# 9/15 DC Autocross results



## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

3rd out of 8 in DS
5th out of 17 Novice
53 out of 94 PAX overall

To be fair, DS was not packed with the top talent this time around with novices making up half the class. The two that beat me are guys that usally beat me (and the gap is still narrowing *very* slowly).

It's hard to judge where I fell overall though because I have no idea how slick the course was in the second and third heats compared to the first. My worst run was my third, which was when teh course was slickest for me, but I had a big brain fart on that run which cost me more time than anything else.

About my tire issue...I don't think that they've gone off yet. After Sunday, I really do think that I've reached a new plateau of feel and understanding what the car is telling me. It's almost like a night and day difference. This is why I've been so reluctant to get better tires this year. If I had gotten better rubber, I think that it probably would have masked more mistakes I was making and forced me on a longer road to improvement in my skills. Now, when I make the switch to better rubber next year (if I'm in the wagon again...should I get an E28 M5, I'll have a host of other issues  ), I *should* be able to make better use of it.


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## DougDogs (Dec 26, 2001)

look like good numbers to me:thumbup: 

(clyde, my mail box is empty now)


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

[email protected] said:


> * I really do think that I've reached a new plateau of feel and understanding what the car is telling me. It's almost like a night and day difference. This is why I've been so reluctant to get better tires this year. If I had gotten better rubber, I think that it probably would have masked more mistakes I was making and forced me on a longer road to improvement in my skills. Now, when I make the switch to better rubber next year (if I'm in the wagon again...should I get an E28 M5, I'll have a host of other issues  ), I *should* be able to make better use of it. *


And CD-55 thinks that I'm insane telling him to use the A/S tires


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

*Re: Re: 9/15 DC Autocross results*



nate328Ci said:


> *
> 
> And CD-55 thinks that I'm insane telling him to use the A/S tires  *


I think that CD is a good bit ahead of me on the learning curve.

In case I missed it, did he say which tires he used this past weekend?


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## CD-55 (Dec 19, 2001)

*Re: Re: 9/15 DC Autocross results*



nate328Ci said:


> *
> 
> And CD-55 thinks that I'm insane telling him to use the A/S tires  *


NateIsWacko>

You are insane!:yikes:

I know our local NCC BMWCCA chapter is not the most competitive, but being the largest chapter in the nation, you would think that we have some fine autocross drivers!

I took the 2001 SEASON 3rd place trophy for my class. At my last autocross with the 330Ci I took the 3rd place PAX score OVERALL. So why do you keep hounding me about the "R" tires!

I am humble enough to know that there are really many people in our chapter who are simply better autocrossers than I, but for you to keep saying that I am not yet capable of demonstrating better times with "R" tires is crazy.

I used the all seasons at my driving school for 3 reasons. 1) It was not a competitive event, I had no desire to go faster than the all-seasons permit. 2) I wanted some time to test the limits and acclimate to the car. 3) The "R"s are quite worn & I wanted to save them for autocross use.

/NateIsWacko>


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

*Re: Re: Re: 9/15 DC Autocross results*



CD-55 said:


> *
> 2) I wanted some time to test the limits and acclimate to the car. *


That is all that I have been suggesting. If you think you know the car well enough now, go for it.


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## CD-55 (Dec 19, 2001)

[email protected] said:


> *
> 
> 3rd out of 8 in DS
> 5th out of 17 Novice
> 53 out of 94 PAX overall. *


Those are great results Clyde!!!:thumbup: You see I changed my saying about comparing our speed.:angel:


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

*Re: Re: 9/15 DC Autocross results*



CD-55 said:


> *
> 
> Those are great results Clyde!!!:thumbup: You see I changed my saying about comparing our speed.:angel: *


Now that you're moving out of DS/S1 it'll take a little while to build up a new tracking history. I've been growing my sample base and it's interesting seeing numerical results versus what my feeling/impressions were immediately after making the runs on any given day before I really knew how anyone else did.

After 8 autocrosses, I know that I've improved a lot and still have a long way to go. There's about 8 more left this year that I can compete in. Should be fun.


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

Even after 8 events you are still a novice?

Usually it is 3 :dunno:


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

nate328Ci said:


> *Even after 8 events you are still a novice?
> 
> Usually it is 3 :dunno: *


Here it's for the first year, or so I've been told.

edit- I think it's for "Novice of the Year" type things.


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## 325ci.com (Sep 23, 2002)

*Re: Re: Re: 9/15 DC Autocross results*



CD-55 said:


> *I used the all seasons at my driving school for 3 reasons. 1) It was not a competitive event, I had no desire to go faster than the all-seasons permit. 2) I wanted some time to test the limits and acclimate to the car. 3) The "R"s are quite worn & I wanted to save them for autocross use.*


i have the exact same thoughts. i'm going to run streets at this weekend's drivers school at watkins glen. the last two driver school i've been to, i put on my kumho victoracers which in retrospect was probably not a good idea because 
1) it wore them out quick so i have less rubber left for autocross (where i actually compete for trophy points) and,
2) i didn't get a feel for how my car handles and drives and brakes in completely stock trim (my car is bone stock aside for the R compounds).

and at autox, even with my kumhos, i am getting frustrated with the heavy understeer of the car, and at one point i said i'd retire my bimmer from autox (and continue using my MR2 as my autox car). but recently decided that i could probably take that chance to learn how to drive a heavy FR car. so next year, i'm going to consider running my bimmer with street tires and still no mods (it's very hard to restrain myself, hehe) and not go for trophy points. i figure i'd learn how to drive it first, and then the next next year, i'm gonna try to win class.


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