2012 Solo National Championship

[xnamerxx]

Well Guys I arrived in Lincoln yesterday and started getting my car setup. Man that drive was awful but the car seemed to make it safe and sound. I'll post more when I get some free time. Sorry the pics suck.



https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/301238_384078088329807_636887221_n.jpg

Andy Hollis Mazda 2

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/3402_384077904996492_1869366442_n.jpg

[Jason@SportsCar]

Good luck. Hope you don't knock over a cone with your side pipe. :laugh:

[b20vteg]

Good luck. Hope you don't knock over a cone with your side pipe. :laugh:

:bellyroll:

[xnamerxx]

SLOW INTERNET BEWARE!!!

I'd actually be needing exhaust flow for that to happen :bellyroll:.
The guys from my region have been killing today so far we've taken all of the ST classes that have run so far with Tristan Littlehale BMW M3 winning STU being the major upset of the day since he dominated all of the 4wd Evo's and STI's.
I've spent most of the day prepping my car and making sure everything will be working well for tomorrow. The car is driving quite well but I feel like I'm going to be off pace a bit off pace from what I want. Oh well tomorrow and friday will tell for sure.

Thanks again Jesus for coming helping me out with the rims and tires you're a lifesaver.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/413077_384218628315753_1718287886_o.jpg

Random photos of the event.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/321839_384219051649044_2091817308_o.jpg
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/272438_384219568315659_1791291723_o.jpg
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/202750_384219208315695_648393327_o.jpg

Theres something wrong about exhaust that exits in front of the front wheels
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/614979_384220224982260_2004468706_o.jpg
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/201159_384219994982283_1346519989_o.jpg

[Jason@SportsCar]

SLOW INTERNET BEWARE!!!

I'd actually be needing exhaust flow for that to happen :bellyroll:.


It's not the flow that concerns me, from that angle it looks like the pipe is the widest part of the car, and could clip a cone.

[xnamerxx]

No its about an inch inward and is less than the width of the car. Since the yaris slopes inward it looks like its sticking really far out when its not. I've triple checked this to make sure that's case.

[Jason@SportsCar]

No its about an inch inward and is less than the width of the car. Since the yaris slopes inward it looks like its sticking really far out when its not. I've triple checked this to make sure that's case.

I figured you had, but the shadow in the image made me wonder. Go get em. :burnrubber:

[justjesus]

I thought the same thing, about the pipe sticking out too far. Good looking out, though!

You're welcome. Glad I could help another Yaris guy. I'm crossing my fingers for a win. A podium finish at the minimum.

How many entries in STF?

KICK SOME ASS! ! ! !

[xnamerxx]

I'll be doing everything I can to get a podium finish :)

I think there are 10 registered so far with 1 person running STFL.

[xnamerxx]

If anyone is interested in watching live you can gohere http://www.ustream.tv/channel/solo-nationals-east
Also the link below has live result.
http://sololive.scca.com/STF.html

[xnamerxx]

Well I've finished up the national season running STF in my Yaris. I didn't finish as well as I wanted but ended up in 7th place but the gap between 7th and 2nd wasn't as large as it was in some of the other classes.
The 2 different courses we ran one was a momentum course and the other was better for higher hp cars and the times I ran on each side reflected that.
The mini cooper is probably going to be one of the cars to have as its one of the cars with parts readily available and is one of the more powerful cars that can run Hankook's and Toyo's without a big hit using either one. I've learned lots of things I need to lower the car another 2" or so and get as much negative camber as physically possible. My spring rates are okay I could probably go stiffer but I don't think its going to make a big difference at least for right now. One of the big things I've learned is that beating the Mini on transitional speed is going to be difficult to say the least but on sweepers nothing touches the Yaris from what I can see. If I can get the power output up in the 115+ range the Yaris will 100% be the car to have seeing as the Mazda 2 is extremely power limited from talking to Andy Hollis the class winner. Overall I had a great time and learned a lot but I still suffered a casualty of a broken gearbox but I have a good starting point for next year it should be fun.

[Jason@SportsCar]

How did you do your trans in at an autox? Were you able to drive it home? Any idea what failed?

[xnamerxx]

I'm not 100% positive the transmission failed but I was having some terrible grinding problems downshifting into 2nd gear and it happened right as I pulled onto cornhusker hwy getting there and it got progressively worse over the week and was grinding 100% of the time once I got home. Changed the gear oil it got worse but I got the tranny nice and hot and it went away so I'm not positive if its the clutch or the 2nd gear synchro but I have a feeling the tranny is toast.

