qoncept's C Stock BRZ log
 

After a long month of soul searching and trying to figure out what I really wanted in a car, I bought a WRB BRZ Limited to replace my 2004 WRX at the beginning of May. I bounced back and forth between a fun car, a comfortable sedan and selling my Sequoia for a new SUV. In the end I decided I had to have a car I could enjoy driving and a good autox car was the way to go.

I'm getting older and didn't want to invest all the time and money I spent working on my 400hp WRX making a car uncomfortable again. C Stock it is. I'm going to use this thread to log all of the maintenance, limited upgrades, autox, track days and anything else of interest.

I drive the car most days, but it will be stored in the garage through winter. After a month of 35mph in 6th gear she has 1700 miles @ 34mpg.

Current setup:
- Stock tires on EKM3s on the street / Hankook Z214 C51 on stock wheels autox
- Custom fabbed trailer hitch
- Perrin catback
- Whiteline 22mm front sway bar and endlinks
- aFe ProDry drop in air filter
- Motul 300 rear diff oil

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...83658516_n.jpg

The two together before selling the WRX
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...18887049_n.jpg

And one last detail for the WRX with her new owner
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...39498978_n.jpg

Within a week I ordered new shoes. The stock tires went on Enkei EKM3s and Hankook Z214s went on the stock wheels for autox. Also got a clear bra before it was too late and 15% tint in the back.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...27672127_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...63934891_n.jpg

The first autox was with the Des Moines Valley Region at Newton Speedway. Very few cars on sticky rubber there. After an embarassing DNF on my first run I ended up 25/75 both in raw time and PAX, and won my class by 6 seconds. Not bad for a mediocre driver and my first event in over 5 years. The GoPro didn't really play well with me but I did end up with one video, my slowest run. Turns out using YouTube's stabilization was a mistake.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5htDszs_28"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - May 19 - Run 2 - YouTube[/ame]


https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...16822819_n.jpg

Nice job on the comeback. Did you see any other FRS/BRZ while auto-xing?

Yeah, there were 3 or 4 FR-S's there, including the guys from FT-86 Speedfactory. It was a perfect day and met a lot of great people. I was planning on an Iowa Region event yesterday but spent the whole weekend babysitting my sump pump and watching flood levels. Next event is DMVR again this weekend or Great River Region on the 16th, depending on how motivated I feel.

What size did you get for the hankooks?

How long do these usually last?

The Kooks are 245/40-17. I've never run them before. These are the C51 compound actually meant for track use, a little harder than C71.

On the WRX a set of Kumho V710s would last me maybe 8 events, but that was in stupid hot Alabama on a top heavy, unbalanced, more powerful AWD car that weighs 500lbs more and I overdrive a whole lot. If these don't get me through this season and at least part of next I'll be very surprised/disappointed.

Fabbed up a trailer hitch over the weekend. The hitch is ready but I need to do some trimming on the bumper to make it a little easier to deal with and still need to get the wiring figured out. Parts should be here tomorrow.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38706

http://www.3splooges.com/brz/13.jpg

http://www.3splooges.com/brz/14.jpg

Also wrapped my silver dash pieces in DiNoc. Not crazy about fake carbon fiber but I hated the silver.

http://www.3splooges.com/brz/15.jpg

...but I missed the autox I was supposed to go to Sunday. I was too exhausted and recovering from the flu. And then it was supposed to rain, which I used as an excuse. There's another coming up this weekend, though, so I'll be ready to go.

Dude, I love the tire and trailer setup!

I want to do this for a dirtbike/street bike to take to the track!

Are you going to release drawings or something or try to sell these? I saw one of the vendeors was looking at doing something similar... I may be interested either way.

Still DD'ing it?

The trailer hitch design was first done by kask2_6.0. See more here: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30035 He's made some revisions and registered as a vendor and plans on selling them. I would definitely recommend. I was just in a rush and I'm a DIYer anyway.

