Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

[Redwood]

Okay, so how did this go? Dean? Jeremy? Hanchey? Fair? Post about it.

[hancheyb]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Here's what I'm posting on LSC chat. Overall, it was fun. It was so hot that I really came close to heat exhaustion after working the afternoon. Dean/Jermey, I need you to comment on my post so I can determine what my next set of tires are. They were so unorganized I think I got 5 reruns!! Normally that's OK, but very expensive at a BMW event. Here's my Kumho data from this year. I wouldn't recommend repeating it. And Duck, no wise a$$ comments about bringing enough tires. I'm broke, I had enough without our 6 reruns combined. That's like having another friggin' driver. Ugh, I'm disgusted.

I think we finished, me/Dean/Terry. Terry never had a real chance since the tires were shot. He had an EASY 1:06 and DNF'd the slalom and almost stopped right at the end and still got a 1:07.4

"I thought I'd give a data point to anyone considering race tires for autocrossing. I couldn't decide what to buy for this year so I purchased 255/40-17 Kumho Victoracers for my M3. I had used them once before doing B stock SCCA events on another M3 I owned, so I knew what to expect out of them so I thought. Here's what I got out of them for running at Mineral Wells only and BMW events only. No SCCA, ER, etc. The wear is almost perfect on them. The fronts have a couple of laps left in them, but the rears were on base rubber and were chunking by the end of the day starting after our morning runs this weekend.

March: I did 4 runs, I think Jim Harris did 4 timed runs with 2-3 reruns, etc. His car was broken so he finished in my car.

May: I did 8 runs, no reruns

July: I had 4 reruns, 6 timed runs, my friend Terry had 8 timed runs and 1 rerun (I think).

Technically the tires were toast after our morning session. The car was loose on my first afternoon run and really loose from then on. I did 3 runs in the afternoon, Terry did 4. Therefore, to estimate how good they are at full traction, I'll take those runs out. Also, I'll count the reruns as half since they were stopped btwn a 1/4 through and 3/4 through each time. OK, so add it up....23 timed runs plus 7 times 0.5. My guess is expect 27 runs on a set of Kumhos at a BMW autocross event. For anyone considering letting people drive their cars, I spent a little less than $800 on these tires so charge $30 a lap when you let someone drive at a BMW event! Jim's offered me a ride and I'll get Terry back at somepoint. I'm not asking them for money discretely here, but I thought I'd share my tire wear story. I like Mark Y's idea of Michelins much more now. "

[Fair!]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Hanchey: Thanks again for the co-drive!?* I had a BLAST out there at mineral wells, even considering the massive number of re-runs (due to timer errors, CONES DOWN, and the 4 times we CAUGHT THE DRIVERS running before us), insane commute time (close to 4 hours there and back!), the July Texas heat (sweltering), and double worker assignment + sweeping we did.

I have a new-found lack of respect for most of the racers with the BMW group.?* My god these people are BAD.?* We're no driving gods, not hardly, but bumbling around and missing shifts on dead tires we all still pounded those fools.?* There were so many examples of their "good" people all making massive mistakes... straights where drivers were braking yet we were flat out in 3rd, consistently botched slaloms, people bouncing rev limiters for 5+ seconds on straights to avoid a up+down shift, lots of spins and coasting, etc.?* Even Kenny Baker, a nat'l level driver, was doing loooong limiter bouncing straights.?* WTF??* I even videoed some of the good stuff.?*

Note: the "uber" 3rd gen RX7tt that got TTOD last time.. its a helluva car but the driving was sub-par.?* Was this the same guy from last month??* UN-impressed.?* He had a string of DNFs and was put-put-putting around for too much on each run; we all had him by 3+ seconds in the morning.?* He managed one good run all day and nicked the TTOD crown from Hanchey by?* 2 tenths.?* ALL CAR.?* It sucks that we both left 2+ seconds on the course... grrr...

Excuses:?* :-D My best run was my 2nd timed run of the day, and included two missed 3rd gear shifts, one of which I gave up and stuck it in 4th for an entire straight-away.?* It physically PAINS me to know that that was my best time, even though all 4 of my runs in the afternoon session were picture perfect - damn tires were on base rubber and just kept getting slower for both of us.?* ?* Not complaining about the tires, just mostly about the unnecessary number of re-runs in the morning that killed em early, and my piss-poor performance in the A.M.?* Hanchey's best run was also one of the first ones from the morning session, and he also left seconds out there, but the tires didn't forgive us in the afternoon.?* Frustrating.

Course was challenging, to say the least, with the curved slalom and the silly "optional" wall of death.?* The four 3rd gear straights made for lots of up and down shifting (which took me a while to get right in hanchey's car - yes, I suck) but it was still more of a grip course with the large amount of time spent in big sweepers, including a long 3rd gear turn.?* Some of the stupid tight gates had to be "swept" a bit to ease em up.?* It pays to bring your broom.?* ?*:evil: These guys need some course designing lessons (roger johnson, help!) and really need to get their corner workers to pay better attention - the down cone re-run issue was way out of hand. Asshats.

