<VV> Autocross at the 2014 Corvair Expo

[Eric Taylor]

I have to do it again!

Thursday at the 2014 CORSA convention in Tacoma I tried autocross for the first time. It was a simple thing really, I wanted to enter the Edward Cole competition so that required me to do it.  I had never raced before, I had never even driven my truck hard so this was a new experience.
My truck is a '61 rampside with a '65 110HP engine cammed up and a four speed .  I have some serious sway bars and stiff suspension to go along with my 17" low profile tires.  Body and accessory modifications have added a couple of hundred pounds to the weight of it.

We arrived bright and early at the Bremerton Motorsports Park where the crew had set up a challenging course for the autocross.  First we had a drivers meeting describing all the rules and safety precautions, then we had a walk of the course pointing out the directions we would need to go and some tips on how to get better speed.  Then came the time that I was particularly nervous about, I had to drive my truck out on the track and drive this course.  
Predictably, my first time around was slow and clunky, although it only took me a couple of corners before I started to get the feel that I could really push harder than I had ever done before.  My time was in the 140s. My second test run was a little more ambitious and came in at 132 I had some confidence and experience from the first run.   My two practice runs were finished and after a lunch break came the real test. I drove well but unfortunately I had grabbed third gear when it looked right and the extra speed made me miss three gates, I learned quickly that second gear is all that is needed.  The next couple were better.  I learned slowly but surely and I eventually managed a personal best clean run at 118 seconds.  Not very good when my competition (Dale Dewalt) was at 113 but as he has been doing it for many years I did not feel bad.  I resigned myself to being the worst driver of the day with the biggest smile. 

Later we were offered a chance to do some fun runs. I had a chance to ride with each of Shaun McGarvey, Daniel Morse, and Greg King in their cars.  Wow!  These guys can drive!   My face hurt from grinning.  With Shaun I rode on a 109 time in his '64 Spyder.  That was above his personal best of just over 106 but fast nonetheless. 
Both Greg and Dan with their big bore LM cars were in the low 90s. Holy smokes that is a different world from where I had been.  
Then Shaun offered to take me for a ride in my own Rampside.  I thought that would be great!   I was thinking he could easily beat me and maybe even reach Dale's time.  Imagine my surprise when he pulled out a 105x time!  He was faster in my Rampside than he was in his own Spyder, and that was the first time he had driven it.  
I'm hooked, and now I know I have to come back !

> Eric Taylor,
> Corveric at me.com
> 604-309-2268
1961 Corveric Rampside, Langley, BC Canada