What I learned at Picton...

[darcyw]

Hi all.

well, inevitably, someone starts a thread like this after the provincial. So let me the first.

1. Take your brave pill(thanks to J.Clarkson). I finally took several on the last run of the last day.
2. Picton is a great event. Much love to the organizers.
3. Take a buffet's worth of food and several gallons of water with you when you marshall. in the sun. at picton.

later
darcy

[Kreutz73]

1. Test fit your new rubber on BOTH sides of the car before you get to the event
2. 3M invisabra stone guard might be good on the sides of the car too
3. A little dip in the runway feels like nothing on the parade lap but feels like a 5' deep pothole when you are threshold braking at 100k/hr and turning as you pass it.
4. If Mike W tries to get a game going that involves batteries and ducktape just walk away
5. You know the generator is too small when a lowered miata can park on it, thanks for giving timing a much needed break Bill

Great weekend... great courses... great food... great times.

Thanks to the organizers for one of the best race weekends ever. Over 100 competitors, IN PICTON, on both days!!! Some real good competition too. Thanks to Klaus for the spacers, Bill and Tashko for helping with my car when I was busy with timing, and Mike for cooking and delivering lunch.

[Ziploc]

4. If Mike W tries to get a game going that involves batteries and ducktape just walk away

Tell me more. :D

[StewPiddass]

Tell me more. :D

What happens in Picton...

[thgear]

heh, good thing i left that game before the duct tape came out :)

[sjd]

What happens in Picton...

What happens at The Hayloft...

[JoeT]

1) All the best laid plans can be accomplished with the best people there, specially when you boss calls a dinner at the time you're supposed to be in Picton.

2) Picton has some very nice fauna (Which does not include Aliendna)

3) Watching people perform Electro shock therapy on themselves is a scream

4) The scream came from the Therapist and Subject, since they were one in the same.

5) When shock paddles are hooked up to the back of your head, the shock feels like its coming out of your forehead. (A certain miata driver told me that)

6) Was that a real hayloft called the "Hay Loft"?

7) Certain Miata Drivers had a hard time keeping their "risers" up.

8) There's a cure for that ^^^

9) Getting over 100 cars when only 78 - 80 were expected = bitter sweet.

A great time had by all, thanks for all of the wonderful people that helped to put this together.

[spdracer]

What I learned on Saturday;
1) Marshaling out in the field for five runs is brutal (water was much appreciated).
2) Little parking lots have nothing on the runway.
3) Riding around on the truck is fun.
4) Watching a truck run is even more fun. :D
5) No matter how far, Picton is always worth it.
6) My all-seasons offer enough grip to sprain my thumb. :(
7) Taking your mom on a run and spining out makes for great dinner stories.
8) Watching other people spin out never gets old. :o
9) Sun screen is your friend.
10) And finally, the Miata is such a fun car to drive near the limit. :D

[wikdslo]

1) Farmers ain't got nothing on this tan....

~fin~

[Travis]

1. Overheard in the paddock: "In order to jack it up, I need to get wood."
2. After watching cars continuously decimate a particular cone for 2.5 hours doesn't mean I won't make the same mistake on my first run of the day.
3. Subaru body panels fall off when you look at them funny but always seem to go back together again.
4. If you switch to a car with more power and less grip, you need to increase your braking zones ENORMOUSLY!

I hope somebody was taking pictures of the truck. Video would be ideal.

[StewPiddass]

4. If you switch to a car with more power and less grip, you need to increase your braking zones ENORMOUSLY!


No Kidding!!! My previous car before the STi had HALF as much power as your RSX and after many years of setup I'd hazard to say TWICE as much grip!!! So the learning curve was definitely steep!!! :eek:

[.Mad Hatter.]

1) R -Compounds really do make that much of a difference.
2) I second the comment about test fitting wheels and tires on BOTH sides of the car, tie rods are not always replaced as pairs...
3) Buying a car a month before the season which has sat for 3 weeks prior to that, and then having it sit a month between events is likely to cause build up in the gas tank.
4) #3 equates to a clogged fuel pump which causes your car to stall 20 feet from the stop box on what was still your fastest run of the day...
5) Auto-crossers are always willing to lend a helping hand.
6) <This guy is very appreciative of #5.

[wings2k]

1) It IS possible to beat the great Bill!

2) V710's are worth at least 5 seconds over R888's!

3) You can cord RA1's in only 2 runs at Picton :eek:

4) Flat out 3rd gear slaloms are ridiculous!

