page 2 - 1st year with car
page 3 - road trip to Arizona
page 4 - misc shots
page 5 - autoX 2005
page 6 - autoX 2006
2007 - the 3rd year of my s2k at the autoX track.
I bought it after autocrossing a Neon ACR for three years. I race in A stock. I'm using 245 Hoosier A6 Rcomps on a second set of stock wheels. 245 front and back. I have a 2nd gen Comptech front anti-sway bar.
The competition for this year includes my Sti buddy, Mitch. He took 1st place in last year series. There's a new s2000 this year, a silverstone '05 co-driven by Rich and his cousin, Dan. There's Don, a novice in a black AP1, and Edwen's back in his silver AP1. We lost one S2000: John, who placed 2nd to my 3rd in the rainy final CACC race of 2006, switched to a CSP Mazda MX5. Lastly there's Mauro with his BMW M3.
Rich, will be good competition for Mitch and myself. He won Cstock at the Canadian Nats in 2003 in his Miata. (I won Gstock in my Neon). I see it as a really close three way race.
This year I switched to Hoosier 'cause their 245 r17 is a lower profile than the Kumhos- so they're lighter, 4lb per corner, and I get lower gearing as they're 'bout half inch shorter. Also the Hoosier's stiffer sidewall gives quicker response. Downside may be they wear out quicker but we'll see as the season goes on.
Mitch went for for the same tires. Richard went for the Kumhos 245-275 front and back.
Mar. 18, 2007 VCMC warmup event
1st event after laying low for most of the winter.
I'm on my street tires, the Azenis. I stay only for the morning as it might rain in the pm. It turns out it didn't and anybody that knew how to drive came in faster than me. My 4 morning runs were good for 4th in Astock, pax'd 32 out of 64.
Mitch 1st , Rich 2nd, Rich's cousin, Dan 3rd.
Mar. 24 Advance Automotive, Richmond
I get the rear wheel toe-in increased to reduce the twitchiness of the car in the rain. Although its been fine for the street I've been losing at the autox cause it gets too wild in the wet.
Apr. 7
I'm an instructor at an autoX school put on by our club.
I teach a guy in a s2000 and a guy in a Mustang. The Mustang, although fun to drive with all that torque, is like steering a waterbed - its suspension travel is so huge. I get a few runs after the school in my car. The Azenis don't take kindly to my overdriving. They take their time regaining grip.
Apr.15th CACC series race 1
Overcast cool day. Got my Hoosiers mounted.
I lead after our first runs as Mitch and Rich both coned. But, Holy Crap!!, Rich's raw time is 2.5 seconds faster than me. Mitch's raw time is .6 faster than me as well.
After our second runs Rich holds first place with a clean run just as fast as his first. Mitch goes 1.5 sec faster on a clean run. I go faster but hit a cone and now I'm in 3rd.
Last runs. Rich: clean but .3 sec slower than before. Mitch: gets a cone. Me: clean run and my time squeeks by Mitch for 2nd by .2 of a second.
Rich designed the course - and it showed in his times - all very fast but not getting better. I just might have caught him with a couple more runs. Oh well, all that means is I got to get more involved in the sport and start designing my own courses.
Here's Rich in the '05 s2k.
� 2007 asimo118
Note his Hard Dog rollbar.
Also note the body roll on Rcomps. Rich had lots of inside wheelspin during the race. He's desperately looking for a fsb - seems everyone is hanging onto their Comptech bars.
May 5th UBC club race
The day is nice and sunny but cool.
I'm on my Hoosiers to figure out tire pressures for tomorrow's CACC event.
Pax'd 5th of 71. I lead the other three in my class: Mitch's STi, the M3 and a MZ4 (the M version of the BMW Z4). Being faster than Mitch means nothing as he is on last year's Kumhos saving his fresh Hoosiers for tomorrow.
The weather for tomorrow's event is forecast to be sunny, just like today.
May 6th CACC series Race 2
I'm up at 6am and look out the window. Its cloudy! The forecast is now 60% chance of rain. The overcast is bright enough that I'm hoping they're wrong and it'll burn off.
Down at the track 77 drivers show up to race under the now glowering clouds. The first run group is in the dry and I'm feeling confident. Astock is in the 2nd group. Edwen is codriving in Don's car 'cause he's getting engine work done.
However shortly before we get to run a misty rain begins. I grid up in the last row too maximize my chance for a drying track if it stops. It doesn't. I lower pressures in my tires. First run suprises me: the track isn't greasy. Not like last fall. And my fresh Hoosiers have lots of grip. My tentative run has me in 1st. Mitch dnf'd but was roughly the same as me. Rich's raw time is the same as me but he clipped a cone. Watching his run i could see he, and Dan, were having handling probs in the wet. Dan is back 4 sec. Don and Dion dnf.
