Since I see a rivalry heating up in another post, why not take it to the track (as someone posted)? I, along with some co-workers and friends, will be at the Fontana AutoX event on Sunday June 26th, anyone have the balls to put their money where there mouth is? I think this would be a great event for everyone, plus it will be an opportunity to meet friends you haven't seen in a while. Who is up for this? Video and photography will be at hand as proof!

cost? times? rules/safety requirements?

Most Camaros/Firebirds will fall into ESP (based on mods), but since we aren't very competetive we could run in F-Stock (only mod allowed is a cat-back). Best bet is to run run in ESP, which is what we will be running in. Tech is very simple ... so long as no fluids are leaking, and nothing is broken and it is driveable on the street, you will be OK. A helmet is required and NO PASSENGERS, unless they are instructors.

When: Sunday, June 26, 2005 Tentative
Where: California Speedway
Fees: $25 for SCCA members and CSCC points card holders

$10 for students with Speed Freakz, First Gear, or Family Membership

$40 for all others

Make Checks payable to "SoCal Solo2"

Safety: no alcohol may be consumed by anyone on the event site.

Helmets must conform to Snell 90 or newer. Some loaner helmets will be available.

Held under the 2005 SCCA National Solo Rules and CSCC Solo2 Supplemental Regulations.

Special Rules: Class Letters and numbers must be on the vehicle at tech inspection!

Closed exhaust; the 95db noise standard may be monitored.

Novice class drivers will run with the class their car would normally run.

Novice instructors will be available, ask any Event Official or at registration.

Event officials reserve the right to make changes to event operations (including but not limited to collapsing run groups) as needed. Your cheerful cooperation is appreciated!

I'd like to go, but until I redo the exhaust I seriously doubt I could pass the 95db, I'm probably more like 110db

I'm interested.

What are the mod restrictions? I'm running a cat-back, adjustable poly/heim suspension and SFC's.

Looks like I might finally have to pop for a helmet.

After putting the LM on the Z28 I don't think I would make the noise restriction either, also where do you get numbers for the vehicles?

Goerge, I can definately be there. I haven't been in so many years other than the one time I took the Camaro there 2 years ago for a little spin. At that time I didn't even check into the class requirement. I just told Craig Angel to shut up and stick me in ESP, I didn't care for any points or trohpies, wanted to see how the car compared to the top ESP cars with V8's and race tires when I was a V6 and street tires yet I have illegal mods for ESP. It was just my own personal comparison to how this car handles against other Camaros.

I think now-a-days they run a street tire class of some kind. I know years back they had a "no barr" Novice class that anyone could run anything and compete if they were new. Just new car and driver versus other new cars and drivers I used to compete fairly regularly back from '87 to about '93 in the Vette and things have change some since then.

Ultimately, It really desn't matter wehat class you are in, its all on the same course and you run for time. If we are all going for personal comparison and fun (like Speedzone go-karts for instance) it will give lap times for individual cars. I just think its all fair if we are on street tires (No "r" compounds) as for most of us going there as a group will not have them and be on average everyday street tires. My car may be built more than most or all, but I have the slow V6 motor.I also have a major rear brake pressure issue where its locking much sooner than the fronts, But it'll still be fast.

It appears to be sold out the few times I have lloked at there website in past months, so I am wondering if we will need to register in advance. A Saturday practice event would be the most desireable time and prop=bably the most "funruns" after the event if they still do that. Funruns is where any car that participated pays $1 per run afterwards until dark hours and can take passengers for rides.

Yeah, I'm not concerned about competing so the ESP class is fine with me. I just want to run the course and get some seat time.

And I'll most likely still be running my fairly used up BFG KDWS's. I doubt I'll have new tires on the GTA before June.

A few more mods to the truck and I can focus on the GTA again.

This is going to be my fourth or fifth time doing this, I always run in ESP. BTW, I will be on my Kumho street tires. Hopefully we can all pit together, I may bring out the truck with the canopy if it won't fit in the SS.

You know me Goerge, I will make every effort to be there on June 26th. I try and always keep a promise unless I can not due to something unexpected, and even then I try and make other arangememnts ahead of time. Like the B&M install we moved up due to my person cecumstances withe my wifes surprise party that I didn't know my mother in law was planning and my daugther failed to tell me the date. That shifter gate is still very fun by the way- thankyou again

Oh, thanks for reminding me ... I want to do a follow up, possibly at Fontana. We'll see you there!

Not exactly my cup-o-tea but fun none the less. These images are from an event that Glen had invited us to. Georgie, Lon, and I had an absolute blast! I couldn’t hook for $hit so I ended up grandstanding (drifting) the entire course. It made the corner workers a little nervous but I didn’t hit a cone or corner worker all day. My wife got a killer video of the whole thing. I’ll see what I can do about getting the day off. I have a feeling it will be worth it…

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While we're on the subject of Auto-X. Does anyone have any experience with Pyrotect helmets? Soloracer.com has some specials on them right now.
http://www.soloracer.com/pyrotectlids.html

My helmet is actually an HJC (street bike) helmet. I haven't heard anything about these helmets but mine has always been comfortable though it was a bit more expensive because of all the coloration and such. If you are looking for a deal, you can always check out ebay, if there are enough pictures hopefully you can tell if it appears that someone might have already FUBARed the helmet.

I will have to be getting a new helmet soon because it's getting old

I'd rather avoid eBay for a helmet purchase. The Pyrotect helmets are made by Bell, so they should be pretty good. The price is sure nice.

I'm leaning toward an open face helmet. And, I know, I know, several will jump on me and say "Get a full face", but I prefer the open face.

Also for those of you with air bags, the SCCA has released an adivisory regadring full face helmets. It appears that in the vent of air bag deployment, a full face helmet can actually cause injury.

