Seems roughly matching or getting close to the rated width and wheel width is a good match. So a 255 on a 10", 285 on an 11", and 315 on a 12". Roughly in that range seems to get all out of the tire.

 

I forget what the issue was, but I ended up running spacers on the front last year even with 265s. I have the Motons and some of my camber is achieved at the strut-bracket, some of it is at the top with Rick's camber plates. I think that might be why. And that's with shorter springs and ditching the helpers. I just haven't had to fight it, and I figure having the spacers up front isn't the worst thing for the car's handling anyway (more front track).

Really I need to see if I can find someone local or maybe at an event who is willing to let me borrow one of their 285s for a test fit. But as others have pointed out there is also the diminishing returns angle - and since there's a finite amount of wheel we can run in the rear, it becomes kind of a least common denominator thing.

I bought my 265s already just in case, though last years' only have like 50 something runs on them so they're probably fineish.

 

I got this, in case youre looking for feedback. not-bulky and rounded shape seems to make it better than other options



https://www.ebay.com/itm/334731132736

 

OK, catching up a bunch...

2023 prep

I finally found a 5 speed! I asked about this back in 2011, and it is finally happening.
* https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...scca-solo.html

The plan is to get it rebuilt/freshened and swap it into the car. Since I am starting with an Evo 9 MR "SE" (aka MR with "appearance package"), this effectively package-converts the car to an Evo 9 SE.
* The SE lip is the same
* The aluminum roof is the same
* The interior is the same (red stitching, carbon fiber bits, whatever)
* The shocks are different, but there's an allowance for that
* The transmission will be swapped

The only thing that doesn’t land in that bucket is the vortex generators, which the 9 SE did not have. I’m hoping that no one protests because I don’t really want to take them off, but worst worst case I could always take them off and put them back on if/when I sell the car (which I have no plans to do).

The driving goals behind this:
* it's lighter
* 4th gear isn't made of paper mache'
* there are upgrade paths if I want to be stupid someday, as compared to the 6 speed that doesn't really have any "built" options

2023 goals

With less free time than I had when I started autocrossing this thing, I want to make best use of the events that I can attend. I also want to have things that I can measure progress against.

For for local events, I have three goals:
* Finish top 5% of PAX
* Have all my runs be within a second on a ~50 second course
* Actually use data (solostorm), even at more causal events - build muscle memory

For national stuff - I dunno. It will depend on how the locals go

5% of PAX is a stretch goal. I expect that to fluctuate a bunch, but that’s going to be the target.

“Have all my runs be within a second” - this is a good metric for “am I comfortable with the car”. Like back in 2012 I would get close to my fast times on the first run, and be fine tuning on the later runs instead of making major gains.

“Actually use data, even at more causal events “ - this is both a specific goal (treat every event like it was a Tour or whatever) and part of a broader goal (mental game). It’s easy to shrug your shoulders at a local and be off pace and say “eh it’s just a local who cares” but that’s a bad habit.

just to make things complicated...

Apparently the 5 speed I got was kinda trashed

Per TRE
Sigh. A lot of that stuff was going to get replaced anyway as part of a “standard” TRE rebuild ( http://www.teamrip.com/evolution-4-9...uild-services/ ) like the synchros, but to need new 1-4 gears sucks. I knew this was a risk but it’s still frustrating.

 

i question the 'all runs within 1 sec' goal having much value as a stand alone goal. I could see simultaneously satisfying the top 5% pax on all runs and also having them be within 1 sec but you could also be slow for all runs but consistently slow and not really get the result you want.

also Jon has high standards, that trans would have probably worked for a while just fine but now it will last 'forever'. money well spent IMO, he does great work.

 

B&M is selling their fresh TRE build 5spd "starting at $6.5k shipped". I'm considering getting a backup. is this a good option?

 

It's about 4.5k before shipping to build yours. If you have that cash laying around sure.

 

Within 1sec is almost counter to what you should aim for. Guaranteed theres more than 1sec to improve from your first to last regardless of how good you are. Watch nats results when people have their most serious hat on and you'll see most pick up time every run and then some angry as hell sitting on their first run.

First runs have the benefit of doing things accidentally if you can push hard that you would maybe later back off of. But if you're pushing hard, theres certainly areas to improve.

