Re: Reno SCCA Autocross Sun.23rd

[Thompers@aol.com]

Here's the SCCA Autocross report From Reno, NV Sun23rd
(Audi Quattro Club Members)

Awesome!  SCCA autocross was a blast.  74.5 deg. all day, snow covered mtns
in back ground... 

Six QCUSA members were there, Homare Sakata'86 4000sq (Homare ran the
VCHillclimb last year and launched his quattro off turn 17's "criff" for a
plane ride! no one hurt and q ok), John Corbishley'83 Ur-q, Ken Bennett '87
4000CSq ala 'baby Sport quattro; My wife and some other associate members.
 Gave everyone rides...

We ran two cars, my '83 Ur-q and Ken Bennett's '87 4000csq with a '87
5000CStq motor in it running about 165-175hp.   Ken's q has Yoko AVS
205/60-15 tires on it and I suggested to him that they are way to big. He
should run  205/50-15's, shaved Yoko 008RSII or equiv. His times should
impove quite considerably.
Ken's ride is quick!  That 4000 will stomp on the hillclimb. Full In cage
roll bar, one piece removable front end with single lights.  Looks like a
baby Sport quattro. 

My '83 TQC is stock with a K&N, and removed center muffler.  I think I've got
about 168hp?  Could use more low end grunt.  On my Coupe, I am running
205/50ZR-15 Bridgestone RE71SC (soft compound, non-shaved) tires on 7x15
Fuchs alloys.  Nice set-up, a little quicker off the line than stock
tires/rims.  Plenty of magnetic Audi sport decals, Club stickers, etc....

The SCCA rule book said that the 4000q should be in CS class, and the Coupe
in the GS class, but heck he has a turbo...  So, we ran both of the cars in
GS class together.  Let's go racing! 

The course was set-up for about 2nd gear and two hairpins at first gear.  Up
and back like a giant snake, four times, very long. There was alot of
transitions from some weeds to asphalt, to drainage ditches crossing the
course, off camber decreasing radius corners and asphalt cracks. The SCCA
announcer said "here's Thompson Smith in his..., with some kind of 'olympic'
rings on front.  He had no clue.

But, seriously I love the way the car runs right from the factory, and it ran
great all day!   I had two drivers on the Ur-q for a total of 10 runs. I had
to turn on the air cond. switch (sans belt) to activate the fan to help cool
off the motor near the end. Redlined every gear. Love to hear those front
tires chirp!  My oil temp. (measured off the bottom of the oil pan at the
plug) was running up to 280 deg. Hot, but ok with Mobil 1 15-50w.

Both of are times were respectible, although if it were raining.... everyone
else's times would of dropped, and ours....

Ken got a 1:11.356 in his mod. 4000CSq and my fastest time was a 1:13.704 in
the old Ur-q.  I started the day with a 1:17.568, 1:15.701, 1:13.740,
1:13.817 and 1:15.875 respectively. Ken DNF'd his first run (plowed through
the finish line cones, nearly taking out the timeslip guys!) His times were
around 1:13.563 to 1:111.013 all day.  We waxed a couple of GTI's, Miatas,
Hondas, etc....  The ZR-1 Corvetes of course waxed us.  I think I even beat a
'81 911SC.  A 1995 BMW M3 with 17" rims/tires pulled a 1:07, TTOD
(toptimeoftheday) was a open wheeled formula Vee, 0:59!  Heck even a '68
Dodge barracuda with pinter tires and low as ever pulled a 1:05!   Most of
the ZR-1's got about 1:03's or lower. Those cars are super fast out of the
hole! 

Great fun, highly recommended for $20.  (I paid $15 for registration and $50
for SCCA membership) You can really tell how the quattros fair against other
cars... on such a tight course. My Coupe did push alot in the front, felt
like it was "up on three" wheels sometimes.  Although, would really like to
have LOCKED the center diff and turn the rear diff into a LIMITED SLIP with
about 60-75% lock-up...  or just lock up the center diff ONLY, without the
rear locked up.  Is there a limited slip rear end for the early Ur-q's?  Lots
of tire scrubing.  I had about a half tank of petrol, could of used more
weight the rear... I tried my damned'est, by trail-braking the snot out of
each entrance to the hairpins, to get the back end to hang out.  No such
luck, way to much traction. Ken said" I just slam it down a gear and drop the
clutch".... ouch, not me.

Next Reno SCCA region events are as follows:

June 10-11 Reno Livestock Events Center (RLEC)
July 15-16 Boreal Ridge parking lot, Boreal Ski Area
Augs 26-27 Boreal Ridge parking lot, Boreal Skia Area
Sept 10         RLEC
Oct   15         RLEC

Later,
Thompson
'83 Ur-q Coupe (RLY RACR)
'86 5000CStq
<Thompers@aol.com>