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| Four runs with minimal drama, loaded under its own power back on the trailer and ready to go home. |
Finally, a full event (sort of) with the LS-swapped Camaro. It wasn't a real autocross since it was a test-and-tune with the Chesapeake PCA, but I'll call it a win since the car made four drama-free runs.
You may recall after 5.3 v1.0 hit the dyno, I attempted several autocrosses. I got one run in at a Susquehanna SCCA event before the throttle cable ripped out of the nub on the throttle body. Then I completed one run at a WDCR autocross before a rain deluge dumped ponds of water on course making it unmanageable on new Hoosier A7s. There was another time I couldn't make it to up the hill to grid at another WDCR Summit Point autocross because the fuel pump was dying. Another time where the clutch throwout bearing gave up while trying to load the car on the trailer the night before an autocross.
There might be one or two other fails I'm not remembering or trying to forget.
With 5.3 v2.0 freshly tuned, and then taking it for a nice afternoon drive around the 'hood, it was time to put the car to the test.
With only two autocross runs since my last full autocross on Oct. 1, 2017, to say I was nervous would be an understatement. Would it hold together? Would some mystery whack-a-mole rear its head?
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| Eighteen miles, which means between 18 minutes and 40 minutes commuting in the DMV. |
There were 40+ competitors with about half driving Porsches. Since WDCR lost FedEx Field and migrated further south to Regency Furniture Stadium, the clubs who have been utilizing Baysox Stadium will see an uptick in attendees this year.
The event was split into two heats, and I ran first. First car off to boot!
I made it through the first run and was really tentative trying to shake off rust but mainly hoping the car wouldn't break. Temps were in the 50s so getting heat in the Hoosiers was a challenge. The front tires especially had zero grip.
PCA does their "grid" with just two lines of cars stacked nose to tail. I'd prefer a true grid to park after each run and check tires and whatever instead of getting back in a line that doesn't stop until the next line starts moving.
After my third run (after jump-starting the car -- may have to rethink my lightweight battery choice), I parked in my paddock spot. We were projected to get eight (8!) runs. The power steering was whining I suspect because the reservoir wasn't entirely full. Plus with the rapid-fire format, cooling the car down was more preferable than trying for a fast time at a practice autocross.
Pulling the car in line for one final run, I clocked a 49-something. Four relatively successful runs were a win in my book, so I loaded the car on the trailer. Danny Kao might have been FTD in the 45s piloting his midlife crisis Porsche GT2.
Driving impressions so far, it may be the fastest vehicle (going by HP/weight) I've ever driven just behind a few practice runs in Rod McGeorge's SSP C6 Z06.
1. SSP Z06
2. This thing (3,000 pounds, 382 whp)
3. Stock C5 Z06s
Of course brought a GoPro but it wasn't loaded with an SD card. No video for you! Or me. You will just have to believe my claims.
The Camaro powered to the rev limiter twice in this little lot. Longer gears will make it more manageable -- perhaps 3.23s. But the car rips to the rev limiter without any noticeable drop in power. Looking at the dyno plot, horsepower is ramping up all the way to redline while torque falls off a tiny bit.
Going by my self-imposed limit of autocrossing within a 120-mile radius, the next event isn't until the end of April (if I want to go to Harrisburg with SCCA-Susquehanna) or May 6 with this same PCA group but at Ripken Stadium.
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