I drive it most days but it'll be a garage queen over the winter. As of the drive to work this morning it's doubling the mileage of my Sequoia. :)

Event: Great River Region SCCA 6/16/2013, Mt. Joy Iowa
Full results - PAX

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...11246062_n.jpg

Ran my second autox event today with the Great River Region SCCA. It was a hot day (85+) on concrete. Kind of a tricky course that was set up for 2 "laps," not enough pointers in some key places and a very fast finish with very little runoff. I guessed someone would probably hit the timing lights and sure enough, a Corvette did.

Fun course though, and even DNFing 3 of 6 times (I'll just keep blaming the course design ;) ) I ended up with what I thought was a pretty respectable time. Results haven't been posted yet but I was 3rd of about 7 in CS and a little less than a second off from 1st, who I hear is the best driver in the region.

With today's event I think I've decided the C51 compound Hankooks were not the right choice. Probably pretty obvious but, you know. The hotter it got today the better they felt. If I stay in CS after these tires are done I'll try the C71s.

Finally, this was the first time I pulled the trailer other than a short test earlier this week. 90 miles each way to and from the event. The trailer and hitch did great, but I have a few minor loading quirks to work out. Lost a ratchet strap holding the tires down in the first 10 miles somehow. No idea how but it was dragging when I pulled in to the gas station. There is a bolt head for the leaf spring mount that gouged a sidewall on my tires a bit. And the tires rest right on the edge of the plywood deck, leaving a probably-only-superficial line I'd rather not see, so I'll probably hit it with the router.

Videos are uploading now. This was my 2nd run. I slowed down in the section I (correctly) thought I DNF'd my first run so it was a 61.xxx, about 3 seconds off my best. I used the GoPro with an external mic actually dropped in the air box which didn't give me the sound I was hoping for. :brokenheart:
[ame]http://youtu.be/i_6aD0LOL9g[/ame]


And here is my third run. Actually drove this one out and ran a 59.336.
[ame]http://youtu.be/LgzBD-YoTk4[/ame]


The last video I kept was my 6th and final run. 4 and 5 were both DNFs so I tossed them. This run was my best at 58.3xx.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxE5shBBEd4"]Great River Region SCCA Autox - June 16 - Run 6 - YouTube[/ame]


Edit: Ugh. Youtube is still processing some of the videos and edits. YMMV.

Event: Iowa Region SCCA 6/23/2013, Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids Iowa
Full results - PAX - Raw


https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...36070559_o.jpg
My uncle got a ride today. Found the missing number border stuck on top of another D:

I installed a Perrin catback and Whiteline 22mm front sway bar yesterday. One of them is clunking and after 8 hours of trying to track it down I put everything back together and gave up. The catback is nice, but much quieter than I expected.

Pending the clunk, I do love the sway bar. Much crisper turn in and I felt a lot faster at today's event. Popular opinion says the 22mm bar is too much but I'm happy with it and after the work I put in to it yesterday I'm not going to replace it any time soon.

Today's event was with the Iowa Region at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. First time in probably 50 events I've ever driven less than an hour, but rain made the event run till 5pm anyway. The course was on a half mile asphalt oval and the infield and they wouldn't let us run in the rain because of the walls.

I think there was only one other person in CS, Hans, and he is on street tires so I don't really have anyone to make comparison to. I was about a second slower than a BS Evo. I finally hit my first 2 cones today (one on my fastest run, a 56.9xx), but I think the other ended up standing back up in the box. Which left my best time at 57.9xx. Hopefully the results will be posted soon. Last weeks GRR results still haven't been posted. :\ The GoPro was mounted on the tow hook again, this time with the remote mic in the engine compartment near the exhaust. Much better than the intake mounted mic last week.

And... tires. The Z214s are inflated to 36psi all around, which I think is too much, but I didn't mess with it as I'm just concentrating on driving right now. It rained in the morning and the tires couldn't get any heat and I definitely suffered for it. We ran in 2 heats (2 runs in the first, 3 in the second) and the first run in each they didn't stick at all. Each run they got faster. I'll probably go for the softer C71 compound next time.

