MCO Snow-X event #1 this Sunday, Jan 11

[405hp]

A reminder that the MCO Snow-X season officially kicks off this Sunday with the first event. Rumors have it that we will even have a celebrity special guest at the event - there's potential for national TV coverage!

The championship will host 5 events weather permitting, and a rubber-to-rubber ice race is also scheduled! And remember that will race in your own class (FWD, RWD and AWD) so there's no unfair traction advantage... the fastest and most consistent driver wins!

So leave the message board racing at home, and come out to the Capital City Speedway, have fun racing, and learn a thing or two about car control!

Registration is $20 for MCO members, $40 for non-members and is highly encouraged online here:
http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=269&BT=10&PrivEv=7122

Gates Open at 7:30AM
Registration: Opens at 7:45AM closes at 9:00AM
Drivers Meeting at 9:15AM
Parade lap after drivers meeting and first run after parade lap.
45min break for lunch.

Instructions:

4 Classes: FWD, RWD, AWD, Tractionized Tires.
Rubber to ice, no Studs.
Helmet is required, get one, or borrow one of the clubs.
Check your helmet rating, Snell 95 are no longer legal.
Speed limit on the Access road and paddock is 10KPH ...save it for the track.
Make sure your vehicle has no leaks.
Clean off all the salt crud before entering the facility.
Please do not walk in front of the timing truck and always go to the drivers side to get your run times.
Please bring a shovel to help get the snow back on the track at the end of the day.
This next one is very important. We don't have access to the facility without the MCO Winter Driving School.


Directions:

From Ottawa, take the 417 West, past the Corel Centre. Take the Highway 7 exit towards Carleton Place/Toronto. Take your first exit, Hazeldean Road, to the right at the first overpass. Stay right and take your first turn to the left a few hundred metres away. Follow the access road as it turns to the right and go a short 1.2kms until you see a yellow entrance gate on the right. Turn in and drive down the access road and you're there.

*** NOTE*** Due to the new Hazeldean Overpass - ALL mapping software is incorrect.

For more information about Snow-X events, please visit the MCO Winter Ice Racing and Snowcross forums here: http://www.mco.org/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=15

Some pics from previous events:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0090.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0091.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0095.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0087.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0072.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0070.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0069.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0057.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0041.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0038.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0033.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/1morelap/Snowcross/DSC_0035.jpg

[405hp]

I guess there's no need to keep it hush-hush... our guest is Rick Mercer!


Mr. Rick Mercer and crew of the popular CBC show "the Mercer Report" will be filming this weekend at MCO's first winter driving school/ snowcross event weekend held at Capital City Speedway just west of Stittsville.
After a rant on winter tire usage and a subsequent email and invitation from MCO's Ted Rance regarding the subject, the intrepid journalists have decided to investigate what we do further. The cast and crew will be filming on Saturday and mostly on Sunday.

http://www.mco.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124:mercer-report-attends-first-mco-snowcross-event&catid=21:club-news&Itemid=32

[snowstang00]

ricker mercer = funny guy who needs a booster seat.

I may have to come out to take pics! :victory:

[Speeder_69]

Can one spectate this event?

[405hp]

I'm so IN. Brand new winter tires baby.

Registered and paid.

That's awesome... I see that your profile says you drive a RAV4... is that the car you intend on running at the event?

Reason I'm asking is because I believe SUV's (even RAV 4's and CRV's and such) are not allowed to compete due to high ground clearance and rollover possibility. You may wish to double check on the MCO forum.

[405hp]

Can one spectate this event?

Of course!

[Casper97RS]

Husband will be in an MR2...that is, if he managed to get it fixed by then :D

[Husband]

Reason I'm asking is because I believe SUV's (even RAV 4's and CRV's and such) are not allowed to compete due to high ground clearance and rollover possibility. You may wish to double check on the MCO forum.


Gaaahhh!! Well then I guess I'll need that credit card auth cancelled :( The MR2 isn't in running shape right now. :dunno:

[Casper97RS]

Gaaahhh!! Well then I guess I'll need that credit card auth cancelled :( The MR2 isn't in running shape right now. :dunno:

Booo...that sucks dude. I hope you at least got it towed out to QC alright!

