Mr_Bill's DSP AutoX Build - 2008 MS3

[Hobo]

great post, maybe someday i will come up to the dsp class. still wanting to try ds

[Mr_Bill]

First event of 2012 is in the books, and I'm happy to say that project "Big Fat Fatty" w/ the 285/30R18 front tires has been a success. The fenders were cut & rolled last week leading up to the event and the only driving they had seen with the bigger tires had been around the neighborhood, so I had no idea what to expect once the car was under load. The finished fenders look pretty rough to the eye, but I wanted to make sure that the set-up could be functional before worrying about making the fenders more appealing to the eye...

Central Carolinas Region Event #1 - Z-Max Dragway in Charlotte

My suspension set-up for the first event of the year was as follows...

Front Tire/Wheel: 285/30R18 BFG R1 on 18x10" Enkei RPF1 wheels (w/ 30 mm spacer)
Rear Tire/Wheel: 245/40R18 BFG R1 on 18x8.5" TR Motorsport C2 wheels (no spacer)
BC Racing Coil-overs (7kg/mm front spring & 6 kg/mm rear spring)
Front Sway Bar: Mazdaspeed 3 OE (re-installed so I could evaluate tire/wheel change)
Rear Sway Bar: Hotchkis on stiffest setting
Front Camber: ~-2 to -2.5
Rear Camber: -1
Front Tire Pressure: 38 psi
Rear Tire Pressure: 40 psi








The course lay-out was designed by the reigning B-Stock National Champion (S2000 driver) so it was a little tighter compared to some other course designs on the Z-Max lot. This is an awesome site for AutoX events as it's almost perfectly smooth (minus one storm drainage dip) but the lot does suffer from a lack of grip. There were over 170 competitors on hand including multiple national champions, so this would be a good test to see where the new tire/wheel set-up stands. Also different from previous years was the fact that I decided to run in "Pro" class where I could get my ass handed to me for a while, but it was time to let somebody new compete and win in DSP. I would also have a co-driver for this event who typically drives a Mazda 3 in STF, but due to a blown RR shock he was left without a ride for this event. Turns out this was good help since the R1 would need all the heat possible for maximum grip in the mid-50's weather.

On the first run I had no idea what to expect, and right from the start the car was an oversteer machine from a combination of cold tires and different front-rear tire widths. After struggling through an out-of-control run (and bringing a cone home to the finish with me under the car) I was starting to question what I had done, but the bright side was the first opportunity to correct and oversteer condition with this car. After dropping 4psi out of the rear tires the car was a little more stable on the 2nd run, but it wasn't until halfway through my 3rd run (which was red flagged due to a mechanical failure on another car) that I could really begin to push it. After some pretty good 4th & 5th runs I was able to knock 6+ seconds off my starting time (not including penalties). The red flag really bailed me out this time as I could use the remaining course to put more heat in the tires and test the new limit. The co-driver was also able to see a big time improvement from start-to-finish, and maybe I was able to get him addicted to the fun of a turbo-powered engine.

Based on my previous experience with this car, the biggest change came in the form of corner rotation and off-throttle oversteer. In the past when I charged to hard into a corner I had no choice but to let off the gas and wait for recovery...with the wider front tires when I let off the gas the car has the perfect amount of lift-throttle oversteer which allows me to get back into the gas earlier on mid-to corner exit. It took a few runs to figure out the new front track width through the slalom, but overall the change helps in a big way. I was closer/beating some cars which had been faster than me in the past even with the disadvantage of tires which took a long time to heat up (and probably never actually reached the optimal heat range). On hotter summer days I think this will become less of an issue.

CCR Points #1 Results - ZMax Dragway
DSP - 1/6
Pro - 18/28
Pax - 22/173

After driving this event a few more weaknesses of the car became highlighted, and I feel that the biggest improvements could currently be made with reducing weight and some new coil-overs with stiffer springs...but for now I want to keep driving to get more seat time with this set-up. Now that I know the spare fenders will work, I'm hoping to add some fender flares & paint to make them more appealing to the eye.

I really wanted to run in the Dixie National Tour event in early March, but due to some work conflicts with the 12 Hours of Sebring I won't be able to make this event. Now that BFGoodrich is offering a contingency through National Tour events I hope to make 1 or 2 before the year is over. Future events that I'm currently planning to run include...

