Autocrossers: Check in here!

[BigDog]

Hey Greg,

I don't need him forever, just 48-72 hours. You oughta come out too. By April, you guys will need some California sun.

The 245s will fit, but I'm glad I'm not gonna be the guy mounting them.

[honda93]

Originally Posted by BigDog

Curt Luther - CalClub
07 LX - HS

Right now I'm running the car completely stock except for 225/50-16 Azenis RT-615 on the stock 16x6.5 steelies (hubcaps FTW!). Future mods include:

Koni DA shocks (these are the shocks from highrev1's aborted GS effort)
Rota wheels
Hoosier A6s in sizes 245/45-16 front, 225/50-16 rear
Progress / Si / LX front bar testing
Magnaflow Cat-Back
K&N Drop In

Curt,

Welcome! Nice seeing you here...

Good luck developing everything in 2007. Having Ken and Wil, along with a multitude of other national-caliber drivers should have you on the fast track in no time. I had no idea how strong the membership base of CalClub was until I looked into the results you spoke of.

You take down those MINI's on the western front, I'll handle things back east. :)

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[Highrev1]

Maybee Chris and I should get into HS it seems to be a pretty HOT Class this up coming year :)

HMM...Can I justify Motons on an LX?

[honda93]

Originally Posted by Highrev1

Maybee Chris and I should get into HS it seems to be a pretty HOT Class this up coming year :)

HMM...Can I justify Motons on an LX?

Can one ever justify Motons on any car costing under $75,000?


Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[Civic_Sista]

<--- Autocrosser here

[1st HI 06 Si]

Originally Posted by Civic_Sista

<--- Autocrosser here

your guys season done?

[bossman]

Originally Posted by honda93

Frankly, I'm tired of seeing people consider traffic light antics, and other forms of street racing, "real racing". Technically, we autocrossers are careful not to consider our sport "racing" as we do not compete wheel-to-wheel, but the skills we learn in parking lots across the country make us better than 99.95% of the drivers on the road.

I started this thread to call all the autocrossers forward and let us know who you are, what model Civic you are competing with and which SCCA (or other club) class you plan on building the car for...


DRIVER: Anthony "Mario" Crea... I am a 12 year autocross veteran with over 200 autocrosses under my belt at all levels of competition (regional, divisional, and national).

CAR: 2006 Civic LX Coupe

CLUB/CLASS: SCCA H-Stock (local and national competition)

CURRENT MODS: Kumho V710 rubber, OEM camber bolts, autocross alignment

FUTURE MODS: Koni's (when available) and maybe an Si front swaybar

I am going to ask that my post is not going to target me for eternal flaming but I have a few questions about this "real" racing that you all do.If I understand correctly,you guys take your cars and race around cones in an empty parking lot and then consider yourselves better than "99.95%" of other driver out there?How about racing on winding roads with almost no straight sections and then compare that to parking lot racing.Autocross is cool and I'd love to try it but don't get all high and mighty and think that a few sessions dodging cones makes somebody a real racer or better than everybody else.Basically,treat it as a seperate sport,not a superior one.But I do agree with you on one thing.street racers like myself are annoying and dangerous.I can't wait to go to rehab though.

[Janizary]

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Wait... for... it...

Yep, that's the sound of yet another Natural Selection candidate being chosen.

[Highrev1]

Originally Posted by bossman

I am going to ask that my post is not going to target me for eternal flaming but I have a few questions about this "real" racing that you all do.If I understand correctly,you guys take your cars and race around cones in an empty parking lot and then consider yourselves better than "99.95%" of other driver out there?How about racing on winding roads with almost no straight sections and then compare that to parking lot racing.Autocross is cool and I'd love to try it but don't get all high and mighty and think that a few sessions dodging cones makes somebody a real racer or better than everybody else.Basically,treat it as a seperate sport,not a superior one.But I do agree with you on one thing.street racers like myself are annoying and dangerous.I can't wait to go to rehab though.

Come AUTOX with us, I will even pay your entry fee ok, but i will put money on the fact that you are NOT even close to being competitive. What autox allows is you to bring your car to the limits of its handling capabilities ina controlled enviroment. You will NEVER be on the ragged edge like you are autoxing, driving on the street.

Hey I know it sounds boring as $hit, come to a parking lot and go around some cones. That is what I said until I did it. OH BTW I am a "real racer" I have quite a few races under my belt, yeah road courses not DRAG, and I think AUTOX is more challenging that Road Racing.

