Introducing myself....

[Steve-O]

Hey all.

just thought I'd say hello as this is my first post on the board. I entered my first autoX event last Sunday in Woodstock. It was the WOSCA Solo II Summer Slalom #6 and I AM IN LOVE. I started out drag racing the car in bracket class in the NCRA events (which I still dof or fun and to see if I can earn some rent money in 17.079 seconds :rolleyes: ) at St. Thomas. After building my suspension and emptying my wallet to the tune of about $3000 I had to try out what some of my friends were already racing in...Solo I & II autocrossing.

Personal bio: I live in Chatham with my lovely girlfriend and her sweet little 15 month old girl in a comfy luxury 2BDRM condo apt. Althought I have a decent factory job where the ducats are good, the work itself sucks as with any manufacturing facility and I'd much rather be doing something and/or working for myself with Hondas and racing. But since racing doesn't pay $19.64 an hour I'll have to contend with the mundane reptitiveness of factory work for now as it DOES pay the bills, keep us in sweet accmodations and supply us with the Civic below which until next year we have driven on a daily basis. I am unfortunately scheduled for indefinite layoff next Friday and it looks like our plant may shut down in the coming year but I'm keeping it all in stride. So far the g/f and I have a business proposal we're working on to open up our own business which will deal in street-legal performance, racing, accessory and complete detailing sales and service in town here where we live. We plan to open the shop up through Unemployment Insurance as well as our local Community Futures Development Program where we have access to small business services and assistance as well as help with up to $125,000. Being our own boss has always been the dream of my g/f and I and if all goes well within the next year our shop 519RACING will be in full swing with TEAM 519RACING duking it out around the cones and on the tracks. We have our fingers crossed :)

Racing bio: I've been drag racing the car in Comp bracket class at the St. Thomas NCRA events for the last year recreationally. In the last few months I've been bit by the competitive bug a number of times and I competed in my first Solo II event under WOSCA in Woodstock this past Sunday. My g/f came out to watch the event and we/ve since been hooked. We are now on a mission to put our second/winter car on the road full-time and build the HB up for Solo I & II events. My g/f and I plan to compete with the HB as much as our schedule and joint chequing account permits.

Car bio:
-"B" Class Street Prepared 1995 Civic CX HB
-D15B7 1.5L SOHC non-VTEC automatic w/ power steering
-DC 4-2-1 2pc ceramic header
-AEM CAI w/ bypass
-Vibrant full polished stainless axle-back exhauast (deciding between SPOON N1, Skunk2 or Thermal R&D cat-back to replace it next year)
-Skunk2 Civic coilovers
-Skunk2 front upper, rear upper, rear lower tie bars
-Ractive front lower tie bar (SPOON bar to replace it next year)
-Tokico Illumia adjst. shocks
-Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex complete kit
-Energy Suspension trailing arm bushings
-Energy Suspension motor mount inserts
-Wings West 3pc mid-wing
-APR upper roof wing w/ carbon fiber endplates
-SPOON resevoir covers
-JDM EG6 SiR headlights, taillights, corner lights, fenders, sunvisors, white-face gauge cluster, dash clock, dash coin pocket, fog/defroster switch, engine info tags, gas door warning tag, rear glass parking tag, tire pressure tag, black rear "Civic" emblem
-Skunk2 decal kit
-side door number plate, roll call and compnay websites/name graphics package made by Auto Tattoos here in Chatham

That's it so far. My g/f and I have so planned to sell the interior (it's been re-wrapped in navy blue and white marine vinyl) to buy two blue Sparco Sprints, two blue Sparco 4PT harnesses, have a 10PT roll cage installed and also (if funds permit) to pick up the EM Racing rear interior 5-bar triangulated tie-bar system. Time and our bottom line will tell what goes in and when but that's our plan so far for next year.

I just downloaded the SOLO regulations book and I see I have alot of reading ahead of me :D.

P.S. Sorry for talking so much :rolleyes:

[Steve-O]

Here's some pics of the Civic in case you'd like to see it. I know they're from the drags but they're the only ones I have on file so far and I haven't had a chance to scan the ones I have from the SOLO II event last sunday. A things have been been added/changed since they were taken but it gives you a good idea of how it looks now

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/p1665d306f1e2a638b3251a16d612f186/fc0644ca.jpg
Absent: Front upper Skunk2 tie bar (all three bars were purchased a few weeks after this pic was taken)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid63/pc98ed4dffa1060a2a9299f7e214ccd07/fc0644af.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/p2a90f5413a96cfefc24146e3b2b9729c/fb3ccc9b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/pb1d2ce82e0ac95ae775c90d9b4aefbf3/fb3ccc95.jpg

[Logan]

Glad to see you're so interested!
I recommend reading the CNAC rules, as we will most likely be using something very much like them next year for solo II, instead of the current 2003 rules.
You can find them at www.cnacsolo.ca (I think).

