So, yesterday was our autocross out at Cayuga Community college, this was our setup as viewed from my car on a preview run (very low speed)
https://www.facebook.com/CNY.SCCA/videos/10153887300035875/
The far end with the sweeper and the first part of the lane change is fresh-sealed pavement that has very little grip when dry and none when wet, which will factor into the story. It rained all day during our event, downpours, wakes taller than cars and knocking cones over. I'm not kidding. I had to tiptoe around that end of the lot with my C/SP Miata or risk turning it into a drifting session. Or just spin out.
Event finishes and the sun comes out, it's early in the afternoon (because we only had 13 cars) so we decided to do fun runs. SO I got to test a few cars and let a few people in my car.
1) Scott's G/Street Abarth 500: I wanted to like this car, I really did. And it had just gotten PAX and FTD, so I expected great things. Only change on the car from stock was Dunlop ZII Star Specs. First thing, weird seating position, I've sat in trucks with a lower seating position. Clutch does not feel like the pedal is attached to anything. Shifter is very balky and vague (to be fair, Scott thinks there is something wrong with it, but the Fiat dealer says no) and I almost leave in 3rd. Botch my first run's launch and leave at 2500rpm and it's a doooooog. Doesn't hit boost until almost into the second chicane. Lots of understeer and I have no clue what the car is doing or what it wants me to do. Steering weights up very weird. At the big end sweeper it's understeer city, going way wide trying to find traction. I run several seconds slower than my best in my car. Take a second lap and get the launch right, that's fun, but overall felt very ugly. Fast FWD is no fun, I've determined, the cars never feel very happy. As for the Fiat, it just comes off as floppy and incommunicative. Disappointing too because I wanted to like it.
(photo not from this event)
2) James' D/Street 2016 WRX: James bribed me to let him take my Miata out by letting me do a couple run in his 100% stock WRX. Now this, this I could get used to. Real nice car. Lots of grip, lots of power. It wanted to understeer a little at the far end but so did everything that wasn't RWD. Very easy car to get good on too, I'd never driven it before but it immediately felt like I'd driven this car a million times before, James even remarked on my near-instant proficiency with it. Don't care what people say about these WRXs, or Subarus in general, they are a fiiiiiiine car. I ran just about on par what I was running with my car, but it had taken 2nd in PAX and raw, so it had some serious potential. With real tires, I imagine it'd be a riot.
My car: I call it an STS+ car, because it's closer to an STS car than a C/SP. For those not familiar, it's a 1990 with a header and exhaust, aluminum flywheel, 4.10 Torsen swap, full poly bushings, FM/VMAXX Classic coilovers, FM front sway bar and no rear bar, FM front shock tower brace and rear subframe brace, 1.8L front brakes and 205/50R15 ZII Star Specs of questionable grip
1)Scott (Abarth owner). I warn him to be careful at the far end and that the car does not have ABS. He forgets, overcooks it after the 200ft straight into the far end and goes waaay wide. Also breaks in the fist segment of the back lane change. Comes through the exit chute backwards. He takes a second run and believes there is better time to be had on the far end. Doing the big sweeper he spins it around into a 180, not believing me that you just have to idle through there. Third run, he runs a clean run, remarking on how grippy and responsive the car is. Gets loose on the sweeper but doesn't lose it. Runs a second off my best time.
2) James (WRX owner): James was real excited to drive the Miata because he has been looking at buying them. I gave him the usual "No ABS, take it easy aty the far end" speech. As soon as we left the start line he was going on about how ridiculous this car was to drive, between the instant steering response and tons of grip. And then he put it into the fastest 180 degree spin I have ever experienced while I laughed hysterically in the passenger. On his second run he spun it down there again, this time stalling the car, and then lobbed it through the finish line in a crazy backwards spiral that had me in tears. He apologized profusely, which I waved off, and then gushed about how much he needed a Miata in his life
Gerritt (H/Street Celica drive): Gerritt was giving me E36 M3 about how my car had so much potential and a mediocre driver, so I offered to let him take it out and show what he could do. Knowing he's a very brute-force "Yank the wheel and stab the gas" driver, I knew what to expect. He did a spin that turned into a donut at the big end, then botched the slalom and shut it down. Still said it was a very cool, fun car.
Randy (F/Street 2016 Mustang GT driver): Randy was the only one to not spin. He ripped of a run that felt like a real scorcher, wish the clocks had been on. Afterwards he said the same thing as the others, very fun, very grippy until it lets go, and extremely responsive. He also said that if there aren't any major points implications at stake, he wants to co-drive it at the final event this season in the dry.