[Husband]

Booo...that sucks dude. I hope you at least got it towed out to QC alright!

Yeah man. Thanks for all your help, you rule! Got it out there for under 60$, which isn't too bad. :thsmokin:

According to the MCO forums, RAV4's are not permitted. :( boooooooooo

[Trueno]

We'll be there with bells on... We have a rally car to shake down before the Perce-Neige and this would be the perfect event to do it.

Even better if Rick Mercer is there... so of you crazies can take him for a ''ride''.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_311408_3926.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_311412_5350.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_311422_8605.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_311402_1083.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_311405_1982.jpg

[1morelap]

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_311402_1083.jpg

LOL.. that's me drivin the suby, forgot all about that one. awesome, I'll be there with the audi this weekend.


husband, what are you drivin, there are some SUV allowed, some not. EDIT.. i see greg already figured it out, too bad dude.

[Casper97RS]

Yeah man. Thanks for all your help, you rule! Got it out there for under 60$, which isn't too bad. :thsmokin:

According to the MCO forums, RAV4's are not permitted. :( boooooooooo

No worries...sorry it didn't work out as planned! Fuckin' CAA...

All these pics make me wish I had a little beater to hit this up with...looks like alotta fun!

[405hp]

It's a great amount of fun. Keep and eye out for people selling their dying daily drivers for $1000 or less. There were at least 2 AWD Suby's on here for sale, one guy was practically begging someone to take it. Those cars make great snow-x machines.

Also, one of the nice things about MCO's Snow-X is that it allows for track-side storage. So you can buy a car, wether it might pass a safety and/or e-test or not, tow it to the track, leave it there for the winter, then tow it away from the track in spring. No need to worry about safeties, e-tests, insurance, etc. since the car never gets driven on public roads (if you so decide).

[Casper97RS]

It's a great amount of fun. Keep and eye out for people selling their dying daily drivers for $1000 or less. There were at least 2 AWD Suby's on here for sale, one guy was practically begging someone to take it. Those cars make great snow-x machines.

Also, one of the nice things about MCO's Snow-X is that it allows for track-side storage. So you can buy a car, wether it might pass a safety and/or e-test or not, tow it to the track, leave it there for the winter, then tow it away from the track in spring. No need to worry about safeties, e-tests, insurance, etc. since the car never gets driven on public roads (if you so decide).

Wow...that actually sounds pretty sweet. See...part of the problem is I only have 1 parking spot, no garage, and don't feel like owning a crappy DD for winter that may or may not breakdown on me. But with this scenerio, I could keep the DD on the road, and just have a busted up snow-x car to fling around a track!

Any more info? I.E. cost for them to store it, memebership costs, etc. Also, are they insured, just in case someone came along and stole the peice of crap?

[Trueno]

Wow...that actually sounds pretty sweet. See...part of the problem is I only have 1 parking spot, no garage, and don't feel like owning a crappy DD for winter that may or may not breakdown on me. But with this scenerio, I could keep the DD on the road, and just have a busted up snow-x car to fling around a track!

Any more info? I.E. cost for them to store it, memebership costs, etc. Also, are they insured, just in case someone came along and stole the peice of crap?

Take the battery with you, keep the doors unlock and leave some change in the ashtray with a note that says ''your Welcome''... But, the compound is locked and pretty deep in the woods, so chances are they wont bother for a beater.

Serioulsy, I might be doing this next year with a RWD (just more fun) or even a AWD if I'm lucky. The FWD's are just no fun (IMO).

[Casper97RS]

I agree...I see pics of the civics and golfs out there, and I just can't picture it being as much fun. I'd much rather pick up a used subby with AWD (who cares what kinda condition it's in, just get it cheap and running). AWD would be a hell of alot more fun being able to actually control the car, instead of just sliding straight into every snowbank at every turn...or having to slow down so much, that it no longer has the same fun factor.