1st run, 60.455. Just getting a feel for the course. Asphalt was cold from the rain and the tires were cold from sitting. Complete with 50' burnout at the beginning. Oops.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGEVfVv_HBY"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - June 23 - Run 1 - YouTube[/ame]


3rd run, 57.954
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpahsU4-Xro"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - June 23 - Run 3 - YouTube[/ame]


4th run, 57.982. I was pretty happy with this run. It honestly felt faster than my last (dead battery) of 56.945 (+1 cone). I thought I hit my first cone on the run but at 51sec you can see there were 2 already down. Wish I had noticed.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUy3oOz4Is4"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - June 23 - Run 4 - YouTube[/ame]

After a total investment of about 16 hours of adjusting, test driving, inspecting and readjusting, I finally solved the horrible clunk. I replaced the stock rubber exhaust hangers with poly, but it turns it it was the sway bar (endlinks) afterall. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...9&postcount=17

I was under the assumption that brake lines were against Stock rules. Am I wrong on this?

Nope. Brake lines, pads and fluid are open. Basically anything that's a wear item.

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/...ated%205-1.pdf Page 77

I always felt "brake linings" referred to the pads since B states hydraulic lines can be changed on cars produced before '92.

Huh.. I just always read it as "lines" and never even noticed it was "linings." The word really doesn't even fit.

I agree - thats why I have not changed my lines out. I have not asked anyone with more experience in the stock rule set, but I feel it needs some clarification

Looks like 1992 it is. So I'll save a few bucks on not replacing my lines. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...8&postcount=88

I wonder what the point of allowing it prior to 1992 is.

Event: Great River Region SCCA 7/7/2013, iWireless Center in Moline, IL
Full results - PAX - Raw

Funny thing happened while I was getting unloaded yesterday morning. I was parked next to a buddy in an FRS and talking about what we had done to our cars when he said "I see you spend money on the things that count." Just as I was pulling my new 12" sub out of the trunk. I also replaced the diff oil with Motul so Saturday wasn't completely unproductive.

The course was another 2 lapper but short (< 50 seconds) on concrete. The surface wasn't quite flat and there was a slalom over a crest which made it a bit tricky. And it was hot as hell - 90+, very humid and sunny, with just a bit of a breeze. I took 2nd by a big margin in CS, 7th of 49 PAX.

After a DNF on my first run my runs were all pretty consistent and I improved slowly. I ended up almost 3 seconds behind that same Miata. After my third run I took a ride with him. Faster everywhere, but less so in the slalom. I think I've been concentrating so much on being smooth that I haven't been driving fast enough, so for my last 3 runs I pushed harder and made more mistakes. Still waiting on results to be posted but here are the videos:

Run 1, 50.587 and a DNF as I missed the very first gate
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgOVS4_LqAc"]Great River Region SCCA Autox - 7/7/2013 - Run 1 - YouTube[/ame]


Run 2, 49.690 - a little better but I made plenty of mistakes
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx3VzBz0BBQ"]Great River Region SCCA Autox - 7/7/2013 - Run 2 - YouTube[/ame]


Runs 3 and 4 (48.299+1, 49.385+1) I didn't get video. I got a bit faster with but coned both and still sat at a 49.690.


Run 5, my best run at 49.122.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lahF_T8vOxs"]Great River Region SCCA Autox - 7/7/2013 - Run 5 - YouTube[/ame]


Run 6, 48.794+1. I knew I could run a 48 and was glad to see it, very disappointed to see the cone. The surface was a bit noisy and sounded like I was hitting cones all the time so I was never sure.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgllaHcwnzI"]Great River Region SCCA Autox - 7/7/2013 - Run 6 - YouTube[/ame]


Kind of a mixed bag yesterday. I ended up 7th both overall and PAX, but I lost CS by almost 3 seconds and I'm almost positive if I had a few more runs I could have run a 47.xxx clean. My 6th run, even without the cone, wasn't nearly as good as I think I could have done. At this point I'm not worrying about car setup, being smooth, driving fast or even finding the best possible line. My biggest issue right now is just performing. I know what I want to do but I'm having trouble doing it. Yesterday's event was definitely the most time I've ever seen on the table that I just couldn't pick up.