Got the car home driving through Wyoming avoiding most of the mountains. Yeah aside from the 2nd gear grind on downshift and blowing sound I didn't run into any problems over the week.


Overall with the way the car was setup I didn't have a single complaint about it, understeer wasn't a problem, rotation was great, I had tons of grip (1.1g on my data before it broke), power was great with the CAI and exhaust setup I could use more but I wasn't complaining for once, the only thing I wish I was able to have done was get the shocks revalved but my lack of preparation is at fault for that.

I was the only person there that didn't have a major complaint with their car the Mini's were complaining about to much rotation, Andy in his Mazda 2 was complaining about hitting the bump stops having to much understeer and the lack of camber and power from the car, and the GRM fiesta guys where complaining about hitting the bumpstops and ABS and way to much rotation problems.

[ilikerice]

wow.. sounds like alot of fun. hopefully next year after my wedding I will be able to hit up more national events like this. But the way things are looking, I may end up getting another car to autocross next year and keep the yaris as a DD.. I really want a turbo on something. either the yaris or my next car.

[xnamerxx]

Yeah it was a ton of fun not really for the racing but the event overall. It's a very exhausting trip not just because of driving but because there is so much to take it and see plus all the people from all over the country. The autox itself is just another race there's really nothing special about it except its a far more humbling experience that I would have ever imagined but its also a great learning experience I would recommend any serious/semi-serious racer go at least once.

Congrats on the wedding btw, but the only advice I can offer that was given to be about racing is that if your gonna do, it do it 100% don't leave anything on the table.

[justjesus]

thank for sharing the notes, experiences, and whatnot.

Sorry to hear about the tranny issue, though. Glad you were able to make it home, though!!!

[xnamerxx]

When you race cars parts break it happens.

Here is a nice action shot of my car :)

http://www.gotcone.com/pgallery/images/2012_scca_tirerack_solo_national_championships/stf/img_2329.jpg

[baseballfan416]

not to be a creeper, but your car is in the background on the main photo of autoweek's scca article

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120908/motorsports/120909867?fb_action_ids=10151022487077352&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%2210151022487077352%22%3A135 446769934168%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151022487077352%22%3A%22og .likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

[xnamerxx]

No creeping at all, the more press the Yaris gets the better :headbang:

I didn't even realize that and I've seen that pic over a dozen times.

[cali yaris]

ha, nice!

http://cdn.autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20120908/MOTORSPORTS/120909867/AR/0/SCCA-Tire-Rack-Solo-National-Championships.jpg&maxW=431

[b20vteg]

not to be a creeper, but your car is in the background on the main photo of autoweek's scca article

hahaha nice :thumbup:

[justjesus]

LMAO

nice sneaking into the pic!!!

[xnamerxx]

Ignore the template I used but here is a video of the west course right before the data system broke down.

West Couse 2012 Solo Nationals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nlZ8Xr16Ho&feature=plcp)

[justjesus]

^ as you put in the video's caption thing, you were a bit conservative!

hey, did it slide a little in the wallom? around the 57 second mark?

I like the way your car sounds!!!

[xnamerxx]

Yeah I took the wallom way to hot and the car punished me for it.

I was digging the way it sounded too but I kept failing sound so I had to throw a restrictor on it to I'd pass.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Ignore the template I used but here is a video of the west course right before the data system broke down.

West Couse 2012 Solo Nationals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nlZ8Xr16Ho&feature=plcp)

From the audio it sounds like the added grip from the Lincoln concrete, and the Toyos, gave you some extra body roll and a lot of inside wheel-spin. It is hard to set a car up for concrete when you don't have it locally. We used to travel a lot of miles getting to events just to work on a natls setup.

[xnamerxx]

There is a quite a few things that caused some problems for me that I'm hoping to address in the coming months. The Toyos definitely had way more grip than I was expecting but what was killing me the most was my way overly sprung shocks.

I've always had issues in one way or another with the inside wheel spinning on this car which getting the extra spring out back helped with that but I lost so much control during the transitional elements that I didn't feel very confident in what the car was really able to do. The inside spin wasn't as bad as it was running the softer rear springs but looking at the photos I could probably use more spring overall but I need to do some major work on my driving before I attempt to go there.

[justjesus]

. We used to travel a lot of miles getting to events just to work on a natls setup.

that right there, is dedication! I'm sure it's also part of the reason you had so many championships with the RX-8.

[Jason@SportsCar]

that right there, is dedication! I'm sure it's also part of the reason you had so many championships with the RX-8.

It sounds crazy, but we actually spend less money to road race than we did in any of the last five years we did Solo full time. The travel hits your budget harder than the entry fees. When I look back it makes me cringe.