scottgolf

Hi guys, I know lots of you guys are really into cars, so I figure some of you really have a lot of seat time. I am just curious what kind of driving do you do? Do you or have you ever done any racing?

Street racing, drag racing, or drifting (the sport) doesn't count

I will start

Been at bonderants several times.
Did some SCCA club racing, world challenge T1 back in the 90s oh and also i did a couple of spec neon races for a friend.

Also, if you know anything about drifting, can you explain it to me? This is a new thing to me.

Drifting used to be a term we used to use, but it didn't mean the same thing as today. I don't get how is it scored? What is the object? I understand that its based on oversteer and smoke the tires, but i don't know really anything else. they must set the cars up to be really harsh in the back i assume high pressure in hard tires?

caddyowner

Scott, would you like me to move this thread to Car Talk where you'd likely get a wider audience or would you like to leave it here in the LS430 family (at least for a while)?

scottgolf

oh sure that is fine what ever you want to do

jaseman

Scott,
I've been involved in SCCA club racing, in one form or another, for most of my life. Grew up as a 'track-brat' watching and crewing for my father at Nelson's Ledges and Mid-Ohio. He first had a Gp Triumph Spitfire, then a Gp Datsun 1600 Roadster, and a SSB Citation X-11. As a kid, I traveled all over the East coast with him in the summers, going to regional and national events. As soon as I was old enough, I donned a set of white coveralls and started cornerworking. To this day, my father and I are still very active. He as a National Chief Steward, and me as a cornerworker and race controller (along with just about every other thing that can be done at a track).

While I've never personally gone racing in the 'proper' sense, I've done my fair share of auto-x'ing, as well as a few track days in both cars and motorcycles. But I've helped a few friends build cars as well as crewed for them.

I know what you mean about drifting. Guys like you and I think of it as getting through a corner at the very limit of traction, tires singing, with just a little bit of opposite lock. The "sport" of drifting probably has it's roots somewhere close to what we traditionally think the term means, but has definitely evolved from a quick way around a corner, to something, well, totally different. Most of the scoring is based more on 'style' than anything else - how far, long and fast you can keep the rear-end hung out. But that's about as much as I know about the sport. I'll let other who know, give you the real facts about it.

Lexmex

1/4 mile racing. The avatar at the left says it all, but also on page 8 of my car domain page, it has a pictorial history of some of my endeavors with a link to the videos at the end of that page.

I haven't done this since I returned from Mexico due to time and cost involved (closest 1/4 mile is up in Palm Beach), but I wouldn't mind trying my little RX out again to see what it could do at sea level.

ArmyofOne

I am on the maintenance side of things. I would love to work on, design, build and test race cars. That is my ultimate dream job. While I am a fantastic driver, it is more so because I understand the mechanics and engineering than it is just because I am a badass. Basically, I know how a manual transmission works, and I know how clutches, differentials and all that stuff work, so as a result I can squeeze more potential out of them than average people.


Can I squeeze more out of it than a professional racing driver? Maybe, maybe not. I have never compared myself to one, and honestly would be fooling myself if I thought I was THAT much of a badass on a track. Everyone can learn SOMETHING from someone.

The closest thing I have to seat time is attending Skip Barber at the age of 18. It was a "gift" from my parents for my 18th birthday. I have done track days with friends, and my dad a bunch of times, in various cars...but never really raced other people...Just time trials. The instructor's from Skip Barber thought I had some potential though.

mmarshall

Got a little time here and there with go-carts on a track (I'm just too big and heavy for some of the smaller karts) .............otherwise, with me, I'm not into the track scene. Most of my driving is done for one of three purposes........my own everyday needs, shopping for new/used cars with other people and test-driving them while looking for defects, and, of course, the test-drives I do in my formal auto reviews and write-ups.

BTW, Thank you for specifically not including street/drag-racing in this thread. While acknowledging that some people (even a few CL members) do it anyway, CL does not endorse or encourage the activity.

dsp979

I've done my fair share of drag racing in my younger days. Even took my Maxima out to Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point) for some action.

In the past few years, I've competed in a local autox series where I've gotten the fastest times against other 240SX drivers. Easy goal, I know. There are only 2 other 240sx drivers faster than me, and they don't compete that often. Yay me!

My budget-build single cam 240SX can beat on twin cam KAs, SR20DETs and RB25 powered 240SXs with fully adjustable coilover suspensions. A S14 driver even switched to racing slicks in the later half of 2010 and can barely keep up with me.

I've done one track day with the 240SX at Laguna Seca. See link in my sig for my track day adventure.

The 240sx is getting old and tired, and i'm looking for a newer platform to have fun in.

Oh, I don't drift.

jaseman

Max,
Ever auto-x'ed the IS-300?
If so, hows it fair against others in it's class (3-series, WRX, Type-R, etc)?

Did a lot in the old Miata and CRX both very fun cars to abuse), but haven't had the chance to wheel the IS through the cones yet....

mmarshall

While I haven't driven either car to the limit, my strong guess is that the Miata would be better-suited to a track than the CRX. Even the CRX Si was front-heavy, understeered, and had relatively slow steering response.........its manual non-power steering was not ratioed very quick. Its brakes were also spongy and not the equal of the Miata's.

jaseman

MM,

The Miata and CRX (mine was indeed an Si) were very different animals, for sure. But both were equally fun. The Si was much more rev-happy, and had good, usable torque for a 1.6. It spooled up willingly, like a blood thirsty Piranha, in any gear. Where as the Miata felt a bit anemic by comparison. It seemed to take a bit to spool up. But once you actually got it into the higher revs, she was quite willing, and you never had to back out of it before slinging the car into a corner.

The Miata was definitely better balanced. It handled fairly neutral for a rwd car, and what oversteer there was, was easily controlled with the throttle. Get in too hot, and you could walk the back end through the corner with the pedal. The Si on the other hand, could be prone to severe instability under hard braking. With virtually no weight in the back, the car could get real twitchy and snap the rear-end around. But once back on the throttle, it was almost point and shoot. Forget about what the back was doing, and just point the front wheels where you wanted to go and everything would follow. Understeer? Ya, some, but not as bad as you might think (at least I never thought so).

The Miata was a great joy to drive. Even at it's absolute limits, it always felt safe and sane and controllable. It never felt like it wanted to bight you for doing something wrong, and almost anyone could drive it relatively quick. The CRX, on the other hand, had a little Jekle and Hyde to it's personality. When you got near it's limits, you had to be a bit careful not to get bit, but at it's limits, it was a real hoot to toss around!

dsp979

Never have and never will. I can't tell how tempted I've been to autox it but it's my baby. Plus, I still need to dial in the suspension/alignment.

Put another way, the 240sx is my mistress and the IS300 is my wife. =)

jaseman

Thanks anyway.

If I wanna auto-x, it's either the IS or the wife's Imprezza. I'd rather the IS
(my mistress' only have two wheels)

scottgolf

You guys rock! I figured we had some very sophisticated drivers here.