Jump to content
HybridZ

Autocrossing my tow vehicle


Recommended Posts

Went to breakfast with friends and noticed a bunch of sweet Porsches in town. After breakfast followed them to a Porsche show complete with autocross. Asked the dude at timing tent if I could run and borrow a helmet. He said "Sure, what are you driving?" "S-10 extended cab." Didn't tell him it had a 389hp LQ4 in it. Well, most of the Porsche guys were content to sip brandy and polish their cars, so the staging lane never had more than 4 cars in it. I hot-lapped the 50-second course for 4 hours. Truck was incredibly neutral, and even stopped fairly well (I pulled the ABS circuit breaker). Course was very tight but I saw 78 mph on the back straight (actually one of many passengers saw 78-I was kinda busy looking for my braking point). By the day's end I was within a second of the fastest Porsche and I think the big personal injury lawyer in town (the Lambo) wanted to trade vehicles. I've never had somebody in a Lambo roll down his window to talk to ME. All thanks to hybridz! Thanks to all my crazy and supportive friends and the moderators. Now, back to the shop to get the Z ready for Ohio Mile. And I gotta fix the wiring on the truck's brake controller so I can use it to tow the Z up. Headers are kinda hot at the moment!

post-5903-0-10181000-1428780791_thumb.jpg

post-5903-0-16664200-1428780809_thumb.jpg

post-5903-0-07707200-1428780826_thumb.jpg

post-5903-0-01710300-1428780844_thumb.jpg

post-5903-0-59034300-1428780866_thumb.jpg

post-5903-0-21946000-1428781071_thumb.jpg

Edited by RebekahsZ
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They were Porsche OWNERS not Porsche racers. Kinda like picking off the weak at the back of the heard. I'm certain had there been any drivers there, or set-up cars, that it would have been a different story. Only one guy recognized my a Georgia 1/2-mile t-shirt. I gotta make time to put the video on YouTube so I can share it-the acceleration on the final straight section is terrific! I kept working on my exit speed out of the preceding sweeper until I was entering the straight sideways (slip angle, not big tail-out drift) with my foot on the carpet. What a ball-and 5 minutes from my house! Usually I have to trailer 2 hours for an autocross. I took a the crap out of the bed, but left the receiver hitch on! Should have pulled off the tailgate-a little more aero is always good. But then they might have thought I was actually serious!

Edited by RebekahsZ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got a buddy to shoot a cell phone video that I will put on YouTube sometime. But honestly, the video looks very slow. Only on the straight do you get an appreciation of the speed. I took some passengers and the universal response was "I had no idea you were going this fast!" And I was braking early due to my Autozone pads and zero rear bias. The course was really a braking exercise more than anything else. I keep my ABS inactivated via removing the fuse because with the trailer in the rain that ABS is scary! It has almost killed me a couple of times. Much better without it. Autocross only looks exciting only if you are screwing it up-which I did a fair bit. I got some oversteer at one point where there weren't many cones and I got far enough around to say "screw it" and I just hammered down into a smoky 360 and continued on course. Lotta noise and a lotta smoke. I thought they might throw me out after that, but they let me stay! It truly was the best way to get back on course.

 

AeroZ-I sent an email to the registration guy for a results sheet but I haven't heard back.

Edited by RebekahsZ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Should have pulled off the tailgate-a little more aero is always good. But then they might have thought I was actually serious!

 

Actually, on most pickups it's more aerodynamic with the gate up.

 

member-aerohead-albums-book-illustration

Edited by SleeperZ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was like: "my Z is on jackstands-am I gonna let this opportunity pass me by?" Always be ready to race (legally). I'll race wheelbarrows if that is all I have available! Had to pee, so I went into the Porsche dealer showroom, and what did I find in a reverent frame on the wall in the john (a room in my home where I keep all my priceless works of art)? Even Porsche dealers wish they had a Datsun!

post-5903-0-95477500-1428981323_thumb.jpg

Edited by RebekahsZ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

I was at Hollywood Park when a cambered, lowered Late-Model Ford F150 Supercharged went inverted and used his roof as frictional material.

 

First time I ever saw a guy go and flip on an Auto-X Course.

 

Seen stuck throttles ram card into light posts, or off into the trees  (at Irvine Meadows)... Even shoot off the course and go over the mountainside and impale themselves on a tree about 45 feet below (needing a big winch to get him back up onto the Gymkhana Track he went off...)

But never saw a car flip onto it's roof and skate with sparks flying like that until that point in time.

Now, Hollywood Park is no more... supposed to be made into some NFL Venue or something. I hope they have Auto-X there again, it was a 'unique' crowd that showed up there due to the South-Central Location in L.A. County.

And if you ever see a lowered, cambered up Metallic Purple Metalflake Ford F150 with dark purple racing stripes on the hood....make sure you wear your seatbelts as it's known to be topheavy.... LOL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Z is reassembled for first time since ZCON in July. I just gotta align it and snug up some hardware. And maybe s test drive or two. I'm going to the Porsche show and racing the Z. Wanna join me in your Z?

 

We may come to the show but not sure what car we'd bring. Probably won't be autocrossing the Z though. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...