[Steve-O]

Thanks for the info Logan :)

I am very interested in racing and after the SOLO II event last Sunday I was hooked.

I have the rules saved on my Adobe Reader and I've already got a mountain of reading ahead of me so I'll add your link to my list :D

I'm gettgin laid off next week so i'll have lots of time to catch up while i'm babysitting:rolleyes:

[StewPiddass]

Welcome to another EG driver... we'll probably end up in the same class (unless they class hatches differently) I'm in FSP.

I know it may be a long drive but we are having an event at the Molson Center in Barrie this Sunday, I started a thread about it somewhere...

[gatherer]

welcome I remember seeing you there...

here's a pic of the car I was driving at the event (thats me in the driver seat) I was the shorter stocker one of the two drivers driving this car that weekend.... the other one is none other then Mr. Tranny himself.

http://coalitionformusiced.ca/Jason_test/jason9.jpg

(in the passenger seat is also the famous Pat Yorke.)

Welcome to solo 2

the car in that picture used to be white with black fenders too....

BLACK FENDER POWER!!!

[Chris P]

Looks like a nice ride, hope to see you guys at some SOLO 1 events next season and good luck finding another job.


Also, what does the car run through the 1/4?

[ice/solo racer]

Good to see another person become addicted to this sport!!,after organizing lots of events up north here to try and attract more people into the sport I find it amazing how few people truly get what a cool sport it is.We'd get lots of first timers but few repeat people-whined about worn tires or not winning their first time on track etc.:rolleyes:
Anyways welcome Steve-O,you don't khaki's and chase snakes and crocs do ya?;) Good luck with the new business start-up,I'm always looking for new sponser's!!:D

[Steve-O]

I don't want to waste bandwidth with individual replies to everyone so I'll just lump them in order into this one

i'd love to come see the barrie event and I think Pat Yorke told me about it last Sunday at the WOSCA Slalom but i'm already entered in a 6-hour mountain bike relay race in Woodstock tomorrow.

yes i remember your car. i was pretty stoked about being there and racing for the first time so I'm not sure if I met you or not but i'll be at the WOSCA event Sunday 28th so be sure to come up and say hi. i'm kinda shy around new people especially when they're alot better than i am but i'll warm up to ya after a while :D. oh yeah...I went for a ride in Pat's HB and i coulnd't believe it that a Honda could handle so SICK. I seriously had to go to the bathroom after it whipped my guts around so much. i'll be at the next WOSCA event (so long as I can get some decent tires and wheels by then...the ones I had last event were loaners because i burned mine off already)

thanks....and the car runs a blistering 17.079 with the interior out :p

And no i don't do any of that LOL. my real name is Steve O'Rourke and since the Jackass movie some of my friends started calling me Steve-O so i figured it would make a cool nick. the business is just a vision i'm trying to get rolling right now. my g/f's baby girl and keeping the apt have priority as well as making money to do both. but who knows where things will go and maybe one day if i'm lucky i'll be paying the bills by racing my car and/or helping people with theirs. my g/f and i have our fingers crossed :).

anyways, i have to head out here gentlemen. it's 10pm and I have to be up and ready to roll by 6:30am for the race tomorrow morning. sorry that I babbled so much in my posts. it's just really cool to meet you guys and i'm glad that even tho i'm the new guy who doesn't know hardly anything yet you're still cool to the rookie and don't pull attitude. guess it's true what i heard about the SOLO vibe ;)

take care and i'll do my best to get geared up to be at Woodstock on the 28th

[ice/solo racer]

Don't worry about getting any attitude-unless you start out running the established fast guys!:D
Then you might get some 'tude,seriously though most of us are more than a little laid back,couple miata guys are wound a little tight:eek: ,but thats about it!

[gatherer]

Well dude it's nice to know you'll be out to another one ... but due to an unfortunate accident (no the transmission is fine even with Wes driving it) the car has been moth balled till I can get the cash to fix it ....

I'm glad to see your hooked......

