Autocross Featured in Yahoo News!

 By: Jake

Autocross gets national news attention once this poor wife is taken for a ride sitting shotgun by her husband at a San Diego Region SCCA autocross. This video featured on the Yahoo.com homepage captures her horrified reactions. Watch he video of her ride along here: http://www.grindtv.com/action-sports/moto/post/autocross-ride-is-eye-popping-experience-for-passenger/

Hamfist Racing Press at SCCA.com

Article By: SCCA 

Photo By: Autox4u.com

"EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (April 25, 2013) – Nick Barbato, of Wethersfield, Conn., and Learic Cramer, of Columbia, Md., took home the big prizes at last weekend’s Tire Rack SCCA New Jersey ProSolo in the Meadowlands. Barbato earned his first career Super Challenge win, with Cramer taking home gold in the Ladies Challenge.

With the Manhattan skyline in clear view of the course, the Saturday weather made for a cold, windy qualifying day in the parking lots of MetLife Stadium. Adding to the difficultly on the Dave Newman-designed layout is that it looked deceivingly simple during the course walk, but proved to be difficult to do correctly at the brisk pace during the runs.

Barbato got the qualifying times correct, though, topping the B Stock class in his GT Academy Got It Wrong Honda S2000 by 1.166-seconds to advance to the 32-car Super Challenge bracket.

Under the slightly warmer and less windy Sunday skies, Barbato knocked off Jeff Hurst (Street Touring X-class Anze Suspension Mazda RX-8) and Mark Labbancz (Nissan 370Z) in the opening two rounds to advance to the quarterfinals.

Round three was Barbato’s second visit to a Street Touring X competitor – this time versus the top-qualifying Andrew Pallotta (Stranoparts.com Scion FR-S). Like the opening round, Barbato advanced, and found himself in the semifinals.

Opposite Barbato’s bracket, the semifinal featured Jake (ANZE/Tripoint/ParkItNY/Hamfist Racing Mazda RX-7), who qualified on top of the Super Street Modified class, and Eric Campbell (SoloRacer.com/MonoBalls.com BMW330Ci), who advanced out of the Stock/Street Index 2 grouping in qualifying.

Campbell advanced, and when Barbato topped Ryan Leach (JSCSpeed.com Mini Cooper)from H Stock, the final round was set.

Barbato continued his hot streak to claim the overall victory. Leach bested Jake in the consolation bracket for third place.

Learic Cramer earned her spot in the Ladies bracket by advancing through the Ladies Class 2 in her Nissan 370Z as the second qualifier. Cramer then topped Holly Schwedler (stranoparts.com/Automation Tool & Die Scion FR-S) and Shelly Monfort (StranoParts.com/Shameless Iced Tea Scion FR-S) in the quarter and semifinals – both from her qualifying group.

Once in the finals, Cramer topped Olga Bogdanova (SoloRacer.com/MonoBalls.com BMW 330Ci) - the fastest overall in Ladies Class qualifications – for her first career Ladies Challenge ProSolo victory.

Ted Descovich, of Chester, N.Y., earned the top spot in the Bonus Challenge."

"The One-Wheeler-Peeler", part 1

By: David Corsaro

Well, the Evo X was sold back in November to make way for an even more potent vehicle... a 2012 Toyota Yaris! 


Okay not entirely true- the Yaris is a tad slower and it wasn't meant to replace the Evo. 
This five door dorkfest is my daily driver. 

Being the SE version, it gets a good number of upgrades over a base Yaris including four wheel disc brakes, a quicker steering rack, and 16" alloys for starters.  I also topped out at over 41mpg driving to Lincoln last year... on Dunlop Star Specs. 

 


But can it be fun to drive? Yeah, but not without tinkering.

The first modifications were Tokico HTS shocks and struts and an Ultra Racing 23mm rear bar to help restrict the rear torsion beam from twisting. Crash bolts were added to the front struts for extra negative camber.

Almost on two wheels... let's see if I can keep it on the ground this year.

Adding the ever-proven Dunlop Z1 Star Specs in 205/50/16 on the stock 16" x 6" wheels provided much needed grip over the stock tires. 

Just these few simple changes helped the Yaris nip at the heels of a couple of very well-driven Minis at our local autocross... 0.5 to 1 second behind on a 60 second course. 

Close, but still an eternity in autocross terms.