[honda93]

Originally Posted by bossman

I am going to ask that my post is not going to target me for eternal flaming but I have a few questions about this "real" racing that you all do.If I understand correctly,you guys take your cars and race around cones in an empty parking lot and then consider yourselves better than "99.95%" of other driver out there?How about racing on winding roads with almost no straight sections and then compare that to parking lot racing.Autocross is cool and I'd love to try it but don't get all high and mighty and think that a few sessions dodging cones makes somebody a real racer or better than everybody else.Basically,treat it as a seperate sport,not a superior one.But I do agree with you on one thing.street racers like myself are annoying and dangerous.I can't wait to go to rehab though.

Not eternal flaming, but a quick education.

You mention the "almost no stright sections" regarding the winding roads comment. In an average 5/8 mile autocross course, I usually negotiate 40+ turns (slaloms, switchbacks, etc). I don't even think the Alps can offer that!

Quick story... In 1997 I was halfway to my national road racing license, I had my sights set on Formula Ford, like this...



But ultimately decided to compete Nationally in autocross events for the simple fact that a single race in Formula Ford could run as much as $1000 per weekend, and they aren't even that advanced a car by today's standards. In contrast, I run a full season of very challenging autocross competition for the same amount of money, and pending any accident on the way to or from the event, I know that my car will emerge just fine after a day of competition. You don't have that "guarantee" in any form of road racing. Period.

Sure, it's not glamorous to explain to people what autocrossing is, frankly it sounds stupid to the uninformed. But believe us, ah hell, watch this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSrgGV832zo
(These guys hit a lot of cones though, whoever produced this out west somewhere but the on-board shot in the last 60 seconds sums up our sport pretty well!)

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[BigDog]

If street racers autocrossed, they wouldn't wrap so many cars around telephone poles or slide into another car and kill 4 hot chicks.

Most autocrossers know more about car prep and the limits of their cars than 99.995% of the people out there. Are they the best racers? No, however I do know more people who have successfully transitioned from autocrossing to road racing than vice versa. They are two different animals but it is a lot easier to road race when you have a good understanding of car control, which is essential in autocross.

Most hard core autocrossers know that they aren't considered real racers and for the most part they don't care. They're just happy that they're not street racers.

[Civic_Sista]

Originally Posted by 1st HI 06 Si

your guys season done?

Yes autocross is over, been over for a few months now. When the weather gets really cold here, we go ice racing. Same as autocross with the cones and times but it is on a frozen lake or pond.

tracy

[bossman]

I have reread my post and I now see it did'nt really reflect what Iwas trying to get across.I have also read all the posts that qouted me so I will correct some things with this post.The idea I wanted to express was that all forms of racing are ok,and that every dicipline of racing has it's followers and it rewards.

[bossman]

Originally Posted by Highrev1

Come AUTOX with us, I will even pay your entry fee ok, but i will put money on the fact that you are NOT even close to being competitive. What autox allows is you to bring your car to the limits of its handling capabilities ina controlled enviroment. You will NEVER be on the ragged edge like you are autoxing, driving on the street.

Hey I know it sounds boring as $hit, come to a parking lot and go around some cones. That is what I said until I did it. OH BTW I am a "real racer" I have quite a few races under my belt, yeah road courses not DRAG, and I think AUTOX is more challenging that Road Racing.

So let me get a few things straight.....

You don't know where I live but want me to drive to whereever YOU live to go autoX.

You don't know me or my skills and yet are willing to lose money by betting against me

you are possibly inferring that drag racing is not real racing

racing in a parking lot with cones is more challenging than racing wheel to wheel?

I think if you had seen one very important line in my post you might not have said what you did....treat it as an equal sport not a better one.
not a word for word qoute but close to what I said. I promise that spend as much time prepping my car as anyone and I have yet to AUTOX,but I do drag and occassional go wheel to wheel on some twisties.so yes,I am a street racer and I doubt anyone can drive(note I said drive,not race) as well as me.

[Highrev1]

Yes I am willing to put money on it, you never done any real racing other than street racing. And driving on the street can only get you so far. If you want to be good spend some time on a track or at an autox, not at a strip.

[honda93]

...racing in a parking lot with cones is more challenging than racing wheel to wheel?

As Greg said, different set of challenges. Autocrossing places a MUCH greater emphasis on car control. I'll get on a road course and almost feel relaxed because I have so much time before making another turn. In autocrossing, it's significantly busier behind the wheel.