April 1 Atlanta Points #2 Atlanta Motor Speedway
April 21-22 Evo Driving School Shootout Z-Max Dragway (Charlotte)
May 5-6 Evo Driving School Shootout Atlanta Motor Speedway
May 28 CCR Points # 3 Carolina Motorsports Park
June 10-11 SCCA National Tour Blytheville, AK

If you're wondering about the "Evo Driving School Super Shootout", it's a new series format that is supposed to combine aspects of both a National Tour & ProSolo event. Luckily they will have 2 events within a couple hours drive so I look forward to checking it out.

[Spirry]

Car looked fast! Looks like you slid a bit where I did my first run.

[justint5387]

Are you interested in some 2 piece rotors?

GB: GIRO DISC 2 Piece Floating Rotors F&R for MS3 & MZ3

[grantmm]

You know you want to go with ASTs. At that level I think you could use the reduced weight and advanced design.

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by Spilly Car looked fast! Looks like you slid a bit where I did my first run.

Yeah first run was crazy...got spoiled driving the Hoosiers hard right from the start and had to re-calibrate myself. Your STX Speed3 looked good out there (I was working at the higher speed section after the turn-around), hope you come back to Z-Max for some more events after you get the new coil-overs.

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by justint5387 Are you interested in some 2 piece rotors? GB: GIRO DISC 2 Piece Floating Rotors F&R for MS3 & MZ3

Looks tempting, but won't have the funds for a little while (I'm probably getting ready to spend some on your brother's fender flares). As for the ASTs, I am hoping to save and upgrade the coil-overs next offseason...not really sure what I want to go with yet.

[celticfc]

Just came across this thread and I should say it makes for very interesting reading. I myself have been running my 2008 MS3 in DS here in the Syracuse area. Although I have been quite succesful at the local level my goal is to run a national event some time in the future. One thing I noticed in your earlier posts was the fact that you have ran 245/40R18 BFG R1s on the stock rims. I have an opportunity to buy a set of these but have been wondering if there would be any fitment issues. Obviously you have ran them so I would assume that they will fit but do you happen to know if it was a difficult task getting them onto the stock rims? Additionally, what was your overall impression of the grip level that the R1 provided? I ran last year on some older but new Khumo V700 225/40R18 that were not too bad but I still struggled with understeer and getting grip out of the corners. I have added a Tri-Point rear sway bar (.250" wall version) for this year and have the Koni Yellows also. Any feedback you can offer would be greatly appreciated and good luck this year.

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by celticfc Just came across this thread and I should say it makes for very interesting reading. I myself have been running my 2008 MS3 in DS here in the Syracuse area. Although I have been quite succesful at the local level my goal is to run a national event some time in the future. One thing I noticed in your earlier posts was the fact that you have ran 245/40R18 BFG R1s on the stock rims. I have an opportunity to buy a set of these but have been wondering if there would be any fitment issues. Obviously you have ran them so I would assume that they will fit but do you happen to know if it was a difficult task getting them onto the stock rims? Additionally, what was your overall impression of the grip level that the R1 provided? I ran last year on some older but new Khumo V700 225/40R18 that were not too bad but I still struggled with understeer and getting grip out of the corners. I have added a Tri-Point rear sway bar (.250" wall version) for this year and have the Koni Yellows also. Any feedback you can offer would be greatly appreciated and good luck this year.

Not sure what your current budget / desire to run on the National Level is...if you're wanting to continue competing at the Regional level then I don't see any issues with the 245/40R18 R1's on the stock rims. The grip level is OK, but it does take a few runs to build heat in the tires (you'll NEVER want to use water spray on these tires) which can be tough for a 3-run National Event. My set of 245/40R18 R1's were bought used and I just took them to the local Tire Kingdom to be mounted up on the stock rims. One plus of the R1's is that they have very good wear and these tires lasted be a good 12+ events after being bought used (and they still have some tread remaining)

If you're willing to spend the money, and you want to compete in some future National Tour events, I would suggest going with the Hoosier A6 or waiting for BFGoodrich to release it's new SCCA Runoffs/AutoX tire (it will be dubbed the "R1-S" for "S"print). This tire should be hitting the market over the next few months although initial inventory will be limited. Again...it's all in what type of budget / how serious you want to get. The A6 will have more early run grip, but it won't last nearly as long as the R1's (still don't have a good idea on how the R1-S will wear vs. the A6).

