Announcement: MAC Novice School

[washburn]

Here's the blurb. Registration forms will be ready in a couple days, and it may take a few days for anything to appear on the site. Tell your friends!

Introducing the 2003 Minnesota Autosports Club Novice Autocross School

Dates: Saturday, April 26 at the Dunwoody College of Technology, Skogmo Room
Sunday, April 27 at the Hennepin Technical College parking lot.

Time to think Autocrossing everyone! MAC will once again be hosting a 2 day school intended for Novice Autocrossers who want to learn more about the sport, how to get started, what to bring, how to prepare, how an event is conducted, how to get the most from your driving experience, and more!

This is a 2 part school: Part 1 will be a classroom session at the Dunwoody College of Technology. This will start at 10:00 am, and will take approximately 3 to 4 hours. Here you will learn about Autocrossing preparation, techniques, rules, classing, event conduct, and much more. You will also be given a demonstration of a typical Technical Inspection, to be performed on each car before every event. Bring your car and be prepared to have it inspected for the next day?s activities.

Part 2 is on Sunday at Hennepin County Tech College parking lot. This will start around 8:00 am and will run most of the day. Consistent with Autocross events, it is a rain or shine event. Here we run through a mock autocross event. A course will be set up, and volunteer driving instructors will be on hand to ride along with you. You will participate in course walking, mental preperation, driving techniques, event operation, corner working, and timing and scoring. This is where you will jump in and drive your car to the limit!

No special vehicle is required. Bring your daily driver! (Due to the nature of this sport, SUV?s and tall trucks will not be allowed to run.) A helmet will be required. Snell rated 1995 and newer only, DOT only rating is not adequate. (You will find an Orange Snell sticker under the lining to confirm the rating.) Beg, borrow or steal one if you can. If you cannot obtain one, loaners will be made available, but they are few in numbers and you will be asked to share throughout the day.

The cost you ask? Only $35.00 for the entire school. (Checks are payable to the Minnesota Autosports Club) This is an opportunity to see what Autocrossing is all about before committing to an event. You can take advantage of many experienced and skilled drivers, and go into your first event with a clear advantage! Oh yeah, we will have some fun too!

The school is limited to the first 50 people to register. You will soon find registration forms on the MAC website, (www.mnautox.com), or by getting one at the next MAC meeting. Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of every month at Parrish?s Supper club, 2176 West St, St Paul. You do not need to be a member to attend. Registration will be handled by Paul Weidner. (Treasurer@mnautox.com).

For additional information, please contact:
Patrick Washburn (washburn@dwave.net) 715-675-9931 home; 715-355-8842 Office
Paul Weidner (Treasurer@mnautox.com)
Lee Frisvold (lfrisvold@dunwoody.edu)


Thanks and see you there!!

[Dave Kral]

I'll be there!!

Dave

[miata#37]

From what I've seen of the people who have attended this school, I figure it set them ahead just about a full season in the skills/experience department. $35 for this program is a steal.

[weidnerpaul]

For Novice School Registration:

I will be in charge of registration for this event.

If you are interested in doing this send me your application (see first post above)and $100,000 in small unmarked bills to me --- but if thats too much I'll settle for $35, but thats as low as I can go...

I will contact you after I receive the $ and registration info and confirm your space.

If you cancell after we have reserved a spot for you we will refund the $$$ only if we can fill your spot with someone else. I will keep a list of additional interested people after we meet our max number for this purpose.

Send all registration info/$$$ to:

Paul Weidner
3862 Brookview Drive
St Louis Park, MN 55426

[Cobra-R]

I would be interested in the school if someone would email the link when the forms are online.
Thanks, Brian
grothimp@cannon.net

[MNbiker]

I'm interested in the school as well.

-Steve
mnbiker@attbi.com

[weidnerpaul]

I have Emailed an application form to both Steve & Brian.

If anyone else out there wants one email me at pweidn@cs.com and I will send it.

Paul

[psundberg]

The Novice School Application now has a link off the Home Page. Thanks Jon.

Phil

p.s. Cute cars Paul...

[phoebe76]

Phil-

What home page is the link for the application on? It's not on the forum.mnautox.com page.

Thnaks!
Deanna

[weidnerpaul]

Deanna,
The Yellow "box" in the upper third of the page has three live links: the Novice School, the 2003 AX schedule and the car classes. If they don't show up on your browser you may be viewing a "cached" old version of the page. Try to refresh it and see if it changes, otherwise ask for help from someone else on the message board. I can also email you a copy, email me at pweidn@cs.com for a copy.
Paul

[washburn]

Deanna,

Try "www.mnautox.com"

[Bill Owen]

My buddy wants to bring out his PT-Cruiser. (non-turbo) This vehicle will be permited correct?

[phile]

Originally posted by Bill Owen


My buddy wants to bring out his PT-Cruiser. (non-turbo) This vehicle will be permited correct?







It's not my call, but if it were, I'd be inclined to say "no". With todays tires, even ordinary street tires, the traction is easily available to put a PT Cruiser on its head.