Second runs: Mitch out first - he lops off 3 seconds, ouch.
� 2007 Ken Jai
Rich is next but he doesn't get any faster. Cousin Dan is 2 sec back of him.
� 2007 Ken Jai
Edwen gets cones and Don has dnf'd
� 2007 Ken Jai
My run has more confidence and I'm at the top of second gear heading toward the sweeper. I'm hard on the brakes then release as i turn in. The car's taken a set when realize i got to snub off a little bit more speed if I'm going to get the apex right so I give the brake a really light, 1/4 pedal pressure and, interestingly enough, got the abs to stutter slighty. Anyway getting the apex right lets me get on the gas real heavy as i exit.
Also in the sweeper i heard something crunchy sounding that turned out to me bracing my knee against the door and pushing against the armrest switches or something. Thats a habit i'm trying to replace with pushing my foot on the dead pedal.
So my run is good. Its Mitch 1st. Me and i stick with him, .7 sec back in 2nd. Rich 2 sec back in 3rd, Dan 4th, Edwen 5th
� 2007 Ken Jai
Last runs: Mitch is feeling the pressure from me and opts for a cautious run: gives the cones lots of room but still shaves .2 off his time.
Rich is overcoming the rawness of a S2000 in the wet and gains a second but also a cone. Dan gets a cone. Edwen goes 2 seconds faster on a clean run.
� 2007 Ken Jai
My last run I keep it together and from the stopbox I hear the voices of my competitors: I go .8 sec faster and take 1st place over Mitch by just 7 hundredths of a sec. sonofagun.
That's the first time I've gone faster than Mitch in the rain. Knowing Mitch it'll probably be the only time:)
May 27th club practise event
Cold, cold wind on an overcast day for this event geared towards novices. The course was fairly simple and open. That openness gave room for taking, or not taking, the right line. I'm on my streets, Azenis 615s. The lack of heat in the track kept my tires skating all morning...ie the rears break loose when the vtec kicks in. Even in a straight line. The afternoon saw more sunlight and the track warmed enough to let me drop 1.5 seconds off my time. 4th place behind Rich, Mitch and Dan... all of them on Rcomps.
Mitch's wife Michelle is co-driving today and putting down respectable times: she's leads me after 4 runs until my last, and best, run lets me avoid some kidding. She beats Edwen and Mauro.
Rich has a front sway bar on order and says he's going to get an alignment. Don is shopping around for one as well.
Check out this G stock Bmw 318: Art was as fast as everybody in Astock. He's U.S. Nationals caliber.
� 2007 asimo118
After that event I decided that my Azenis have heat cycled themselves enough to have noticably lost grip. I order new ones.
June 3rd UBC Novice event
Got my sponsor decal on -Len's Garage.
� 2007 Ray Shum
Nice warm day at a casual event lets me enjoy tossing the car around like I did in the old days with the Neon. I'm not fast but its lots of fun. Here's a composite of me as I yard on the wheel and go from understeer to hard on the gas oversteer -
� 2007 Jason Johnson
The course has long straights followed by tight boxes. I coned every run for a total of 9 but managed to be 1st (its a novice event). 2nd went to a Porsche Boxter who nailed 11 cones. Mauro came in 4th with the most cone kindness, a clean 59.29 sec run just .07 behind Edwen's 3rd place, 2cone 55.20.
That event was the last ever at Boundary Bay - its finally happened- the airport has shut down racing as part of their runway expansion plans. As of today there are no places to race.
Here's the fastest car of the day at the last event ever at Boundary Bay...Jared in his CSP Miata
� 2007 Jason Johnson
The third race of the CACC series is cancelled.
The alternate location is found at a skinny, slippy runway at the Pitt Meadow airport.
June 9th instructing at a VCMC school
And its another rainy day. I'm assigned to 2 students, one with an older 911 and a guy with a new M3. In the 911 you have to be aggresive with the gas to get it not to understeer. The M3 has impressive steering response. I swap with my student for a run in it. The owner sets the computer assist to throttle only. Its really fast, but I know there's way more to be had: the steering is so quick that my timing is off in the slaloms.
My 4 new Azenis 615 arrive. I sell the old ones on the Vancouver forum of S2kI.com
June 13th Mission Raceway
My first track day. And its wet 3/4 of the day. Lots of instructors available. The sun dries the track for the last session in the afternoon and I try to outrun a Subaru wrx on coilovers, after 5 laps my brakes (Hawk HPS in front, stock rear), have faded and the Azenis are greasy. The rears are actually smoking heavily when I return to the pits to calm down.
