Well people... it is this weekend and i am planing to go and dance with the cones.

PORSCHE CLUB CANADA WEST REGION - Sunday August 19th 2012 AUTOCROSS EVENT - DOUBLE SIZED PAD!!

First timers and spectators are welcome to attend

If you are co-driving, please indicate (in the 'notes' field) which car you will be driving and who your co-driver is!

EVERYONE MUST READ THE FOLLOWING:

- All drivers and spectators must sign the PCA liability waiver in order to enter the venue. No exceptions.

- All "drivers" under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent.

- This event is capped at 60 drivers. Pre-registration via Karelo is mandatory. There will be absolutely no refunds for this event. Credit towards a future event may be given only in the event of medical or family emergencies, and only if notice is given within 24hours, at the discretion of the event chairperson.

- Pre-registration on Karelo is the only way to sign up for this event. Those showing up with cash on the morning of the event will be turned away.

- Cost is $50+HST per driver. ($56.00) (HST number: 81333 1451 RT0001)

Like the others it is out at the Pitt Meadows airport

Anyone else going to come out?

http://www.karelo.com/enter_res.php?&BID=374#Ev12227 - Sign up here

Gary

karnak wrote: Anyone else going to come out?

Yep.

I hear though that the Colbster is going to miss the event. I think he's afraid of the mighty duke and the new tires I've acquired.

I haven't got the tires mounted yet, but I'm hoping I'm not going to have any clearance issues up front. All four tires are 225/50/16 and the wheels are 16x7 with an offset of 38mm. With the front of the Fiero as low as it is, I'm a little concerned with a possible lack of clearance between the outside edge of the tire tread and the inside edge of the front fender lip. It's going to be close! I may have to raise the front a half inch or so.

I'll obviously know a lot more when the tires are mounted and I put the wheels on the car.

Patrick wrote: It's going to be close!

Well, I got the tires on the wheels and the wheels on the car. Yesiree, it's close... but I think it'll work.

With the front suspension compressed down to the bumpstops, there's about 1/8" of clearance between the outside edge of the tire tread and the inside edge of the front fender lip. (That's while being tested with the wheels straight, hard left and hard right.)

Looks great. As long as it doesn't rub during hard cornering on the track (and I don't think it will), I'll be delighted.

Long day... gotta eat... gotta sleep... early start tomorrow. Looking real forward to the autocross.

Perfect day for autocross. It stayed overcast, so we didn't bake!

Just two members of the Johanson clan today... Gary and brother Al. Colby was conspicuous by his absence.

The new tires felt good on the track. I can still spin the car at will (which happened a couple times), but overall I was pleased with them. And most importantly... they didn't rub the fenders!

Yes. out of 10, this was a 9.5.

No sunblock needed and although the course was stated as "Ridiculous" on the handout we were given, it was fun once we all remembered where to drive. It seemed everyone was driving to their limits. Smiles could be seen everywhere i looked.

i will post some cell phone video in a little bit. here is the course map.

Gary

karnak wrote: here is the course map.

I took Gary's map and rotated it so that we've now got the option of seeing it from this perspective as well. Makes it easier to read Rich's comments.

Interesting layout. Would've made a great demolition derby course if we could've had four or five cars on the track at one time. The "Black Hole" area especially would've been action packed. 

thanks Patrick. i was bagged and when it came up like that i just left it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwFYZYgnY2M&feature=plcp - Here is the video from the car. the one you took, Patrick, failed to upload and it may have been the music i tossed in. i am trying to uploat it again.

karnak wrote: ok. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TckWLSSUtks&feature=plcp - here is your handiwork with my cell, Patrick. it is poor in quality but all round ok. good job!

I've shot lots of video in my life, but never while just holding a "screen" in front of my face. The biggest problem was that without an eyepiece (with an diopter adjustment) to be looking through, I couldn't really see on the screen what I was shooting.  All I could make out was the horizon and a blurry black moving blob. So I simply concentrated on leveling the horizon and keeping the black blob from racing off the screen.

Yeah, the 4x zoom I used must be a digital zoom (as opposed to optical). It sure degrades the image quality. However, blurry video is still a whole lot better than no video.

[EDIT] Gary, I don't know what you use to edit your videos, but when you add a music track, are you forced to drop the original ambient audio? If not, it's often preferable to retain the original audio and perhaps (if necessary) lower it's level in the mix. Otherwise, the video seems kind of "dead". As well as seeing it, I want to hear that Porsche in the video! 

[Patrick] well when i put up a video i add the sound and i really dont know what happens to the other bits that are in there. i will post the version with the actual sound track but there is some chatter and a little sound in the background. there was a funny bit before Al's run that i might post also.. a bit of talking and some background noises...

[Al] more gass and less brake is hard to do when you body knows it is going to die if you miss the corner (sort of). it will take some work to undo the reflex to brake. lol   I am always happy enough to know the car can do it, even if i cant.

Gary

karnak wrote: [Patrick] well when i put up a video i add the sound and i really dont know what happens to the other bits that are in there.

When is this done, after you've uploaded to YouTube?

Editing video prior to uploading to YouTube is the way to go, but I understand that not everyone wants to learn a new program if they aren't into shooting/editing video big time.

karnak wrote: ok. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPoPnUZYjdY&feature=youtu.be - here is Patrick's video without the music.