Clearly the Yaris' biggest flaws are large amounts of body roll coupled with an open front differential. To be fast with these cars will require maintaining momentum, increasing composure and avoid spinning the inside front tire which just wastes energy and adds seconds. To do all of this however requires modifications that will bump the Yaris to one of the newest classes in SCCA's Solo program- Street Touring FWD. 

While still only a supplemental class, it has seen moderate support at the national level and a little better support at the regional level. The majority of experienced autocrossers prefer to drive vehicles that are proven winners in their respective classes. There are a few exceptions, those willing to drive cars that are considered shitboxes within the sport. I am one of those exceptions because I will race anything... but it should be fun to drive too. 

The most difficult task in preparing a vehicle for double duty is keeping a streetable ride for commuting during the week while having a competitive car for the weekend.

Having run Star Specs on five different cars since 2008, I have decided to go with Dunlop's newest creation, the ZII. I am going to start the year on shaved 225/45/16 for the fronts and will be using up my old shaved Z1s in 205/50/16 out back.

Like the Z1, the ZII maintains the ability to flipped inside to outside and consequently LF to RF, LR to RR... rewarding competitors with longer tire life. Less siping on the outer treadblocks should lead to higher grip levels than the Z1.

Ever since owning a Championship White 1998 Integra Type R several years ago, I have always had a soft spot for white cars on white wheels. Can't wait to see them on the car!

The wheels are Kosei K4Rs that I had powdercoated, in size 16" x 7.5" for the fronts, 16" x 6.5" for the rear. 

They weigh in at 13.6 lbs and 12.8 lbs respectively.

The idea behind the heavy stagger is that I did not need, or want, as much grip in the rear as it would be counter-productive in really getting this car turned in and exiting out as efficiently as possible.

 Here is what will tie it all together, literally. Cusco's trick aluminum strut tops(right) with integrated bearing and Whiteline's front control arm bushings(left).

The OEM upper strut bearing on the Yaris uses a pathetic 'bobble' strut top design, meaning that a spongy rubber-isolated bearing is merely sitting into a cup from beneath the chassis. 

Hit a bump, and the car virtually unloads itself off of the bearing since it is not in any way fastened to the car. 

Dive hard into a corner? Mush-fest, camber-loss city. 

The design of the Cuscos fasten the top of the strut to the vehicle's chassis. This will not only allow the springs and struts to do their job as God intended by it will also help maintain front camber a shit-ton better. 

Whiteline's inner bushings for the front control arm will help maintain toe settings as well as caster/camber to an extent. 

The polyurethane control arm bushings also have a side-benefit of controlling wheel hop. This is a big problem for most front-wheel-drive cars with sticky tires. 

I have already started to tackle the chore of locking down the front end by installing custom delrin inserts I fabbed up for the engine and transmission mounts seen above and on the left.

The passenger side mount(not pictured) is now solid steel. 

Next up on the list was probably the most surprising of all... aluminum pulleys. Upon receiving them I verified their total weight at 22.675 oz total. Pretty damn light. 

The steel OEM pulleys weighed in at a shade over 68 oz, so a total savings of over 45 oz or just under 3lbs. My highly calibrated butt dyno witnessed quicker acceleration from a stop and better pull in gear at low rpms. Well worth the money and time to install.

Crankshaft, water pump and alternator pulleys from NST.

In the coming weeks, I'll be continuing to remove weight legally from all areas of the car on the cheap. I have yet to share what I've done for springs and roll control but I am pretty close to getting the suspension to where I want it to be, and while it is a little unorthodox, I feel that it is capable. Think NASCAR or dirt track hillbilly stuff. 

To be continued...

Sloppy Seconds? Okay!!!

photo by Chris Strew of CSPhotography

 By: David Corsaro

 New England Region SCCA's Rallycross program hosted their annual Stafford Springs event on January 12th and 13th.  

Conditions were at their worst once again, which is exactly what any masochistic offroad enthusiast loves. 

Mud, gravel, snow, ice... bring it on!

This time I was driving Morgan's 2010 Toyota Yaris, all decked out with brand new Firestone Winterforce tires purchased literally the day before the event. Weighing as light as my old EF Civic hatchback, I knew it would be a strong contender in Stock FWD- and it was.

