Autocross Rust Removal: Day 2 Insights

Day 2 Recap

The rust removal program continued today.

Unlike yesterday’s return, today wasn’t about simply getting back behind the wheel. It was about learning, adjusting, and starting to understand what both the car and driver needed.

The morning started on a wet course. I was in Run Group 2 today and worked the third heat, so by the time we got to our runs the course had dried nicely and enough rubber had been laid down to improve grip and reduce some of the morning slip-and-slide conditions.

Run 1 was exactly what you’d expect. The car felt sloppy and loose, and honestly so did the driver. Afterwards we made some tire pressure adjustments. Apparently my theory about how much temperature the RE-71RS tires were going to generate was a little optimistic. Whoa.

Run 2 included a rider and actually went pretty well. The course was starting to make more sense, and I was beginning to trust both the car and the grip available.

Run 3 became known as the “wiper run.” Let’s just say the windshield wipers made an appearance despite there being no obvious reason they should have.

Run 4 unfortunately has no video evidence, which means it may have been either spectacular or terrible. We shall never know.

Run 5 started showing some speed, but I absolutely butchered the sweeper. The rear of the car was wagging the dog, I got greedy, and eventually collected a few cones for my efforts. The stopwatch was happy. The corner workers were less impressed.

By the final run, things started coming together. It wasn’t perfect.

The finish still needs work. But it felt like the smoothest run of the day. Today’s definition of smooth, anyway. Looking farther ahead, being more patient in a few places, and letting the car work rather than forcing it.

The times reflected that progression. The first run was over 55 seconds. By the end of the day, I had worked my way down to a 40-second run and was consistently operating in the same performance window.

What stood out most wasn’t necessarily outright speed. It was consistency.

Yesterday I was trying to remember autocross.

Today I was starting to remember how to drive autocross.

A huge thank you to my spectacular wife, Jodie Tengen, who helped keep me organized, tracked times, listened to discussions about tire pressures that probably went on far too long, and provides the support that makes weekends like this possible.

And then there’s Gracie. She spent the entire weekend collecting scratches, belly rubs, and attention from just about everyone she met. Based on the amount of love she received, I think she’s hooked.

The best part of the weekend wasn’t a time or a trophy. It was reconnecting with friends, seeing familiar faces, learning again, and realizing that a twenty-year break doesn’t erase something you truly enjoy.

There is still a lot of rust left to remove.

But for the first time in a very long time, I’m excited to keep scraping.

#SCCA#CincinnatiRegionSCCA#Autocross#Miata#RustRemovalProgram#BackAtIt#DriverMod#RE71RS#GoodFriendsGoodTimes

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