2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Ok dudes, yes its the middle of winter, but last fall I made a small promise to myself. I've spent a lot of time modding my car for fun on the street, and I get a TON of enjoyment out of it, but with all the smack-talking and big promises that goes on around here, I decided that I need to man up and attend (and enter) some basic local automotive events. If anyone is interested in joining me, speak up!

I have big dreams (we all do) but this is going to be an extremely informal group that will band together and get our street cars onto the track for at least a go at getting a few laps in or a few runs down a track. Ultimately it'd be awesome to attend some open-track events at BIR or Road America, but for now we're going to keep it super simple, and cost effective for us newbs.

If possible, I'd like to get a small group of people together for each event. We could help prep each other's cars, work out break-down bail-out plans, and even coordinate getting significant others to the track to cheer us on. Anna fvcking hates this stuff, and furthermore hates sitting outside in the cold or heat or anything but perfect weather, but truth be told, I'd feel a ton better having her there to cheer me on (as would anyone else want their sig other there, I think?).

This thread is about getting off the bench for some lighthearted fun. Neither Rock Falls nor BIR have their schedules up yet, so we'll have to watch and see what they say. MNAutoX has a few events planned out, and there are some open track days/weekends out there too!

Local organizations with scheduled events (I'll update this as they get posted):
North Star BMW
MN Auto X aka Minnesota Autosports Club (MAC)
MAP Proving Grounds@BIR june 26-27
Rock Falls Drag Strip


Personal concerns: Please post up dates that might work for you, car conditions (but not too detailed, we have other areas for that), and what types of events you'd like to attend.

Scheides' concerns:
Scheduling this stuff too close to MitsuStyle events. I put a fukload of time and effort into our cruises and dyno days, so it ends up making me want to take a week or two off from anything car-related once we've done a few events :D

Car condition: clutch is holding strong, but I have been setting aside $$ for replacing it. Trans has also getting awfully grindy, considering doing rebuild while trans is out for clutch job. Also getting some new tires this spring.

Drag: I'd like to attend one, if not two drag events this year. First event will be pretty basic, and probably on existing clutch, rolling starts followed by gentle launches. I'll tow the car home after this if I absolutely have to, but I don't want to.

AutoX: I'm thinking mnautoX events at DCTC. It's about a mile long course, and if possible I'd just like to get in on test & tune days. Other possibilities would include a driving school weekend.


Tentative Dates
AutoX: MAC Novice School April 24-25
Drag: MAP Proving Grounds June 26-27

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Scheides Im down for all the events that you wanna try out also.
Drag for sure because I wanna see how close you and I will be bein will have close to the same setup! Car will be ready for autox also. Only thing that the car needs now is my turbo put on and new rotors and pads. I would love to help you out on any of the scheduling etc...

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I'm planning to do a lot of HPDEs over the summer. I wouldn't mind spectating at a drag strip event, though.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

planning to do alot more Auto-X events this year. I'm ready to put some front bushings in but it's just too damn cold right now.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I'd be up for this, after my complete and total lack of local competitive event participation last season.

Concerns: Getting time off of work. As a lot of you probably know, I work weekends, which makes it hard to get to events without losing hours. The unfortunate part is that I don't see this changing any time soon.

Car condition: LOL. Jokes aside, it has been a fairly reliable DD despite the occasional beatings. It did make it to Iowa, run an autox and a drag event on the same day, and make it back home the next this past summer, so I'm pretty sure I'll be alright. I don't have much else planned for this body right now, namely brakes, MAF-T, and fuel, which should all be done by spring.

Drag: Don't expect me to be fast or look good trying. Also, I don't really plan on launching this clutch.

Autox: Bring it.

Road course: Yes please.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Drag..well, that's about all I can touch. The car is just too much for a road course, auto x or anything else. If I wanted on those, I would have built the car differently.

Scheides, see ya springtime ;)

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I want my car to make it to a drage strip twice this year and make full passes without something breaking.

Hopefully my dumb self doesn't do anything crazily major to the car mid summer that keeps me from attending some events.

You guys should all come up to the MAP thing at BIR, that was a f'in blast last year.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Don't be bashful if you think you're gonna be slow at this or that, going fast is not the point of this. The point is to try it, get down the drag track a few times, even if you end up in the 15's.

Lomker, do you know of any single-day HPDE's on a big track? The BMW one is 3 days and $350. Pretty big commitment.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Should do a Mitsustyle street car shootout.

Say 3 or 4 events, most points over all is the winner.
(AutoX/Drag/RoadRace or even circle track ;))

You would most likely need to limit major mods inbetween events

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

That'd be cool, but it seems barely 4-5 people want to commit to going to various events as it is! Again, this is for first-timers, no shoot-out, just get to the track, learn the process, have fun, etc.

I'm hoping we can go in full force to MAP's event this year, that would be pretty fun.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Sure, went to birperformance.com's event on Sept 5th. There's a thread about it on here. They do events all summer.

Umm, the one day events are $265 but BIR is the most expensive place to go. Gotta keep in mind that it includes both use of the track and an instructor to ride as co-pilot as much as you want.

If I were you I'd be more concerned about burning up your $1k set of tires than the entrance fee. A day on the track isn't cheap even if you aren't off-roading.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Im in for MAP's event

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I would be up for something this year

Problems. Work weekends and 2nd shift will be hard to get off of work. Don't know what they would say about my car or if it would be let onto any track.

I would be up for a few drag events and mabe autox if it was just a test day. There is no way my car would be able to compeit with all that is done to it.

