I looked at the results. Not one Z from the West Coast showed up to run B Stock.

 

Guess everyone is scared of Isley! haha.

 

We dont even have any at local events. Once in a while a guy will show up and run a stock car on street tires then they get whooped and go hide on at the HPDE.

We had one BS 350Z local in 2005 but he has gone in to SM2 via HPDE prep. He was not there, his new motor was not done yet.

The 968 showed, but it did not have the speed this year. JGW has been close to me at some of the local events in it. I can only guess the course did not work for the car.

I hear the ES champ will have his BS MR2T at the Pro this weekend. I am sick as a dog right now, have the flu, so that is my excuse for getting crushed by CS.

btw we will have an ex 350Z driver in an RX8 at the Pro.

 

Jason, you might not have locals but surely there are some in the southwest that could have showed. Oh well...

Jim was telling me about their trip out west. Should be interesting.

 

So, Jason, you completely forgot asking me about the diff in the back of my 350Z when you worked grid last Sunday?

EDIT: Sorry, two Sundays ago (the 11th). A mind is a terrible thing to waste...

 

Are there even any West Coast national-level guys left campaigning 350Zs? The only one I can think of is Glen Austin (PDX_Racer), who doesn't attend all of the Tours and Pros.

Jason, if you really want peoples' respect, ditch that RX-8 and win Nationals in a 350Z.

The car's horrible in transitions without a big front bar, which last I heard the 968 didn't have (they didn't buy mine). That would account for its performance, I think.

 

He asked where are all the BS cars... Not the modded slow 350's.

 

Is Glen really natl level.

I get to much love from Mazda right now to give it up for a Z. The only thing that will pull me away from Mazda is a 911 for SS.

I have no idea what he has for a bar on it. Most events he has been much faster. JGW was limping around as a week or so ago he had a bad wreck in a bike race, it was his right leg so maybe he could not step on the gas.

We may see JGW in Barbara's RX8.

 

And this coming from Mr. 5th in PAX with your "soft" BS index. Hell, ya got beat by 4 year old WRX on street tires...

One day, when I learn how to drive...

 

Pax is a tool used to make slow drivers feel good. I just make sure I beat everything in my class.

 

Yeah, I'm not doing a lot of distance events this year, since we're trying to buy a house after selling our old one and moving to a new city late in 2005.

The current BS is the result of a few good drivers going where the $$$ were, plus the RX-8 handles a lot like another perennial favorite among autocrossers -- the Miata. The success that Isley (among others) has had brings a lot of people looking for the "magic bullet" and since the RX-8 is cheaper than the Z (and has four seats), it's a bit easier to justify for the "family guys" among us.

The fact that Carter did well in his 350Z at Nationals (and beat Jason on the second day) seems to have been overlooked by nearly everyone.

 

Him buying an RX8 could have something to do with that. I hope that someone fast in a 350Z shows at natls, Piccione , and can get the Z near the top as I hate to see BS turn into a spec class.

 

My son and I will be at the Nationals with the 07 350Z. Preliminary testing shows it to be a much different beast than my previous 2003. Carter and Jim tried it out at a T&T and were surprised at the changes. Ask them about it at the ProSolo.

 

How so?

 

the '07 Z is still in BS? It has a decent power gain from '06...hopefully it'll allow a Z to get 1st this year!

 

The bone stock car handles better than my 03 with Koni shocks. Turn in is crisper. Because the reline is 7500 vs. 6500 in my 03 the shift points have changed and on most courses 3rd gear is not needed (70 mph on street tires vs. 58 mph in the 03). The biggest change is the acceleration which is not as linear as the 03. It's closer to a boost feeling once you hit 4k and the rear can kick out if you are not careful.

My biggest challenge is to get enough events in the car to relearn how to drive. At an event last week out of 5 runs, 4 were dirty. Darn cone on the inside in a right turn. Must be the hood getting in the way.