Fwd Stock - Total Entries: 14
1 SF 97 Corsaro, David toyota yaris 147.950 142.885 122.881 112.976 526.692
2 SF 79 Perkins, Jacob 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R 158.986 151.961 129.194 116.964 557.105
3 SF 803 Belperron, Pascal 1985 Saab 900 SPG 164.932 155.540 128.246 114.981 563.699
4 SF 43 Knight, Ben 2012 Ford Fiesta S 163.277+1 157.910 136.308 118.432 577.927
5 SF 162 Lapierre, Robert 2000 Honda civic 161.392 167.787 135.308 117.920 582.407
6 SF 822 Belperron, Marcel 1992 Saab 900 178.272+3 151.553 130.849+1 112.692+1 583.366
7 SF 53 Allen, Chris 1999 Volkswagen golf 160.325+1 168.882+5 124.751+1 116.566 584.524
8 SF 176 Mlynarski, Robert 2000 Ford Focus ZX3 161.860+3 160.649+2 143.549 124.116 600.174
9 SF 810 Zaharis, Peter 2008 Honda Civic Si 164.127 165.858+4 135.652 132.968+3 612.605
10 SF 825 Trail, Brent 1991 Honda CRX 151.107+1 151.198+2 DNF 123.872 613.001
11 SF 62 Sutherland, Candace Honda 174.880 162.882 145.476+1 129.398 614.636
12 SF 888 Andrade, Kevin 1992 Volkswagen Golf 165.327 186.189+1 150.824 128.613 632.953
13 SF 806 Dixon, Marcos neon 186.809+11 182.652+3 143.762+1 DNF 706.191
14 SF 833 Dennis, Dan neon 176.859+8 158.898+1 DNF DNS DNF

Saturday results HERE. Sunday results HERE.

The Yaris proved to be very competent in the rough stuff just like my old Civics and Toyotas of yore. Its short wheelbase provided effortless maneuvering through the course albeit with lots of e-brake use. Maintaining momentum was paramount as torqueless front-wheel-drive cars just don't dig out of slow corners the way all-wheel-drive cars do. I had a blast and plan on doing more rallycross events in the red Yaris. 

Unfortunately I did not stay to compete on Sunday as I did not want to chance damaging her daily driver. Kudos to NER for putting on a great event with long, challenging courses. Also thanks to the Dennis family for providing a gratuitous amount of hot food Saturday for everyone at the event- a real class act!

NJ ProSolo - What's it all about?

By: Jake

The New Jersey ProSolo registration goes live at Friday 9am EST. Click here to register. Get in on the action and discover what a ProSolo competition is all about.

Rotary Rebirth: 2017 Mazda RX-7

By: Jake

Sports Car Chief of Mazda Motor Corporation, Nobuhiro Yamamoto, exposes details on the 2017 RX-7 rebirth. The new RX-7 will commemorate 50 years over rotary Mazda sports cars. Yamamoto expressed in an interview with The Motor Report the car will likely start out with a naturally aspirated rotary engine - perhaps a variant of the 16X developed in 2007 - and tip the scales at about 2600 lbs. Despite the lack of forced induction, the larger displacement 1.6 liter wankel would turn out approximately 300 horsepower. Yamamoto - the person responsible for both the FD3S and the 787B engines - insists the new powerplant will be more linear, a trait overlooked on his twin-sequential 13B. Additionally, Yamamoto even mentioned emissions technology advance already engineered that will ensure the compliance of 2017 RX-7. As with all of Mazda's sports cars, he says the development will focus on driver involvement. With more power and 200 lbs lighter curb weight than the last FD3S, the 2017 RX-7 is poised to be a true drivers car. We believe that if Mazda has the passion and "drive" to develop this car, it must deliver a chassis and suspension worthy of a 21st century super-car. 

SSM RX7 Engine and Interior Pictures

Speedway Motors 2012 SCCA Solo National Championships Music Video

Monticello Motor Club NARRA USTTC 2012

By: Jake

This video coverage of the NARRA Monticello race gives some great exposure to the NASA Northeast TT regulars, including Scott Mandel, Ben Lesnak, Alan Cohen and Thai Diep.
 

Featured in SoloMatters Toledo ProSolo Highlight Music Video

Do You Need Help Getting Psyched For The Solo National Championships?

Of course not! But to fuel the fire watch these...

