Re: Grinning 2

[Iain Mannix <mannix@privateI.com>]

  An 85sec time tho
>noble, was average for all the cars competing.

Thanks. Fastest novice FWD time, if I am not mistaken.  What's the point of
having a 2wd and 4wd class split if they get viewed in the same light?  I'd
liek to see the average of all 2wd and all 4wd cars - that'd be two
different numbers, I am sure.

  As a ex-ProRally driver of an
>A1 Scirocco, I find your parking brake comment interesting.  If you used the
>parking brake at the Steamboat event, you lost time, period.

I'm sure I may have.  I believe there were 3 seconds at least in the car.
This was my second ice event.  I used the parking brake less and less, but
I did find it useful for a couple of the turns(and when I botched things &
needed to rotate _now_).

 Considering the
>FTD was won by .2 seconds, sir, I think you, an autocrosser, should understand
>that 7 seconds is forever.

Of course it is forever.  Was FTD won by .2 over a front wheel drive car?
How about we compare fastest times in front wheel drive and look at the
difference there?  How can you compare times directly between a FWD car and
a quattro?  I don't get it.  A friend has a Subaru Justy(4wd).  On dry
pavement, I can _run_ faster.  On snow?  Ice?  It walks away from my
GTI(which, as far as DSP GTIs go, is pretty quick - 2030#, 115hp/123'/#).
I have Gislaved studs on the GTI, it has the crappiest street tires known
to man.  Horsepower?  No.  I've got that over the Bus in a big way.
Traction?  Oh, yeah, traction.

 The Eventmasters' Drivers meeting comment "this is
>not a horsepower event" seems to put that 7 seconds in better perspective.

Ummm, no.  The start?  If you stayed in the grooves, it was icy.  If you
put the car in the snow, there was grip.  The Audis and other AWD cars were
accelerating WAY harder than any of the FWD cars were, with HUGE speed
advantages at the end of the front straight, up the hill, then the long
straight along the backside.  It is not a horsepower event, you are correct
- the bigfast Audis were not using  much of their power, but they do have
traction, a whole lot compared to a FWD/no LSD Scirocco, and please don't
tell me that the ability to put that power down is not a considerable
advantage.  Seven seconds on concrete?  That's an eternity.  Seven seconds
on snow and ice, comparing a 2000 pound FWD car to a 3000+ pound all wheel
drive car?  No surprise to me, the biggest trick I could imagine was
slowing down enough for the first corner.  As you know, an Eclipse or
something and a Coupe both wound up stuffed in the snowbank.  I could have
stopped the  Scirocco easily before the snowbank with the speed I was able
to get.


>
>This is a fun event, and looking forward to more of the RallyCross Series.
>Maybe some better classifications of AWD audis in SCCA might bring more to
>your Solo parties.

What's wrong with them?  Not a challenge, I don't know, never looked.
Locally, we'd be happy to set up a visitors class for you.

  In the meantime, I'll smile at the weekend, the win, and
>your post.

Good job!  I don't think you did _poorly_, but I was expecting better.  I
had the fastest FWD time for the novices, it was my second ice event, and I
made considerable mistakes on all three runs.  Maybe all of the FWD people
sucked, making my codriver, the guy in the Sentra and I look all that much
better.  I don't know.

  500# springs on a scirocco and handbrake turns?  I feel confident
>that you could do better with both "claims".

OK.  Just what do you mean by this?  Are you implying that I am being a bit
ficticious?  I was using handbrake turns, and there most assuredly are 500#
springs on that Scirocco.  Hmmmm.  I don't know how to respond to this.  If
you mean that I am _claiming_ that I used the p-brake and _claiming_ that
the car has 500# springs, you are right, I am _claiming_ that, and would be
glad to verify the spring rate if you're ever in Colorado again.  If you
are saying that you think I could have done better with 500# springs and
the parking brake, you are also correct, I most assuredly could have done
better.  I'd guess I could have gotten an 81-82 second run out of the deal
had I not parked it twice on my fastest run, and I still expected more from
the Quattro clubbers!

>
>Looking forward to next year.  Wecome to the List.

Yup, I'm here, I should be there next year, my 4000q should be through its
temper tantrum, it should be a lot of fun.  I'll be in a Quattro next year.
You've lit my fire, I'm gonna figure out this ice thing as best I can and
see what I can do next season.  Two more ice events for me to go to this
year, I'll plan on next years, it'll be fun:).  Loser buys the post event
beer?  We on?  Yup, it is a challenge:).  I might lose, I might win, we'll
see.  I'd like it if we could drive similar cars, because I don't believe
for a second that a 115hp 4kq is capable of keeping up with a 300+hp urq on
the same surface in a straight line, and if the course is similar this
year, there are two big straight lines to consider.  Not going to happen,
power matters when you've got that kind of traction, I've been witness to
it many times.  So, thanks for the warm welcome, no offense taken(unless
you're calling me a liar, in which case, I am offended & don't appreciate
it, but I am not sure what you meant), I'll see you next year and
hopefully, my 4kq will become stable and live up to the reputation you guys
have given it!  TTYS!


I.Mannix