Dubs Along the Rockies 2009 : Autocross Competition

August 23, 2009

One of the highlights at this years VW and Audi show, Dubs Along the Rockies was undoubtably the autocross competition.

An autocross ( or Auto-X) can be defined as :

• A timed motorsports competition where drivers navigate  one at a time, through a marked  cone course.

Autocross events tend to place more emphasis on car handling, and driver skill than on sheer horsepower. Autocross has been a popular choice for enthusiasts due to its safety and low cost of participation. Cars drive thru the cone course one at a time, so chances of colliding with another vehicle are all but eliminated. Additionally, most vehicles on an autocross course event will not exceed highway speeds, but that is not to say the events are not difficult or exciting. On the contrary, the activity level as measured in discrete turns per minute, can be higher than that of Formula One racing due to the number of elements included in any given course.  Typically autocross courses are 40-70 seconds in length, and we at 3ZERO3 Motorsports believe that this is a great way to learn skills necessary  to transition to road racing.

Event organizers placed participants into several groups of 8-10 cars each. Participants took turns running thru the course one car at a time, with each run group making 5-6 runs, hoping to get the best time possible. This event was not limited to VW, Audi, and Porsche vehicles, rather the event was open to any and all vehicles.

Participating in these events and competing with our friends and customers is something that 3ZERO3 Motorsports believes strongly in.

Not only does participation in these type of high performance motorsports events helps us to inform our concepts of safety, reliability, and performance in everything we do, everyday. From maintenance and repair to high end tuning, we understand what it takes to compete safely and reliably in autocross events. Competing against friends and customers at the racetrack on  a sunday, is really something that we enjoy, plain and simple.

Sean Thul’s Porsche 944 Spec racer, waiting in line for another run at the autocross course.

Sean normally races in 944 in NASA ( National Auto Sport Association ) Spec series against other Porsche 944’s with similar equipment. But on sunday he joined us in the autocross course, and focused on rotating his 944 thru the challenging cones at the event. You may notice a ‘wrinkle’ in Sean’s fender on the 944. While these imperfections are a faux pas for the competitive car show these ‘wrinkles’ are badges of honor for Sean and his race car, each scratch telling a different story of race inspired drama and danger.

Todd from Autobahn Premier Service, Sean Thul, and 3ZERO3 Motorsports co-owner Scott Simpson, discussing driving techniques.

PPIR provided an excellent backdrop for the autocross event. Not only was the facility state of the art, but there were always staff members on hand to help out and answer questions.

Drivers securing themselves before another run.

Sean securing himself amongst the multitude of safety equipment in his Porsche 944. He is just missing one item, the steering wheel he left on the roof of the car !

Entering turn four, notice the lack of body roll on the race-prepped vehicle.

3ZERO3 Motorsports co-owner Scott Simpson in his modified Audi B6 A4 1.8T Avant. Even with performance coil-over suspension fitted to his avant,  we still  see quite a bit of body roll entering turn three.

Entering the tricky slow speed hairpin turns 5 and 6, where the ability to rotate your vehicle was key. Vehicles suffering from excessive understeer took out ALOT of cones in this transition.

After his run was done, Scott said that he only took out two cones on the entire course. Look closely, how many cones do you see knocked down ?

The corvette setting up turn three very well. Check out how the vehicle is positioned nearest the inside cone as he begins to turn into the corner.

The Bluewater Performance supercharged R32 did very well in this years autocross, and was a blast to watch ripping thru the cones.

3ZERO3 Motorsports continues to be your Denver Colorado leader in VW, Audi, and Porsche maintenance, repair, high performance tuning and motorsports applications. Participating in this years Dubs Along the Rockies autocross event was another wonderful opportunity to not only showcase our talent and dedication to the VW, Audi and Porsche brands, but also to interact with friends and enthusiasts to discuss all things tuning, racing, and repair for the vehicles we love. Many thanks to all who made this event not only possible, but successful and enjoyable.

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