Spec Twin?

[jprice130]

Originally Posted by Imp

What's your benchmarK? You talk about being off pace... don't say pax. Please. Week to week, weather, conditions, minor setup changes will change your time vs someone elses time in a different class. So the 1st thing you have to stop doing is comparing yourself to other classes (*if you are).

Second, week to week, you may not be driving the course the same as someone else. I've had courses where I've driven certain elements exactly the same way that I walked them in the morning. Come to find out, that wasn't the fast way though after talking to others. So you could be driving what I call "a different course". And because courses change week to week, you may not even think that it's your driving, but try to blame the car (again... guilty and learned from it) because last event, and next event, you may be driving similar lines to everyone else.

It's a head game. What I'm saying is don't get wrapped up into what others are doing (unless you think it can help, like course elements - but then again, that's still up to you). Can you ride with others? I'm not calling you a novice, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we think we are doing right, sometimes we need to see that we missed something, so a ride out with someone else could help bring that to light.

Lastly, AWD to RWD is a hoot. I went from my STX wagon to a BS RX8 from '04-'05. Come to find out, I (at the time) drove my AWD wagon like a RWD car, and had it set up like that too, so the transition wasn't that hard. But having someone that went from AWD set up with a penchant for FWD driving inputs (which it can also do)? Yikes! AWD does mask some driving skills, especially with grippy tires... where you can just lift, turn and mash to rotate and power out. Requires a little more finesse with RWD.

--kC

I'm definitely not benchmarking on PAX. I have a few friends that are regularly beating me in PAX now that are giving me a hard time, but I let them have their fun and am not worried about that.

My benchmark is against my fellow SSC competitors (we've been averaging 5-7 locally) and myself. There have been a couple events where I didn't even have to look at the other SSC times to know I was off pace. I'm just having trouble placing the car where I want sometimes and I'm going back and forth between understeer and oversteer (within the same run). I'm sure most of it is on me, but I honestly don't remember struggling with this kind of inconsistency when I competed with the twins in 2012 - 2016.

Like I said, I'll just keep at it and thankfully we have a good local SSC group where we can share ideas and feedback. Your idea about riding in other cars is good one, and maybe some of us SSC guys can trade cars for Seat Time Only runs.

Thanks for the feedback and thoughts.

[steverife]

Originally Posted by Imp

What's your benchmarK? You talk about being off pace... don't say pax. Please. Week to week, weather, conditions, minor setup changes will change your time vs someone elses time in a different class. So the 1st thing you have to stop doing is comparing yourself to other classes (*if you are).

So how do you benchmark yourself if you are the only car? Don't say co-driver because it is hard to put good drivers in slow cars, even when they DO pax well.

[Imp]

Originally Posted by steverife

So how do you benchmark yourself if you are the only car? Don't say co-driver because it is hard to put good drivers in slow cars, even when they DO pax well.

[Deep thoughts by KC]You don't. You should be only running against yourself and your times.[/Deep thoughts by KC]

I get what you're saying. You have to be able to verify against consistent national level type people, that show up in the same car week to week, that just arrive and drive, that don't tinker and adjust their cars. There are very few national level people that do that. Which is what makes it hard.

If they adjust or change their car week to week, you're fighting a moving target when you attempt to compare. The only thing left is you against the course. You gotta find that time out there, not vs others.

--kC

[chkltcow]

I think you might be looking at a different "Spec Twin" than we are. We're talking about SSC class in SCCA Autocross

[rice_classic]

Originally Posted by chkltcow

I think you might be looking at a different "Spec Twin" than we are. We're talking about SSC class in SCCA Autocross

It's funny cuz it's true. Moved to a more applicable thread.

But, I still bring up good points.

[Imp]

Finger Lakes Champ Tour reg opened last night and it hasn't sold out yet. 150 entrants with only 2 in SSC so far....

--kC

[steverife]

Originally Posted by Imp

[Deep thoughts by KC]You don't. You should be only running against yourself and your times.[/Deep thoughts by KC]

I get what you're saying. You have to be able to verify against consistent national level type people, that show up in the same car week to week, that just arrive and drive, that don't tinker and adjust their cars. There are very few national level people that do that. Which is what makes it hard.