5) If you need hammer, just ask the guy with the cut fenders!

[mikewolf]

1 Driving a car with 600hp is a lot different than driving one with 100hp
2 Driving a powerful car is not necessarily faster
3 Don't drink beer on Main street in Picton
4 Paul seems to like electric shocks way too much
5 Stay away from the hayloft
6 Don't wash or dress fancy if you want to fit in at the hayloft
7 Drinking for 10 hours and then sleeping for 3 in a truck does not make you feel so good the next day
8 Driving a really fast car does have the ability to make you forget you're hung over temporarily
9 Driving home to Cambridge in the hot sun in a hot miata after spending 2 days in the sun sucks
10 Can't wait to come back next year

[thgear]

......

I expected a much longer list from you :)

[Saj5DJ]

1) All the things I SAID that I learned at DDT, but apparently really didn't .

2) It's very odd seeing as many consumed batteries as beers when cleaning up the morning aftermath.

3) Watching a video playback of a run that felt awesomely quick (for me) on the day is rather disappointing.

4) Watching a video playback of Extreme Drunk Electrocution game (or whatever it was called) is not disappointing. Oh yes, I have a clip...

5) I am a bit of a puss when it comes to electric shocks. I don't know if this is a bad or good thing.

[mikewolf]

I expected a much longer list from you :)
There's quite a few things I should have learned, but don't quite remember.

[thgear]

what i learned.. well, not so much learned but that was refreshed after 2 years of no competition

1. camber is the difference between using your whole tire and using 30% of it, even at 205 and 42 psi i'm slowly scrubbing off the tire logo's

2. suspension is everything

3. even 8 hours of sleep in a comfy bed and a morning shower cannot prepare you for a full day of racing out in the sun, my body is still recovering

4. rolling up my windows and closing the sunroof yielded a 2 second improvement.

5. you dont need brakes in autocross

6. watching a generator missfire, and then having its "muffler" fall off is ****ing priceless... in retrospect i think the lot of us were standing a little too close to it while it was giving its last breath

"does anyone have a gun?" - sundays best line

7. Tim Horton's in small cities suck, the service is slow and the food tastes funny.

8. trying to mimic others, pushing the car along the lineup made me realize how out of shape i am

9. registration is serious business

10. a lot of auto-slaslom competitors seem to be under the impression that picton was "fast"... you should try solosprint!... next event is this weekend at the DDT ;););)

[Geoff_rex]

WILA Picton:

1. RWD > AWD
2. RWD eats tires just as fast as AWD. :mad:
3. Corded Hoosiers = slow
4. After driving ABS equipped cars for +25 yrs, going without is more difficult that it should be.
5. The possibility exists that I can beat the owner of the car, in at least 1 event, before the end of the season. :p
6. Autocrossers are the best group of people around. Had a great time.

[AndrewR]

9. registration is serious business

10. a lot of auto-slaslom competitors seem to be under the impression that picton was "fast"... you should try solosprint!... next event is this weekend at the DDT ;););)

Hey... Day one was about the same size as Mosport International Raceway, and we turned probably 10 times more.

Makes Solosprint look more like nascar. Go fast, wait, wait, wait, turn.

And, registration is serious business.

Oh, and I saw that huge grin on your face as you exited the stop box, many times, well, not everytime...

[Marsh]

10. a lot of auto-slalom competitors seem to be under the impression that picton was "fast"... you should try solosprint!... next event is this weekend at the DDT ;););)

??I was nearly as fast at Picton as my car will go on the straights at Dunnville and I'm not slaloming the straight at Dunnville. Driving fast and maneuvering fast are two VERY different things.

WIL:
1. There was a time when hosting a provincial was about putting your best foot forward and making the visitors feel welcome. Apparently that is not always true today.
2. Even after well over a decade I can convince myself that driving aggressively works. It doesn't.
3. 1.8L Miatas will survive a surprising degree of over-rev.
4. It is really important to complete your shifts on the straights (see #3)
5. WOSCA guys will show a great deal of solidarity for a fallen comrade even when they still have 5+ hour drives ahead of them. Thanks for not abandoning me boys!
6. Not knowing how you did at the end of the day is nearly as frustrating as having your best run deleted.

[thgear]

Hey... Day one was about the same size as Mosport International Raceway, and we turned probably 10 times more.

Makes Solosprint look more like nascar. Go fast, wait, wait, wait, turn.

And, registration is serious business.

