There will be an Auto-X at the Santa Maria, CA Airport on Saturday March 25, 2012. Attached is a flyer on the event. The Auto-X is being put on by the California Central Coast chapter of the Porsche Club of America (PCA). It is at the new track on the Santa Maria Airport grounds. The track was recently built for the introduction of the 2012 Porsche Carrera to journalists. Here is a link to a video of a lap around the SM Airport Track: Hot Lap at the Santa Maria Porsche 991 Racetrack - YouTube Looks like a high speed course, more of a race track than auto-x course. Should be exciting! The Auto-X is geared towards Porsches but other cars can attend. The cost is $45 and here is a link to the registration site: MotorsportReg.com : PCA - California Central Coast announces Teststrecke Porsche I (Sat 24 - Sun 25 Mar, 2012) info at Santa Maria, CA Airport, Santa Maria, CA 93455 (5601) After registering you can click the link to see all the other cars attending the event. PCA is also having a driver’s training event on Saturday but it is only open to PCA members. I am registered for the Auto-X and can’t wait. I hope to see you at the event.
84 cars are registered, of course mostly Porsches. Looks like I am the only Mini Cooper registered to run. Pro racer Townsend Bell is registered to run a BMW M3.
I had a great time at the PCA Auto-X. I did end up being the only Mini. There sure where some nice Porsches at the event. It rained the night before the event so the track was damp for the first couple run groups. I was in the second of four run groups so a little slick my first three runs. Pro Racer Townsend Bell gave a little talk during the lunch break and answered questions. Townsend was in my run group driving a BMW M3. The track was fast! Third gear all the way around for the Mini. The organizers said the track was 0.7 miles and my best time was 37.9 sec which is an average of 66.5 MPH. Pretty fast considering you start from a dead stop and had sharp slowdown turns at the finish. We had seven runs and I still had more improving to do because of the steep learning curve (needed more guts each lap to drive faster). Results have not been posted yet.
Auto-X results were just published. I got 21st out of 61 entries. I was a little disappointed until I looked closer at what cars beat me, many with racing tires. I was beat by cars such as Porsche GT3s, Porsche Cayman S, Corvette Z06, Subaru WRX STI, and BMW M3. It was a fast course that gave the advantage to higher horsepower cars. I beat normal competition such as VW GTI.
Was that a White M3? If it was, that's my son-in-law's car. He and Townsend have become pretty good friends over the past few years... He told me your auto-x was a blast!
Yes Townsend was driving the white M3. He kicked my butt by 2+ seconds. I am not sure what tires they were running on the M3. It is amazing how a pro can jump into a car and go so fast/smooth even though he admitted that Auto-X was not his thing. Townsend did say that his first race, when 12, was at the Santa Maria Go-Kart track adjacent to where we Auto-X'd.
Yes, that is my son-in-law Jimmy's bone stock M3. What a fun ride... He tried to describe what they'd been to when I was talking to him Monday nite, but I just couldn't place a road course in the S/M area where you could turn a 35 second lap. He told me I ought'a come over with my MINI and have a go. I've never been an auto-x advocate, but it sounds like a blast and I may just take him up on it. Afterall, the stay is free. I can find out the tire type and I'll get back to ya later today. Cheers...:beer
Hi Jon, The Corvette club is going to run part of the same track on April 7th. Here is a link to their website. Vapor Trail Vettes Home Page The course will be much slower (1st & 2nd gear) and shorter. (i.e. not as much fun). The Corvette Auto-Xs usually have around 40 cars and we usually get 10 runs. Mike
So I finally found out that the tires on the Beemer are the OEM 19" Contis. From what I gather, they will soon become the street tires.....