Took my first FTOD yesterday

It was a moderately-sized field, but it included some fast cars and fast drivers, including our perennial FTOD winner in his Zetec-powered Caterham (he and his father are Caterham dealers, so the car is well sorted and quick - I've driven it).

The Manic Miata and I held off all comers, including a number of Z06s and other Vettes, a Cayman S, the aforementioned Caterham. I barely had FTOD after the morning heats (2 runs) and I was joking with the Caterham driver about how I couldn't believe it. But in my second heat (3 runs) I proceeded to drop almost another 2 seconds. His run group was after mine, while I was working the course, and I could see him pushing hard to catch me. In the end, he never did.

During the fun runs I managed to knock off another 3 tenths - while carrying my daughter in the shotgun seat. The car was just on the beam yesterday.

Thanks for letting me brag - this is the first time I've ever pulled off FTOD!

Congrats!

Nice! Sounds like some deft car handling was involved on your part, (on paper, I would've picked the Caterham to be way out ahead.)

Miata looks the business, btw .

In reply to Duke:

Congratulations! I did that once in my stock class '89 Civic si. I never thought I'd be able to do that, but I was on that day and the course agreed with my car. I never did it again although I did get PAX FTOD a couple times.

I only get FTOD if I run first, and it doesn't last long.

Congrats!

My dad used to run with BMC about 40 years ago--very cool that this club is still alive and kicking.

Per

Nice job!

A club that I used to run with gave out an FTD trophy, along with Best Time of the Day. That went to a driver who ran faster on each of his runs and had no cones for the entire day. If, at the end of the day there was more than one qualifier, there would be a runoff with the same rules, faster and clean. It was fun because the same guy would usually get FTD every week, but everyone had a shot at BTD. Some days, there was no winner, especially if it rained in the afternoon.

I never won FTD, but I did bring home the BTD once.

Gratzi!

Per Schroeder wrote: Congrats! My dad used to run with BMC about 40 years ago--very cool that this club is still alive and kicking. Per

Wow, that is cool! Yeah, this club is still in operation. We do 4 autocrosses a year in conjunction with the local PCA, so there are usually a bunch of nice Porsches at our events (everything from Sunday drivers to hardcore track rats) and we attract a number of folks who prefer not to run with the local SCCA region.

Please tell your dad that George Alderman, Willis Weldin, Jim Irons, and a bunch of other gents from back in the day are still active in the club. George was a very active semi-pro racer in the '60s and '70s. In fact George still codrives the Caterham with his son Paul, who is the reigning FTOD champ of the club.

@ Woody: the BTOD sounds like a great idea. My daughter (who is not that quick to begin with and drives a car that is hopelessly outclassed in G Stock) would enjoy that kind of opportunity to be competitive. She is almost always clean and almost always drops her time significantly over the course of the day. Maybe I'll propose that idea to the club.

@ everybody else: thanks!

Congratulations! FTD is cool. Around here we give out a special trophy, it's black. I have managed to snag 2.

Congrats! On my dead Falkens, I pulled a worst-ever of 68th out of 73 this weekend, hahaha.

Awesome congratulations.

Congrats!

Both thumbs up!

^^What he said^^
One of the last autocrosses of the season last year with brand new Hankook C71 R-comps and fresh "Flying Miata" 4-wheel alignment and just broke in CarboTech pads I managed fastest stock class time of the day. First time I'd ever been up there. Haven't been that close since. Oh well! And this weekend our club held a driving school, I did manage a drive in a students Z4M. What a blast to have that power. Another C-stock guy and I were close, he and his Solstice with 54.41 and me with 54.45 in my Miata. What a blast.

Thanks again, everybody!

@ wlkelley3: How do you like those 'Kooks? I'm very interested in a set for next spring. The V700s I'm currently using are ancient and the wrong compound for autocross anyway. The C71s come in some good 15" sizes and seem like a pretty good value in R-comps. I am running 205s now and really hope to move out to a 225s on a wider wheel.

Good job Duke, no mean feat.....

I remember the first time I got an FTD: I ran in the morning, worked in the afternoon. The whole time I was working course watching other guys get close to me I knew how the polesitter at Indy or Daytona felt.

In reply to Duke: Don't really have anything to compare too. I bought a set of Kosei rims that had worn Victoracers on them and they were better than Azenis. When those wore out I replaced them with the 'kooks and was even faster. The Solstice I run against uses Hooser A6 and my base edition 99 Miata w/bilstien sport shocks, RB front sway bar, 4-wheel alignment and Carbotech brake pads and open diff keeps up and beats him sometimes. Sometimes he wins. I'm running 14" w/205 R-comps.
But, yeah I like them and will buy another set. Maybe if I was nationals level I'd spend the $$ on Hoosiers but before that I'd need to spend more on suspension and LSD.

wlkelley3 wrote: I bought a set of Kosei rims that had worn Victoracers on them and they were better than Azenis.

Ha, that's exactly my situation! I bought a set of Kosei K1s with old V700s that have a bunch of track days on them. They're better than the T-1Rs that are the street tires, but not what they could be. Thanks for the input.