[405hp]

Any more info? I.E. cost for them to store it, memebership costs, etc. Also, are they insured, just in case someone came along and stole the peice of crap?

There's no cost for storage. MCO annual membership costs $60. Entitles you to pay $20 instead of $40 for Snow-X events, $30 instead of $40 for Auto-X events in the summer, and many other things that I don't even know. There's no insurace provided. You can add the car with comprehensive coverage only for a few bucks a month under you current existing policy, but for a beater that's only worth a few hundred bucks, it's probably not worth it.


I agree...I see pics of the civics and golfs out there, and I just can't picture it being as much fun. I'd much rather pick up a used subby with AWD (who cares what kinda condition it's in, just get it cheap and running). AWD would be a hell of alot more fun being able to actually control the car, instead of just sliding straight into every snowbank at every turn...or having to slow down so much, that it no longer has the same fun factor.

Although I agree that the AWD guys are faster generally speaking, keep in mind it's not the car, it's the driver. At this summer's Rally-X, I was only 1 second off-pace from the rally-prepped STi that was there turning the fastest times. And that's with a slushbox-equipped FWD 1995 Dodge Stratus that I got almost for free, and I'm nowhere near one of the best drivers there.

You CAN have just as much fun in a FWD and you CAN turn fast lap times!

[Casper97RS]

Thatnks for all the info! Free storage is sweet, and you're right about the insurance, not worth it if it's only a beater car.

And yeah...I could see a good driver in the SUMMER being able to turn decent laps, but in the winter with FWD? I just don't see how there could be nearly as much control, no matter how good you are...you'd still be forced to take it quite a bit slower than the AWD guys, and probably the RWD guys as well, since at least they can drift through the corners easier. FWD + too much speed in a corner = slide stright through corner...HAHA. Or maybe I just REALLY suck at driving!

[1morelap]

last season the overall champ was the golf, year before that it was a rwd miata... the driver is kinda important. and tires.. really really good tires.

[Casper97RS]

The rwd miata wouldn't surprise me so much...like I said, they can pull the whole dorifto thing. The golf definitely surprises me though! Anytime I take a corner with a little extra speed in the winter, the car just heads pretty much straight, until I let off the gas completely, and bring it back. Might also help if I actually went somewhere that I could actually safely push things without worrying about traffic around me...would definitely boost the confidence and handling skills I suppose. I just don't wanna be the slow-ass noob at the track...HAHA.

I guess most guys suit up with brand new high-end winter tires each year, eh? What sseems to be the most popular tire being run? Or is it a solid mix of 3 or 4 different brands?

[405hp]

Thatnks for all the info! Free storage is sweet, and you're right about the insurance, not worth it if it's only a beater car.

And yeah...I could see a good driver in the SUMMER being able to turn decent laps, but in the winter with FWD? I just don't see how there could be nearly as much control, no matter how good you are...you'd still be forced to take it quite a bit slower than the AWD guys, and probably the RWD guys as well, since at least they can drift through the corners easier. FWD + too much speed in a corner = slide stright through corner...HAHA. Or maybe I just REALLY suck at driving!

You're welcome.

Try it out with your FWD first, then revisit your statements, that's all I can say! :)

Another thing that's worthwhile to keep in mind is that faster cars have wider margins of error, causing inexperienced drivers to actually run slower, as it is easy for them to over-drive past their ability/skill level. Keep in mind, AWD cars only accelerate faster. They are just as traction limited as RWD/FWD cars when it comes to braking and to an extent, cornering as well.

Often in the summer, E-class FWD econoboxes on street tires at Auto-X were running a few seconds faster than C5 Z06's from A-class, some on R-compound tires. As for Snow-X, Crash Cymbol's posted results speak for themselves.

And with all that said, racing is racing. It's motorsports competition, and it's classed, so other FWD/RWD/AWD cars have the same advantage. And regardless of what class you're in, it's just as much fun, learning about car control, and improving your driving to drop seconds and milliseconds off your lap times, time after time.

It's addictive!