If they adjust or change their car week to week, you're fighting a moving target when you attempt to compare. The only thing left is you against the course. You gotta find that time out there, not vs others.

--kC

...but your competition is always going to be a moving target. It isn't really like golf or bowling by yourself or drag racing test & tune.

Locals for me this year are basically really inefficient, busy, time consuming test and tunes, without the opportunity to really test anything. Pay $45 and give up 13 hours to take 6 runs, maybe. This probably won't help my consistency or sorting the car at all, but I think I may skip all locals.

Anyway...

Replaced a couple wheel studs, tightened all my suspension bolts, moved the front bar to stiff, gonna revisit higher pressures, got my muffler on, so I'm ready for Blytheville.

[Twinz]

I would try to get the car to where it is at least predictable for you and your driving style first.

FWIW; of the 4 SSC cars I have driven, Malcom's car, with both bars set to stiff, had the sharpest edge. Keeping it on the edge was more challenging than the other examples. It wasn't a huge difference from my soft/soft setup, but it required me to pay a little more attention to my inputs.

Also, after doing another local with a tighter course, I think I will stick with the stiff setting for the rear bar for now. (Front still set to soft)

[tony_r]

After the Crow's weekends, Soft/Hard is what I preferred. It's what I was on for both Pros, now. You can lean on the car harder in corner entry without so much punishment. It's also more willing to rotate with throttle lifts and it takes small line adjustments without complaints.

Hard/Hard is really tight and the car is super sharp, but it also punishes you with understeer if you increase intensity. Was on that for the Tour.

[Imp]

Originally Posted by tony_r

After the Crow's weekends, Soft/Hard is what I preferred. It's what I was on for both Pros, now. You can lean on the car harder in corner entry without so much punishment. It's also more willing to rotate with throttle lifts and it takes small line adjustments without complaints.

Hard/Hard is really tight and the car is super sharp, but it also punishes you with understeer if you increase intensity. Was on that for the Tour.

And the shocks were set at.... ?

Does the bar make setting the shocks irrelevant?

--kC

[tony_r]

Originally Posted by Imp

And the shocks were set at.... ?

Does the bar make setting the shocks irrelevant?

--kC

For this past weekend, 1 turn all around. You can turn up the rear to get it to be a bit more stable in transition. But then it doesn't want to freely transfer weight as much, and becomes more like hard/hard. At low grip sites more shock is highly recommended.

The shocks are the best part of the package, aside from being the OE body height. At hard/hard the shocks become a little less relevant but they're still useful.

[christoc]

Fun weekend in Blytheville. Here's what we ran

Started Saturday

Bars: Soft/Stiff
Fronts: Full Soft
Rears: 1.5 turn from soft
Pressure: 35/34



ended up at (switched to this Saturday afternoon)

Bars: Soft/Stiff
Fronts: .5 turn from soft
Rears: 1.5 turn from soft
Pressure: 32/32

Kevin was monitoring tire temps and 32/32 is what we settled at to get even temp across the tire.

[Open Loop]

Originally Posted by christoc

Fun weekend in Blytheville. Here's what we ran

Started Saturday

Bars: Soft/Stiff
Fronts: Full Soft
Rears: 1.5 turn from soft
Pressure: 35/34



ended up at (switched to this Saturday afternoon)

Bars: Soft/Stiff
Fronts: .5 turn from soft
Rears: 1.5 turn from soft
Pressure: 32/32

Kevin was monitoring tire temps and 32/32 is what we settled at to get even temp across the tire.

How does the Blytheville surface compare to Lincoln?

[Briankbot]

Originally Posted by christoc

Fun weekend in Blytheville. Here's what we ran

Started Saturday

Bars: Soft/Stiff
Fronts: Full Soft
Rears: 1.5 turn from soft
Pressure: 35/34



ended up at (switched to this Saturday afternoon)

Bars: Soft/Stiff
Fronts: .5 turn from soft
Rears: 1.5 turn from soft
Pressure: 32/32

Kevin was monitoring tire temps and 32/32 is what we settled at to get even temp across the tire.

Care to share your alignment specs also?