Understeer/Oversteer - originally posted 7/11/05
Every year, the
Torque Steerers club sponsors a two-day autocross event as part of the
WWSCC championship series, this year sponsored by
Jim's Detail Shop. The two days are seperate events, but there is a trophy for the best combined time for the two days in each class. This year I got all three trophies in the Mod A class. I was the only entry in class, but hey, it's 200 more points toward the season champion jacket...
The course, designed by Alan Dahl, flowed really well both days, but the off-camber sections really punished overdriving. Saturday's course went something like this: Start with a 90-degree left, uphill through a 3-cone slalom, two 90 degree right corner boxes with a gate in between, decreasing radius right followed by a hard left, then a 5-cone slalom (all downhill from the corner boxes), a gate that was easy to think of as another cone in the slalom, sweep right then left to a 3-cone slalom then sweep right and through the finish lights. Sunday's course was run in reverse with a two-cone slalom after the start before the sweeping left turn started and the finish gate replaced the 3-cone slalom that was at the start on Saturday. A simple course, but car placement was critical. I managed to complete five runs each day without spinning - the brake bias adjustment really helped.
In between events I put on a new clutch belt and had the tension a bit tight. When fully backshifted the car wouldn't pull away from a start on an uphill section unless I reved into the powerband with the brakes on and left in a cloud of tire smoke. That's something I need to take care of before the NT in two weeks. The clutches are a bit of a mystery to me but I'm learning.
The new Digatron was useful, I could track peak EGTs and revs - though I never have time to look at it while on course. The right cylinder is running about 20 degrees cooler on EGT peak than the left and my peak RPM has been in the 7600 range. I know that the EGT is a problem if I want max power; but I don't need any more power right now. And I think the RPM with the
Aaen pipe should be up about a thousand RPM - back to the clutches again.
A great event! My wife came out the first afternoon and got some video of me running. On Sunday morning, someone I know through work came out and he also took some video. Maybe I'll get some on here soon. :-)
