I just realized I didn’t post last month’s event – it was the two-day Iowa Challenge between Iowa’s SCCA chapters. Held at the Oskaloosa Airport, it’s usually a typical runway course – some straight stuff, a turnaround, and some more straight stuff. The event chairs did a great job of switching it up with some interesting crossovers and fun elements.
This past weekend I attended an SCCA Starting Line school held in Lincoln. It’s designed for people new to autocross (and motorsports in general), the class was a birthday gift from my wife. I packed up on Friday and headed out for Lincoln, about a 3 hour drive for me. Instead of putting a few hundred highway miles on the new (used) RE-71Rs, I decided to just run my snow tires on the interstate and swap to the summers for racing. Which led me to the realization that I can fit a single tire in my trunk. Why didn’t I just get a Touring? Read More
It was a busy week getting ready for a busy weekend, but a (nearly) flawless showing from the M3 made it worthwhile.
Saturday was a Solo School, where several of our nationals-level drivers spent time instructing us on everything from course walks to back-siding cones to keeping our eyes in the right places. Read More
Do you swap between race wheels and street wheels often? Do you run different wheels and tires for winter and summer? Do you run wheel spacers? Do you want frustration-free wheel swaps? Ditch the stock wheel bolts that the E36 came with and install some wheel studs.
Note: Amazon affiliate links provided for your pleasure.
The whole project can be knocked out in an hour for around $100.
I started with a set of wheel studs: Amazon
And a set of long open-end lug nuts: Amazon
What better way to spend a snowy Saturday morning than by putting the Blizzaks to good use.
We actually had two photographers show up on Sunday, so here are those action shots and a few pics I snapped! Videos to come.
Picture this: It’s one week until the final race weekend of the year, with events on both Saturday and Sunday. Wife and child are spending the week worshiping at the Church of the Mouse. With five evenings at my disposal, what could I do ensure COMPLETE DOMINATION at the upcoming races? Braces.
I mean, I was just saying how RallyCross is a blast and the M3 was fine after a full day of thrashing in the dirt. Just kidding. It is not fine.
Another Sunday, another Autocross. Like last week, this event was held in the parking lot of the Iowa Events Center which is on the smaller side, lending itself to tight courses. This month’s course included a long 7-cone slalom, which was great for working on getting my slalom speeds up and backsiding the cones.
What’s RallyCross? Well, it’s like AutoCross – the sport where you spend six hours standing around in a parking lot in exchange for six minutes of seat time. But instead put it out in the middle of nowhere so it’s hard to get to, exchange the nice clean paved surface for grass, dirt, and mud. Add flies, blowing dust, wet socks, and allergies. Cut speeds in half and quadruple the abuse your car takes. Then add the near constant obnoxious BRAAAAP of a mostly uncorked Boxer engine and you’d be close. And you know what? It is SO. MUCH. FUN.