2010


2011


2009

World Time Attack Action at Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney Austrailia

By: Jake

During the first day of action at the World Time Attack in Sydney Austrailia, the Nemo Racing Mitsubishi Evolution IX seems to be running away with the event. The car blasted a 1:25.74 second lap, more than three seconds faster than the previous record holder and world champion, Tarzan Yamada and the Cyber Evo. The 900 all-wheel horsepower Nemo Racing Evo is playing in it's backyard representing the Austrian contingent at the event. Appearing more like a fish than a car, the Nemo Racing Evo (appropriately named car, possibly after Nemo the animated fish) is the most radical time attack car Hamfist Racing has ever seen. By tomorrow a champion will be crowned. Our money is on Nemo.

Media Exposure On AutomobileMag.com

Driver, Jake, and the Hamfist Racing SSM Mazda RX7 are caught in a story on www.AutomobileMag.com about the new Subaru BRZ coupe.

Hamfist Racing SSM RX7 Wins Toledo ProSolo & Takes Atlantic Zone Championship! Next Stop Nebraska...

By: Jake

Toledo Express Airport (Photo By Brian Stone)

High Pressure Performance SSM Mazda RX7  (Photo By Brian Stone)

At the Toledo Express Airport traction was high but emotions were even higher. After years of preparation, the Hamfist Racing Super Street Modified (SSM) RX7 was ready to be pitted against the High Pressure Performance RX7 of the Thompson family at the 2012 Toledo ProSolo. Many believe the Thompson's RX7 is the most highly developed SSM car in the country. They would be right to think so. Their RX7 had been dominating SSM competition across the country during the 2012 Solo National Tour and ProSolo series. Carter Thompson has tallied multiple wins over Erik Strelnieks' 3-Rotor, three time SSM national championship, Jungle Cat Racing RX7. With Carter's track record, my goal going into the event was to just keep up. The anxiety reached a paramount as SSM drivers approached the start line for competition Friday. I was excited, yet fearful, to see how the car would shake out in comparison to the Thompsons' creation.

High Pressure Performance SSM Mazda RX7

At the start of competition Friday, adrenaline built up so strongly in my body that I proceeded to jump the lights and get disqualified for three of my four runs, putting the car in last place. The raw times were suppressed in the results, which merely displayed "RL" indicating the disqualification from a red-light start.

The next morning the competitors conceded they dug through the raw data online and found my times were at the top of the class. My confidence was buoyed by my scratch time performance from the previous day. With dwindling anxiety and increased familiarity with the start line traction, I was able to blast out of the hole with green lights laying down lap after lap of blisteringly fast times. One lap, most notably, was into the 26.XXX second realm which raised eyebrows across the event. This performance on day two posted me solidly in first place over Carter Thompson, Brian Johns (former ES National Champion), and Dan Chadwick (RX7 guru and 2009 SSM National Champion).

Charles Berger

The day was a success but tomorrow I would need to improve lap times further to lock in the win. Later that afternoon I received a call from my family with heart sinking news that my grandfather passed away. He led a long life, raised a great family - including my mom and two twin aunts - and pursued his dream, successfully becoming a professional artist and illustrator. I will miss him and my grandmother greatly.

For most of the weekend, I was able to keep my family in my thoughts. However any autocross racer can tell you, the moment the clutch is released going into a sea of cones, there is only one clear and concise goal dominating every action in your body and ounce of concentration in your mind. That goal is driving perfection. It is this surreal experience of absolute concentration and physical precision that motivates racers to continue in this sport. Life may be scary, sad or confusing at times. For a racer, driving is an escape, a meditation, a moment of clarity.   

 

Hamfist Racing SSM Mazda RX7  (Photo By Jane Rabatoy Quinn)                                

At the starting line Sunday for final SSM class competition runs, the tree began flashing... Yellow. Yellow. With that second yellow flash of light, my minded raced with compassion and grief towards the loss and pain in my family. Yellow. By the third and final yellow my mind went completely blank. My right foot pushed the gas pedal to the floor-pan and my left foot lifted off the clutch towards to the sky! The rotary powered Mazda tore off the starting line with the fury and power of my entire emotional state. I was able to pull off the ultimate class win with dueling 26 second lap times on both left and right courses.

Below is the uStream video from Sunday Heat 3 competition runs. The action between Carter and I begins at the 1:25:00 mark

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SoloMatters Features 2012 Devens National Tour & Hamfist Racing!

Video By: SoloMatters

By: Jake

The front right wheel lifts substantially around the 1:23 second mark in the video. The Hamfist Racing SSM Mazda RX7 finished 1st Place in class by over 5 seconds at this event!