The Miata that's kicking my ass is driven by Mike Whitney. He's always at the very top in pax and overall (and FTD yesterday by a second and a half). He's been driving for years and years and certainly has more natural talent than I do.

Event: Iowa Region SCCA 7/14/2013, Hawkeye CC, Waterloo, IA
Full results (1/3 CS) - PAX (15/75) - Raw (18/75)

Another good event yesterday at Hawkeye Tech in Waterloo. This was an Iowa Challenge event where the 3 Iowa regions face off (Iowa, Great River and Des Moines Valley). The top 19 in PAX earn points for their region. I ended up 15th, 18th raw. It was hot again (about 87), moderately humid, very little breeze and occasional cloud relief. The concrete was hot and the harder compound Z214s liked it.


First run, 35.154. It felt pretty decent, really nothing of note.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bOcVzh4rxU"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 7/13/2013 - Run 1 - YouTube[/ame]


Second run, 34.325 and it ended up being my best run. I felt like I was always playing catchup in this run, reacting the whole time, going wide and coming in to every feature hot. I was never close to a cone. But somehow I got a pretty good time out of it.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7F8AwSihnM"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 7/13/2013 - Run 2 - YouTube[/ame]


Third run, 34.602 and a DNF (first gate!). This one really had me questioning my driving style. I've spent this year trying to concentrate on 2 things, really - driving smooth and minimizing distances. In the WRX I was always trying to make corners as long as possible to keep my speed up. A friend I often co-drove with was completely the opposite, hugging all the inside cones and saying to hell with keeping speed up. And our times were pretty much identical.

This run really felt a lot better than the one before it. When I missed that first gate and then the rest of the run felt so good I thought my time would be a full second faster, only to pull up and see it was .4 slower. I really don't know what it was about that second run that yielded a better time, other than just driving faster.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRhd7MoXXv8"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 7/13/2013 - Run 3 - YouTube[/ame]


My fourth run was a 33.955 and another DNF. I missed that same first gate again so the time doesn't really mean anything. I tried something new with the camera position and it didn't really work out, so no video. (Edit: The video worked just fine. It was in car (like run 5 below) but I looked extra goofy and 3 seconds in to the run let out a loud "FUCK!" and deleted it.)


Fifth run, 34.335. It felt good but was a hundredth slower than my second run. When I saw the time I said, "Figures." And I look really weird when I drive.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZlrO0-uz04"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 7/13/2013 - Run 5 - YouTube[/ame]


Sixth run, 34.741. Nothing special to note again and it felt about how it looked. I tried the camera just beneath the driver's side mirror though (I had it lower but convinced myself I would defeinitely end up hitting a cone with the camera). I really like the result, more as a tool than just presentation. It really gives me a better idea where I am compared to the cones (answer: meh.. not bad, not great). I'll definitely be trying it on the passenger side next time.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLmSOYWkN2Y"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 7/13/2013 - Run 6 - YouTube[/ame]


All in all I was pretty satisfied with how I did. A bit disappointed I couldn't improve over my last 4 runs, but overall my times were right in line with how I've been all year.

Awesome resource. Subscribed because I share similar goals. Our cars can be sisters!

Event: Cedar Rapids Corvette Club Practice 8/10/2013, Hawkeye Downs, Cedar Rapids, IA

My second event at Hawkeye Downs, a 1/2+1/4 mile asphalt oval. This was a practice for the club's event in 2 weeks, so no one was shagging cones and times weren't saved. There were only about 18 cars total - myself, an E36 M3 and a bunch of Corvettes. The practice format meant we could basically run whenever we felt like it. I ended up with 12 runs in 2 hours.

This event was my first with Solo Storm which meant time for some testing. Using it isn't entirely painless and I found myself pretty distracted through most of the day, so it's value is more in pretty videos (which I still haven't gotten working quite right).

