Well I missed out on the Indy get together as I had to work Sat but found out that my local SCCA was also having an event here in Toledo on Sunday. So I went out to play. Guys if you want to have some fun and be able to push your car a bit with minimal risk to damage these events are a blast.
For those who dont know what they are its a closed course typically in a large parking lot made up of traffic cones. You race against the clock so no need to worry about hitting any walls or other cars. They run one at a time or are spaced out far enough that your not close to each other. Speed is typically under 60mph as its more about control and knowing your cars abilities. Everyone there was very helpful and excited to see a Caddy come out and play. Seems like a nice group of folks and I plan to hit as many of them as I can this summer.
Now I did realize that as nice as the CTSV's are they are not exactly the best car for an autocross. I ran these events years ago in a Pontiac Fiero and did very well because that car was light quick and handled really well for cars of the 80's. The Caddy is a big heavy car and I found out quickly that advantage as the little Honda civics and lots of Mazdas pulled in better times in some cases 3 seconds better.
Now in my defense I have crappy street tires that I sacrificed some grip for winter capability and it was fricken cold on Sunday like 38 so I had trouble going into any corner hard. I did finish 4th out of the 7 in my class so I'm happy for my first time. Plus my times improved with each run. We were able to run the track 6 times and my final run was 3 seconds better than my first run.
So if you want to go out a push your car a little without beating on it these are really fun events. You can drive in off the street, its like $40 if your not a SCCA member and $25 if you join. (joining was $80 but I got to run Sun for free since I joined) Otherwise it would be $80 to join and then $25 for the event. Also if your considering it pre-registar online. Its free to sign up you dont have to pay until you arrive and it speeds up the process that day. Plus most all localities charge an extra fee if you are not pre-registered. Toledo's is a cheap $5 but I heard a guy from Detroit say they charge $50. So you will want to check.
If your wondering what class you register for the CTSV is FS class unless you have added a supercharger/turbo. Which honestly for these courses wouldnt be an advantage anyway. I good set of R rated sticky tires and a suspension kit would be a bigger help.
Anyway Just wanted to share and invite anyone out from my area to come join the fun. Next event is at Toledo Express Airport on May 17th and the web site is MWORSCCA.com All you need is your car a Snell 2000 or newer helmet and entry fee. Some guys are real serious and trailer in cars. Others not as serious will bring daily drivers but with race slicks and swap them at the event. Then there guys like me who just bring out the daily driver and drive as is. So its all a matter of how involved you want to get. Just wish the Caddy wasnt 6 lug then it wouldnt be so expensive to get a 2nd set of wheels to put some race tires on and use just for the track. Oh well.
For those who dont know what they are its a closed course typically in a large parking lot made up of traffic cones. You race against the clock so no need to worry about hitting any walls or other cars. They run one at a time or are spaced out far enough that your not close to each other. Speed is typically under 60mph as its more about control and knowing your cars abilities. Everyone there was very helpful and excited to see a Caddy come out and play. Seems like a nice group of folks and I plan to hit as many of them as I can this summer.
Now I did realize that as nice as the CTSV's are they are not exactly the best car for an autocross. I ran these events years ago in a Pontiac Fiero and did very well because that car was light quick and handled really well for cars of the 80's. The Caddy is a big heavy car and I found out quickly that advantage as the little Honda civics and lots of Mazdas pulled in better times in some cases 3 seconds better.
Now in my defense I have crappy street tires that I sacrificed some grip for winter capability and it was fricken cold on Sunday like 38 so I had trouble going into any corner hard. I did finish 4th out of the 7 in my class so I'm happy for my first time. Plus my times improved with each run. We were able to run the track 6 times and my final run was 3 seconds better than my first run.
So if you want to go out a push your car a little without beating on it these are really fun events. You can drive in off the street, its like $40 if your not a SCCA member and $25 if you join. (joining was $80 but I got to run Sun for free since I joined) Otherwise it would be $80 to join and then $25 for the event. Also if your considering it pre-registar online. Its free to sign up you dont have to pay until you arrive and it speeds up the process that day. Plus most all localities charge an extra fee if you are not pre-registered. Toledo's is a cheap $5 but I heard a guy from Detroit say they charge $50. So you will want to check.
If your wondering what class you register for the CTSV is FS class unless you have added a supercharger/turbo. Which honestly for these courses wouldnt be an advantage anyway. I good set of R rated sticky tires and a suspension kit would be a bigger help.
Anyway Just wanted to share and invite anyone out from my area to come join the fun. Next event is at Toledo Express Airport on May 17th and the web site is MWORSCCA.com All you need is your car a Snell 2000 or newer helmet and entry fee. Some guys are real serious and trailer in cars. Others not as serious will bring daily drivers but with race slicks and swap them at the event. Then there guys like me who just bring out the daily driver and drive as is. So its all a matter of how involved you want to get. Just wish the Caddy wasnt 6 lug then it wouldnt be so expensive to get a 2nd set of wheels to put some race tires on and use just for the track. Oh well.