Oh, and I saw that huge grin on your face as you exited the stop box, many times, well, not everytime...

the grin came from droping 2-3 seconds every single time :)

the frustration came from having to mentally add a second from the odd cone that i hit :(


and you're not entirely correct in the go fast, wait, wait, wait, turn mentality

there is no waiting, your foot is either on the gas or on the brake... knowing the limits of my car.. and trying to preserve my tires had me coasting in 3rd a lot of times, which is somewhat frustrating (see point #1)

had a great time, no regrets :)

[AllenT-SPDA]

1. side to side motion on the steering wheel can cause oversteer.
2. lifting off the throttle entering a corner can cause oversteer.
3. trail braking into a corner can cause oversteer.
4. a subaru impreza can be made to oversteer.
5. 3rd gear is longer than I thought.
6. 2nd gear is shorter than I thought.
7. don't be a hero. put on the sunscreen.
8. put the bag of pitas IN the jacket pocket.
9. my car loves to eat cones... it decided the new exhaust header needed to be dyed orange.
10. dead RA1s and perhaps corded RA1s can cause oversteer. :D

[xr4tiguy]

1. Shifting is fun
2. It took me 2 days to get used to the largeness and asphalt driving again
3. Combining R's and All Seasons can work relatively well with practice
4. I should remember the spacers for the big wheels next time
5. Regional events are cool and it was great to see lots of nicely prepped cars
6. Try not to eat a cone on my last two runs next time!

[elementZ]

1. Just because you can do the slalom flat out, doesn't mean you can continue the course flat out.
2. Oversteer does not make you fast.
3. Going backwards does not make you fast.
4. If something breaks, it is going to be something critical.
5. Free rustproofing is not worth it. See Note 4.
6. I could not have gotten back on the track w/o the help of my parking lot neighbors.
7. And yes....rolling up the windows did gain me 2 seconds.
8. I maxed out myself, and not the car.
9. I want moar!

[yangsui]

1. Planning to do just the first day, have fun, then pack up and go home is dumb. See below.
2. Finishing second in class just makes you throw away all your plans and stay the second day anyway.
3. Flatout in third through a slalom makes you forget you only had 4 hours of sleep the night before.
4. #3 also makes some people forget to brake at the end of that slalom :p

...and...

5. One is never too old to enjoy an episode of Care Bears...
6. The Hayloft is in fact NOT the best place to be in the whole county as it so boldly claims. It's only second best. Picton airport is number one!

I don't drive a Subaru but can I become an honorary SPDA member for safely transporting half a dozen slightly *ahem* inebriated SPDA members to/from the Hayloft :D

[Cliff96]

6. Not knowing how you did at the end of the day is nearly as frustrating as having your best run deleted.
I agree, it's even more frustrating sitting behind the PC and not being able to get it sorted out during the event. I thought it was better to get the times in, and not have results, rather then taking an hour or two getting things back on track and then loosing runs due to time constraints. I'm working on getting the results in a format that can produce results from the log files. All the times are here, they just are human friendly yet - they should be up in the next couple of days.

Onto the list:
1) You can have fun and not drive well, great course design SPDA & St. Lac
2) When things go well, they go well - see registration Day 2, and the running of the first/third heats - they were quick.
3) When things go wrong, they get bad - see the broken control arm bracket, shredded tire and fender, the timing PC will go on the fritz (keeping times but not generating results), the squished generator.
4) Bribes (pizza & beer) will help to convince my brother to drive an old used control arm and bushing from Mississauga to the event to get the car back on the road. ~500km round trip. Thanks Rich!
5) Autoslalom guys are really helpful when things don't go well. Thanks Andrew, Brad, Howie, Trung, Klaus for some tools, advice and help packing up & making sure I was able to get home.

[condor888000]

1. I love Picton.
2. Picton EATS tires. Especially when you drive like a knob.
3. R888's are annoyingly uncommunicative.
4. Coning or DNF'ing every run can be surprisingly fun.
5. Having your best time on each day include a cone is slightly annoying, but still impressive when you win your class anyway. :eek:
6. A Mazda3 can spin surprisingly easily.
7. Trying to drive a rerun when you're literally shaking from the adrenalin does not work well. Though it's great for scaring passengers.
8. I drive worse hungover, but it's so much more fun.
9. The only thing better than two days of Picton, is two days of Picton and one day of Shannonville. :D

[Marsh]

I agree, it's even more frustrating sitting behind the PC and not being able to get it sorted out during the event. I thought it was better to get the times in, and not have results, rather then taking an hour or two getting things back on track and then loosing runs due to time constraints. I'm working on getting the results in a format that can produce results from the log files. All the times are here, they just are human friendly yet - they should be up in the next couple of days.