Regarding fitment issues there really were none with the 245/40R18 R1's on the stock rims. My normal pressures with this set-up were 38 Front / 42-46 Rear. Let me know if you have more questions.

[celticfc]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bill Not sure what your current budget / desire to run on the National Level is...if you're wanting to continue competing at the Regional level then I don't see any issues with the 245/40R18 R1's on the stock rims. The grip level is OK, but it does take a few runs to build heat in the tires (you'll NEVER want to use water spray on these tires) which can be tough for a 3-run National Event. My set of 245/40R18 R1's were bought used and I just took them to the local Tire Kingdom to be mounted up on the stock rims. One plus of the R1's is that they have very good wear and these tires lasted be a good 12+ events after being bought used (and they still have some tread remaining) If you're willing to spend the money, and you want to compete in some future National Tour events, I would suggest going with the Hoosier A6 or waiting for BFGoodrich to release it's new SCCA Runoffs/AutoX tire (it will be dubbed the "R1-S" for "S"print). This tire should be hitting the market over the next few months although initial inventory will be limited. Again...it's all in what type of budget / how serious you want to get. The A6 will have more early run grip, but it won't last nearly as long as the R1's (still don't have a good idea on how the R1-S will wear vs. the A6). Regarding fitment issues there really were none with the 245/40R18 R1's on the stock rims. My normal pressures with this set-up were 38 Front / 42-46 Rear. Let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks for the feedback Mr Bill,
The set that I have available are basically stickers albeit 2009 build date but as you say for local/regional they should be as good as if not better than the V700s I ran last year. In fact I plan on running the BFGs up front and the 225/40 V700s on the rear. I am hoping that with the Tri-Point sway bar and runnning the rear Konis full stiff that I will reduce the understeer and get just the right amount of rotation through the tight turns. Whem it comes to budget thats a moving target, it's more a matter of justufication and priorities when it comes time to bite the bullet but I agree, to play with the big boys generally means more money regardless of what the sport is.

I read from your posts that you are running coil overs but was wondering if you had any insight into a decent set-up for the Koni Yellows with the Tri-Point sway bar. I may be way off base with going full stiff on the rear given that the adjustment is maily rebound.

Thanks

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by celticfc Thanks for the feedback Mr Bill, The set that I have available are basically stickers albeit 2009 build date but as you say for local/regional they should be as good as if not better than the V700s I ran last year. In fact I plan on running the BFGs up front and the 225/40 V700s on the rear. I am hoping that with the Tri-Point sway bar and runnning the rear Konis full stiff that I will reduce the understeer and get just the right amount of rotation through the tight turns. Whem it comes to budget thats a moving target, it's more a matter of justufication and priorities when it comes time to bite the bullet but I agree, to play with the big boys generally means more money regardless of what the sport is. I read from your posts that you are running coil overs but was wondering if you had any insight into a decent set-up for the Koni Yellows with the Tri-Point sway bar. I may be way off base with going full stiff on the rear given that the adjustment is maily rebound. Thanks

I don't have any experience with the Koni-Yellows, maybe the D-Stock and STX guys around here could help out more with the correct rebound adjustment for the rear of the car. If it were me, I would start out with the RSB on full stiff and set the Koni Yellows to whatever the middle setting is for rebound adjustment. Then I'd find a good local event with low attendance where you can get lots of runs and try out the full soft and full stiff adjustments to see the handling effects. IMO, it's easier to adjust on a car w/ oversteer issues than a car w/ understeer issues, so if you get to a point where the car is too tail happy just try dropping the rear tire pressure until you find a happy setting for your driving style. Good luck with the new setup.

[maniaxzero]

great job!

[Spirry]

What's the next autox you are heading to? You need to see what no fsb and 900lb fronts and close to that rear feels like. Silly lift throttle oversteer.

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by Spirry What's the next autox you are heading to? You need to see what no fsb and 900lb fronts and close to that rear feels like. Silly lift throttle oversteer.

Not really sure when the next event will be...I'm thinking of running with the Atlanta Region at Turner Field this Sunday since I won't be able to make the Z-Max event on April 6/7. For sure I'll be at the Evo Shootout on April 21/22 at Z-Max.