Okay. Just a side note here to say how shitty the weather has been this summer. If its sunny I'm at work. If its a weekend its raining.
July 22 - in Victoria for CACC #4
On the ferry over the day before its pleasant and sunny. My internet booked motel smells of oil base paint and tobacco. I get a different motel near the parliament bldgs. Out for a nice dinner: Pork belly on a bed of lentils with shreds of cabbage. No, honest, it was good.
Sunday, race day, starts out sunny but the event starts at 3pm after the flea market leaves the facility, by which time a nice day has turned to light rain. Its held on the same paved oval track as last year with its intimidating concrete wall along the straights - little run-off room in case of a spin.
First runs: local guy, Blake in a 02 S2000 leads with a clean run. Don is in 2nd. and Mitch is in 3rd after nailing 5 cones. I'm DFL with after skidding outside a gate early in the run. It was just a light tap of the brakes- geez its slick. I carry on despite the dnf to learn the course only to dnf again near the finish - I go wide before entering a right turn near the end of the run. My path takes me over the drag strip bleach box and my car teleports itself 5 feet to the left. Just like being in freefall. I'm now on the outside of a wall of cones. I have to stop and back up past them to complete my run. Backing up means not fast.
2nd run Mitch dominates with a 2 sec faster clean run. I go 10 sec, faster :) for 2nd place 3 sec back of Mitch. Blake drops to 3rd. Edwen 4th
3rd run Mitch a sec faster but hits three cones. Blake gains a bit but I gain .6sec to stay in 2nd
4th run Mitch goes faster again, this time clean, and takes 1st in A stock and sets Fastest Time of the Day.
� 2007 Cam Weiss
I place 2nd with a strong final run. It included a cone so instead of 3rd fastest overall I'm 16th of 51 drivers. CACC points leader is now Mitch. Rich skipped this event and drops to 3rd behind me.
� 2007 Cam Weiss
So, its a scary track- one or two guys did spin and everyone holds their breath but, no problem, there's no contact. Meanwhile, while we're racing, outside in an 80% empty parking lot, some civilian in a pickup manages to smack into an immaculate and parked, ie stationary and, like i said, in an 80% empty lot, crashes into a JDM Sylvia, ripping off a fender and I guess writing it off.
In August I get different brake pads Hawk HP+ all round cause...
A track day with the VCMC at Mission
My 2nd track day in the car. Really nice and warm. I'm in the advanced group and 3rd slowest of them. My brakes hold up well as long as I keep to 70% max braking. Really fast bunch of guys. GT3's, third gen RX7 w. 426 rwhp, hi powered 240. Watching videos afterward I realize where my line sucked - partly from bad heel/toe skills, massive understeer from that full stiff FSB, and general driver ineptitude.
a vid from a mr2 driver
Here's Rich in his S2000
Here's the RX7 driver. This guy's really smooth. He passes me towards the end of the vid.
After understeering around the Mission track and anticipating less grip for the Nats I had the Comptech swaybar changed to the middle setting. ie. from 2.8 times stock stiffness down to 2 times. The extra swaybar reduces body roll in a corner that will lift the inside back wheel off screwing up the limited slip and keeping me from going faster. So with less grippy surface there's less body roll so less need for roll stiffness.
My next event is the Canadian Nationals.
Last year it was in Toronto. The year before in Red Deer Alberta. Before that Quebec. This year its 30miles away from me at a new facility, just paved the week before.
Aug31 Canadian Nationals, Pitt Meadows
I take Friday off from work and I get there at 3pm. The site looks great - a bunch of sponsor tents, lots of car trailers, an Evolution school in progress. I see Edwen in the school. There's only 3/4 hour left for the Test and Tune so I change tires quickly - have to borrow plywood for under the jack as the asphalts so fresh I'd dent it. The course looks a little confusing. Mitch generously sits in as navigator for my 3 runs. I feel satisfied with the handling of my S2000 and there's good grip on the surface. A little understeer but w. throttle on it rotated nicely in the widening radius turn.
Later I check into my hotel and meet the Astock competitor from Winnipeg, Gordon with an ap1 S2000. I heard he placed well at the US nationals in Topeka one year and I sort of mentally give myself a 2nd place behind him for this event -a negative thought that I try to avoid.
Saturday morning. Light fog here and there on the drive to the track. There's none at the site and the track is dry and the day ends up quite pleasant and mostly sunny.
Walking the track at 7:30am its not complex - a slalom into a huge sweeper (called Parabolica on the course map) over to the biggest Chicago box I've seen then into a tight, decreasing radius 180 right before the finish. We're going to be going fast.
Our group is first out.
