q's and Z's

[Larry C Leung]

In autocross (particularly in stock classes) the best driver usually
wins, even over a "superior" car. When my GTi was together (finally doing
something to bring it back, it's just been WAY too busy to even think
about it) the competition in my class at the regional level was not that
competitive. So the typical thing I did in order to keep my skills honed
for Divisionals (where I don't fare nearly as well) was compare myself to
other classes of cars with competive drivers, both in raw times and PAX
index. In so doing, I frequently beat the times of supposedly "faster"
cars, such as stock Neon ACR's (awfully good autocrosser BTW), CRX Si's
(ditto), Street Prepped Rabbits and 'Roccos (really pretty neat when they
have a Quaife), Miatas, RX7s and RX7 Turbo 2's, stock 911s and Ferraris,
Mustangs, Camaros etc. It wasn't the cars (I've taken a few out in an
Regional instructor status, generally I could easily beat my times with
them, matching PAX or nearly so), though for some reason (yeah, right!),
most Street Prep and higher class cars seem to be better able to perform
up to their standards than most of the stock class cars. Some cars (like
my 200Q, which must run in if I use the 16's) are seriously out classed
in class, I had to run with SP CRX Si's and Civics, always formidable in
class, even in stock form, with a good driver that is) just are never
going to be capable in class if you wish to keep them streetable, but
that's an owner/driver's choice. My point is, I'm not surpized at your
friend's successes in his 240Z, but if he's the type of driver he's
likely to be, he'd probably be amazingly fast in a Trabant, too. Just out
of curiosity, do you get many open wheel Solo racers up your way?
Invariably, down here, FTD will always go to an open wheeler. 

LL - NY 

On Thu, 21 Mar 2002 18:11:57 -0500 Burl Vibert <blur at sympatico.ca>
writes:
>
>
>l.leung at juno.com wrote:
>
>
>> seems to hold up better over the long run than the lightweight Z's, 
>which >took the Colin Chapman approach to engineering. Great for 
>performance, but >tough for a street car. Unfortunately, I've never 
>DRIVEN an early Z car, the >only ones to ever show up at autocrosses 
>were always less than agressively >driven, so I have no idea of their 
>actual potential. 
>
>
>Hi Larry
>
>The Z cars are VERY capable when prepared and driven right.  Several
>years ago a friend of mine set FTD at every autocross he competed in
>with his 240Z.  Of course it was bored and stroked to 3.0 litres,
>triple webers, blah, blah, blah. He's now playing around with a 
>400+hp
>300ZXtt.  His brother, in my class, won as well with a 280Z.  They 
>are
>both excellent drivers BTW.
>
>Here's an example, although the whole season was pretty much like
>this:
>http://www.swbs.com/98s2e4.html
>
>Burl Vibert
>1987 5kcstq     (autocrossed once)
>1983 Audi Coupe (autocrossed once)
>Kingston, Ontario