The first course setup was very fast. A slalom through the 1/4 mile track, then out to the 1/2 mile track with just one more slalom along the back straight. In this configuration I did 6 runs and was hitting about 70mph going in to turn 1. There were 2 hairpins which meant I was back and forth between gears quite a bit.

At that point they changed the course to make it even faster and I got 6 more runs. Now we were entering from the pit area, running through the 1/4 mile track completely open, then to the 1/2 mile where the turns just had cones to keep you on the inside and the slalom on the back straight remained. I was at the very top of 3rd gear going in to turn 1 this time, and I'm sure a better driver would have had to shift to 4th. I've never done a track day or really even raced around a long turn at all. It shows in the video.

Just have a couple of videos to post for now. Here's my 6th run (ignore the run 9 business, Solo Storm newbie issues), which I believe would have been a 56.550. The M3 ran a 56.530 and the best any Vette did was a 59.xxx. The GoPro turned off its wifi at some point so I don't have any external video. Instead, watch my mom get her first autox ride.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m9qjeazvtE"]CRCC Autox Practice 8/10/2013 Run 9 - YouTube[/ame]


The second video is with the second course config. All of my runs here were 45.xxx except this one. I got out of shape in the rear slalom, wasn't comfortable with the wall coming up fast and shut it down. My best run ended up being a 45.228, vs the M3 at 43.xxx. None of the Corvettes were in the 40s. I haven't figured out how to import GoPro video in Solo Storm yet, so this video was processed post-production in RaceRender. You'll notice the video is a bit out of sync (especially on shifts) but I called it good enough since I don't plan on using this software again.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tEzhRlQPMM"]CRCC Autox Practice 8/10/2013 Run 13 - YouTube[/ame]

Event: Iowa Region SCCA #1, 4/13/2014, Hawkeye Tech, Waterloo, IA
Results

First event of the season yesterday. It was 45 degrees and pouring out, with running water the whole time. I left the race tires at home and drove on the stock all seasons. It was 63 degrees when I left the house I was in shorts and a hoodie and froze my ass off.

The format we uses is 2 run groups each do 3 runs and then switch and do it again, for a total of 6. My first 3 runs were pretty uneventful. All 39s and I stood at 6/42 in PAX.

After coming back after the break, I forgot to turn traction control off for my 4th run. I realized it right when I shifted in to 2nd and the back end started to step out but came back in on its own. TCS made it easier to keep myself pointed where I wanted to go but it was also pretty unpredictable. I ended up improving to 38.529.

Before my 5th run turned off TCS and went back out. I didn't drive like it, though, almost spun a couple times, but somehow managed to stay on course and get a time of 40-something.

Run 5:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcXHMfZ_NRE"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 4/13/2014 - Run 5 - YouTube[/ame]


For my final run, I toyed with the idea of leaving TCS turned on again but in the end just couldn't bring myself to do it. So out I went, with all the nannies turned off, and ran what must have been the best run I've ever had. I drove smooth, hit all my marks, kept the rear planted and cleaned up my mistakes. I knew I was leaving a lot of time out there on my earlier runs and finally put together a 37.348 which was good enough for 2nd raw and PAX. On all seasons. Very happy with the results.

Run 6 (with some video sync issues):
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEVP-Iu98ys"]Solostorm test - YouTube[/ame]


Edit: I should mention, I'll be running in C Street-R this year, but since I was on stock tires today I ran in C Street. You know, to bump me up a few spots in PAX.

I was in the Focus ST this weekend but also own a BRZ and saw your post in the C Street thread. Nice job dropping time on your final run!


Wish the weather would have been better as I would have introduced myself. I left early as it is a three hour drive for me. Not the type of weather I was hoping for my first trip/race with the new car. It definitely made for a wild ride with the 255/40-17 Z1's on the course and even more so on the ride home.

Thanks! I was really surprised with my last run, kind of came out of nowhere. Hopefully I can keep it up. The weather was pretty awful. I was the dope in shorts. 62 degrees when I left the house.

You were fast! What tires were you on?