Glad to hear you finally found oversteer with this car. So in all how did you like the coil-overs? Can you actually survive street driving on springs that stiff? I'm thinking of switching to these in the future so I can actually run w/o the FSB (I think the current front spring rate of 7kg/mm is too soft to do this). Also if you ever get bored, bolting some 285's on the front will also get you some lift-throttle oversteer.

[Mr_Bill]

Got some new BFGoodrich R1-S tires to try out in a few weeks for the Evolution School Super Shootout along with some flares to clean up the spare fenders...

Will probably run at the night series event in Asheville next Wednesday just to get some seat time before the shootout in Charlotte. After this I'll have to figure out the schedule week-to-week as things are starting to get pretty busy while the American Le Mans schedule picks up. Had the privilege of working with the new Aston Martin Vantage GT car at Sebring and will continue working with this team at Long Beach and Laguna Seca before they return to Europe for the remaining World Endurance Championship races...

[Spirry]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bill Glad to hear you finally found oversteer with this car. So in all how did you like the coil-overs? Can you actually survive street driving on springs that stiff?

Survived a 5 hour drive to the beach this weekend. Wasn't comfortable, but I still have all my teeth and no compressed vertebrate. Probably going to pick up some softer rear springs for street driving. Should make a world of difference.

[Spirry]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bill Will probably run at the night series event in Asheville next Wednesday just to get some seat time before the shootout in Charlotte.

Will see you there!

[2008MS3H]

@Mr_Bill

hey bill how's it going?

any updates on auto-x events you've run this year?
any chance you'll be down here in may to run hutchinson island?

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by 2008MS3H @Mr_Bill hey bill how's it going? any updates on auto-x events you've run this year? any chance you'll be down here in may to run hutchinson island?

Haven't been running much since Z-Max in February as the work schedule has gotten pretty busy. Last week I did get to run at a night series event in Asheville on Wed. night (summary below) to get some seat time before the Evo Shootout this weekend in Charlotte. At some point I would like to make the trip to Savannah for one of the Coastal region events, but it looks like it won't be in May or June. Maybe in July or at some point in this fall I can run down there.

Highlands Sports Car Club - Night Event #1 - Asheville

Last Wednesday night I decided to drive up to Asheville (about a 1 hour trip from Greenville) for the first Night series event for the Highlands Sports Car Club. They typically get a pretty good turnout for these events (~80 - 100), and despite not starting until 7:00 pm they still manage to get 4 runs in for everyone. It's a nice break during the work week to just hangout and have some fun. The lot they run on is fairly small and the courses are usually pretty slow & tight, but I just wanted to get some seat time in the car and make sure the wider front tires still don't rub before the Evolution Driving School Shootout event in Charlotte this weekend....










HSCC Night Event #1 Results
DSP - 1/2
Pro - 4/9
PAX - 9/85

No changes were made to the car set-up from Z-Max with the exception of starting tire pressures of 38F/38R. Ambient temps on this night dropped into the low 40's, so it was pretty much impossible to build any heat into the BFG R1's. I knew of the cold weather beforehand, but wanted to save the new R1-S tires for the Evo Shootout. Despite the cold temps and tight course, I was pretty happy overall with the driving and how the car handled. There are no issues with tire rubbing and I feel confident in the new wide tire set-up moving forward. I also got to successfully try out the new fender flares that cover up the redneck engineering cut job on the spare fenders. Other than the new tires, I plan on making no changes for this weekend.

After this weekend's shootout I'm not sure of the future AutoX events I can make...the work schedule for May/June/July is up in the air due to Le Mans and the ALMS teams testing, but I hope to run a few events and maybe make the Blytheville National Tour if my schedule allows.

[tigermack]

Oh snap! When you gonna get the bumper piece done?

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by tigermack Oh snap! When you gonna get the bumper piece done?

I'm a little on the fence for the bumper piece (don't want to drill holes in the OE bumper), but will probably think about adding this in the future. For right now I'll just leave the piece on the spare fenders...the main goal was an attempt to cover up the hack job. I'm also planning on painting the fenders black mica to match.