The tire wear analysis above, while probably closer to 40 "real" 60 second runs, still utterly SUCKS and really bums me about getting even more expensive/bigger tires for our C6.?* $1000 worth of tires could be gone in 4-5 events... sheesh, this is an expensive sport.?* Maybe you ST class crazies are onto something.?* Wish I could run a "real" car in ST.?*:-D

Still - I've got an itch to run some more events soon, and no money for tires to do it in our car (damned house WON'T SELL! all money tied up selling in it + repairs + new home build).?* Paul has offered me a co-drive in his STi for next weekend... and I am finally gonna take him up on it.?* SCCA event at Pennington; my least favorite event site, but at least it's not 2 hours away. I hate being a co-drive whore...

[C3]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

As you all well know, Mineral Wells is a b*tch on tires. Its not treating my Toyos well either. I'm planning on hitting the SCCA event next weekend as well, but I need to fix my hoopty first - R&R the RF strut as its still popping from my improper reassembly after installing the Koni inserts. Hard to believe I haven't autoxed since the front Konis have been on, but now that wedding stuff is over I need to get back out!

Fair, can I whore your garage for a couple of hours on Saturday morning?

[hancheyb]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

I guess we should add that Mark Y was a fairly gracious loser (for him). He still back handed compliments like, "it MUST be the car, both of you beat me!" WTF??

[instigator]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Wish I could have made it and we could have pushed Mark Y to 7th overall.

As far as tire wear goes. Dean and I are getting about 80 runs at MW out of the Toyos.

[hancheyb]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

That would last me more than a year.

[Dean!]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Wish I could have made it and we could have pushed Mark Y to 7th overall.

As far as tire wear goes. Dean and I are getting about 80 runs at MW out of the Toyos.

Terry still lost to a boost buggy in an M3! :evil:

Hanchey: I'm glad you posted your tire analysis, makes me feel tons better about the Toyo's.
I think with perfect tire flipping and rotation, we calculated that we could squeeze 92 runs out of one set of Toyos. (I want to say that ONE of our original Toyos now has 92 runs on it and it is not corded, the other has 84 runs on it, the other 2 have 76 runs on them....)

[Dean!]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

That would last me more than a year.

We are running the same size as you... 255/40/17 Toyos...

[Tommy R]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Y'all are really making me want to run up there sometime. Will any of these losers make the Divisional in August? I'll be there in my lowly street tired 325.

T

[Tommy R]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Brian & Fair,

Your tire analyses are the reason I'm in Street Touring. A conventionally sized set of competitive race tires are nearing $1000/set for ALL CLASSES. Sorry, I won't do that. At least BMW guys are getting nearly 100 runs from a set of 710's. Of course, that's likely all asphalt and NOT Mineral Wells.

I still believe Stock and Street Prepared should have the same tire rules and limitations as Street Touring.

T

[Fair!]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Your tire analyses are the reason I'm in Street Touring.?* A conventionally sized set of competitive race tires are nearing $1000/set for ALL CLASSES.?* Sorry, I won't do that.?* At least BMW guys are getting nearly 100 runs from a set of 710's.?* Of course, that's likely all asphalt and NOT Mineral Wells.?*

I still believe Stock and Street Prepared should have the same tire rules and limitations as Street Touring.?*

T

Beginning to see that point of view. I will only think about Toyos (at the most) for my next set of R compounds. Hell, I might even do Mich. Pilot Sport Cups, if there's a chicane on the straights. :-D

[hancheyb]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Yeah, me too. Toyos might be a good balance. I just hate how street tires feel. Nothing like grip!

[Tommy R]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

I don't know, man... These damn Falkens seem to have crazy grip for street tires. And now there's some "properly sized" Street Touring tires coming out, finally!

T

[Dean!]

Re: Lonestar BMWCCA Autcross July 9

Brian & Fair,

Your tire analyses are the reason I'm in Street Touring.?* A conventionally sized set of competitive race tires are nearing $1000/set for ALL CLASSES.?* Sorry, I won't do that.?* At least BMW guys are getting nearly 100 runs from a set of 710's.?* Of course, that's likely all asphalt and NOT Mineral Wells.?*

I still believe Stock and Street Prepared should have the same tire rules and limitations as Street Touring.?*

T

255/40/17 Toyos are $158 a tire from BMW Wheels.com

That's $632 a set (no sales tax!), and $20-$40 to mount all four - sometimes we get free mounting because Jeremy flirts....

Not the tire to have at Nationals/Divisionals (Kumho V710's) - but if you don't go to Nationals/Divisionals, then.....