Norton Auto X

Just like the previous post on Hollywood Park Autox. Here's a couple pics from and autocross event held at Norton AFB. I think this was about 10 years ago. I wonder if they still use that venue?I think I was still running the RX-3 back then.

Not this one, this a national champion car. I looked up that car for inspiration. But then again I was hanging around too many pinoys who were nuts over TRD and AE86.



10 years later, do you recognize some of these people?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Driving like it's stolen: a crash course in autocross racing (seattlepi.com)

Autocrossing Hollywood Park

Roughly around the mid to late 90's I tried my hand at driving around the cones. I've heard of autocrossing and visited 1 event a while back but never participated. After enjoying my drag racing phase, I decided going in a straight line wasn't much fun. Unless you have enough dinero to go make your car go into single digits. And since I was working at shop that built lots of Toyotas, and was surrounded by these guys who were in to autocrossing. That time there were quite a few Toyota enthusiasts in the auto x scene.


Moto M. in his super charged coupe.


Alan with his TE27.


Jay S. and his very clean MR2. He still owns this thing.


Me in my RX3 ripping up the course. Really sucked my first time out. But I had a great time.


Satan in da house.


Sunbeam Tigers prowling for some cones.

It's hard to believe all this was over 10 years ago. I began scanning quite a few photos from back then so i'll be putting up a couple more in the not too distant future.

Here's the link to more of the old pics.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Drag Racing... With Corners [Racing] (jalopnik.com)

Back to the roots..

Way back in the day, there were a few enthusiasts that liked Corollas and motorsports. With Moto's idea, Club4AG was born. Since then it has spawned the Corolla and drifting craze ten fold. Now it's 2009 in Primm, Nevada, right at the Nevada/ California stateline. Going back to it's roots of Corollas and motorsports, the dedicated people from Vegas drift, Drift Association, and AE86 Nights bring back the ideals that is Club4AG.

A 2 day event bringing the car show, autocrossing, and drift.


Day 1 was the autocross, which i'm sure everyone knows if gripping through sets of cones. Some may balk at the idea, but like everything else, it takes skill to do this sport. Anyways there's was tons of seat time. I decided to use street tires since I really didn't want to use up r compounds. The surface was slippery since there was fresh dust from the newly constructed course. I did a bunch of mornings and posted up high 38's. After that, I decided it was time for a beer break. Don't worry I didn't drive after that, I wanted to get the party on early.


Since the following week was SEMA some cars destined for Vegas decided to stop by and check out the event.

mmmm Turbo.

The celebrity of the weekend

Moto

Day 2 which I'm sure many were looking forward too, the drift and car show event.


The drift course was tricky. It was laid out with a 3rd gear entry if you have enough power accelerate. With a decreasing radius right turn so you'll need to scrub speed before then so you don't wash out. But too much loss of speed means not finishing the course. So drivers needed to find the balance.

The car show brought out some nice Corollas.

Coupes

Hatchbacks

Props to the people who were able to bring out their rides out to the middle of nowhere. No queen mary or orange county lakes up in here.

At the awards ceremony I won 2 trophies.

I was very happy. Hey Naoki where you going??

And very wet.

The event went really well, but of course when you have a collaboration of Vegas drift, Drift Association, and AE86 Nights, you wouldn't expect anything less from their hard work. Kudos to them and the many others who helped support the event. And of course to the owners themselves who came out to party and show their spirit. This is what Club4ag is all about.

Next year: ?


As the event ended I think about what's next. Due to low turn out, it maybe the last Club4AG sanctioned event. I hope it isn't so, but for now the future is a blur if there will actually be another event.

Now for the rest of the pics click here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• "AT&T Suing Verizon Because "Map" Ad Is Confusing to Dumb People (and Lawyers) [Cellphones]" and related posts (gizmodo.com)

Club4AG meet...

I am awesome... more to come when I get some time.

But here's a couple pics to wet your appetite until then.

Related articles by Zemanta

• "World Series Game 4 Recap: Yankees 7, Phillies 4" and related posts (thefightins.com)

What's left..

After many late nights, i'm still not finished. I'm so tired right now that I can't really think straight. I decided to drop off the car at Long Beach instead of taking it back with me so i can work on it. Which I initially was planning to do. But my judgement was so clouded that I thought that I need a only a few things done. Now I regret my actions after I realize that there may be more that needs to be done. Oh well I'm pretty sure i can get it done we'll see. At least I passed tech with these items:

Battery kill switch activated with

a pull cable.

Tow hooks of the Home Depot variety

Made sometime to swap out the fuel pump swapped out the fuel pump to a 1JZ pump. For that extra bit of confidence

Added the cock crotch strap, my least favorite item.

Thanks to Steve @ SRMotorcars and Henry S. for helping me out with dyno time and tune. The day before the event.

Greddy Festival

The Greddy festival held at the former Marine air field El Toro, combined import motorsports and carshow into one venue. I think it's a first for an import performance manufacturer to throw an event for the enthusiasts that have supported them through the years. Along with the show and the racing, there was also a garage sale so all the low ballers can get their fix on getting the real deal instead of the fake ebay junk. I signed up to drive the in drifting portion of the event. $80.00 wasn't a bad price to drive all day. There was even goody bag for the participants. A set of driving gloves, to add to the collection. A copy of Sport Compact Car magazine with a DVD about GTR's something. And a big calender for the garage. Not bad for $80.00?


On my way to the event, I kinda thought it was going to be like a regular Drift Day. Roll in unload, get teched and were ready to rock and roll. But once I arrived, the line to get in was long. I arrived 7:15a.m. and didn't get past the gate till about 8a.m. I'm like wow this is going to be a larger than what I previously thought.

The event was running late so driver's didn't get on track till about 10a.m. There was only one track for the drift group, which consisted of 40 drivers. They were split into two groups. Each group was to alternate each hour. The course itself was set up for third gear action. Seat time was on the low side during the course of the event. I still had same pair of tires I started with in the morning, and had some tread left over. I normally can go through 4-6 tires in a day. Gosh I hate El Toro's surface. Let's bring back Irwindale east lot.


Drift Association Jack demonstrating his back hand pimp slap to get his point across.


The entry gate for the first turn is way out there I can barely see it.


During the hour breaks between each session, I took a couple of pics of the event. Both at the show and at the drift area. No autox pics, I got tired after that.


The Bay area boys represent. Keepin' it real with the pink wheels.


Falken Tire booth, they didn't have a sale on tires.


A small portion of what Greddy had on sale under their tent. Too bad no parts for Corolla.


This AE86 Corolla looked pretty only from a distance, but I just love the wheels on this car it fits perfectly with the fenders. Word has it that the car wasn't using wheel spacers. Wish I got more pics of this one.


Early 80's Celica GTS, the last RWD body style before they went to FWD in 1986. I first thought this car was a convertible from a distance. But it was a simple two tone paint job.


Interesting interior, wood steering wheel for the classic look and a big shift knob keeping current with the latest trends.


I do appreciate Greddy for putting this event together. But with the different weather changes over the course of the day and the low amount of seat time and no parts for my Corolla, I can't say the event was a winner. Hopefully if they decide to throw another event, they'll sign up less drivers and maybe hold a small competition for both the Autox's and drifters. Maybe even add their suspension and exhaust system in the garage sale.

More pics of event click here.