Have fun at the next event.....

[Sean]

hey steve, i remember seeing your car at the WOSCA event last sunday. you got a pretty nice ride. i didnt meet you, or anyone for that matter, except for the guy with the white cobra, and i didnt even get his name lol

i'm new to this stuff too, last sunday was my first time racing my car at all, autox/drag/etc. and it was by far the most fun i think i have ever had. the adrenaline that gets pumping through you is like non-other (unless that other is hockey :D ). i saw u mention in your last post that you have to get up early for a race tomorrow, i was just wondering if youre going up to barrie for the solo 2 event that they are holding up at the molson centre, because im actually heading up there tomorrow morning as well with my sister.

and for the record i was/am driving the true blue convertible mustang cobra at the events. ill definately be at the next WOSCA event on the 28th as well.

i look forward to eventually diving head first into this solo 2 stuff as i didnt even find out about it until late this season... next summer is definately going to be a blast though!!

see all you guys at the next event... happy racing!

[Marsh]

Sean, the guy in the white Cobra is Ed Franks. Nice guy, I don't know him very well, because he's more into Solo-1 which I don't do. But he's been around longer than I have and really knows his stuff.

It's good to see that we've got a few more new people sticking with it. We've had a great year for recruitment this year at WOSCA.

[Steve-O]

sorry to hear about your car gatherer. my Civic was also in an accident in Sept 2001 and it was off the road until spring of this year when I finished fixing it and buying all the parts I have on it now. it does suck not being able to drive your car but when you do bring it out again it's like having sex again for the first time ;). i got your messages but sorry I didn't get back to you this weekend. by the time i got back from the bike race (i rode 50kms) i was beat and just crashed out after unloading my gear. i'm working 3-11 this week so i'll call by sat. for sure.

nice to meet ya sean. your car looked sweet even tho it's a Mustang :eek: jus playin man...i have a few friends from town here who roll some pretty quick Pony cars as well as other Detroit muscle so i'm not prejudiced or anything like that. my g/f and i liked the colour of it but I unfortunately have to agree with her that the nicest Stang colour is that electric blue that comes on the new Mach 1 (which happens to look strikingly similar to my fav Honda colour Electron Blue Pearl on the SiR). i didn't really meet anyone either except marshall, pat yorke and another guy with an older gen red prelude who was talking to pat. i know i'm a Honda guy and more often than not i've experienced that alot of V-8 guys tend to exercise a non-association clause with me because i drive a Honda but if you promise not to ask me where the other half of my motor went i won't open a can of power per litre or "the same HP on half the cylinders" science on yo ass K?? :D seriously tho, come on up and say HI when ya see me if you're not busy.

barring any unforseen circumstances i'll be there on Sunday but right now with my layoff coming this Friday and rent due on the 1st I can't afford to buy new race tires so I think i'll be slummin it with a set of steelies and 175/7013's to beat on. have to wait 'til next year to buy new shoes :rolleyes:


P.S. hey marshall...just wondering if it's possible to reserve or pre-register a number for my car for this coming sunday or can that only be done when you join WOSCA? i had number plates made and applied to the doors already and they were made with my number from the last event (341). if not then please let me know so I can get a new set made up before the weekend

[gatherer]

Hey Steve-o how'd the mountain bike race go???

yeah I got your response but with work right now I haven't been able to contact you (soooo busy it hurts).

where do you get your number plates made?

*edited*.... if you want a co-driver I'll bring the R compound tires......(hint hint :p)

[Steve-O]

the guys who I went with have pretty high end bikes and they bike alot but when it comes to races they are into it more for fun that to get a shot at the podium. it was a blast either way and we ended up in the last third of the grid. here's the reader's digest version of the race with a funny ending :D...

there were six of us all together (three 2-man teams) and my teammate was a guy by the name of Scott. the race was a 6-hour relay which starts at 10am and you have until 4pm to get in as many laps as you can. the course is 10kms long and goes through some pretty technical and decent climbs. scott and I each rode 4 laps and i started our last lap just before 3:20 so i knew I was going to have to keep 'er pinned if I was going to make it in before the gun. i rode the last lap with what felt like cement in my legs and a fast dropping blood sugar level and my chocolate Power Gels didn't seem to be working anymore :rolleyes:. i just made it in by the buzzer at 3:55:09pm to give us 9 laps total.

