Cal Club Autocross Forums

Just curious how many regularly run both Cal Club and San Diego region events? If you do, do you drive you car to the event at one or both sites or do you trailer?

Jeff
Nicole
Seb
Shauna
Jon
Me - sometimes

Some trailer. Some don't. I don't since I don't own a trailer. SD is not that far.

I'm there a lot. Not that Max cares enough to notice.....

KJ Christopher wrote:I'm there a lot. Not that Max cares enough to notice.....

Correct.

Larssons and I should be down there on the 8th since i'm gunna miss the august eboard event here. I think that'll make at least 3 SD local events i've been to this year, not including the tour. Bev and Toby go to a couple more on the spur of the moment.

Karen and I use to go all of the time. Also the BMW Club AX's down there. But we're on a tighter budget now. It wouldn't be fun to go down with the Vette AND the support van. Ah ... I fondly remember caravanning down there with Barco, Coleman, Max and Seb/Shauna in our stiffly sprung Suby's ... bouncing bobble heads ... flying over the fwy cracks

We use to stay down there ... use Priceline.com name-your-price. See the hotel thread in Off Topic

I do both. Street tire stock class here, so no need to trailer the car. YMMV

On normal event weekends in SD can you stay in the RV?

Mako Koiwai wrote:

That sure brings back some memories - good times

Why did you give up the subies?

Arthur Grant wrote:Just curious how many regularly run both Cal Club and San Diego region events? If you do, do you drive you car to the event at one or both sites or do you trailer?

Yes and it depends on the vehicle.

Arthur Grant wrote:Why did you give up the subies?

Older WRX's break gearboxes! The 07+ Subarus all blow motors and are as ugly as sin.

We all started in Subarus, and I think after a few years, you get the itch to try something new. This is my first year not driving a Subaru and it's a whole new challenge.

Faintly embarrassing now!


Art ... Suby's can be fast but their handling is all about adding band-aids and trying to get them to understeer less. On the otherhand you have the Berry Evo but then you have the painful Jason U. Evo that Jason I. has been trying out lately. Obviously Mihai's WRX has also become fast (after three different suspension's I believe and 57 spring changes. The custom Koni's that he's now using, developed by the legendary and loveable hairy Barco AX'ing creature, cost close to $5K! I think he and Seb are on their 3rd gear boxes) ... but when it came time to replace our broken 5 speeds a lot of us decided to finally get a proper RWD sports car. I drove a stock 2010 WRX at the last practice ... and then jumped into a wonderfully balanced stock Miata. If you could try both out, you'd NEVER go with the AWD Suby. Stock Evo's are just as bad.

What is the story on this course in San Diego with elevation changes? How do you know when they are going to run that course and is it as fun as it sounds?

Arthur Grant wrote:What is the story on this course in San Diego with elevation changes? How do you know when they are going to run that course and is it as fun as it sounds?

Looking at the schedule helps. The West lot is the one with the elevation changes.

http://www.sdr-scca.com/solo2/schedule/

How much fun depends on the course and your attitude toward it, but it can be a lot of fun!

Leonard Cachola wrote:

Arthur Grant wrote:What is the story on this course in San Diego with elevation changes? How do you know when they are going to run that course and is it as fun as it sounds?

Looking at the schedule helps. The West lot is the one with the elevation changes.

http://www.sdr-scca.com/solo2/schedule/

How much fun depends on the course and your attitude toward it, but it can be a lot of fun!

I confess I have only glanced at the schedule, but having never been there didn't know the west lot was the magic one.

Sometimes my boogie board goes in with the autocross stuff...

I used to run both. The Q is less than 90 miles away.

I hope the more recent years of Subie Outback and Forester don't have grenades for engines. The wife really wants AWD and Subaru is the only one that's affordable. [AWD CRVs and RAV4s with shitty viscous couplings and toothpicks for rear axles don't count.] VW dropped 4Motion from the Jetta.

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:I used to run both. The Q is less than 90 miles away.

I hope the more recent years of Subie Outback and Forester don't have grenades for engines. The wife really wants AWD and Subaru is the only one that's affordable. [AWD CRVs and RAV4s with shitty viscous couplings and toothpicks for rear axles don't count.] VW dropped 4Motion from the Jetta.

Turbo engines tend to be quite stout. '04 and older NA H-4 motors had head gasket issues. Automatic transmissions are quite stout too. Nearing 120k on my WRX and the only major repair I've had is replacing the turbo @ 100kmi (stock one started burning oil around 75kmi).

Back to the topic of running SDR events: I've run a few, but I can't justify the time and cost. I get my fill from CalClub Solo events! It might be worth it for those living further south (OC/North SD, etc). Making a day trip out a SDR event is quite tiring for me.

I hope the more recent years of Subie Outback and Forester don't have grenades for engines.

What's "recent?"

Karen's 2006 Legacy Outback is having it's engine re-built for the 2nd time in two years! What could be easier then just driving down the fwy between South Pasadena and Long Beach. It likely hardly ever gets into boost.

I would NOT buy a Turbo Suby as a daily driver now. I believe they are now recommending oil changes every 3,500 miles, as opposed to 7,000 for easy commuting miles on Turbo Suby's. Gas mileage is also not great, partly due to the AWD systems. Try pushing a Suby.

I believe the wider stronger gears used since '04 have helped alleviate busting 5 speeds?

AWD alone isn't that great. Excellent Tires might be more important. Karen and Jeff Grossman and I believe one other Team Blew member have crashed their Suby's in the rain on the FWY, I think partly because they were on those horrible oem tires. The AWD might just give false confidence.

Our WRX's at least have a viscous coupling in the 5 speed gear box between front and rear. Mine blew off it's end retaining ring when 2nd gear let go:

Lets see lots of question running down that list

Yes you will find multiple LA people in SD on any given weekend. That said, you will learn that some "locals" aren't and are SD people who run up here. There are those of us who have run events in both locations same day. I've personally run Fontana / Q, El Toro / Q, Norton / Q and Hollywood Park / Q BUT it makes for a very long day! Sometimes special permissions are needed in advance to deal with registration and tech hours.

Many have stayed on site overnight over the years. When I lived down there (moved '04) it was OK, don't know what the official word is today.

and.... "The Q is less than 90 miles away" I guess that depends on where you live.

and last but not least, all three lots, West, NE, and SE have elevation changes. The West lot has the largest and most dramatic elevation change. SE may be run once or twice a year, NE hasn't been run in many years.

Steve Ekstrand wrote:On normal event weekends in SD can you stay in the RV?

Steve, We do.

Art, QV and I are attempting to make all the SD events---and of course we trailer the car down.

Is that how Team Blew got it's name because the engines and gear boxes blow up, thought it was because they were turbo?

Blew, as in Blown Engines = Turbo Charged ... according to the God Father of the Club

Bob Beamesderfer wrote:I hope the more recent years of Subie Outback and Forester don't have grenades for engines.

No, they have weak rear wheel bearings.