Gary, I've mixed the audio from both videos (and removed the chit-chat). The new audio track can be used in place of the audio in the "no music" version of your videos. What format and bitrate would you like the audio track? Send me your email address when you have a chance and I'll fire it over so you can upload it.

[EDIT]

Patrick wrote: When is this done, after you've uploaded to YouTube?

I had a look at the video editor incorporated into YouTube, and it sucks. I see it doesn't allow you to upload your own audio track to add to your video.  However, I see that it does allow you to control the relative levels of ambient audio and added music (from their library). Info on that is  http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=183851 - Here .

The audio from an added track will overlap replace your clips’ original audio by default. To customize the volume at which an audio track plays over your clips, adjust the volume slider to at the far right of the name of the track. You can choose between: •Only Music (the default): Plays only the added audio track. •Favor Music: Plays the swapped in track most prominently. •Equal: Plays original and swapped audio at equal volume. •Favor Original Audio Plays the original audio from your clips most prominently

Another option you have in regards to editing the audio (as well as the video) is to use Windows Live Movie Maker. It's rather mickey mouse as well, but it is freely available. Info on using that is http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1696878 - Here . There are of course plenty of superior video editing programs available, and for the most part they're reasonably priced. I've been using http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Studio+Family/ - Pinnacle Studio  for a lot of years.

AllanJ wrote: Let the car start to slide or even spin and work on your car control skills. You'll have fun.

I did that (accidently) at the "Cross" and I think I mowed down about eight cones at once while sliding sideways. They were flying in all directions. It was like I was bowling.

Patrick wrote: Gary, I've mixed the audio from both videos (and removed the chit-chat). The new audio track can be used in place of the audio in the "no music" version of your videos.

Okay, I downloaded one of Gary's videos from YouTube, added my mixed audio track, and uploaded the video again. All this re-rendering has probably turned the Porsche into an even blurrier black blob, but this will still be good enough to demonstrate the use of two blended audio tracks. 

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yyy39fZecM - PCA Autocross August 19, 2012

Patrick wrote: ...it's often preferable to retain the original audio and perhaps (if necessary) lower it's level in the mix. Otherwise, the video seems kind of "dead". As well as seeing it, I want to hear that Porsche in the video!

I poked around and found the official results...

http://members.shaw.ca/rsandor/autox5_aug19_2012fin.html - Final Results - CWR-PCA AutoX August 19-2012 - Sun 08-19-2012

karnak wrote: Ooh. I see my best time is the timing error.

There are more than a couple of examples in the official results where I suspect some of the times where a little, ummm...  "optimistic".  Ya gotta wonder how someone can have one run two or three seconds faster than any of their others. I suppose it's possible, but...

Anyway, it's all for fun. I just wish there had of been more than the ONE lonely Fiero out there. 

AllanJ wrote: I really appreciate Rich and Jamie volunteering their time to run these events...

Oh, for sure! I posted http://www.pca-cwr.org/forums/official-pca-events-and-issues/last-porsche-club-autocross-of-2012-august-19th/ - Here yesterday and thanked them both.

AllanJ wrote: ...and I had a blast driving with you guys and enjoying the really fun course that rewarded driving with your balls so large they had to ride shotgun. lol!

And I really enjoyed and appreciated your advice on driving the course. The day was great fun with you and Gary.

ok. a little late but the program i used was: Avidemux 2.5

it is a freebe that lets you take a piece of a larger video and crop it out and it is easy for noobs like me.

Rich mentioned thet next year, he would be calling out for some help... i plan to find a way to assist but i can't be sure what that will be. i always have a good time.

Gary

karnak wrote: ...the program i used was: Avidemux 2.5

I downloaded it and tried to use it.

It. Was. Awful.

I found the program to be so basic, so limited. I know I know, not everyone wants or needs a comprehensive video editing application, but a program like that is so difficult to be the least bit creative with that it would turn anyone off of editing video for fun.

< stepping down from soapbox now >

Cheese wrote: ...my dad needed a program so I showed it to him.

Aha, I should've known that YOU were behind this!!!

Cheese wrote: ...it's really only for converting to different formats

Yeah, I got that impression from looking it over. It might be fine for that, but man oh man, I'd be going nuts trying to edit anything with it.

AllanJ wrote: Guessing here: Something that would really help him is setting up the course and printing out maps. If this "day before" activity could be done by others then that would really help him.

Pitt Meadows isn't all that handy to me either (although on a Sunday morning at 7:30 AM it's a pleasant enough drive), but I'd be interested in helping Rich set up the course the night before if it meant I could get a few "practice" runs in!

Found a bunch of pictures posted http://formatuning.com/2012/09/03/porsche-club-auto-cross-2012-2/ - Here . Thanks to Tommy Ng for taking and posting them.

Gary, Tommy must've loved your Porsche as he posted no less than eight(!) shots of the 914/6. I'll leave it up to you to download and post your favorite(s) here.

Just one shot of the mighty duke. A little bit of photoshop and the ol' duke looks pretty good.

wow. thanks to Tommy!

this one was good. i am not leaning. i think the door stopped me.

I think I can just make out Al saying "Step on it!"