well, part of the race is you have to carry a small wooden baton with you on your lap and pass it to your teammate when your lap is done and he goes out for his since it's a relay. i came back from my last lap and as I got to our site i saw scott standing there wearing nothing but a jock strap, his bike helmet and sunglasses. he told me he was going to ride to the finish to hand the baton back in like that. i laughed so hard i just gave it to him and stayed at the site to watch the gear. all our team and all the london guys we knew from the event went down as scott hopped on his bike and rode the last bit of the course to the finish line. i heard people yelling from our site and when they came back, scott was scuffed up on his shoulder and had dirt on him. turns out the female Solo class winner (Solo in MTN biking is where one person does the whole race by themselves) was just at the finish and she stopped too fast and went over the bars. well...scott was right behind her and locked up his disc brakes. he went over the bars too and landed RIGHT ON TOP OF THE CHICK!!!! i wasn't there to see it but i'm sure you can picture a big tall guy with nothing on but a white jock strap, bike helmet and sunglasses all bare ass hangin out lying on top of the Solo Female class winner at the finish line in front of everyone at the race.

i wish I had been there to see it :rolleyes:

[Steve-O]

Originally posted by gatherer
Hey Steve-o how'd the mountain bike race go???

yeah I got your response but with work right now I haven't been able to contact you (soooo busy it hurts).

where do you get your number plates made?

*edited*.... if you want a co-driver I'll bring the R compound tires......(hint hint :p)

in my story-telling frenzy i forgot to answer ya LOL :p. my number plates are black vinyl lettering and numbers in black outline boxes on top of white vinyl base. it looks like the ones on the touring and rally cars. it says "B" Class Street Prepared on the top and the number is below that and they were made by Auto Tattoos here in town. Dean is the guy's name who does all my work and basically i just tell him what I want or bring him in a copy of the words/logos to scan and he everything up for me. i do vinyl graphics application for people in town here so I put all my graphics on the car myself.

does being a co-driver mean i have to let you drive my car???? :eek: hmmmmm :D

i work 3-11 afternoon shift so i'm not usually home til like 11:30 at night. i'll get in touch with ya by Sat for sure.

P.S. Hey Sean, I hope i didnt' offend ya with my muscle car/Honda rivalry joke. i'm only playin

[StewPiddass]

I hope you got the numbers cheap cuz you won't be in BSP next year, my Civic's in FSP, you'll probably be there or DSP.

I used to mtn bike race too, I miss it (and the shape I was in when I was doing it)

[gatherer]

Originally posted by Steve-O

does being a co-driver mean i have to let you drive my car???? :eek: hmmmmm :D


lol yes it would but it also means you get to use my tires... nice sticky yoko a032r's

[Steve-O]

Originally posted by StewPiddass
I hope you got the numbers cheap cuz you won't be in BSP next year, my Civic's in FSP, you'll probably be there or DSP.

I used to mtn bike race too, I miss it (and the shape I was in when I was doing it)

that's okay. Auto Tattoos only charged me $20 cash for the whole decal (14"h x 12"w) and he said he'll give me a new set of numbers and/or class designation if I need them. the decals are just vinyl on top of vinyl so i could probly just peel off the old ones and re-apply the new ones.

it's nice to meet a fellow MTN biker. biking is basically what i do whenever i'm not driving my car or chillin with the g/f. don't worry about being out of shape...just get basck into er man and you'll be rollin in no time. i have a bunch of cardio training routines and strength training programs I follow that will give ya your lungs and your legs back in no time...and some new muscle too :D

[Steve-O]

Originally posted by gatherer
lol yes it would but it also means you get to use my tires... nice sticky yoko a032r's

i'm pretty wary of letting other people drive my baby EG but i'll trust ya so long as you don't break anything becase it's the only car my g/f, her daughter and I have to drive right now until the snow starts to fall. the winter beater won't be ready to go for about a month or so.

i'll tell you up front that my car is an auto so i wouldn't blame ya if you change your mind. i left it in 1st and switched back and forth from 2nd to 1st whenever i needed to and just kept it below redline. it seemed to work fine and it got me around the course with those big heavy set of 17" Team Dynamics wheels in 40.14 secs ;)

i'll get ahold of ya from work tonight on my break and we can chat about it then. LOL make sure it's you that answers the phone because i don't know your name and i'll feel weird asking for GATHERER from the Solo Ontario board :p

[gatherer]

Auto??? wel thats good I won't be able to mess it up then.....

and yes real name is Jason and I am the only one that answers my cell