Here is my 4th run from the regional solo event here in San Diego this weekend - 4/17/2011.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

or for people interested on the widescreen and HD versions click over to YouTube's site

4th run from 5/15/2011

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

4th run from 6/11/2011 - One of my competition showed up with his 2011 5.0 sporting new 295 Hoosier A6s - So he got me by 0.7 seconds today..

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

4th run from 7/10/11 - Same 5.0 got me again by 0.7... Looks like it is time to start searching for legal race rubber. -sigh-

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

4th run from 7/31/11 - I got the 5.0 Mustang this weekend - So the GXP ended up back on top of the F Stock pile. But a set of Hoosiers have been ordered to put the final nail in the mustang's coffin for this years season.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

8/21/11 - My second run ended up being my fastest. The new A6s did a good job. I took the class leaving the problematic 5.0 a second or two behind. Although an older camaro showed up and got to within 0.2 seconds of me for second place. Whew, glad I brought the good tires. In the second video, I placed the camera on the rear glass. It was my first run of the day. It looks pretty good, but there is a lot of bouncing back there. I think I like the front window placement better but it was good to watch what I was doing (or not doing) as I drove.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD
Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

9/18/2011 - The course was very challenging this past weekend, but I really enjoyed it for some reason. I ended up taking the class with 2.5 seconds to spare. I can't wait for the final results to be posted to see where I stand against the full field.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

10/09/2011 - The course today was tight and technical and I really wasn't feeling it. I did pull out the win in class but it was ugly. Below first video is a small clip of me taking out a seagull that thought a Pontiac was a slow car.. At least his buddy learned the lesson.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

10/30/2011 - Pretty technical course but fun. I was almost 2nd or 3rd this time in a field of 9 F Stock cars - but was able to pull out this run at the last minute and get the win - by 1.3 seconds over the 2nd place.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

11/13/2011 - Fun day - camera issues prevented a shot from outside the car but here was the cockpit camera view of my winning run.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

11/20/2011 - Novice school - I did some instructing today during which there were some instructor runs. Here is a video of the first of those runs.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

12/4/2011 - I have two videos from the last event of the year.
First my fastest clean run of 52.7

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

Then a little testing via split screen-
Hoosier A6 265/35-19 (top) v. <-- same as the first video
Bridgestone RE-11 245/40-19 (bottom)

Both sets of tires about done - Hoosier's half a season (24 runs)
Bridgestones (38 runs) and daily driving duties for @7000 miles

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

I think next year I will get some RE-11s and only run them on the car to the race and back and skip the Hoosiers all together.

That's it for this years racing... See you next year!

When is the next one of these and how can I do it?

I am in san clemente.

Nice run! Some very tight corners... but I like how there were a few places to get up to speed. Is it me, or was the course a little rough in a few places?

-Todd...

When is the next one of these and how can I do it?

I am in san clemente.

Here is the SD region Schedule - the next one is May 15

http://www.sdsolo.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?3-Frequently-Asked-Questions

To race, mostly you show up on a championship day about 8am and plan for a full day there. You will need at least a weekend SCCA membership (which can be gotten on site) and then to pay the entry fee listed on the flyers in that link above. You will than get help with anything you might need... teching your car, loaner helmet, novice course walk, racing in a novice class, being able to have an instructor in your car when you make your runs and even let him/her drive your car through the course to better see what it should look like.

And here is a link to the SD region forum in the FAQ section -
http://www.sdsolo.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=3

If you let me know you are there or are coming I can show you everything you need to know to have a good time out here.

Also there is a beginner Solo school happening here June 4 and it is a pretty good day and will help a ton with getting some seat time under your belt right at the beginning.

Also there is another closely related SCCA group that might be closer to you to the north.
http://www.solo2.com/
They have a lot of good information on their site. We have quite a few people that run both group's events.

Nice run! Some very tight corners... but I like how there were a few places to get up to speed. Is it me, or was the course a little rough in a few places?