...and occassional go wheel to wheel on some twisties.so yes,I am a street racer

"Wheel to wheel" as in one of you future Darwin victims is in the opposing traffic lane?

...and I doubt anyone can drive(note I said drive,not race) as well as me.[/quote]

But by drive, do you mean normal everyday driving? Hell, lots of people do just fine when driving at 3/10's or 4/10's. The real skill necessary to pilot a car emerges when raising the bar to 8/10's and above...

Just out of curiosity, are you still in the military (based on your "location" tag)? If so, I truly thank you for serving our country; but I bet the street racing doesn't scare you, nor does the prospect of harming others while street racing because you have been trained to remove the empathy and sympathy compoinents of your subconscious so as to keep you alive and focused in combat situations.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by bossman

You don't know me or my skills and yet are willing to lose money by betting against me

so yes,I am a street racer and I doubt anyone can drive(note I said drive,not race) as well as me.

I only bet to win and I know at least ten guys that can drive AND RACE better than you.

[bossman]

Originally Posted by honda93

...racing in a parking lot with cones is more challenging than racing wheel to wheel?

As Greg said, different set of challenges. Autocrossing places a MUCH greater emphasis on car control. I'll get on a road course and almost feel relaxed because I have so much time before making another turn. In autocrossing, it's significantly busier behind the wheel.

...and occassional go wheel to wheel on some twisties.so yes,I am a street racer

"Wheel to wheel" as in one of you future Darwin victims is in the opposing traffic lane?

...and I doubt anyone can drive(note I said drive,not race) as well as me.

But by drive, do you mean normal everyday driving? Hell, lots of people do just fine when driving at 3/10's or 4/10's. The real skill necessary to pilot a car emerges when raising the bar to 8/10's and above...

Just out of curiosity, are you still in the military (based on your "location" tag)? If so, I truly thank you for serving our country; but I bet the street racing doesn't scare you, nor does the prospect of harming others while street racing because you have been trained to remove the empathy and sympathy compoinents of your subconscious so as to keep you alive and focused in combat situations.

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA[/quote]


by wheel to wheel I meant that I have and do race against another car from one point to another on a road close to me.

By driving I mean that I can handle my vehicle (whatever it may be) in ANY situation be it high speed manuevering or regular driving.I have had alot of training in this area as that is my job.

Yes I am still stuck in hell otherwise known as Iraq but recently( soon after getting the Si) I have stopped racing almost completely except for on the strip.I have had a few close calls with the cops and it's not worth it.And yes,I do not want to kill anybody else because of my addiction to racing so I have also stopped for that reason also but you are correct that I really don't fear death.


The simplest thing I guess I can do is put my car where my mouth when i get back and show some of the doubters that A "novice' like me can be competitive.I have no problem with trying something new so long as someone pays my entry fee like they said.

[honda93]

Where do you live? When you get back I bet there's an SCCA autocross in the area and I assure you, you'll not only be hooked by the competition, but also the overall friendliness of the people there. I've made a lot of friends in the last 14 years thanks to autocrossing, and I am sure you'll do the same.

Here's to a safe return home...

Anthony "Mario" Crea
NNJR-SCCA

[Highrev1]

Originally Posted by bossman

by wheel to wheel I meant that I have and do race against another car from one point to another on a road close to me.
By driving I mean that I can handle my vehicle (whatever it may be) in ANY situation be it high speed manuevering or regular driving.I have had alot of training in this area as that is my job.
Yes I am still stuck in hell otherwise known as Iraq but recently( soon after getting the Si) I have stopped racing almost completely except for on the strip.I have had a few close calls with the cops and it's not worth it.And yes,I do not want to kill anybody else because of my addiction to racing so I have also stopped for that reason also but you are correct that I really don't fear death.
The simplest thing I guess I can do is put my car where my mouth when i get back and show some of the doubters that A "novice' like me can be competitive.I have no problem with trying something new so long as someone pays my entry fee like they said.

By wheel to wheel I mean out ont he track 1-2" from another car, which I have done many times. And it is alot different than what I did when I was younger learing how to drive ont he street.
I also hope for a safe retun my cousing was a recent KIA there.

Tony Knows me and Sure can vouch that I will surley pay for your entry fee. But Tony also knows how many novices come and think that they will beat everyone, I am not saying I am a great driver, I am not even saying I am a good driver, cause I SUCK, I am saying just from the little experienceI have I will beat your times on the autox course. And just so there isn't any dissaggreement I will either co-drive your car or you can co-drive whatever car I may be in that day