2nd Autocross Experience

[cjstringer]

Well, the MP3 did it again. And the story goes....

It was a dark and windy day in central Indiana. The track was wet and filled with puddles as the clouds and misting rain covered the track and drivers.

Ok, off the cheesy story crap. The important thing is, the MP3 took another class victory, beating the highly acclaimed, you guessed it, Integra Type R! WOOHOO! the Integra had about 6 years Autox experience, and was a damned good driver. Can't really say that it was all me, but the car sure did a hell of a lot of the work.

I'm expecting close to the top 5 of 65 entries for the event. Might even be better than that. I'll post the actual results when they come in.

It was a long track also. I think the best time of the day was around 64 seconds. My best, with no cones, was a 68.414. The Type R had a 67.7xx, but hit a cone, a 2 second penalty, so I win.

Anyway, how did everyone else do this weekend?!!!!

MP3s RULE!

 

[BigBlue]

Congrats bud! Wonder if hooptie will show up in here hehe. Actually in autoX it sounds like the two cars are pretty evenly matched up......do you figure you were a better driver than the guy in the Type R or was it more the car that made the difference....basically I'm asking if one guy drove both cars through the course, which do you figure would win?

 

[cjstringer]

As I am relatively new to the sport, I would have to say that the car did it. Though when he (the integra driver) rode with me, he said I was a natural (which made my ego soar) and that all I need is a little seat time to tweak some spots. He also said I will probably win the season for the class and possibly the region. Gives me something to strive for.


Is it too much to ask for perfection in your first season? Uhh, well, probably yes. Still, I'd love to win!. My father has always been one to knock me for claiming I was good at anything, like I was being cocky. (sad pitiful me story) So what, I think I am good at this! Now's my time to prove it!, and I think I actually have a chance now.

I used to race karts when I was in high school and college. It's been over 7 years though. I think it all comes back pretty quick.

Maybe it was me, but, I can still see where the car has more, I just need some bigger balls to push the car over it's limits a little more. I can't wait until April. I have 3 AutoX events to go to. That's gonna kick some ass! (But be spendy on the tires )

 

[deepcover6]

Way to go Cjstringer............I honestly think this car is far more capable then what people rate it as. Plus I also think the driver makes the difference....have had some run ins with ITRs but had no problem in out doing them. Heck I use to out do some of them with a Civic HB Si with no mods. When it comes down to it...it is the driver in the seat in a great car. The part that solely depends on your skills is can you hold your nerve when you think that you don't have anymore to give and the fear of loosing the control you have (which by the way is not really there)....is what makes the difference. I have observed this about myself, I don't know if it is true for others?? Ofcourse I take into account what the car is capable of as well.....with past experiences....So anyhow just my .02. I'm glad ur out there making # for our car. Take care and be well.

 

[cjstringer]

Ok, gotta tell this story:

There was a local ricer club/Slacker-Group (Yes, I'm gonna call them that) with all their riced out saturns with the 18" wings and the eclipses and Hondas with all the "Block-my-view-of-the-road" window stickers at the event.(One guy had about an 8" strip of the windshield to see out of. His performance showed it) Anyway, I walked around before the event as to check out the competition. It seemed as though they had never been to an AutoX before, so I figured I'd share the little I had learned as a fellow newbie. There were about 10 or so of them standing around. As I walked up to them, they rather quickly shut me out of their little group, and were acting as if I should be honored by their presence, and there was nothing I could offer them. Well, I wasn't honored, and they probably should have been nicer to people that day.
They didn't know what I was driving, and I wasn't about to let on to it at the time. When they walked around a little later to talk to people about cars, one of them said to me, "Nice Car.", almost like he wanted me to tell him about it, but I didn't. So I responded, "Thanks." in a screw off tone, and turned away. I was rather pissed at them already.
The funniest part was watching them try to "drive". That had to be put in quotes because there was really no other word to describe what you would call what they were doing, so I had to keep it simple. People, not just me, were practically laughing at them. They were slow. Miserably slow. Don't know that one of them hit the middle of second gear all day. They took turns like they were driving on eggshells and trying not to break them. If that's what it takes to keep cars with all the mods together, I thank God for keeping mine stock.
They treated everyone like crap thinking they were badass drivers because they had a ton of cash in their cars, but they couldn't drive them! I had seen a couple of the cars in town out cruising and they were talking about how awesome they could drive. Can't wait to see them out again.
It was nice to see kids with twice the money in their cars, in a much faster class (STS & STX), running 15 seconds slower. I can't figure them out sometimes.
I didn't see one of them ask for a ride along to learn how to do it right, and none of them really seemed to improve a whole lot over the 5 runs. Mind boggling.

 

[Kooldino]

nice!

Good to hear you're doing well again. Show those ricers up, bioooootch!

 

[dopeman286]

congratulations. actually i was there. i saw u race. i was the kid who was with the guy with the miata parked next to you. u let me sit in your car. but good job with your victory and take care of ur car ur a lucky man to have one. im still hopin and dreamin ill find a used one for a cheap price (yea thatll happen)

 

[hooptie157]

hey I'm here, (of Course), Im not saying a word, but read this

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=147364

 

[cjstringer]

How sweet is that post!. Thanks Hooptie! It's good to see the honda drivers posting it's all driver now. They always have excuses. "If the ITR hadn't hit the cone", uhh, well, he did, and that's why there are rules to the events. What a bunch of dumbasses.
Anyway, if they had read the fact that it was only my second event, and I won the first one also, they would know experience had nothing to do with it. I attribute it all to the car. I only wish I were that good of a driver.
Anyway, here is the link to the site. I took overall, and had the 3rd fastest flat time of the day. Hell, I was even racing in the rain!, and the guys in the afternoon had a dry track!
For reference on the driver, everyone was marveling at the guy that placed just behind me (Gus). He is a great guy, and a hell of a driver. Hopefully some day I'll have the balls to throw my car around like he does his to get the sweet times.