Yeah, the weather was crazy on the way down too. It was around 50 degrees the whole way down with varying degrees of rain and then around New Hampton, hail just let loose out of nowhere. 600 miles on the car and $800 in hail damage already...thank God I have a $100 deductible. When it stopped I started driving and could see the line between the cold and warm front in the sky. I drove about a mile south and the temp went from 50 to 82!! Wish I would have known you didn't have gear as I always bring an extra rain suit with.


Thanks, I was pleased with the times. The car felt like I was driving a jet boat. I owned an EVO a few years ago and had bought some 255/40R17 Dunlop Z1's to put on a set of forged Gram Lights. I kept the rims/tires when I sold the car(s). The 255 is one of the sizes I wanted to try out as it is the same diameter as stock but 255 vs 235. The tires had a few events on them and a few thousand street miles. I am guessing they are around 5/32nd's. I have a set of new Z2's 245/45R17 but promised myself I would reserve those for National events and burn up the Z1's locally. They are .7" taller than the 255 and a bit narrower. If I would have known it was going to be that wet, I think I would have left the stock rims/tires on. The 235 at full tread depth would have likely helped with the hydroplaning.

Oh, no worries. I was in the truck doing timing most of the day and just happened to throw a windbreaker in the car at the last minute so I stayed pretty dry. As for the cold.. I got what I had coming. :)

Hans was in the FR-S on 255 RS3s that were probably about 5/32 and I think he was having problems too. My stock tires have seen 8000 miles of driving like I don't want to burn any gas so they are practically new. Only place I hydroplaned at all was across the finish, and I think that actually saved me from spinning. It was pretty fun to actually have to be careful with throttle for once. With the race tires I really don't. I probably need to get those crash bolts in and align it.

Event: Iowa Region SCCA #2, 5/19/2014, Hawkeye Downs, Cedar Rapids, IA

Pretty sloppy event for me this time. Lots that didn't go quite right, and it probably all started with the Negra Modelos Saturday night. I was on race tires (driven to the event!) this time and it was a beautiful 75ish, sunny day. Perfect weather if not warm enough for the tires.

I had a new phone so Solo Storm wasn't set up, and getting it set up on the spot ended up being more of a chore than I expected. The GoPro wasn't working well, which I tracked down to 1) Tasker turning off wifi when my phone connects to the BT stereo and 2) wifi interference from the other 100 GoPros there. More importantly though, I just pushed to hard when I was driving. I did get video of my last 2 runs which I haven't messed with yet. Hawkeye Downs is a 1/4 and 1/2 mile banked asphalt oval. The course was fast and fun, but for whatever reason I couldn't get my foot off the gas.

Run 1:
The first run went about how I expected. When I walked the course the first time I ended up getting handed chalk and didn't look at the course at all. I walked again but I was out of time and had to quickly get through and by the time I drove I didn't have a feel for it at all. I missed a gate about 15 seconds in and then went in to the slalom along the back straight too hot and never slowed down enough to do any part of it very well. The time was 60.259 with a DNF.

Run 2:
On my second run I completely lost it. For the first 3/4 of the course I felt pretty good, and I headed in to the back slalom in pretty good shape but pushed too hard through it. The back came out more and more through each turn until I finally spun. Looped twice, I hear. Both feet to the floor, butthole puckered and the wall swinging around in my peripheral vision. At some point my foot apparently slipped off the clutch and I must have spun the engine backwards. The CEL was on (MAP out of range) and it didn't want to start for - looking at my time of 87.371 (clean!) - about 20 seconds. Seemed much longer.

3rd run:
This ended up being my best run, 57.458 plus a mystery cone somewhere. It was a pretty clean run where I didn't make any mistakes that stood out as blatant to me. Improving from that run would be just making everything a little bit cleaner. It didn't happen. The 59.458 with penalty was good enough for 12th of 88 PAX. Clean would have put me in 5th. Bummer.

The 4th and 5th runs weren't much to talk about. Hit cones like crazy - I think 8 between the them. I think one cone hit my Gopro which was mounted in the grill about 6 inches from the centerline.

