Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track Pro Solo Nationals @ Oscoda, MI

I drove up to Oscoda this past Friday to see about running in the Pro Solo there. A number of things seemed to get in my way and hamper the days activities. Traffic was a nightmare, construction, accidents, etc. I thought that I had left myself plenty of time, but arrived shortly after registration closed. I walked the course and was unimpressed. The course was really short. 6 turns and two small slaloms. *grumble* In case you are unfamiliar with the format... It is two courses set up side by side, with a drag-style christmas tree on the line. You line up with another guy and rip through the course. The you immediately turn around and switch sides. 12 runs total, 6 per side. Best time per side is added for the total time.

I talked with some of the other GSers out there and they pretty much blew me off. They were there to win, and basically told me I was outclassed. They were right, but in the wrong way. I have much to learn before I am a divisional-class driver, much less a national one. Still, it pissed me off to sit there and listen to a couple AWD Talon pricks bash anything not AWD.

Well, long and short of things is that I packed up and headed home. The course was not there, the comaraderie was not there, the 'friendly' competition was not there. I may give it a go at the next one, but I doubt it... SVT Contour @ a dragstip with WRXs and AWD Talons, no thanks.

btw, I really had no intention of boring you guys with the details of an aborted autoX, but I read SVTCole's request for a new topic in the last thread, and this was the only thing that came to mind. Hope you guys had a good weekend.

"Still, it pissed me off to sit there and listen to a couple AWD Talon pricks bash anything not AWD."

Gee, next time you go to the X-cross take a copy of the old C&D article "Best handling car under $30K". Show them the page where the SVT beats the AWD turbo Talon in overall handling points (in a comprehensive seriess of handling challenges) and matches it for lap times on 2 different racetracks. With less HP & alot less tourque. Then tell them that as long as THEY believe AWD is king of handling, then thats what counts.

Yea buddy! Put that in yer pipe and smoke it Mr. Talon. Oscoda seems like an odd place for an Auto X. I didn't think there was much of anything in that part of the state. Maybe some goat ropers

To bad you live so far from the metro Detroit area, lots of great racing and folks at all the events I can fit into my schedule.
Don't give up on racing!
Hope things get better.

We'll just have to get better and prove them wrong. Because until that happens, it doesn't matter what the magazines say or anything else. Trophies are what count. So let's just bide our time. Learn to drive our cars and slowly start beating the pants off these a@@holes.


At the national levels you do tend to run into people who won't take you seriously. It's unfortunate but true. We'll show them though

Wow! Thanks for all the support, guys. I really wasn't all that demoralized by the Talon dude...mostly, it was just a wierd vibe I got while I was there. I just decided that Pro Solo wasn't the way to go that weekend. There is another in Peru, IN in August. If work allows, I will try to make that one.

It was nice to see that the Talon got beat by the new Sube WRX. Ya know, I almost made a snide comment about 'outclassed' and 'WRX' when he spouted off to me, but I withheld it. If I see the dude in Peru, and he mouths off, I WILL poke him with it.

Dave, I am with you 100%. I do aim to learn more and show these people what a well driven SVT can do. I think a lot of AutoXers don't take us seriously because we have 4 doors. I'd sure like to prove them wrong.

Onestep, I will be seeing you around Detroit, for sure. I have been pretty tied up at the office as of late, but perhaps in a few weeks it'll let up enough for me to get away.

Regards,
Mark

The Mark, you are right about the attitude of some drivers. You would think they are formula 1 stars or something. But it is true that a "newbie" will have no chance against a seasoned national veteran in either car prep or driving. Did you go without race tires. That alone would make you totally outclassed.

Second, he may have been aluding to the advantage of AWD in a Pro Solo format due to the added traction. When the course is only 30 seconds long, lack of traction at the initial drag start would seriously hamper a front wheel drive car. I did note that the Talon guy you were talking about is the same guy that runs in northern NJ with Dave Andrews and Pollo Diablo. He finished 2nd out of 10 which is not bad, considering the other cars were all Type Rs except an Audi TT that finished 6th.

Also noted that the guy who finished 2nd in the Bullit Mustang at Rrxp689's divisional could only finish 4th in F Stock behind 3 Camaros. There were several other Bullits that finished lower in the pack of 12 in class.

Pro-Solo is a different animal than a regular (or National Tour) autocross. Its more formal and has a more rigid structure. That tends to get the competitors a bit uptight until they have done a few events. The whole Christmas tree thing kinds freaks out people who have never drag raced before.

I was at the El Toro Pro a couple months ago (just walking around, not competing) and my normal autox buddies who were at their first Pro were basic pricks until they finished their runs.

The Talon (and Mitsu GSX) folks have a chip on their shoulders when it comes to Pro Solo. Their cars can launch really hard and were the overdogs against the Camaro/Mustang ESP crowd until some rule "clarifications" pretty much killed their turbo engines. IMHO these clarifications were chicken s*** and were done to placate the pony car contingent. SCCA has no clue on how to classify turbo (and rotary) cars so they react with draconian measures.

It ticks me off when others in the SCCA have to act as if they are gods gift to racing. Solo is supposed to be fun; competitive yes, but fun. I see the same thing with club racing. The National drivers are uptight, the Regional guys are much nicer. Given, it costs a ton to race at the national level, maybe that sets people off. If you want to have fun at a solo, try us! W. mi. region has an event this saturday in Sparta, and another event at WMU July 21. I hope to see some fellow CEG'ers in attendance. I won't be there saturday, as I will be dodging CART cars at the GP!

If it makes you feel better, Mark, I've beaten that Talon all the times i have raced it at our regional NJ autocross. Ofcourse the launch is not such a big deal as it is at prosolo, but i figured it would cheer you up... :P