[1morelap]

The rwd miata wouldn't surprise me so much...like I said, they can pull the whole dorifto thing. The golf definitely surprises me though! Anytime I take a corner with a little extra speed in the winter, the car just heads pretty much straight, until I let off the gas completely, and bring it back. Might also help if I actually went somewhere that I could actually safely push things without worrying about traffic around me...would definitely boost the confidence and handling skills I suppose. I just don't wanna be the slow-ass noob at the track...HAHA.

I guess most guys suit up with brand new high-end winter tires each year, eh? What sseems to be the most popular tire being run? Or is it a solid mix of 3 or 4 different brands?

try left foot brake next time. :) that's what's great about this place, you can try all this and not worry about getting in trouble.

any new winter tire is fine, top ones recently have been the blzzak ws-50 ws60, the hankook ipik409, yokos ic guards, toyog0whatevers.. etc.

[Trueno]

When I mentionned my preference of RWD and AWD over FWD... I only expressed my personnal choice and not what's best.

FWD given equal setting (tires, drivers, power, diff) in the snow will be faster MOST of the time... The RWD will just have more fun doing it ;-)

I've driven/owned/raced a couple of AE86 and NA6 Miata's on dirt, snow and tarmac over the years and those are the chassis that have given me the best bang for buck over the fun per dollar spent factor.

Now... if I wanted to be competitive in a class, I would go with a FWD and learn to drive it well, I believe that FWD can teach you alot about weight distribution, left foot braking and momentum driving.

AWD is just another beast on it's own... IMO, your better to start in a low traction beater if you want to learn anything.

***Yes... I like red cars, red is fast right ? ***

1999 (First rally ever)
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v185/60/26/515964659/n515964659_277557_578.jpg

Rally X this summer
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v322/60/26/515964659/n515964659_722033_5836.jpg

SnowX couple of winters ago
http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v204/60/26/515964659/n515964659_304581_3280.jpg

[T5shortblock]

Thatnks for all the info! Free storage is sweet, and you're right about the insurance, not worth it if it's only a beater car.

And yeah...I could see a good driver in the SUMMER being able to turn decent laps, but in the winter with FWD? I just don't see how there could be nearly as much control, no matter how good you are...you'd still be forced to take it quite a bit slower than the AWD guys, and probably the RWD guys as well, since at least they can drift through the corners easier. FWD + too much speed in a corner = slide stright through corner...HAHA. Or maybe I just REALLY suck at driving!

You obviously never heard off high speed weight transfers and scandanavian flicks...

not to mention, the HANDBRAKE! :notify:

[moose]

so are jeeps not allowed?

[-=M=-]

is the handbrake used often in the snowx events(To get the car to slide)? Or do people generally use the speed/inertia of the car to put it sideways?

[snowstang00]

this is at capital city speedway right?

[Trueno]

this is at capital city speedway right?

Yep !


is the handbrake used often in the snowx events(To get the car to slide)? Or do people generally use the speed/inertia of the car to put it sideways?

The hand brake is mainly used to correct mistakes... If you rely on it, it becomes a crutch and slows you down.

You're much better, like you said, to use the car own inertia and weight transfer if you plan on going fast.

[405hp]

Yep !

The hand brake is mainly used to correct mistakes... If you rely on it, it becomes a crutch and slows you down.

You're much better, like you said, to use the car own inertia and weight transfer if you plan on going fast.

I second what he said.

[405hp]

so are jeeps not allowed?

Unfortunately not.

[Casper97RS]

scandanavian flicks...

I thought that was a sex move!!

[snowstang00]

I thought that was a sex move!!

I believe you were thinking of scandanavian licks....

[405hp]

Bump, this is tomorrow!

The weather will be very similar to today... cold, but sunny and no wind! A great track day!

[OneHellofaFire]

If anyone needs a car: http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/7954520 (no it's not mine).

A saturn would definitely be my choice for a winter event like this, fwd 5 speed, 100hp, very light, rear independent. You won't dent it if you crash and parts are cheap cheap. I've had loads of fun with mine when I had it. Tempting but I have other priorities right now :(

[ClubQuattro]

The vid of RMR at MCO's snowcross:
http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/video.html