Oh I understand the situation and I certainly wasn't going to give you more stress that day. I at least gleaned enough information to prepare myself for the worst. But I can't stand unanswered questions! It's a handy professional talent and social character flaw.

Gonna have to get a smart phone and break out the hold PDA results spread sheet I wrote back in 2002.

[Fentin_fury]

[QUOTE=mikewolf;166474]1 Driving a car with 600hp is a lot different than driving one with 100hp
2 Driving a powerful car is not necessarily faster
[QUOTE]

1 -see #2 above
2 -new suspension makes a big difference
3 - believing the car will turn - takes practice.
4 - Picton is always a great time - during and after the event

Thank you SPDA and STLAC ! See you next year.

[banditrob]

What I learned
-smoking is not only bad for your health, but can be bad for your times as well!
-that no matter how many times I'm told drifting corners is slower, I just can't help but do it.
-that yes Picton does destroy tires, but it does not help them any doing big smokey spin outs
-that all I really care about is beating a particular little white Alltrac for bragging rights.
What an amazing two days, already planning for next year, huge thanks to all the organizers it was a huge event to organize and it worked out great!http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx287/roblock_photos/DSCF0459small.jpg

[CulRidr]

1. Although rough, Picton's airfield is awesome.
2. Trusting my brakes and braking later is something I need to learn.
3. It is possible to stay awake when you have a great time despite running on 2 hours of sleep followed by a 2.5 hour drive to the event.
4. An umbrella and a gallon of water are a godsend when you are out marshalling for 2 hours, due to someone running over a generator
5. 1 clean run and 4 DNFs can still be loads of fun
6. DON'T walk off the marshall trailor before it stops moving.
7. Autocrossers are awesome people :)

[AstroVannin]

(1) - Just coming out for day 2 isn't enough
(2) - 2.5 KM is a LONG WALK first thing in the morning
(3) - Tercels only feel fast(ish) in second... also, 3rd gear is a giant hole
(4) - Staying off the grass is important for a clean run
(5) - Pop up sun shelters are a briliant invention

[locker]

1. installing a front mount intercooler with custom piping the night before with out a boost leak tester isn't the smartest idea
2. 2 people racing your car uses a lot more gas than 1
3. hard left turns will cause your car to buck and be very unhappy with you at the end of the second day (see #2)
4. Picton is well worth the drive every year
5. Even if you only beat your older brother 1 out of 2 days... it still feels great :p

Thanks SPDA and St Lac for an awesome event. I can't wait until next year

[tanney]

I learned that driving with a concussion doesn't hurt the driving ability, but it does hurt multitasking......

Having only one run to capture photos of Stock and Super Stock cars with said concussion after standing in the sun for 3.5 hours, rushing back into the paddock for one run with the other run group and then rushing back out to take pictures of the last run makes for disappointing photos........:mad:

A slalom that is basically flat out at the top end of third gear is, well, FUN!!!!


Having been told that the entrance of the stop box has changed while on the grid for the first run make for a very messy end of a run (I swear I thought that the entire box had moved over, not just the entrance....)

I rather like running with the SP and Mod cars, even driving a SS car. It motivates me to go faster.

Having some VERY good competition for Overall is AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Beating my class (co-driver) by eight seconds is well, almost embarrassing. Sorry to everyone else in DSS.

Not having ANY clue how well you really did at the end of the day is suspenseful, even two days later......:) (No pressure Cliff!)

BTW, did the top three awards get awarded on Sunday? We were tired, my head was pounding and we just wanted to get home.

[darcyw]

Beating my class (co-driver) by eight seconds is well, almost embarrassing. Sorry to everyone else in DSS.




Next event we'll break your legs before your first run...:D

Kidding. Congrats, Wes! By the way, the final results weren't posted at the driver's meeting on Sunday.

later
darcy

[Gwoody27]

WIL:

1. It takes a lot of dedicated people to make an event like this work and we are all lucky to have SPDA and St. Lac + provincial folks to make it happen, Thanks.

