NORCAL UFO autoX Feb 24

[SLOroadster]

Hopefully things have been resolved in Marina and the first Norcal UFO autoX will happen. Lets get some roadsters out to run.

Here is the proposed schedule for the season

February 24, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #3
March 24, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #4
April 21, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #5
May 4 & 5, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #6* Date may be shared with DeAnza
June 9, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #7
July 21, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #8
August 4, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #9
September 8, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #10
October 6, 2013 Sunday UFO AutoX Event #11
October 27, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #12
November 10, 2013 – Sunday UFO AutoX Event #13

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Will

[SLOroadster]

This one is canceled as well. Permits are still in limbo. Perhaps March?

Will

[Garm]

So they have already had #1 and #2? or will they just start with fresh numbering in March or whenever they start?

[SLOroadster]

So they have already had #1 and #2? or will they just start with fresh numbering in March or whenever they start?

No, the season hasn't started at all. They are waiting for a full permit rather than a temporary one. The trouble is, the Marina city council isn't in any sort of hurry to grant the permits. I guess there was a city council meeting last week and the permit issue didn't even come up.

It just means that if I want to win the season again, I'm going to have to bring my A game and make every race count once the season gets under way. There won't be any room for a bad day this year.

Will

[Alvin]

It just means that if I want to win the season again, I'm going to have to bring my A game and make every race count once the season gets under way. There won't be any room for a bad day this year.

Will

Are you running VSP again?

[Steve49841]

AutoX in February/March....damn...it's May for us in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, and then it's iffy. Getting permits is always a pain, I appreciate the people that make the effort to do it. I look forward to Spring because we have one spot that is just excellent...Continental Tire Co has a winter test facility near us with a million sq/ft concrete pad. It's a great place to run the race car and make sure nothing falls off before we head to the track.

[SLOroadster]

AutoX in February/March....damn...it's May for us in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, and then it's iffy. Getting permits is always a pain, I appreciate the people that make the effort to do it. I look forward to Spring because we have one spot that is just excellent...Continental Tire Co has a winter test facility near us with a million sq/ft concrete pad. It's a great place to run the race car and make sure nothing falls off before we head to the track.

Yeah you guys have it tough. Our first race of the season is usually New Years. It doesn't get any earlier than that. The permit issue is a political issue from what I can tell, someone wanted to be a thorn in someone else's side and so we hare left hanging till they decide to issue the full permit.

Alvin, Yes I'm looking to follow up my season championship in VSP. It took me 6 years of trying to win it outright. Its not an easy class to win. I bet I could do just as well in CSP where the roadster belongs, but I'd rather run with the other Datsuns and the like in VSP. I'd jump into EP if there were someone else to run with, but taking a season championship based on being the only person in the class is kinda lame. Looks good on paper though. I was told by the people who created the VSP class that the roadster belonged there, so that is where I run. I haven't made any real changes to the car since I started running with UFO so why move now?

Will

[Alvin]

I bet I could do just as well in CSP where the roadster belongs, but I'd rather run with the other Datsuns and the like in VSP.

Will

Isn't VSP for internally stock drivetrains?

[Garm]

I'll run with you. I'm on the verge of buying a truck and trailer.

and yes... what is VSP exactly?

[SLOroadster]

I'll run with you. I'm on the verge of buying a truck and trailer.

and yes... what is VSP exactly?

VSP is Vintage Street Prepared. That said, not a single person in the class (That I can think of) is running a Street Prepared legal car. The 510s all have L20Bs in various states of tune, The Zs are all over the place (I think Rico Ramires's Z is pretty close to being totally legal.) Mary Pozzi's Camero is, well, not stock. Her understudy who also runs a Camero also doesn't have a stock motor. The two guys running the Ford Capris didn't even come close to belonging, one guy had a turbo motor out of a later car (that blew up) and his codriver showed up with a former SCCA championship winning one with a V6 that sounded like a Shelby GT350 Mustang. (Its got the same sort of high pitched shriek when it comes on cam. He swears up and down that its stock. It idles like a drag car.)

The 510 that I can't beat is running a built long rod L20B and is stripped and fully caged. I'm about .3-.5 seconds slower than he is. Honestly, my M3 is the most correct and legal car that runs out there in the class. We get a few random E30s that float through but they are generally lower than the top 5. They don't run every event so they don't matter in the long run anyway.