I guess we need to consider how high a center-of-mass/width-of-track ratio we want to allow before we are just plain asking for trouble.

Phil "trying really hard not to make this about sports-car snobbery" Ethier

[washburn]

With the PT being on the Neon platform, and based on a tiny bit of driving experience, I had not considered the Cruiser a turtle threat. Any car can go over of course just like Phil says, but being car based instead of truck based, I would have let it run. EM needs to make a decision along with the Safety Steward.

Bill you should ask the EM (Sorry, don't know who got volunteered) and Jeremy directly for an answer.

[MNbiker]

Originally posted by washburn


With the PT being on the Neon platform, and based on a tiny bit of driving experience, I had not considered the Cruiser a turtle threat. Any car can go over of course just like Phil says, but being car based instead of truck based, I would have let it run. EM needs to make a decision along with the Safety Steward.

Bill you should ask the EM (Sorry, don't know who got volunteered) and Jeremy directly for an answer.



Guys,

For what it's worth, the PT Cruiser is listed in the 2003 SCCA SOLO II rules as legal for HS.

-Steve

[Spinne]

So.....I ended up with 2 spun bearings in the MR2 last week :p, and it then needing a new short block (covered under warranty).

I should have it back this weekend, but I will need to break it in again for approx 1000 miles, so I'll be missing MOWAG 1 and I'm not even sure I'll have it all ready in time for the Novice School. I'm just mentioning this in case the class fills up... I'll report back later on to let you guys know if my spot will be open or not.

[weidnerpaul]

Novice School update:

There are approx 10 openings left for the school, If anyone is interested, email me (pweidn@cs.com) so I can hold a spot and then send in the form/check ASAP as this school is pre-registration only.

I have notified everyone who signed up, either by phone OR phone message. If you have sent in a reg form and have NOT heard from me please call me ASAP 952-935-7758.

This will be a well travelled class, we have students coming from as far west as Kindred SD and as far east as Cheese Lake WI (sorry Dave).

The cars range from a 2000 Birkin --- Lotus 7 clone, RWD, light weight and good PTW ratio, a 2003 350Z, a NSX and a 1972 Volvo --- and everything inbetween, including a cheddar colored Porsche 914 (sorry again Dave).

Looking forward to seeing you all there,
Paul

[aansorge]

Originally posted by Spinne


So.....I ended up with 2 spun bearings in the MR2 last week :p, and it then needing a new short block (covered under warranty).

I should have it back this weekend, but I will need to break it in again for approx 1000 miles, so I'll be missing MOWAG 1 and I'm not even sure I'll have it all ready in time for the Novice School. I'm just mentioning this in case the class fills up... I'll report back later on to let you guys know if my spot will be open or not.



Two spun bearings in a new Toyota? How did this happen? I have heard of a lot of blown Toyota engines lately. One new Celica GTS here in Austin has blown two motors within two years, and the 97 - 01 Toyota 3.0 liter motors are having sludge problems and blown motors. What in the world is Toyota doing?

[weidnerpaul]

Reposted so it shows in "active topics"

Novice School update:

There are approx 10 openings left for the school, If anyone is interested, email me (pweidn@cs.com) so I can hold a spot and then send in the form/check ASAP as this school is pre-registration only.

I have notified everyone who signed up, either by phone OR phone message. If you have sent in a reg form and have NOT heard from me please call me ASAP 952-935-7758.

This will be a well travelled class, we have students coming from as far west as Kindred SD and as far east as Cheese Lake WI (sorry Dave).

The cars range from a 2000 Birkin --- Lotus 7 clone, RWD, light weight and good PTW ratio, a 2003 350Z, a NSX and a 1972 Volvo --- and everything inbetween, including a cheddar colored Porsche 914 (sorry again Dave).

Looking forward to seeing you all there,
Paul

[914 Dave]

Paul, Paul, Paul....
You silly English wanna be.
Its RICE Lake, WI, not "Cheese Lake"
You're getting your food groups confused.
And.
You've seen the 914 before.
Its not nearly orange enough to be "cheddar"
Closer to a kraft american single.

See ya back in school, Autox school, that is.

[weidnerpaul]

Dave,

As a programmer

If State = WI
And Lake name = food
Then Lake name = Cheese

And as for the colour,

Don't you remember your bachelor days, the car is the colour of an unwrapped dried out chunk of cheddar thats been pushed behind the beer bottles for at least 6 months. Now that's aged Cheddar!!! :D

See ya at the class,
Paul

[914 Dave]

Paul-

As an insurance adjuster:

If state = "MN"
And owner = "Weidner, Paul"
Then coverage for auto damages = "not in a million years!!!"

And as for the color...

If you can't spell it right, how can you see it right?

[weidnerpaul]

Dave,
I wasn't going to reply to the Jay Leno wannabe but...

Lets just say if you weren't corrupted by the total quality of your cars you would appreciate British cars more.