[justint5387]

You can try to 3M tape it. Hopefully you don't hit that many cones

[driver311]

Originally Posted by justint5387 You can try to 3M tape it. Hopefully you don't hit that many cones

How do I get some of these flares? I could use tape to hold them for each event until i get another set of fenders. I want to get some 18x10s with 285s very soon but dont want them sticking out that far. Let me know what its gonna take as far as getting fenders. Thanks

[justint5387]

Originally Posted by driver311 How do I get some of these flares? I could use tape to hold them for each event until i get another set of fenders. I want to get some 18x10s with 285s very soon but dont want them sticking out that far. Let me know what its gonna take as far as getting fenders. Thanks

Contact @tigermack

[tigermack]

Hai... this him!

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by driver311 How do I get some of these flares? I could use tape to hold them for each event until i get another set of fenders. I want to get some 18x10s with 285s very soon but dont want them sticking out that far. Let me know what its gonna take as far as getting fenders. Thanks

Yeah the flares were bought through tigermack (do I get a cut for future flare sales out of this thread?) as he has a guy who custom makes them out in CA. These are the only thing I could really find for an MS3 fender flare that exists.

The spare fenders themselves were bought through the Mazdaspeed Motorsports website (not sure if you're a part of the contingency, but if you submit 2 race results per year you get a pretty good discount on parts) for $90 each. Part Numbers are B37F-52-111 (right) & B37F-52-211 (left). To make the 18x10 Enkei's fit with a 285/30R18 BFG R1 I cut about 1" off the spare fender and rolled the edge.

[ant_wailes]

I'd love to see pictures of the flares once you finally get them installed!

[Mr_Bill]

Evolution Super Shootout - Concord, NC

Last weekend at Z-Max Dragway was the first ever Evo Super Shootout event organized by the Evolution Driving School. The way this event worked was on Saturday morning everyone made 4 timed runs, and from these results the Top 32 PAX finishers qualified for the Sunday 64-car shootout. Saturday afternoon the drivers who did not qualify in the Top 32 received 2 more runs for a "Last Change Qualifier" where the Top 16 PAX finishers from these 2 runs qualified. There were also 16 random draw entrants to round out the field of 64 for Sunday. This was a pretty interesting and different format, and it was well organized by the Evolution Driving School, but the downside was going against the DSP PAX (screwed due to those BMW 3-series) along with the fact that there were a lot of great drivers and cars at this event (it reminded me of the National Tour in Atlanta, except with only the drivers who had a chance to win).

The only set-up change for this event was the opportunity to try out the new BFG R1-S race tires in the same 285/30R18 front / 245/40R18 rear set-up that I started running this year. The grip level and warm-up speed of this tire was amazing...within a few corners I already had confidence to start pushing the car hard and I had to step up my aggressiveness to take advantage of the new available grip. IMO this tire has more grip than the Hoosier A6, but it is a little more difficult to drive due to a quicker breakaway when you overdrive the car. With the Hoosier tire, there was more consistent grip at large steering wheel angles and it was easier to drive, but I feel that there is more potential with these R1-S tires.

The downside with this increase in grip was the massive understeer experienced despite the fact that no set-up changes were made with the car. Corner entry and mid-corner balance felt pretty good, but on corner exit (especially a few of the tight 90-deg turns) there was a lot of understeer & tire spin-up as I couldn't get on the throttle early enough...and with this level of competition every tenth counted. When I ran on this same lot in February with the older R1's this wasn't a big problem as the car slid through the corners due to a lack of grip. So bottom line...with the R1-S tires the car has a lot more potential, but it will require some suspension tuning, starting with swapping out the OE MS3 front sway bar for the thinner/less stiff Mazda 3 OE front sway bar. After this I'll see how the car responds and continue adjusting from there.







Evo Super Shootout Results - Concord
Morning Runs:
DSP - 1/2
PAX - 63/127 (Top 32 qualified for Shootout)

Afternoon "Last Chance Qualifier" Runs:
DSP - 1/2
PAX - 26/83 (Top 16 qualified for Shootout)

During the LCQ runs I ended up 0.4 seconds out of qualifying for the shootout...but since it ended up raining all day Sunday and instead I got to sit at home, drink beer and watch NASCAR...I didn't feel too bad on missing the Shootout. It wasn't the greatest idea to try brand new tires at a National level event, but since I can't make too many events this year anyways it was worth getting the feedback on the tires.

[Spirry]

Time to loose the FSB? Lot more inside tire grip for getting on the gas earlier...