Pretty much the car must be at least 25 years old by type. (In other words a 91 M3 is legal because the E30 M3 was released in the US in late 87 as an '88 model, and in Europe it was released in '86. Its exactly the same car as the '88) R compound tires are allowed. Any sort of suspension that mounts in the original pickup points is legal, must have a stock windshield (although I think door window glass is removable. I'm not sure on that. If you do pull it, no one will call you on it. I was thinking of doing just that on my car.) Wheels are open, but must fit under stock fenders (however there are people who are running bubble or box flares on the 510s.) Brakes are open. Flywheels are open. Fuel delivery is open (yes you can run FI rather than carbs on any motor.) No fiberglass body panels unless its an airdam or rear spoiler, or came stock on the car (such as the trunk lid on the M3) Stock dash boards are preferred, but there are some people who have "light weight" dashes. If the car is beyond being possibly street legal (too much race car, and not even close to being able to be registered as a street car) then you will be booted out of the class. Modern motors in vintage cars; booted to Open Street Prep to play with the gutted free for all Turbo Subis, Evos running E87, and turbo/supercharged Miatas as well as what ever else happens to not fit in a class. (Honestly the turbo Capri should be booted to OSP, but he was never a threat so I let it go. The guys co-driver and owner of the V6 capri is a threat, but he had it out for me all season. I was expecting him to post a formal protest against me at the season awards banquet and meeting. He didn't show up though.) The class has rules, but they are somewhat liberally interpreted. (Even by the people who made the class and wrote the rules, who put me in the class when I first started racing knowing full well what had been done to the car.) If you are obviously blatantly cheating (such as a 9000 rpm U20 that idles at 2000 rpm and makes 250 hp) we'll say the car is cool, but call you on it.

Its a fun class to run with that is super competitive, especially in the top 5. When its all said and done however, most of us gather up our stuff, swap the street wheels back on, and meet for pizza. If someone breaks their car and can't finish their runs, odds are someone will let them borrow a car to finish. Heck, I've let people finish their runs in my Alfa, M3 and my roadster (the guy spun the roadster on every one of his runs. He also managed to knock the carb balance way out on every one of his runs. I still don't know how he did that.) Everyone is pretty laid back and easy going about things.

Garm, it would be epicly awesome to run against another roadster, but that is a long haul. The crowd loves seeing my car run and to have anther one that is also fast and well driven would be icing on the cake. VSP really is mostly Datsuns. Look at the grid here. (The silver 510 two cars behind me is the one I can't beat.) If you are willing to make the trek up here for this, awesome!

Will

[Alvin]

wow.
Rico and Lynn told me a completely different story

[Garm]

Which was? way to stir it up Alvin.

With a decent truck and trailer, I'd like to do it.

SCCA down here is going to be a weird proposition, CSP for sure. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to run a roll bar and harnesses in the car that they would approve.

[SLOroadster]

Which was? way to stir it up Alvin.

With a decent truck and trailer, I'd like to do it.

SCCA down here is going to be a weird proposition, CSP for sure. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to run a roll bar and harnesses in the car that they would approve.

An Autopower roll bar should work, but your seats keep you sitting pretty tall. You might still clear though. I know they make two different or three different bars, one for the low windshield cars, one for the high windshields, and one that is the full race one that has cross braces similar to mine. Heck, you could modify your bar in the same way I did mine, assuming the thickness of the tubing is thick enough.

Alvin, I'm curious what Rico and Lynn said.


The 510 at the front, powered by a warmed over L16, ported head, big cam, 40 mm Mikunis Coilovers (moved to a different class so he can run 13 inch full slicks)
The 510 behind me, I think had a stock l20B with a Racer Brown cam also running bubble flares (moved to LA I think)
Silver 510, Long rod L20B, big cam, 44mm Mikunis, coilovers, bubble flares, fully caged, gutted interior, and coil overs (doesn't show up every event)
Red and black 510, had a nice L20B that I think has been swapped for a KA or SR. (only came once)
The White Z at the end is Rico's. (About the same speed as my M3, keeps everyone honest. Very good driver)

To break down the class a little more,
Dan Middleditch from SLO: 4 door 510 with a stockish L20B (has no go above 5k rpm, a non contender up front.)
Chris Sifferman: 240Z with at least a big cam perhaps more. (Its fast enough, but not a front runner)
Neal Ryan: Ford Capri with the hot V6 (co drove the turbo capri below till it blew up) Front runner
Rich Rossmassler: Turbo Capri, (co drove the V6 Capri above after his turbo car blew up) Front runner (finished 2nd to me last year)
Deanna Marengo: modified Camero, Mary Pozi's understudy. Can be fast if the course is right.
Mary Pozi: Camero. Yeah do a little research on this car...

I count a lot of cars with internal modifications/wrong motors in that list. Like I said, Rico and Lynn are the most legal car.

Will

[Steve49841]

Man...you have got to make up your mind that you only do this for FUN! Up in our part of the world I pull my roadster (that I have worked on all winter) three hours to an AutoX, and get pounded by a bunch of econo boxs on the PAX. A thirty car field is a big day for us so we don't run classes. Reading all that stuff about who is doing what to who, and the changes SCCA makes every year gives me a headache! But to be honest I can't think of a simple way to make AutoX fair and transparent for all. The SCCA version is a monstrosity (I'm a member), 40 plus classes with a gazillion rules to be violated. NASA (I'm a member) has a good idea in road racing... put all cars on a certified Dyno, weigh them, add or subtract for things like slicks and coil overs then place them in a class based on HP to weight ratio. But his isn't practical in AutoX. So what I guess it boils down to is AutoX is never going to be fair....but it can be fun.

[Garm]

If you meant me, I'm clear I only do this for fun, have for several years now. I was just wondering how the Roadster fits into the "official" scheme of things. Heck down here you can put a large "X" on your car and not even get timed for your runs.