Edwen has been getting noticably faster during the latter part of the season and he comes out strong in the first run. He leads over Gord who is back a couple hundredths. I'm third by a little over a tenth. 4th: Mitch by a couple more hundredths. Don 5th, Blake from Victoria 6th.
2nd run- Gord shows us how its done, shaves off 7 tenths and jumps to 1st. Edwen beats him in raw time but gets a cone. Mitch drops a quarter second and pushes me into 3rd place. Edwen's first run is good for 4th. Don 5th Blake 6th
Gordon gives me a bit a coaching on what he saw of my runs. Thats always appreciated.
� 2007 Kuna Photography
Third runs and the final result for Friday- Gord goes a bit slower but still holds first place. I drop 4 tenths and regain 2nd. Mitch drops 2 tenths so is back of me by .19sec. Edwen stays in 4th. Don and Blake 5 and 6. The top four places are seperated by under half a second.
So today's time will be added to tomorrow's to determine the nationals winner. That means Sunday I have to be faster than Gordon by .16sec.
Saturday night - watch GT cars race on Speed channel.
Sunday am - I sleep in and do a panic launch from bed... No time for shower, breakfast or coffee - check out of the hotel and pack the car. Second shock of the morning - from the lobby I see rain. I can visualize my 2nd place sliding down to third behind Mitch's awd.
I get to the track a half hour before the race starts. Walking the course I'm grouchy and still half awake. I have time to go around twice. The rain is still falling but lighter now. The track has little puddles. The course is longer than yesterdays. The Parabolica is now approached from the opposite end meaning that there's a new crossover (a fast right followed by a harder left) to get to it and a 2nd crossover, a very tight left then a right, after it to get over to the Chicago box.
Our run group is last so I watch the first run groups sliding around in the wet. By the 2nd and 3rd heats the track dries.
I grid myself so I'll be the last Astock out: 1st run -I've a good launch, maybe a bit too much wheelspin. Half way thru the run and exiting the parabolica the car gets too loose and I lose time as I lift and wobble. In the hard left turn and hard right to the Chicago box, I'm a bit too slow. I late brake the 180 at the finish. My plan is to attack this last corner like a fwd car - maintain speed as long as possible and dive into the corner. as there's no straight after the corner just the finish line.
1st run results has Mitch leading. I'm .05sec back. Gord .2 sec back. Like yesterday, Edwen starts off strong, posts the fastest raw time of the heat but gets a cone. He's in 5th behind Don.
A between runs discussion on the use of sugar water as a RC car traction compound has me pouring a Gatorade on my hands to counteract the sweaty palms. Didn't help much, I'll try Jolt Cola next time.
Second run - Gord goes .4 faster. Mitch goes .4 sec faster. Edwen's clean run puts him third. Don gains 3/4sec.
I launch from a lower rpm and get a bit of bog and in general have lacklustre run- including messing up the final 180 by braking too late and going wide. I end up behind Don in 5th.
By the third run the peak heat of the day is past and the clouds are getting low. Gridding late is now a disadvantage. I'm ignoring the other Astock action and sit in my car reviewing my runs. I got to do a harder launch for one thing.
I'm not aware of it but Gord has a very fast run that would given him the win but he nails a cone. Mitch is running a lot quicker too, passes Gords time, the Nationals are Mitch's depending what the rest of us do. Edwen goes all out but spins. Don goes incrementally faster. Blake next -he spins. 2 spins: the track must be getting looser.
I'm now five cars from running while a light sprinkle has me pulsing the wipers occasionally. I'm quietly freaking out as I wait for the Kumho Tires GT3 to do a PR run. Thankfully the dusting of rain is short lived but I've no faith in getting good grip. My run: I launch hard, get a fair bit of wheel spin but its good and I approach the first slalom noticably faster. At the crossover no mistakes, into the parabolica tighter to the cones,good, on the gas early on exit approaching the tight start to the crossover. Here I maximize the turn radius, brake less and manage to keep a lot of speed. That was a key move and I now know I've got a good run in the works. Dive into the Chicago box faster because I'm holding my gaze on the exit. I'm faster out too but now I'm going to be late at the next cone unless I turn apruptly -this is where Edwen and Blake spun- I manage to keep grip but the cars off-balance, my inside back wheel up in the air for a bit of lost time, not bad tho. Then the dive into the final 180 - I err slightly on the overdrive side: my front wheels are plowing and complaining loudly. The inside back up and freewheeling over the finish. As I get my time slip Mitch comes up and shakes my hand - I beat him by .07 sec to take the national title.
Its a great feeling winning a race like that, leaves me with a great afterglow but its also humbling to realize that on neither day of this race was I the fastest AStock driver. Gord was on Sat. and Mitch on Sunday.