-Todd...

Todd,

The course/parking lot does get a little rough here and there and most course designers try to work around the lots shortcomings. Also about one a year there is a repair the lot day and a lot of patches are made to help spruce it up a bit.

Still of all the places I have raced, this one with its large lot size, cool elevation changes and year round racing schedule is hard to beat.

This looks fun, and I might do it. How many runs do you get in a day.

I did this last year that was a lt of fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O61MKzzGx4U

This looks fun, and I might do it. How many runs do you get in a day.

The track day looks like a load of fun, and your car sounds mean.

On a championship day you get 4 runs unless there are a huge number of people there in the morning than they lower it to 3 to make sure the event gets done before dark. It has been a long time since a club went to the three runs.

Some days if there is still time after all the Champ runs are complete they do fun runs for a small fee.

You can also run timed-only runs (x-runs) and you can do those more than once in a day. Only thing is if you are running in class for champ/trophys for the event you can't do additional x-runs until after your in class runs are complete.

Nice job on the run! The course definitely looked like a fun one. It did have some pretty tight turns in the beginning and the end, but looked like it was pretty open through the rest of the course! What class are you running and are you on slicks yet?

My wife has strongly suggested a lighter racing schedule this year, so I may only get to go to 3 maybe 4 events this year! :( Oh well, once the kids get a little older, I plan to get back to a full schedule again!

Good luck this year!

Cheers,
JJ

What class are you running and are you on slicks yet?

My wife has strongly suggested a lighter racing schedule this year, so I may only get to go to 3 maybe 4 events this year! :(

I am running F Stock this year and no slicks yet I am running on RE-11s in the stock sizing. As long as I keep on top of the FS pile I will stick with this plan.

I have approached Kumho this winter and they are now seriously looking to begin production on 265/35or40-19 V710 rubber. Between my personal request and pointing out to them the potential market they are losing out on with the 2011 Mustangs all using stock 19in rims and being 'forced' to use Hoosier tires they are looking at it. And have called me back once to double check on the sizing required. So it sounds hopeful.

When they do make them I might begin to look for some 9in CTS-V rims to run on the street and use my stock rims to run the slicks. Then if I ever bump up to another class where something over 8in rims are allowed I can reverse the street and track duties of the rims.

I understand about the priority shift for domestic tranquility.. I have been there too. But this year the regional champ jacket in FS is the goal, and after this fourth race I am well on the way.

The final results are up for the April event and I made 25th out of 127 indexed champ entries.. My best results standing so far in the region.
http://www.sdr-scca.com/solo2/results/2011/sdr-2011-04-pax.htm

The final results are up for the April event and I made 25th out of 127 indexed champ entries.. My best results standing so far in the region.
Congrats! Very impressive... looking at the cars that were faster than you, there wasn't anything close to your size/weight.

-Todd...

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

JonRobbinSS what part of San Diego are you from?? I havent seen your car before. Do you only do Auto cross or drag racing too??

I live in Eastlake, work on Point Loma.. The car makes the commute about 2-3 times a week. No drag strip time - all autocross. How about yourself?

Drag strip - Barona & Fontana and once in awhile Qualcomm racelegals.. Myself and Wickedmom with a Maggied G8 are going to the L.A Invasion 1/4 mile dragstrip in Fontana you should join us..

Sounds like you will be having a ton (or 2) of fun. I will not be able to make it up there. I have to budget out my race weekends to leave enough time at home and for other endeavorers both my wife and I can enjoy.
I think there would be a protest filed if I added too many more track events. But thanks for the invite - I would like to meet up with other local G8 owners at some point.

Kool keep an eye on the Southwest section of the forums for up coming events.

4th run from 6/11/2011 - One of my competition showed up with his 2011 5.0 Mustang sporting new 295 Hoosier A6s - So he got me by 0.7 seconds today..



Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

4th run from 7/10/11 - Same 5.0 got me again by 0.7... Looks like it is time to start searching for legal race rubber. -sigh-



Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

4th run from 7/31/11 - I got the 5.0 Mustang this weekend - So the GXP ended up back on top of the F Stock pile. But a set of Hoosiers have been ordered to put the final nail in the mustang's coffin for this years season.



Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

8/21/11 - My second run ended up being my fastest. The new A6s did a good job. I took the class leaving the problematic 5.0 a second or two behind. Although an older camaro showed up and got to within 0.2 seconds of me for second place. Whew, glad I brought the good tires. In the second video, I placed the camera on the rear glass. It was my first run of the day. It looks pretty good, but there is a lot of bouncing back there. I think I like the front window placement better but it was good to watch what I was doing (or not doing) as I drove.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD
Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

Here are some photos a fellow autocrosser posted up of my car taking that last corner in the videos from 8/21.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SWWS5v7bmrI/TlU9IIUGlRI/AAAAAAAAAdg/M6iH4dx-mSo/s800/6073306765_e323eeb13c_o.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tlqJKVLtOm4/TlU9JdEzJtI/AAAAAAAAAdk/JSFu1ELMkSA/s800/6073306971_0dfc95d205_o.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H0L2MMPlkJw/TlU9NarbQkI/AAAAAAAAAdw/ivEh3Nw3lZg/s800/6073307177_2253b2b11f_o.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CMBt5oyXN8w/TlU9LuG7XbI/AAAAAAAAAdo/ABAIYUEkjU4/s800/6073307411_6e27b58663_o.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9HNTAfk7GrU/TlU9EfseiGI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/myxpVTdviig/s800/6073848232_ec97c3d1e1_o.jpg

Here are some photos a fellow autocrosser posted up of my car taking that last corner in the videos from 8/21.


Wow this confirms my feeling that the rear of the car could use some significantly better shock damping (and stiffer springs). Although after looking at your videos I can see that the Hoosiers are doing their job to max out the body roll http://www.g8board.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif Nice runs!
You may want to keep an eye on the wheel bearings...I can't imagine a 2-ton car on Hoosiers is easy on them!

My feeling is that just rear shocks, a moderately stiffer front swaybar and an alignment to compensate could really help the GXP with roll control and grip. Hopefully I will test that theory out one day :)

V

Wow this confirms my feeling that the rear of the car could use some significantly better shock damping (and stiffer springs). Although after looking at your videos I can see that the Hoosiers are doing their job to max out the body roll http://www.g8board.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif Nice runs!
You may want to keep an eye on the wheel bearings...I can't imagine a 2-ton car on Hoosiers is easy on them!

My feeling is that just rear shocks, a moderately stiffer front swaybar and an alignment to compensate could really help the GXP with roll control and grip. Hopefully I will test that theory out one day :)

V

I have been autocrossing 2 ton cars for about 5-6 years now and I will not pretend to know all about what is happening with the GXP's suspension (I try too but it is hard to do suspension tuning on a budget). I started out with a 95 Impala SS. With that car - I started almost stock, went really stiff using shocks and big sway bars, than after doing a lot of testing I ended backing off on the bar stiffness and just added some heavier front springs and matching shocks and than that car really started getting fast (the 500hp 383 helped)

I have found through all that these large cars like a little swagger, preventing all body roll not only makes for a horrible street car it also prevents the suspension from being able to keep all four wheels on the ground in high load cornering.

But I agree, your proposed changes could very well work.

Turns out I not only won my class but made 23rd in PAX in the 8/21 event. A new personal best! Cool.

http://www.sdr-scca.com/solo2/results/2011/sdr-2011-09-pax.htm

For the curious - PAX is where every car class is handicapped based on its class. This allows a comparision of drivers competing in wildly different vehicles. While 23rd might not seem to good - SD region is full of national level champions and I am always stoked to get a F Stock classed GXP in the top quarter of the standings.