2. Long fast courses are hard for an old man to remember.

3. Too much fun can be addictive.

4. Never a better event - bring on next year.

[AlienDNA]

1. That tube of sunscreen I couldn’t find in the diaper bag so I assumed I’d put it back in the trunk? Yeah, well, it’s not there either…

2. Belleville has a lot of really fat, surly bikers. And far too many advanced greens for a city that size. Maybe that’s why the bikers are so pissy…

3. You can fit a portable generator under a lowered Miata. No lie.

4. When you realize during the launch you’ve left you’re traction and stability control on, don’t try to turn them off in the middle of an offset slalom.

5. Mike appears to be angling for his own reality TV show, sort of a hybrid of ‘Top Gear’ and ‘Iron Chef’. I must remember to bring ingredients to the next event.

6. Axware hates either me or Mod/SP cars. Possibly both.

7. Four cars (or more!) on course at once makes for frantic activity in the timing tent, especially when seemingly everyone doesn’t believe in the “slow in, fast out” mantra.

8. It’s possible to win your class with one clean run, but only if the other three guys DNF every single one of their runs.

9. Elements you drool over during the parade lap become far more problematic when you run them and discover your car is bigger, fatter and softer than the Miata you ran last year.

10. Turn off the Bluetooth on your phone if you don’t want your car to ring in the middle of a hairpin.

Bonus WILA:

11. Getting beat by a stock Cavalier on day one can be motivating for day two.

[3wheeler]

Thx to all the organizers, first time out and it was more fun than I imagined!

What I learned.....

1. Leaving the morning of from 3 hours away takes away from the fun saturday night! Next time, two nights in Picton.

2. When someone tells you the best bar in town is actually a barn...believe them..cause I sure as hell didnt lol

3. Hitting cones while you learn the track is actually benficial as you know where the limit is. Backing off slightly from that point produces you fastest run of the day :D

4. Even with low HP, you can still manage 100kph+ in a slalom...awesome!

5. Just because my cam is as lumpy as a C6 vette doesnt mean it has the same power. bummer :rolleyes:

6. NEVER run for the marshalling truck, they just wait till you run 100 yards just to tell you your not needed! LOL

7. Helping first timers improve their time(by more then 12 seconds) with simple tips is almost more rewarding than doing well youself!

Thx again guys!


#71 FSP VW Golf GTi

[Marsh]

10. Turn off the Bluetooth on your phone if you don’t want your car to ring in the middle of a hairpin.

LOL, lesson of the weekend!

[isopropyl]

1. My car is better to sleep in then a tent.
2. It's funny when the locals come to race in the middle of the night and leave pissed off that you were there, no fun for them.
3. I wish there was an event at Piction more than once a year, I would go.
4. That it was not my fault that I was slow in the boat, I mean WRX last year it was the car.
5. If you drive a 5 spd 50-60 hours a week you have to learn how drive an auto all over again.
6. I am still surprised by what my old "crap can Z24" can do out at an event.

[Caveman]

Thanks to all for a great event !!!!! :D

WILAP:

1-Jenny can still out drive me
2-first 2 runs off coarse at wot = way to fast to enter what i thought was the start of the back slalom.
3-still need bigger tires or a lot less gear
4-Jenny can still drive the tires off that old "crap can"
5-Having a special person with you to remind you to put on sun screen is priceless
6-the ability to sidestep my car around cones
7-Removing rear sway bar makes the car push, I don't like under steer
8-camping should only be done in a motor home, not a tent
9-removing the front spring rubbers fixed the push, unloading and forgetting that i removed the rubbers causes trailer to exhaust clearance issues

now i have to make an all new exhaust for it , Sorry Cliff its going to be loud

[banditrob]

One other thing that I learned
-Its just easier to leave your keys in your car, especially if your trying to get a lot of rides in other people's car. One spectator learned that the hard way after he thinks his keys dropped out of his pocket in one of the 1/2 dozen cars he got a ride in Sunday and had to wait at the end of the day Sunday for a buddy to drive a second set of keys out from Kingston for his car.....not fun!

[nitrowsb]

What I learned...

1) I have nevered said no to a ride before, even if it's my last run to try and get FTD!

2) You can get an STi to oversteer by staggering 1/2 worn tires in the front and tires nearing or at the cords in the rear!

Now that it could a close battle for overall, maybe I should get some V710s again. It is worth 5 seconds right?:p


See you at the next event!

[wings2k]

More than 5 seconds, I could have got another 2 seconds out, I wasn't use to the tires yet the grip was crazy. My R888's are undersized and under stickied though that's for darn sure! I may as well have been on street tires.