I would have to find rear axels and have the shipped here for spares just incase. And I would have to bring the car on a trailer to events since I just can't go to the parts store and buy evo 3 parts

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Hrm that sounds like fun! The tires, brake pads, fuel, track insurance and lodging are premiums that shy me away from HPDE's. If I had more $$, I'd more strongly consider doing them. This is why I feel like the bench racer's league will focus more on drag events and autoX. Barring breakage, they should be relatively cheap to attend.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I would be down for drag 100% with the Talon. I would also like to attend some Auto-X with the WRX.

Brainerd works perfect for me, as its only about an hour from St. Cloud.

Concerns: Hope my ACT 2600 will hold up and hope these Falken Ziex-912's will give me traction (probably not) So I would most likely need a new set of tires also, which sucks because these Falken's are pretty much brand new...

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I'm down for brainerd as well. I had a blast last year racing, even though my car was slow as bawls. I have 8-10 friends that are pumped to be out there to spectate, and hopefully a couple cars out there as well (snoman181 has 2 cars yet to be finished, and scorcho96 hopefully can bring his). Can't make commitments for them though.

Concerns: Getting my car back together lol. If you guys have looked at my project thread, I have quite the list to accomplish in spring, and still need that one thing to make it all happen...money. I won't know a work schedule, until I get a job. So I'm making no big promises at this point.

Drag: Im down for at least the proving grounds event, had a great time last year, and let's just say, my group of friends likes to party, so when the sun goes down, and the cars are all off the track, we will be doing a bit of drinking haha. I may try and get out to a rock falls event or 2, race some honduhs.

Auto-x: We'll see. I'm doing a lot of maintenence come spring, and would like to maybe get to one event.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Fun idea. Scheides, I know we've talked about this before but the most fun auto-x events to attend are the test n tunes at DCTC as you have mentioned above. Unlimited runs and you only have to work the course for ~1.5 hours so that leaves you ~5 hours to do runs. They're a little pricier to attend but well worth it since they have 2 courses going at once (generally one more technical and the other faster) both just under a minute in length if I recall correctly.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Whaaaaaaat? Is it too much for a straight line, too?
I will agree with you there, autocross and turbo lag are like oil and water.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

The other thing about the T&T events is that you need to be a MAC member to sign up in the first place, which is $30 per year.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Drag, autox, road course, drift. I'll do 'em all!

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Will you actually be going to the strip (with and running your car) this year Swifty or will history once again repeat itself?

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Hey we tried to setup some drag meets last year. We actually had good turnouts, but Hughes was the only Mod that I think showed up, which was at the MAP event :)

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Yup, that was a fun day too, I just wish my clutch hadn't broken a few days previous since I wanted to at least participate in their auto-x.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I suppose better at home then at the track tho eh? I had enough fun replacing an axle there, couldn't imagine a clutch job :)

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Very true! I definitely had fun watching all you guys run though.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

He has coilovers so I assume the car can turn. At the HPDE that I went to there were a couple club racers hauling ass but I was handily in the top 1/3rd speed-wise and it was my first time on the track...with a bone stock X.

A lot of the turns are 2nd gear but I generally drove the whole course at 4k+ rpm so spool might not be such a big deal. With E85 and a tune I probably won't even need to shift. :D

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

A note to Scheides since you mentioned the Test n Tune AX days. They are awesome days to go on, run until you just don't want to any more. But you need to be a MAC member to run a TnT, it's an additional $30.

I would highly recommend taking the novice school to anyone interested. You will get 16-20 runs, with an instructor for every run. There is also an instructor run period where you can ride with instructors, or have them drive your car if you want. This time period almost always ends up with an EVO or STI with 4 people in it.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

The novice school is the best way to get into autocross; period.

http://myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmE...event_id=10838

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I'm in for several events this year, won't be going to Iowa every other weekend for the first time in years, so I should be able to attend a lot more.

IF I still have the Talon come spring, I'm for sure going to drag race it, but I'm not sure which car to autox. The Talon can turn much better but has significant lag, whereas the Caddy has instant wheelspin power, AND way better brakes.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Hey! I was ready after staying up all night for the last RF event, but it got rained. So, there. I hope this year will FINALLY be different, but again, my situation keeps changing..who knows.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

List Modifications: All of them. :)

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I'll be down for alot more drag raceing this summer My car. cars in running condition and my daughter will be old enuf to come and watch without being to mutch trouble. I also Just finished builsing a car trailer so there will be no worries about breaking. I will also bring my street tires so If any meber break My car could be driven home and there car could go on the trailer.

concerns: Money Never know when I'll have extra.

Not being able to run my slicks on Wed's night BIR street races

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I got a ton of practice in list year at an 1/8'th mile track, and this year I would definitly love to put down some 1/4 mile times.

Only if my 4th gear wants to work..

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

^ do it up! I may even be able to do some 1/8 passes with you boys out at grove..

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

You can bet on it. :)

you should definitely come out! it's a nice way of getting your feet wet for the rest of the year.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Shoot me a list of when the events are. I also assume I'd crash at one of your places? since..it's a far drive for me?

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

^Word. I'll be back may 4th night.

Fuck trailers pussies, street cars FTW.

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

My buddy just picked up a 16ft, 2 ton, twin axel car trailer today. It may come in handy for WHEN one of my friends or I break something haha. But my car is no trailer queen, I'll be driving it to events :)

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

I think Swifty's biggest issue would be money not so much too much power...

The tech for wed nights is pretty lax, I'm sure you could run the slicks without much of an issue.

I used a 95tsi's full face BMX helmet about a half dozen times last year. lol

Re: 2010 Bench Racer's League
 

Hmm A Wednesday night BIR event or two would be cool for sure since I have Wednesdays off:)