Hey Jon, nice runs! How are you liking the slicks? Makes a big difference doesn't it? So are you going to head out for Nationals next year? That way the G8's can take first in FS and ESP! :D

23rd is really good on the index out there! I know the kiesels probably account for at least 2 of the top positions in pax.

Did you follow solo nationals online at all this last week? Kiesel took first in Emod and a 46 willys jeep took second. If you haven't seen that jeep, it was slammed to the ground and running a saturn sky turbo 4 cylinder in it.

I finally moving up in my index in ESP. The last two events I was 12th for one and 13th on the index. I am hoping to crack the top ten in a couple of weeks.

I am going to head down to Blytheville Arkansas and race at the national tour event down there the first weekend of October.

Cheers,
JJ

JJ,
Always good to hear from you. I am still learning this A6/GXP combo. I have some more work to do getting the pressures right - I was on the high side for this first event (44-42) so I would like to see if lowering the pressures will help any.

But with that Camaro breathing down my neck I just dropped the tire pressures to where they started and decided to wait for testing when it wasn't so critical (too hard to add pressure if it didn't work out). So that and changing my driving style a little more to allow the tire to do its grippy magic in the corners, I was overdriving the tire just a little, will help out.

I looked at the national results a few times as they were posted but didn't listen live. I saw the pictures of that Willy's pretty fun looking at the difference between those two cars. I haven't decided if Nationals will be in my future. I did a ProSolo last year and I might try that again this coming spring and maybe the tour stop here in San Diego - but I doubt the long road trip to the Midwest will be happening anytime soon.

I just went and looked over the results page in the St.Louis Region and you are doing well in those two events. I hope you show them all in Arkansas in October. Best of luck and I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Nice. Glad my wheels are working for you. Did you end up doing anything with the paint?

I cleaned them up one more time after they got here before taking them and the A6's to my local race tire installer to have them mounted. They are working great, and while I like my polished rims for the street - I do like the blacked-out look at the track.

And when you are punting the occasional cone with the rim face it is nice to have a protective coating on there.

Thanks for all your help shipping them out here.

9/18/2011 - The course was very challenging this past weekend, but I really enjoyed it for some reason. I ended up taking the class with 2.5 seconds to spare. I can't wait for the final results to be posted to see where I stand against the full field.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

10/09/2011 - The course today was tight and technical and I really wasn't feeling it. I did pull out the win in class but it was ugly. Below first video is a small clip of me taking out a seagull that thought a Pontiac was a slow car.. At least his buddy learned the lesson.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-a-_fV3sjXAc/Tpx3meASZ2I/AAAAAAAAAd4/guQGGgQ4L-k/s800/photo.JPG

10/30/2011 - Pretty technical course but fun. I was almost 2nd or 3rd this time in a field of 9 F Stock cars - but was able to pull out this run at the last minute and get the win - by 1.3 seconds over the 2nd place.

Two pictures of the car from that day in the links below the video..

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

http://lateapexphoto.com/p719671122/e2f323576

http://lateapexphoto.com/p719671122/e23e998e7

Nice driving....

How much faster are the ESP class times?

My GXP has bars.

Thanks..

You can have any front bar in stock class.. So you would just have to change your rear back to stock (there is a rumor of a possible change to the rules that will allow both front and rear bar changes).

Here are all the results from SDRegion.. ESP isn't a very popular class here. And if it were you would have some AWD cars to play with.. always a challenge.

http://www.sdr-scca.com/solo2/results/

11/13/2011 - Fun day - camera issues prevented a shot from outside the car but here was the cockpit camera view of my winning run.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

11/20/2011 - Novice school - I did some instructing today during which there were some instructor runs. Here is a video of the first of those runs.

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

Nice run, you looked like you were on a Sunday stroll in there! Congrats on getting 1st!

