I have 1 event at Roebling Road and 2 at TheFIRM left this year, if anyone is in the NE FL area. ]

How is the car handling? Is it an oversteering mess with less rear tire?

[ahowe]

Solo Nationals was by far the most fun I've had at an event this year. Thank you all for that. Two thumbs up. Will do again.

The results are a mixed bag for me... I feel like I drove really well on the West Course and was 14th(!). I don't feel like I drove the East Course well, but I moved up.

Video and data overlay are captured within the Garmin critter I use. Crude, but easy.

West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbJC3c4J36w

East
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etw92tHe9mk

Andy

[CM/FFdriver]

It was great to see this group again. Great competition!

So, I'm not happy with my performance. Not so much the place but the time deltas. My first look at video shows my 3rd runs were 1.1 & 1.2 secs ahead of 2nd runs up to the point of the spins. I don't think anyone noticed but I tried regular 8/22 slicks squeezed onto the rears. That gave up an inch of contact patch.

I'm a not a setup wizard and obviously need help. Bilstein shock rebuild and various ride heights did not seem to matter. There are not any better shocks for sale on here lately. Options? 1. Drive a well setup car to see if I have 'it' (My 30th year of Solo BTW) 2. Have someone drive my car and offer advice. [ I have 1 event at Roebling Road and 2 at TheFIRM left this year, if anyone is in the NE FL area. ]

I thought something look funny with your car.

I look at it this way, if you don't have any competition in FL it's hard to tell how fast you are or not.

Shocks are big IMHO Find some 8300 Penske shock for your car, this was a major improvement on my car, the right person to rebuild and set of your shocks also helps, (shocks took me 2 years to get right) ride height does make a difference and Rake.

Don't just have anyone drive your car you need good feed back, find someone that is potentially faster then you and ask his opinion good feed back please.

If your not a set up wizard Who is in your region? ask around

Ben

[pleavens]

Might as well own up to it. Here's my day 1 run in all it's glory.

https://youtu.be/VNn3K2pJ-LE

Can't go and do something as basic as down shift into neutral in this group. 6-7 tenths out the window.

Very happy with how Groot ran, especially in Marks hands. Can't finish without mentioning what a great group CMOD is. Not many places where the top people will give major setup advice to a contender. Thanks again Ben.

[Lynn]

https://www.facebook.com/pg/10FSPhot...92481597797931

[TeamFRD]

All 6 runs. On my West 3rd run, I did lift at the end, causing a spin.

https://vimeo.com/289977545

[CM/FFdriver]

Yeah it's great to see the 98 coming together and with Chris Warner's 98 coming along it going to be fun having good competition in the Bay Area.

Ben

[TeamFRD]

My manual data review on Excel. Calculated time between select cone numbers.
Contact me for the file. And if you would to compare segments.

West


East

[captain_pants]

Perry Bennett's pictures are up:
https://perrybphoto.smugmug.com/AUTO...s-CM/n-rCnPWV/

There are some very neat sequences in there! I need to decide how many I'll buy...

[lowside67]

I sure wish somebody caught my cones on camera - I regret not checking the sheets, it's driving me mad.

-Mark

[CM/FFdriver]

I sure wish somebody caught my cones on camera - I regret not checking the sheets, it's driving me mad.

-Mark

Mark you probably feel the way for some time I did last year, I had fastest time both days but hit a cone on day one only.

It feels bad that you hit cone 302 on the west course and cone 120 on the east course but don't let that stop you from driving Phil's car in the future or building your BM car, you will get one!

Ben