 

I also don't think 1 sec range should be something to aim for. This racing of laying down a single good time and that is all that counts. At local events, I am more in the testing mode than anything else and times could vary tremendously during that process. If I would try to keep it at that level, that would pretty much mean no testing or tying anything new.

 

First off, thanks for the feedback, I know there are like 20 of us left autoxing these things at a serious level and I value the input!

So to expand on my original goal - it's really about being comfortable enough with the car that I can attack right out of the gate. If I mess up and push too hard on run 1 and have to dial it back in future runs - cool. I'm not going to have a good 3rd run that's > 1 sec faster than my first run and kick myself for being too fast.

Consistency / comfort with the car is a hard thing to measure, so this was my first stab at trying to measure it. Looking at Nats results in STU 2022 as one example
https://cdn.connectsites.net/user_fi...pdf?1664316384
Looks like the folks in the top 5 are generally within a second across all 3 runs, in raw time at least. (There are other possibilities, like maybe there are some courses where there isn't a lot of line choice and the times are more compressed or whatever). But 1 second was a relatively arbitrary number. I still want the fastest run I can get. Another way to phrase it is, I am not changing my approach day-of; I'm trying to figure out a way to retroactively look at an event and make sure that I'm using my runs effectively. I take the feedback - I don't want to obsess over this and don't want to drive any differently. It's meant to be something I can look at afterwards and say: "comparing my fast run, to my first run, where did I gain time? What could I take from my fast run into future first runs so that my first runs are more effective/educational/advancing my goals for future runs?" If I lose a bunch of time on my first run being too aggressive, that's cool - like that's a really good reason to have a bigger delta between first run and fast run.

Transmission stuff:

I saw one in a Facebook group, freshly rebuilt by TRE, for $4000. (Link is getting replaced by vbulletin, but it's sold anyway )


That was a mild kick in the face. I am not in any way throwing shade at TRE - I knew I was getting one of the best in the business there and I trust them. It just would have been nice to get the already-freshly-rebuilt one for a lot less $, instead of needing new gears 1-4. And yeah I could have just thrown it in the car as is, but was trying to do the buy once cry once thing and be set up from here out.

 

I rarely start hot on my first run.

It usually takes me three runs to lay down a competitive time and it's been something I've been trying to get better at (minimizing mistakes on the 1st run, eyes up, etc), but it's easier said than done. On average I drop about 1.5 seconds between the 1st to 3rd runs. Last years nationals was an exception to the rule for me - especially on day two where the RE71RS rears got CAKED full of OPR after run 1...

There are the alien types out there that can set their fast times on the first run and it's absolutely a benefit in more ways than one. Especially if you know bad weather/rain is possibly coming. It also puts serious pressure on everyone else in the class if you're like a second up on the field after run 1, etc. Unsure I'll ever get to that level, but I will go down trying!

 

Your first run need to be 100% GO! There are so many benefits to pushing as hard as possible on the first run.

1) Your brain doesnt know yet that a certain speed is going to be scary. Often times you'll take something accidentally faster than you thought and make it. And now you know.
2) If its a clean fast first lap, you now have 2 chances at trying to set a flier being more aggressive or risky
3) Weather. Drying conditions will slowly bring times down for runs but drivers still need to be able to adapt to changing conditions (most are really bad at this cause they avoid racing in the rain). Rain or even a sprinkle will absolutely tank times immediately. Many championships have been won on the strength of a solid first run before rain moved in.
4) All tires heated up instead of 100% front and something less in the rear.
5) Its an Evo. Its not If, its when will it break.

 

Awesome topic and tips. I really need some game time plan & mindset

 

There is a clear difference between the local events and National ones and I was always taking different approach to each. Basically, local ones are test&tune (at least back when I was serious business) and times are not as relevant there. If I could get myself and the car to do certain things the way I want them to be for a given course sections, that is all that matters. Nowadays we have things like solo storm and others, where you can compare those sections on it is own, so total time is even less of importance.
On the other hand, National events are a beast on its own with so many other things that contribute to the final outcome. For me that part is more mental then anything else and if I could keep my head straight (after I did my homework on local events) that is all that I care about.

 

Curious if you guys still have big nerves before your first runs? I think I only get a little bit before first national event run but pretty much not at all after that.

I try to maximize every run I take. I'll still do testing of different line choices and look at data to compare but I'll attack it as if Im trying to win a jacket. If I'm testing a different setup, I want to know how it feels at 100% pace.

An old army Army saying, train how you fight.