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by Spirry Time to loose the FSB? Lot more inside tire grip for getting on the gas earlier...

It's something I would like to try, but with the tire size I'm running on the front I tend to think my car is too under-sprung (~400 lb/in) to try completely removing the front bar. If I had your current front spring rate (next mod on the list for this winter) I think this would work. My plan for now is to install in the softer Mazda3 OE FSB, then if I want to try running with no front bar at all I can just unhook the end-link.

[Mr_Bill]

So...been a while since the last event/update, but over the last few weekends I've had time to get the car up on jack stands and get some work done...



A few weekends ago myself & a friend dropped the front subframe and swapped out sway bars...out with the MS3 stock and in with the Mazda3 stock FSB. Hard to tell just from looking at it & the weight, but I would guess the MZ3 bar is around 50-60% of the stiffness of the MS3 FSB. You can feel a little bit of difference driving around the street & taking tight corners, but I won't really get a good chance to evaluate until the next event.

Beefier MS3 FSB out >>> Thinner MZ3 bar in

I also took apart the cp-e driver side engine mount just to check the bolts and make sure they aren't backing out like they did about a year ago. No issues since being re-installed w/ locktite, but I went ahead and installed the backing plate solution provided by cp-e just to be on the safe side...

I also gave the car a good wash & wax once everything was back together & installed the OE front fenders for some street driving over the next few weeks. Not really sure when my next event will be...it could be in mid-June, but if I end up traveling to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans it may not be until July...either way I'm looking forward to trying out the new front bar and will post feedback when I get around to it.

[beachshoer]

Going to Blytheville this weekend @Mr_Bill?

[Mr_Bill]

Originally Posted by beachshoer Going to Blytheville this weekend @Mr_Bill?

Won't be making the trip this weekend, but I would like to attempt the National Tour event there in October. I just haven't been able to run enough events to get the car properly sorted, plus there are no other DSP cars at the event so I would be running against myself and not be eligible for any contingencies.

The next few events will be South & Central Carolina regional events at the Michelin Proving Grounds (June 16) and Z-MAX Dragway in Charlotte (July 14). Gotta start getting the racing fenders back on the car & an oil change this weekend.

[beachshoer]

Hopefully you won't be running dsp in October by yourself. We're planning on making the trip then too. That's assuming the newish turbo I just dropped in doesn't roast and we go ahead and replace it with a bnr and go to smf.

What's your thoughts on the ksport rr coilovers?

Coilovers being my next mod. Difficult to decide.

[Mr_Bill]

@Spirry has been running these coil-overs for a few months now and seems to have had positive results. They come with pretty crazy spring rates which help with the handling and give you the ability to remove the FSB for better traction on corner exit...the downside is that you will take a beating driving back and forth from the event.

I'm planning on upgrading coil-overs this winter and these are one of the options on my list.

[Mr_Bill]

SCCA CCR/SCR AutoX @ Michelin Proving Grounds - June 16th

Last weekend was the annual joint CCR/SCR AutoX event at the Michelin Proving Grounds in Laurens, SC, so this felt like a home AutoX since this is where I work every day and it's only a 35 min. drive instead of the typical 2 hours it takes to drive to Charlotte. In the past this has been a 2-day event that is similar to a National Tour style (which worked out well last year since I could try 2 different spring set-ups), but this year they made the switch to only one day and it seemed to have paid off with 220 entries and a lot of top national contenders making the trip (48 cars in the "Pro" class).



The only change made since the Evo Shootout was the installation of a softer, OE Mazda 3 front sway bar. This would be my 2nd event running the BFGoodrich R1-S tire, and it would even be ran on the same track (1400 x 400' asphalt pad) that we performed the AutoX development for this tire.

The course set-up was pretty fast and challenging as CCR & SCR have done a really good job with course design over the past few years. The biggest issue for this day was driver error as I was pretty rusty & driving like shit from not getting to drive the car much. Swapping to the softer FSB did help some with putting the power down on corner exit (before I would get a lot of wheel spin on 2nd gear accelerations), but did not have much of an effect on corner exit rotation which was somewhat disappointing. Overall the car still has a lot of understeer and needs a good bit of tuning to get the car to work well with the R1-S tires. The tires themselves have a TON of on-center grip and make you feel invincible driving through gates and slaloms, so I need to start adjusting my driving style to slow down more than I feel is necessary for large angle corners. I finally started to figure this out on my last run of the day. The extra grip also shows up in straight line acceleration and braking traction. The car has a lot more potential with the wider fronts & R1-S...I just need to get lots of practice and tuning in to take advantage of this extra speed. Times for each run were...