I am actually looking at selling my car at the moment and getting an Evo 9 and run in STU for next year. I am agonizing over this at the moment. I would love to keep my car and pick up a car for racing, but financially can't do that right now.

Check out this site for used race slicks! www.jbracingtires.net (http://www.jbracingtires.net) He can get you a used set dirt cheap compared to buying them new. Not sure if you are running 18" wheels or not, but there are a lot more tires available for that size rim. If you are on the Hoosier tires try 32 psi in front and 38 psi in the back and adjust from there. That seems to be the happy place for my car.

Is your season still going? Do you get to race pretty well all year around? I am glad that we get an off season, otherwise my wife would have handed me divorce papers already!!!! :wink2:

Cheers,
JJ

Thanks, JJ.

The harness helps alot in making it look like it is a Sunday stroll... It sure helps me with car control, having my body welded to the seat lets me feel what the car is doing sooner so I can make corrections faster and I don't I have to brace to keep myself in place (or that is what I tell myself).

Sorry to hear you are thinking about getting rid of your car, it has been fun to have another G8'r throwing the weight around the courses. I really think these cars are a good fit for FS.. But once you mod it and head into the prepared classes it becomes harder to be competitive - but its still a load of fun. I went the mod route in my 95 Impala ending up in SM.. Made 4th in the region 2 years in a row competing against heavily modded STI's and Evos - I then started looking for a car to return to FS with - hence the GXP.

For the curious here was my Impala's for sale ad on the ImpalaSS forum- http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=244173

I have looked at the JBRacingTires site before - my 19in rims (required in FS) make it hard to fit tires and the ones that are legal heat cycle out long before the rubber is gone anyway so I am wary of used rubber.

I am currently running 265/35-19 A6 Hoosiers and for me I am at 40psi in the front and 38 in the rear. I would like to go lower in the front but I over drive them a bit and am afraid of rolling them over too far. See below - no understeer but you can see the rollover and it is truly evident on my sidewalls.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CMBt5oyXN8w/TlU9LuG7XbI/AAAAAAAAAdo/ABAIYUEkjU4/s800/6073307411_6e27b58663_o.jpg

I see, the last set of used rubber I got from him literally still had the rubber nipples on the tires yet and I got them for $150. I thought even in stock class that you can update or backdate the car. If that is true since the G8 runs also 18's that it would be a stock wheel that you can use as long as the width is the same.

Fresh Rubber is always the best that is for sure. Those used tires build dates are usually within the 2 to 3 months of when you usually get them.

I guess that could always be an option to unmod the car back to FS class if I decide to keep the car.

I have the harness in my car and it makes a world of difference as far as maintaining control of the car.

Cheers,
JJ

The updating and backdating is possible - but packages have to done completely - So to run an 18in rim I would have to swap the motor, transmission, suspension to change my GXP into a GT... Not the direction I want to head. Going the other way works better you could change a GT to a GXP but that would be costly but there would be a performance advantage that would outweigh having to use the GXP's 19in rims.

You could sell your modded car and look for a stock GXP - but I doubt that is needed for FS. Our cars might be a little heavier and bigger than the Mustang 5.0 GTs and they can run 18x8.5 or 19x9 rims but our suspension design is miles ahead of the live axle rear and single lower A-arm fronts they have been saddled with. All told, I think - performace wise - both cars are about equal and it comes down to the driver.. The way a class should be.

I have two videos from the last event of the year 12/4/2011-
First my fastest clean run of 52.7

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

Then a little testing via split screen-
Hoosier A6 265/35-19 (top) v. <-- same as the first video
Bridgestone RE-11 245/40-19 (bottom)

Both sets of tires about done - Hoosier's half a season (24 runs)
Bridgestones (38 runs) and daily driving duties for @7000 miles

Click here to go to YouTube Widescreen HD

I think next year I will get some RE-11s and only run them on the car to the race and back and skip the Hoosiers all together.

That's it for this years racing... See you next year!