New Board Member With Ls1 Swapped Mazda Rx7

[naschmitz]

http://www.driversupply.com/cgi-bin/sto ... rce&pid=43

Is there a place where we can try these on for size?

[962porsche]

i will be at the bbq . pulled pork ? thats the problem i can't get little chuck norris out ! it makes me feal inadequate !!! no realy the suit fits ok its just has some short comings !! LOL my suits are in lrg. i'm 6 2 200lbs with a 35 waist and 35 leg . it fits ok on me . i put the 1st one i got in the dryer and the waist and arms are still ok but the leg is just about an inch short . only when i'm in the car do i wish that the leg did not shrink that inch . order one from nate in the size that you think will fit you i'm sure you can exchange it if it does not fit for one that will ?

[John F]

http://www.driversupply.com/cgi-bin/sto ... rce&pid=43

Hell, Nate, that suit doesn't even have Nomex in it! And it only has a 1 rating instead of a 5! Must be good for about 2 seconds. It's more of a barbecue suit than a firesuit

[962porsche]

1st its a fire suit and yes it does have some nomex ! its better than a long sleeve shirt and pants . being one pease with a brass closer it will slow fire down from getting to you better than a shirt and pants will . it exceeds the SFI specs of 3,2 a/1 with a TPP rating of 11. AND ITS ONLY 99 BUCKS !!!!! its comscc legal for the rules . if you don't like it STEP UP to a better one !!!!!!!!!!!! driversupply offers a lot more suits than just one . other than that its a good suit for the price ! i should add that your A/5 suit only gives you 10 seconds were a A/1 only gives you 3 seconds . my good A/15 suit only gives me 30 seconds . thats before a 2nd degree burn . it should give your ass time to get out of the car . the bottom line even an A/5 suit is not even a mid pack suit .

[sciff5]

I survived the first HPDE even though the conditions were insane for a new driver in a nearly 400whp car.

A couple good shots from the day

Just shows you how wet and dark it was, this was late morning almost lunch time









Starting to have some fun as we catch a break in the rain for a couple hours and the puddle at least dry up

In the bowl, this is a lot of fun




Coming up on this slow group, I ended up passing all of these cars at least once



Pulling away from this scooby





I did get passed by this 350z



Dont know whats goin on here I dont remember ever even seeing an elise on the track but I do remember I passed this blue miata a bunch of times.


Final session. Wet and slick, but I'm still pushing it nearly as hard as the dry sessions.

[cfossum]

Looks good, thanks for posting! I'm glad to hear that you kept it straight.
-Carl

[cuda6666]

So, did someone misplace the cones at turn 6, or is everyone just missing the apex by 3 feet?

[WillM]

So, did someone misplace the cones at turn 6, or is everyone just missing the apex by 3 feet?

Some low-hp cars don't want to get all the way down to the apex there.
Unfortunately for them, all of the pictures are of high-hp cars.

Sciff5,
Congratulations on your first day! Carl hit the nail on the head when he addressed your question about SCDA vs. COM. That question, asked here, is kind of like going to a Mustang forum and asking which is the best car, an RX-7 or Mustang. By the way, that is a trick question. Everyone knows that Miatas are best.

You are a novice, and I commend you for your approach to track days and driver ed. I expect that as you gain experience, your perspective and goals will evolve. The same goes for safety equipment and regulations. The requirements that now seem arbitrary and/or extreme, will make more and more sense the longer you are around the sport. Hang around the paddock long enough and you'll have the misfortune of seeing some pretty ugly thing happen to some pretty nice cars. Someday, technology may be advanced enough to allow years of experience to be injected directly into someone's brain. Until that day, we'll have to rely on our rules to keep participants as safe as reasonably possible!

There are differences between COM and other organizations. Some which involve the organization, the driving level, instruction, and other aspects of the club (or business). Some big, some subtle. The biggest difference that I have observed is the people. COM is a volunteer-driven club. We've been around for more than 50 years and are one of the longest-standing car clubs, which means that we have had an amazing amount of dedicated, passionate volunteers. The same can be said about our members. The love of cars and motorsport brought us together, but it is the people that keep us coming back to COM. Again, that is something that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

[eastcoastbumps]

You did a HPDE with that THING in the rain, without a cage, firesuit, or harnesses?!?!!? Are you MAD? You could have crashed! You could have caught fire! You could have hit someone! You could have had a great time!

[sciff5]

Thanks for the response man. I know its an unfair question. I guess my phrasing wasnt the best either. I wanted to really understand if COM and SCDA are the same thing or if there is more to COM that I should know about that I wouldent get at an SCDA or other HPDE and I think I'm starting to understand it.

