October 1-3 at VIR... Come out, meet the drivers, check out their cars, bring a good camera, and cooler filled with beer. We are planning on doing little grill out / BBQ or something...

Discounted Tickets
In order to get discounted tickets, the invited club must send one check to VIR. Stacy @ Triange Z Club has been kind enough to set up online registration and payment at http://www.myautoevents.com. Triangle Z Club will absorb the transaction fees since we are 'requiring' pre-registration. While the discount isn't all that much, it's something... Prices are as follows:

3-day ticket, includes program - $36 (reg $40)
Friday only - $9 (reg $10)
Saturday only - $18 (reg $20)
Sunday only - $27 (reg $30)

With that said - simply follow the link to the website, create an account, then register - it's that simple! Click here to be taken to the registration!

Accomodations
A lot of places are already booked up. Best bet seems to be Innkeeper in Roxboro, NC. Cost is $52 / night. If you have other suggestions, please post them here.

BEFORE


MOTOR OUT


NEW COLOR


NEW MOTOR

i can give you guys some details if your interested

Just thought I would introduce myself. My names Mike and I was at Radford and a member of the VT car club. Currently im back hom in NOVA going to school up here this semester. Next semester I'll most likely be down at tech. A couple of you guys know me from a few events I've been to (The vmp autocross being the most recent). I know jason (sijayray) from high school actually.

Anyways, I currently drive a Red 91' Sentra SE-R. Mods are an AEM CAI, Hotshot Header, 2.5 inch exhaust with a universal magnaflow muffler (no tip, just a 2.5 inch outlet. I hate that ricey stuff). For the suspension I have AGX struts and some custom springs from Hyperco (1 inch lower, spring rates 300 front, 200 rear). Brakes are AD22's up front with Axis ultimates and ss brake lines all the way around.

In the very near future the car will be getting a new engine. Lets just say its alot more powerful then the SR20DE, and it isnt a DET. After that I really want to get an S13 to build up with an insanly powerful DET. I'd also like to get a CBR600 F3, or an R6 if I can afford it.

Well, I just wanted to say hi, and hopefully I will see you guys around at any upcoming events. Feel free to come up to me and say hi.

-Mike

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTI5NjU1NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D">http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetod ... MXk1NDE%3D</a><!-- m --> (right click, save as)

I am going to miss Fifth Gear tonight, cause we don't get Speed Channel.

Saw one of these yesterday, I didn't even know such an engine exsisted! hock: Of course, it's rediculous, making only 310HP, but 553TQ, and I read that with a chip, torque is easily 650. Seems like a lot of engine for that SUV, and not practical for any other reasonably priced vehicle. I don't know what they're going for-- I guess if nothing else, it out-tows just about anything. It better though, with prices starting at 57k....

i saw this on speedvision a few months ago and it was absolutely amazing. basically, jetsprinting is like autocrossing for boats. It originated in the natural rivers of australia and new zealand. there is no boat to boat racing, and its on a natural or man made course that usually lasts less than a minute. the tracks are usually creeks or rivers around 2 feet deep and the channels they drive through are 30 or 40 feet wide. the boats are INSANE. they are tiny, 2 person hulls with a 700-1200 horsepower engine strapped in behind the driver/navigator. in hard corners the two occupants pull up to 7 g's. the boats can also accelerate from 0-80 in 3 seconds (this is all according to <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ussba.org">http://www.ussba.org</a><!-- m --> ). they can literally turn 180 degrees in the space of a few feet at nearly top speed due to the jet nozzle. the reaction of the boat is practically instantaneous to driver imput, and since there are no brakes, and the only way to steer is with the throttle, corners are taken at balls-to-the-wall speed. unfortunately i can't find any videos, but it is on speed channel every now and then. tracks and interest is spreading fast, so it may not be long before we see this on the east coast (the only current U.S. tracks are in whashington)

pictures are in my gallery!

sprintboat.org also has a ton of info on these things

So I started taking apart my front brakes and I pulled all the pins out. Got the pads out with little to no problems. Then I wanted to compress the pistons back into the calipers to make more room for the beefier pads. 3 of the 4 pistons went back in when I clamped at them with a pipe wrench. The 4th wouldn't go in at all tho.

Then I did something stupid. I hit the brakes once to try to dislodge the the 4th piston, and the 4th didn't move... but another did. Now, there's like 5mm between one piston and the rotor.... and the 4th is still stuck. What do I do? I'm about to just ebrake it over to a shop. Advice?

Yeah this is a bit off topic, but what the hell...

Complete ad w/ pics:
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb....1002655631

Executive summary:
OS X 10.3 - SOLD
iBook VGA adapter - $10 + shipping

-John

because i don't have one...

i realized that i never wrote up a review of the mazda 3 i autoxed and i also test drove a miata today for my $25 best buy gift cert.

first off, the mazda 3

i autoxed it at vmp not too long ago before headin up to DC for a week long conference. because it was a rental, it was automatic which really hurt my autox times as anyone who rode with me can attest to. also, it was missing a good set of rubber. other than that, it was a blast to drive. it did understeer pretty badly until it caught and then snapped into a slight oversteer, but i think that could be cured by tires and better power delivery on throttle input with a manual tranny. the interior was decent for a compact econo car and it was very roomy. i'd like to try to sportier version with a 2.3L. a few mods and thats one hell of a fun car to drive.



earlier today, i test drove a new miata with the sport package (few aesthetic accessories and bilstein shocks). they didnt have a mazdaspeed miata because they arent an authorized mazdaspeed dealer, but this car was a blast to drive too. i took it through its paces on a few backroads around here and it was a good time. obviously, it doesnt pull as hard as the STi, but definitely faster than the integra. the suspension felt stiff but definitely more streetable than the STi. the pedal placement was a bit cramped as was the steering wheel which apparently didnt tilt. what was the best was the 6 speed shifter. the throws were really short and very crisp. it kept you in the power band, perhaps a little too much though. even in 6th, i was at 4k at 80mph. thats as bad as 5th in my crappy LS tranny, so the car isnt meant for highway cruising. overall the car was a bit cramped, but that should change when its gutted.

its still a fag car though. (for you, evan)

hopefully at some point, i'll own one...