Starting Pressures: 38 F / 38 R
Run 1: 53.2 (DNF...carried too much speed & missed a gate)
Run 2: 52.? (did not count due to timing issue)
+ 4 psi to the Rear
Run 3: 51.9 (DNF...video down below...the DNF is pretty obvious)
Run 4: 52.7 (clean run...but lost a lot of time having to almost stop to make slalom after constant radius corner)

YouTube - ‪CCR/SCR AutoX @ Michelin Proving Grounds - June 16 2012‬‏

YouTube - ‪CCR/SCR AutoX @ Michelin Proving Grounds - June 16 2012‬‏

Results: CCR/SCR Blake Lake AutoX
PAX: 46 / 212
DSP: 2 / 6
PRO: 35 / 48

The event was fun because of the competitiveness of the Pro class (gaining even 1 second would have moved me from 35th to 23rd) but I just need to get some more time to drive the car correctly. For the future I'm also planning to try completely disconnecting the FSB and also play with some tire pressures with bumping the rear tires a good bit higher.

Next event for sure will be the CCR region at Z-Max dragway in August, although I may drive up to Asheville this Sunday to take part in one of the Highland Sports Car Club events. These are always fun events as you get a lot of runs and can play with the car set-up, plus the club makes the best of the small lots they have to run. If I travel to this event I'll just stick with the 245/40R18 square fitment with the R1-S tire up front and the older style R1 on the back. Should make for some fun sliding.

[Spirry]

I think if you had my suspension setup and bushings (front control arm bushings and pillow ball mounts), you would have a well balanced car. Maybe throw in a different front diff...

Was good to see more mazdaspeeds at this event. Hopefully I have fixed the problem with the car jumping out of second on braking. Just removed the ssp and weight. Kind of hard to turn a fast time coasting.

Didn't know you worked for Michelin. You need to get me a deal on some slicks so I can come join you in dsp.

Also, with you running a top mount, you really need to run at least a 25% E85 mix. I was seeing boost air temps close to 170 deg F on the start line. With 93 you are loosing tons of timing.

I can send you a 25%, 50/50 or 25/75 map if you want. Just don't run it with 93. Very aggressive timing.

[Mr_Bill]

I agree on the suspension set up and plan on upgrading this winter...currently saving up on $$$ so I can have some options. I've also had the same 2nd gear issue under hard braking and found that swapping to a lighter shift weight a few years ago was a good solution. Actually didn't have any more 2nd gear issues until last weekend when it popped out a few times due to the larger and gripper tire.

I've been working at the Michelin proving grounds for about 4 years now...started out of college as a test engineer working with instrumentation and am currently about 6 months into my test driver training.

Thanks for the offer on the engine tune info, I might be getting in touch this fall when I hope to get a better tune to take more advantage of the mods. I'll see you at the HSCC event on Sunday and will take some AP logs to check out my current temps.

[2008MS3H]

Bill you are my hero! The information you provide is fantastic and i read your thread several times looking for insight.
I plan on saving some money so I can make a few auto-x events hopefully later this year if not, then next year.

Do you have plans to run anymore chump car events this year?

[Spirry]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bill I agree on the suspension set up and plan on upgrading this winter...currently saving up on $$$ so I can have some options. I've also had the same 2nd gear issue under hard braking and found that swapping to a lighter shift weight a few years ago was a good solution. Actually didn't have any more 2nd gear issues until last weekend when it popped out a few times due to the larger and gripper tire. I've been working at the Michelin proving grounds for about 4 years now...started out of college as a test engineer working with instrumentation and am currently about 6 months into my test driver training. Thanks for the offer on the engine tune info, I might be getting in touch this fall when I hope to get a better tune to take more advantage of the mods. I'll see you at the HSCC event on Sunday and will take some AP logs to check out my current temps.

Wish I could of made it out today. I'll take a look at those logs if you want to shoot 'em over to moldspectors@gmail.com . It was a hot day, and I'm sure your bats were on up there.