-----------------------------
** SCCA AIRBAG ADVISORY **
November 16, 2004 - Notification from SCCA National Staff
It has been brought to the attention of SCCA Technical Services that the use of full-face or closed face helmets while driving vehicles with active airbag restraint systems may result in injuries in the event of a crash that deploys the airbag. Because of the location of the steering wheel relative to the driver's position, the airbag axis is on a level with the driver's chin. In a crash with airbag deployment, contact with the chin area of a full-face helmet can be so powerful "that fractures to the jaw cannot be ruled out". (Hubert Gramling, FIA Institute, FT3/AF, 18.5 1999)

Therefore it is highly recommended that full-face helmets not be used in vehicles with functioning airbag systems. Potentially more restrictive language is currently being considered for 2005, which could appear in an early 2005 issue of FasTrack.

If you have questions please contact SCCA at (800) 770-2055

Here’s one of the videos my wife took that day.

Video (Right click and save)

Mike, I have old footage of me racing the Vette in AutoX back when I was sponsored by Cone Chev and Centerforce. The footage was aired in Canada on national TV back in '90 or '91 and I have a nonedited version of the tape that aired showing me running the Vette. Its on VHS so I have no way to get it on here. If we have access to a vhs player still at the meetings I will bring it for show and tell. You'll then understand my experience level and what the hell a car can do on an autoX course at over 100mph in second gear. Not only do I have the professional footage, I have personal footage mone of my brothers shot also that day. I was 3rd fastest car of the day behind two openwheel cars.

I was good, I just wasn't dedicated enough to put up with some family crap that went along with it. There was always strings attach to what I was doing that held me back so I quit. I guess you can say my father has the same "ego" I have (chip off the old block) and we knocked heads alot, we still do to this day.

Next meeting June 4 at Ricky & Ronnies we're getting the room with the TV & I believe he said tape player also.

With all this talk about auto-x'ing and driver-this and car-that, I just want to see Mike and Dean compete at the same track on the same day and see who comes out with the quickest time. Go-carts are fun toys but I want to see the real deal, auto-x or road course. Anything less is BS. Time to back up what has been said and get it done.

I should be up for this by then fast time of group gets his/her
entry fee paid by group

Then I will try and attend and bring the tape. I'll bring my Camaro this time also since its in an area where it can be kept in view of. The brakes I brought to the first and only meeting I attended for show and tell are on it to see. I don't like anouncing where this car will be parked and then leaving it unattended. Yes there are more valuable cars in the world, but rarely do you evr see a daily driver with more custom parts on it that what this car has. I would never recoupe the cost of it from insurance AND i can not go out and buy another one just like it without losts of sweat to get it back to this state. Its not only about the money, but this car is very desireable for parts undserneath it and many are not replaceable do to being one offs and having to be custom ordered and machined again.

Ron, hope to meet you finally (bring Bill Chin along for the fun, Its been years since we've seen eachother on the track and he has yet to see the Camaro when I saw him again last year ater 10+ years.

James, I am always game for a good challange, Mike is a worthy opponant and I will graciously accept the offer. No BS on anything other than we both need to be on street tires. I don't want to hear any whinning about no traction, and I will not say a word about being a V6 and grossly underpowered. I think it will be fairly matched and a great challange.

more pics

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well here is the BB and RR at Willow Springs...

Nice to see everyone fired up, but I don't plan to enter who has the bigger "pee pee" contest

sounds like you plan to plead "No Contest"

Actually this isn't much different than drag racing but experience here plays a bigger part than the amount of mods for the most part.

I definitely do not claim to any skills on a road course, nor any to the drag strip either. I am a complete amateur that is for sure, just looking to have fun

The best class for you guys would be our CSM class. They don't care what you bring out

Dean, Bill will be there driving Lisa's Vette. I won't be at this event

Sorry to hear you won't be there Glenn!

Looks like we will have 4 3rd gens, ~7 4th gens, a pair of mustangs, and 3 imports from my work. Just look for our canopy and the B&M banner (less the Jenibella Racing banner).

Maybe a Vette also George. I talked to my father and a brother of mine(I have 5) and I think one of them may be ble to bring the Vette out there for me also. I woouldn't mind racing that for old time sake also, its been years. Tires are a little hard, but still have tread on them.

This thread should have been labled "Pictures of cars in action..."

Nice pics everyone

BB getting ready....

entering the front straight at Willow Springs....

I like the tape, I'll have to remember that

Where is the video when James lost it in one of the turns?

That was POS holtville after I passed GPL or when I was trying to do a complete drift around a corner. I have never lost it at WSIR or buttonwillow. Too many cars/traffic to push it that much and make a mistake.

[insert comment by madmax here]

My new pumpkin protector, I mean helmet, arrived today.

I'm looking forward to this Auto-X. It's gonna be fun. Based on the smack-talk that's starting, maybe I should bring some rubber boots.

Is that my cue?

I wonder if anyone has heard of Mike Hayes...

He moved to Arizona.
Why do you ask?

That was when you were trying your crazy stunts and I was on the front straight, I'll post it later ... Mike was video taping so that wasn't it. When I let you pass, Mike's girth provided the proper equilibrium to pass my car on the turns.

I now knight myself “Girth Inertia”…

That was a fun day you guys should post up some of the footage.

All of these pictures of various cars running on various "tracks" and the guy with the biggest balls here is laughing at us because we in essences aren't ****.

They guy with the balls is Jerry Meyers. Take a tumble in a sprint car sometime and you'll understand why what he did makes us pale in comparison. I personally don't think there is a more dangerous and scary type of racing.

I agree with you Dean, Jerry definitely an extremely accomplished individual when it comes to just about anything related to driving and fabrication

George,
You have a PM.