Just finished Evolution Autocross School :)

[Spinitsidewayz]

Undoubtedly one of the most fun filled weekends I've had. Even though it wore me out physically and mentally, I got a lot of runs in and learned a lot over these 3 days.

Day 1 - I had Brian Peters and Ron Bauer as instructors. Both had never driven Mazda 2's and were pretty impressed with the cars capabilities. Course was a little low speed and was focused more on linking the different elements. The 2 didn't even break a sweat. Nevertheless I picked up a lot of good information from both of them.

Day 2 - I got to work with Tom Kotzian and Chris Carris. Course layout was a bit more challenging this time. I really had to focus on keeping ahead of myself as well as keeping the car and the tires happy. Tom blew my times away and his throttle control had me mesmerized as he effortlessly throttle lift rotated my car around gates. Chris is the local pro and occasionally throws in a joke about my car, secretly inside i know he is a big fan.

Day 3 - Test and Tune - Since I really don't have much to play around with or adjust on my modestly set up car, I focused on trying out different techniques and lines and played with tire pressures. Rode around in other peoples cars and got feedback on car set up. Soaked in even more information and even more sun. Drank so much water yet still ended up dehydrated, but I had a grin on my face the whole time.

I ate more cones this weekend than in my whole autox career! (Only about 1 year and a half) But hey, you ain't clipping cones you ain't pushin' the limits! I'd recommend the school to any newbie or veteran cone kicker. Lots of seat time and great instructors. I would definitely like to attend again!

Pace of the school was fairly quick so I didn't get to snap very many pictures. Here's one with some of the more oddball cars in the group. The Colorado is a fast driver and the Juke actually handles very well in autox. The little guy in the middle is pretty quick too

 

[jasyatz]

Glad you had a fantastic experience at the Evo Schools. Lift off rotation? Really? You must give more details...How was the temperature outside? Tire choice? How long did it take you to get all the cone rubs off? WD40 works surprisingly well..

Jealousy has sent in since its 28F now in Jersey with an expected 2-4" coming down tonight. Haven't seen the sun since Monday.

 

[Spinitsidewayz]

It was about 83F with very clear skies

RS-3's are the tire of choice out here. I am wearing the 195/50's.

Tom just had amazing throttle control. I guess you have to when you drive Z06's and boosted mini's. In some corners where I would make the mistake to try and dig in deep and use the brake he would lift off earlier and roll on the the throttle earlier. A big part of it is looking ahead and staying ahead of your car. I started trying this and noticed that my inside rear was hanging out in the air for much longer and the fronts were biting in. Gee, I finally figured out that rolling on the throttle vs slamming on it keeps the front tires that much happier. Our cars don't accelerate well, and keeping everything smooth and conserving momentum is the name of the game.

Wheels and side marks came off easily enough. I think my clear bra is permanently scuffed though. Oh well, I consider them badges of honor.

 

[jasyatz]

Clear bra....I guess it's a good investment after I fix all the chips and scuffs in mine...83F in January? Now that's the weather I need more often...I really need to try the Hankooks.

 

[eyeballs]

I've always wanted to do an evo school but never got around to it. I have mixed feelings on those clear bras, I had one on my wrx from about '02-'10. They may be better now though I guess. I hear the seats in those nismo jukes are amazing.