It looks like there are HPDEs (and I seem to be able to squeek by with my current setup on any HPDE because they are technically considered high speed drivers ED)

Then theres time trials which is still very controlled setting but generally not new drivers but you can turn real lap times (this sounds more like COM) and depending on the group its hit or miss whether or not I can attend) Generally I am assuming you can go faster and actually work on lap times at these events which I do see as a big advantage. Like I said in the Novice class I felt like I was stuck behind folks half of the time and I know I'm no schumacher Jr so they were driving very carefully.

The other big difference I see is when you guys place your events. I am sure renting a track on a sat or sun is more expensive than mid week. Yet you guys offer events on weekends for less money than SCDA does for their weekday events and I just cant take any more days off from work. So I see what you guys meen by a business vs volounteer event. Every event for the rest of the season with SCDA is on a week day and just totally off limits for me.

There was an event with EMRA today at lime rock but I never heard back from them untill this morning that I would fit their rules and then it was too late. I'm still looking for weekend HPDEs or timetrials and kicking myself that I'm not at lime rock right now.

I joined a mentor program as a mentoree with the local Improved Touring racers and my mentor has been helping me discern all the classes and common paths of progression. Lime Rock being his home track he said NHMS is like a giant Autox vs lime rock and after driving my car last weekend with the power it has, he felt it would be good at lime rock and should turn 1:00s with the right driver. Dont know if I quite believe that with street tires but as a builder I'm glad he felt good about its performance.


I did have fun at NHMS even though the rain is not where I ever really want to be with my car. The rain would be great if I had a lightweight low powered car, but with my power and short gearing I caan easily explore the limits of adhesion in the dry. I do want to get out to the faster tracks as controlling my car at high speed is my goal and especially high speed sweepers and large elevation changes at high speed are what scare me the most and what I want to conquer.
NHMS has neither but I would still go back in a heartbeat. I never got a single half quick lap and I'm in the hunt for at least a base line lap time.

So, did someone misplace the cones at turn 6, or is everyone just missing the apex by 3 feet?

Some low-hp cars don't want to get all the way down to the apex there.
Unfortunately for them, all of the pictures are of high-hp cars.

Sciff5,
Congratulations on your first day! Carl hit the nail on the head when he addressed your question about SCDA vs. COM. That question, asked here, is kind of like going to a Mustang forum and asking which is the best car, an RX-7 or Mustang. By the way, that is a trick question. Everyone knows that Miatas are best.

You are a novice, and I commend you for your approach to track days and driver ed. I expect that as you gain experience, your perspective and goals will evolve. The same goes for safety equipment and regulations. The requirements that now seem arbitrary and/or extreme, will make more and more sense the longer you are around the sport. Hang around the paddock long enough and you'll have the misfortune of seeing some pretty ugly thing happen to some pretty nice cars. Someday, technology may be advanced enough to allow years of experience to be injected directly into someone's brain. Until that day, we'll have to rely on our rules to keep participants as safe as reasonably possible!

There are differences between COM and other organizations. Some which involve the organization, the driving level, instruction, and other aspects of the club (or business). Some big, some subtle. The biggest difference that I have observed is the people. COM is a volunteer-driven club. We've been around for more than 50 years and are one of the longest-standing car clubs, which means that we have had an amazing amount of dedicated, passionate volunteers. The same can be said about our members. The love of cars and motorsport brought us together, but it is the people that keep us coming back to COM. Again, that is something that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

[962porsche]

com gets real good dates for there events thanks to john . i started at line rock part back in the late 70's becouse i lived about 50 minutes away from there . i like the track then but having run there so many times it now its just old . i'm also not a fan of the management at lime rock . i will not get into that at this time . nhms is one of my favorite tracks . with the right set up your car could get down to the 1 minute lap maybe ? but i would say 101's 102's ? like i stated before i like comscc the best . its has alot to do with more than scda bending you over when it comes to cost . there are alot of clubs that charge the same as scda . comscc wants good drivers and will work with the driver to get you up to speed . i think comscc has some of the best instructors out there as clubs go . 3 years ago when i first started with comscc i had 2 great instructors . some drivers get put off if they have track experience and then start running with comscc . but all new people with comscc have to get signed off for a comp license . but it goes right back to the quality if drives comscc has . if you realy want to learn to drive and drive well come do a comscc event .

[sciff5]

Now if only I could compete in street prepared it would be a perfect world.

Hell my engine is even mounted to the factory rotary mounting bolt holes on the stock subframe.

[962porsche]

for get it ! the hole thing is if you want to race then there are rules like it or not !

[eastcoastbumps]

Street cars belong in street prepared. Thats the spirit of the class. Its unfortunate when a street car is bumped into Prepared. 'Thems the rules, however unfair they may be.

[Shawn624]

So after all of the crash photos, hostile responses, and predictions of your impending violent death, you went out and had a great time on the track with another club. I'm glad you found a place to run that car.