Yesterday is really kind of a mystery to me. My autox history is 4 years worth from 2004-2008 in the WRX, then a break before I started in the BRZ last year. From my very first event in the WRX I was a cone killer. I hit at least a dozen and spun twice in my first event. In that 4 years I replaced the fender liners 3 times and mastered buffing out scuff marks. But in the 10-12 events I've done in the BRZ, before yesterday, I've hit maybe 10 cones total. I don't know if the BRZ is better, better suited to me, if I've gotten better or just changed in my old age, but I'm smoother, better on tires and don't hit cones anymore. It's worked very well and for some reason I got away from that yesterday.

Oh, forgot to mention:

I was grilled about what I've done to the car during registration. And then, after tech, brought back to tech for extra scrutiny. Someone thinks my car isn't legal.

Event: DMVR SCCA #4 (Iowa Challenge #1), 6/1/2014, Oskaloosa Airport, Oskaloosa IA

Alright, I'm starting to kind of spit the same spit in every post here. These posts are going to start getting shorter and I'll probably only keep up to date for posterity's sake.

Good event on concrete in Oskaloosa. Beautiful day, but hot (90ish) and windy as hell. Much faster course than I expected, shifting to 3rd twice and bouncing off the rev limiter in 2nd another time. I upped the pressure in my Z214s from 25psi at Hawkeye Downs to 35psi, and then did my first bit of "tuning" at an event when I dropped the fronts to 33psi after the 3rd run.

My phone still isn't playing real nice with Solostorm so I only got a couple videos. This weekend I'm going to try using an old phone. OBD-II is working now but apparently I need to calibrate the throttle position.

Run 1:
I didn't think I got a very good feel for the course in the couple of times I walked it, but I finished my first run with a respectable 43.791. I don't pay much attention to the tach and bounce of the limiter several times at the turnaround halfway through the course. Shift next time.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NicnsB6TZY"]DMVR SCCA Autox - 6/1/2014 - Run 1 - YouTube[/ame]


Run 3:
My second run was a throwaway, a bit slower plus a cone. For my third run, I decided to try shifting a little later. I've always shifted when it was easiest - not when I hit redline, not even necessarily when I'm going straight, just when it's easiest. The first few features of this course were very tight and 1st gear definitely kept me in the stronger revs, but driving smoothly in 1st gear isn't something I can really do. In the video you can see how out of shape I got when I shifted to 2nd. Ended up with a good clean run of 42.972.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEju5dhgtns"]DMVR SCCA Autox - 6/1/2014 - Run 3 - YouTube[/ame]


The rest:
My 4th run ended up being my best at 42.229, good for a pax of 13 of 63. I left some time on the table but for my skill level I think it was a very solid run. 5th and 6th runs were both a little slower and both had a couple of cones.

Event: Iowa Region SCCA #4, 6/8/2014, Hawkeye Tech, Waterloo, IA

Had a relatively hectic week leading up to this event. I finally decided to throw the camber bolts and ARP lengthened wheel studs I've had sitting around for a year on the car Wednesday. I got home from work, jacked the car up and replaced the studs on the passenger side, but when I opened up my crash bolts I realized I'd ordered 2 different ones. One was right, one was the same as the upper steering knuckle bolt I already had. I decided to go ahead and put the one in and deal with the other later. After calling every Toyota and Subaru dealership within a few hours on Thursday, I finally found one in Kansas City and they had it to the dealership in town Friday.

Saturday I went over to my dads with my stock front endlinks, cut them about an inch and a half shorter and welded them back together. My Whiteline sway bar has been clunking off and on since I installed it. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time troubleshooting and have had it quiet a few different times.

- Initially I spent hours and hours looking for interference or binding issues. Eventually adjusting the endlink lengths fix it.

- At one point I had issues with the jamb nuts on the endlinks backing off and the endlinks readjusting themselves.

- The studs on the endlinks interfered with the fender, fixed with spacers.

- The aluminum retention collars on the swaybar (near the mounts) where scraping on the mounts themselves. Ground them down to fix that.

