We have a really nice new site here in central Florida at Geneva, which is a bit north of Orlando. It's a police training facility with enough room for a third gear autocross, paved pits and an organized grid. There are two gun ranges on the same site, so the constant sound of gunfire is a bit unnerving, but the weather was spectacular and the course was a blast.
Here's an interesting vehicle that was in attendance:
Volvo?
Talk about a wolf in sheeps clothing!
You need to get in the Olympic Spirit and have a bialthalon autocross: combine the autocross WITH the gun range!
Thanks for posting the video. Next time I'll ask you to drive it. I could probably use some pointers but I was pretty happy with my times.
Per Schroeder
Technical Editor/Advertising Director
2/22/10 9:11 a.m.
I'm sorry we missed it. Kim and I were both pretty beat and decided to lay low for the day.
Greg Voth wrote:
Thanks for posting the video. Next time I'll ask you to drive it. I could probably use some pointers but I was pretty happy with my times.
I'm not sure I could drive that beast without spinning it! I declined on the '68 Firebird for the same reason.
snipes
Reader
2/22/10 9:49 a.m.
Any more info on the Volvo?
That is a good site, offers nice variety from the up-and-back constraints of the airfield. The R sure doesn't love the washboard dirt road leading to the site, however, vibrate-o-tron on TEINs.
Got into a solid scrap with Nicholas's nicely modified Acura RSX in Street Modified FWD, we were neck and neck until I took a gamble on a different route around the optional slalom and turn-around, picked up a full second between the quick run and the new path. Having a similar car that's fairly close in performance has lit my competitive fire quite a bit more than in previous years, I really dig the SMF format. No more pesky Evos with their schmurbochargers and wide tires
After getting a helmet for valentine's day, Ashley had her first real spin this weekend. I told her I had done about 8 events before my first spin, so she's way ahead of the curve after just 3 races. And she was ticked because her last run was going so well and she overcooked it and nailed some cones, she opined that they should have autocrosses every day so beginners could learn more quickly. Who am I to argue with such logic!
Tom Heath
Marketing / Club Coordinator
2/22/10 10:56 a.m.
I wish I were able to make it. Being a dad can be murder on a schedule, and it's hard to fit 2 kids in a Miata.
Geneva is possibly my favorite autocross site in the state of Florida.
alex
Dork
2/22/10 11:00 a.m.
I'm going to have to ask for a moratorium on pics/vids of V8 swapped Volvos. Those things peg my Want-o-Meter, which doesn't seem to have much regard for my Money Gauge.
Soma007
New Reader
2/22/10 11:47 a.m.
Scott - Ashley is doing great! Way better than I did when I started. On my very first run I got a round of applause from the crowd when I finished. Not because it was so impressive but because they didn't think I'd ever finish....
But yeah, good event. That access road suuuuuuuucks. It looks fairly smooth but its really terrible. That washboard surface seems to setup a nasty resonance in my car. Going faster helps a little but that's not so safe on that road.
Anyhow here is video from my best run, a 46.1. Any critiques would be welcome. I know I had a bit of a bobble in the slalom headed towards the turn around and I was too cautious in the zig zag finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHtzPLu7zXI
Jason
Hi Jason,
I was upshifting to third in two places; the first on the outbound leg just after station 3, and again on the inbound leg at station 4. I downshifted to second again braking for the hard right where the course split. I noticed that you were in the rev limiter for several seconds.
Jerry
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/volvo-awesomeness-lol/18731/page1/
More info on the Volvo in this thread. Also in Readers Rides.
Soma007
New Reader
2/22/10 1:12 p.m.
Thanks Jerry. I was debating the shift to 3rd coming back. I'm not so good hitting 3rd in an autocross situation and I wasn't convinced it was worth it at the time. Watching the video it appears I was on the limiter ~3 seconds there so it probably would have been worth it.
I wasn't so sure about going to 1st for the turnaround either but that was a nice, straight braking zone so I went for it.
On a somewhat related note. What happened to www.autocrossforum.com?
It appears to be back now. There were complaints that it was down over the weekend.
PAX Results
Results are posted. I had a good day; 4th overall out of 101.