Dopeman, you need any help talking to your dad let me know. Hope you can find one soon!
I want to see a bunch of MP3s at the AutoX nationals in september. Anyone think they can make it to Kansas? I'm gonna try to get there one way or another.

 

[cjstringer]

Why did you post that hooptie?

Ok, I have a Q for Hooptie now. What was the point of that post you made? You put it on a honda board, was that an attempt to slam me? It looks like none of them really know what the hell is going on. One even challenges "any MP3" to an autoX. What is that crap? Bring it on. And by the way, I AM going to try and qualify for nationals.
They claim that because I was running in the rain, my hp loss was of little consequence. Well, everyone else in the after noon was on dry track, runnning STS, STX, ASP, and ESP, all classes that should have kicked my ass up and down the street.
They claim posts about autoX experience is ignorant, but in the same topic, ON THEIR OWN DAMNED BOARD none the less, someone else (ActiveAero) posts a similar topic, and gets all congrats and thumbs up. What is that sh*t?
I am really questioning your motives with this post man. Please help me understand. Noticibly the ignorant honduh ricers don't understand what the post was about.
When I wrote about the type R to begin with, it was because someone on here (who shall remain nameless) told me I couldn't beat one. Well, I did. Now there are just more excuses. Glad I didn't buy a honduh and have to leave all my intelligence and courtesy at the door when I bought it.
I'll offer the challenge now. Have them bring it to an Indy or Columbus event. I'll give them their due respect, if they earn it. I treat everyone the same when it comes down to it, but when you treat me like crap, it really pisses me off, especially when these pussies don't even know me.
Oh, I forgot, AutoX is too easy and boring. Anyone can do it. That's right. So sorry I can't get to their level. Well, I don't have mommy and daddy buying all my crap for my car to be able to afford racing head to head, and drag racing street cars is all about cash, which I use on other hobbies (Boats, motorcycles, hockey). They can just piss off. Maybe they just can't do AutoX because they ARE bad drivers. Chances are they shouldn't even be driving. It is a privelage, not a right, but people in the US are still not getting that.
Sorry to vent, but these little honduh b**ches really piss me off with their egos.

 

[hooptie157]

That was definialty NOT and I stress NOT to slam you. I was just asking my fellow type R owners what went wrong. You see I err we seem to think that any car in our price class cannot touch us and I wanted to see that reaction of them after posting it. Don't take any offense I was actually surprised to see that you won also. This makes me wanna look into some better tires to maybe combat some handling issue I've been having.

And man chill out with the Honduh Ricer stuff. I never came into this post slamming you, so don't slam me

 

[ZoomZoomH]

I'm with you cjstringer

This is that thread by ActiveAero, one of their fellow ITR autoxer:

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=147073

Seems like those that slammed your autox victory either a) never autocrossed before or b) is jealous that a cheaper car with a newbie autoxer beat out one of their own.

props to your victory I'm also just starting on autox. Definitely most fun for the buck, and definitely hella more fun than 1/4 mile runs

 

[cjstringer]

Hoops, sorry man. Not trying to knock you, but reading their stuff really pissed me off. Sorry I had to associate it with you. I'm not trying to knock you.
It's just sad that they have so many excuses and so little, well, anything to back up all their talk!. First it was it couldn't be done. Now it's been done, and now it's experience in question. Well, I proved I don't have any, so what's their next excuse gonna be? It was wet weather. Well, it was bad for me. What about those in the dry? They should have killed me!
I dunno. It's too bad they can't just see that we all have kick ass cars, but we here at the MP3 board just like the fact that we can take a highly limited underpowered car in stock form, mind you I drive a 4 door, against some of the best the street has to offer, and still come out on top.
I'd give in any day that an Integra could whoop my ass in a straight line. Hell, I get beat by trucks. Thing is, I'm not gonna race on the roads, and I'm not gonna put my daily driver on a track and get it all crunched up. Don't have the money for it.
I still look forward to seeing any of them at events I run. I make tons of friends when I go, and I would probably hang with 'em. (if they weren't part of the ricer club) It's all about learning from one another in my opinion.
And if they still think it's all driver, hell, they can ride along. I'll show them what little I know and they can apply it to their own driving. Maybe it would make a difference. (Probably not, cuz I'm not much of a driver)
Anyway, Everyone, keep autoXing. Post times! I saw a bunch of people were supposed to run this past weekend and I haven't seen results yet. Let us all know how the Ms are doing!

 

[BigBlue]

That was what got to me most from reading that thread....they were saying cjstringer was patting his own back when in reality he's been nothing but modest about his driving skills(which I think must be pretty damn decent if he's doing so well). To me doing well in autoX seems to be a combination of needing a decent performing car, great handling(hmmm sound like any cars around here??) and also a driver who has some idea at the very least of what he's doing. Whatever the people on that thread want to say, I say that in this case the combination of driver and vehicle outperformed their vehicle and that is that.

Oh and hooptie157 I'd like to reiterate that really the ITR and MP3 are not the same price at all. I can't speak for the US but the ITR in price is closer to the WRX than it is to the MP3.

 

[cjstringer]

Well, in a show of diplomacy, I posted on their board. I decided to tell them what I thought about their posts. I was rather subdued, as it isn't our board over there. Anyway, we'll see what comes of it. Maybe I'll get the chance to race some of them this summer. They just might be able to kick my ass. Never know, but I'd love to give them a run for their money on this one.
Still waiting for everyone else to post their results from last weekend. A few said they were gonna go out, but haven't found any info on the runs. Let us know how ya did! good or bad, it's about having fun.