Finally, this weekend, after having the car on jackstands 5 times throughout the week and trying different things to look for the source, I decided the Whiteline links must just be noisy, so we cut up and made the stock endlinks fit (they're too long for the Whiteline bar). When I went to install them Saturday, I found a loose nut on one of the endlinks. So that's fixed. Again.

I installed the crash bolts but didn't get an alignment. Rumor has it I've added 1/32" of toe in which I can deal with. I may turn the tie rods a thread or so but I'm going to drive another event at least before I decide that.

So.. about the event! It was a cool day in Waterloo - low 60s and overcast. The Hankooks definitely wanted more heat but I feel like I had a solid day. My best run of 39.679 was good for 13th / 68 PAX. My last run was a mythical 39.060 but 1) I hit a cone, 2) timing seems to have lost it, probably because of confusion with a rerun I had for a downed cone, and 3) Solostorm apparently thought recording 6 videos in a row successfully was too many and didn't record the last. Bummer.

I nearly spun on my first run because I forgot I finally had a little bit of camber. What a huge difference! I didn't think the crash bolts were good for enough camber to make such an improvement. I forgot to turn traction control off for a run. It slowed me down but I was driving pretty well, until I stopped to point at the cone that was down. I probably would have kept going but it forced me off my line. I also managed to run over a cone with the inside rear on one of my runs. I don't do that often.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFIP49UOTvQ"]YouTube[/ame]

Everyone loves a good track day.

Event: Iowa Region SCCA 7/13/2014, Hawkeye Downs, Cedar Rapids, IA

Short and sweet: My tires were heat cycled to death, one showed cords after my 3rd run, I couldn't stop hitting cones, I couldn't stop missing gates, I was subconsciously unable to slow down, it was hot and muggy, and there were a lot of bad cone and DNF calls made. Worst I've ever driven, except maybe my first event 10 years ago. I left after the cords showed with 3 DNFs. The first run I know for a fact I didn't DNF, and even after pouring through the video I can't see where someone thinks I missed a gate on the 3rd. But that was the least of my problems.

I was pretty intent on just deleting my videos, but on a whim at least watched my 3rd run. It was a 64.something which would have put me in the 18th or so out of 89, but I hit a cone. I haven't bothered looking where that would put me. The results were pretty crazy today - a lot of people you'd never expect at the top, so it doesn't completely blow my mind that I was able to put up a decent time on my dead tires. I honestly spent most of my 3 runs thinking about how I had screwed up instead of what I was going to do next.

Video of my final run below. I only bothered uploading it because I found something to be happy with today - I was much closer to the cones than the one video I had with a side-mounted camera last year. The missed 1-2 shift and the cone I kissed remind me that I'm not all that.

http://goo.gl/Idg9cE

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcfNGPusqZE"]Iowa Region SCCA Autox - 7/13/14 - Run 3 - YouTube[/ame]

Event: Cedar Rapids Corvette Club 7/19/2014, Hawkeye Downs, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

This was just a practice event for the Corvette club for their event next weekend. 25 cars, $15 for as many runs as you could get in on 2 different courses. It started with what I'd call somewhat wide open course in SCCA terms and after a couple hours they basically removed all the cones except a 4 or 5 cone slalom on the back straight. There were more Subarus than Vettes. Hawkeye Downs is a 1/2 and 1/4 mile, banked, asphalt oval.

After cording my race tires last week I ordered a set of RS3s and put them back on my stock wheels. And since I didn't have to worry about SCCA classing for a day, I burned through the rest of my gas and ran e85 for this event. It's nice to have some more power but I really don't think I"ll miss it when I'm back on regular pump gas next weekend.

On the first course I was probably about 4th fastest. I know an STi, Evo and S2000 were all faster than me. Corvettes weren't close. For the second course I had the fastest time, a hair quicker than the S2000 and 7 seconds faster than the closest Vette.

My dad got a video of one of the coneless runs. Not great but the only video I have from outside the car yet, and a good way to see what these crazy Corvette owners call an autox. I have a handful of videos from the Gopro I haven't gone through yet.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd7DDZ5wgsc"]BRZ On the oval track. - YouTube[/ame]