Wait a minute, you own a Ford "Recall" Focus, so it can't be that :D

So whats your excuse for not appreciating British cars?

Or is it just a MN/WI thang?

PS best thing to come out of WI = I94

Paul

PS. Did I just escalate this thread? I eagerly await your response :p

[phile]

>So whats your excuse for not appreciating British cars?
>Or is it just a MN/WI thang?

Nope. The president of the Minnesota Triumphs is a Cheesehead.

Phil Ethier

[914 Dave]

Hi Paul-

Jay Leno? About the only wannabe around here that I am aware of is someone who thinks he has this crazy "British" thang going...

Oddly enough, the Focus was "Automobile" magazine's pick for best car in its class... and stranger still, if the Focus is such a pile, how is it that the SVT makes more STOCK hp than the mini with a supercharger added...

And the Marcos- a car named after a dictators wife with a shoe fetish?

I can apprecite British cars for what they are. Cute and/or odd, as a counterpoint to the well engineered and purposeful german cars.

As to this being a MN/WI thing, here is WI we have yet to elect anyone who made his living prior to public service by wearing a pink boa and calling himself "the body"

Lastly, the best thing to come out of WI is not I94, but rather "9I4". ;)

See ya saturday.

[weidnerpaul]

Dave,
Pretty good for a Jay Leno Clone, if you keep it up I may upgrade you to a Letterman Clone.

I believe the magazine you mentioned also had a different article that said it couldn't recommend the Focus due to the recalls --- why didn't you mention that. (If it wasn't that mag it was Car & Driver)

BTW If the car is "cute" then the HP count for more. :D

I believe the formula is average car/HP = 1/1, butt ugly car/hp = .5/1 cute car/hp = 1.25/1 I believe the Focus is about a .75/1 on this scale.

Paul

[phile]

>butt ugly car/hp = .5/1

And here I thought the Lotus was slow at Midway because the hard tires couldn't overcome the LSD problem.

Who knew?

Phil Ethier

[weidnerpaul]

Phil,
And you thought that paintjob would make you go faster...

[914 Dave]

Paul, commenting again with out knowing "the rest of the story"

Recalls? What recalls. My Focus S2 has had no recalls, gone 50k miles in 18 months, 40K of those turbo charged, without a problem. Why talk about a problem when there isn't one?

A question for you- How many mini's are contesting in the WRC? But you will find several Focus there.

And, how does your "cute/hp" calculation account for sleepers? Take one innocent looking grey focus, add turbo, and I think the factor changes to about 1.255/1, while the law enforcement factor stays low.

Finally, where do you see other cars fitting into your rankings?

"amelda" the marcos?, miata, 911, corvette, WRX, dutton, beetle, or formula ford?

If "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", can cute be as well?

Ponder this and I'll see ya tomorrow.

[weidnerpaul]

Dave,
Ponder this and I'll see ya tomorrow.

Trying to get the last word in???

OK,
I'll let you, you owe me...
Paul

[SalahK]

Originally posted by 914 Dave

A question for you- How many mini's are contesting in the WRC? But you will find several Focus there.



That does not mean much though, because the Street Focus shares almost NOTHING with it's WRC counterpart.

On the other hand, the street-legal Mitsubishi EVO I through VI shared most mechanical parts with Tommi Makinen's Group "A" car which won the WRC driver's title from '96 through '99. Similarly, The older generation street-legal Subaru WRX STi was very similar to the Group "A" car that got Colin Mcrae his '95 WRC driver's title.

Starting in 1999, FIA introduced a new class called "WRC" which did NOT require manufacturers to produce 2500 street legal counterparts per year in order to compete, as was required in the previous Group "A" class. As expected, a bunch of new, pure race cars like the Peugeot 206 came to dominate the WRC class. Even the new WRC Subarus and Mitsubishis share very little with their current street versions. However, the Current WRXs and EVOs DO share some mechanical bits with the now defunct Group "A" cars from the pre-2001 era. In case you're wondering why I didn't write "pre-1999", it is because in 1999 and in 2000, Mitsubishi (unlike Subaru) continued to run the reliable but street-like EVO VI against the $600,000 dedicated WRC cars from Peugeot, Subaru, etc. That makes the EVO VI the last TRUE Rally-Replica car; and possibly the best as well.

That's Rally 101 for you guys ;)

[Bill Owen]

Dave, why ya knocking Brit cars when the Focus was designed and engineered in Europe? May have been in Great Britain for the matter.

Anywho, see you guys Sunday morn!

[914 Dave]

Salah- you are 100% correct in your summary of the current state of the WRC and their cars. To suggest that my Focus shares much more than a name with the current rally specific machinery out there IS a little silly, but I still don't see any mini's out there. Yet.

Bill- I'm not knocking Brit cars, just Paul. (he'll get me for that) Actually our little sparring match was a well planned plan to keep the novice school at the top of the current topic listings. Shame on us.

Question is, top on or top off for the frosty morning run across the border... that would be the roof of the 914, don't start getting any odd ideas anyone...

See everyone in school.