When we left the last autocross back in September, we weren't feeling too good about how we drove. When the results came out, the numbers didn't lie: we were last and next-to-last, which wasn't unexpected for our first time out with the top group in the area (Washington DC Region of SCCA). What was surprising was how far off we were from third-to-last.

Undaunted, we brought the two-car effort back at the next opportunity to run with the big dogs. The unique doubleheader weekend had Autocrossers Inc. running the show on Saturday and WDCR taking over the reigns on Sunday. The plan was to use the same course for both days, though in reverse direction for the second day.

Our main issue from September's fiasco was the inability to read a cone-heavy course, leading to DNFs and slow times. Fast-forward to last Saturday, where we were relieved to find the course, even after just one walk-through, to be much better laid out. The designer did a better job of using the whole "A" lot at FedEx Field and gave us a lot more wide open spaces to let our Miatas stretch their legs before having to get whoa'd down for the tight turns that would undoubtedly conspire to break my rhythm and force another brake lock-up as I tried to recover.

The fleet was run identically to the last time out. I almost didn't bother changing tires on Captain Slow, since I did pretty well on the Azenis in Waldorf and poorly on the Bridgestones at FedEx last time out, but with all signs pointing to the newer, grippier rubber being the preferred tire, I figured I oughta run those and give myself the best shot at running better.

The first runs on Saturday were the usual slow adventures for us amatures. Someday we'll have to figure out how the good drivers can walk the course and come back to it an hour later in a car charging into corners without hesitation since they already know where they're supposed to be when they get to the other side. My problem is that I think I know where I should be, but then realize I was supposed to be heading for that gate twenty feet to my left, right about now. There's not much to do about that except to get on the brakes and wait for the car to darn near stop so I can make the correction, and of course that just kills that run's time. The only good that comes out of that is, in a perfect world, that mistake won't be repeated.

On the plus side, we got to run on a dry course. Rain was in the forecast and it showed up during the second of three heats. We dodged the weather bullet by working the course during the first heat - it was dry but conditions were deteriorating - and the rain was done and the course dry by the time we started running in the third heat. Don't think we didn't appreciate not having to deal with adverse weather while trying to get back on the horse.

We left Saturday still in the cellar of the STS class, and that wasn't totally unexpected. It's disappointing, but not surprisingly. We're up aginst people who have been doing this a lot longer and probably don't throw away their first runs getting lost on course. We might learn this when we go to school in the spring.

Kate declined to participate on Sunday. She wasn't thinking warm and fuzzy thoughts of WDCR after last month's outing and figured she'd just do Saturday, but since we left with good impressions after that day's action, she was kind of regretting not signing up for both days. But she did not, so I ran Sunday as a solo act.

Theoretically, the course we ran on Saturday was going to be the one we were going to run on Sunday, but WDCR fiddled with the start area to curve right rather than left, but that was the biggest change. I got there nice and early and walked the course no less than four times, including the novice walk that we've been skipping. Not sure if that helped or not.

Usually working the course before running is helpful, since it gives me a better idea of how hard to drive the corners under my watch. In Sunday's case, I was watching the last few turns coming to the finish. After seeing a number of people charge into a hard left-hander that emptied onto the finish line with gusto, I knew I could dispense with discretion there and just pile on in to make good time on my runs.

The lesson to be learned here is that what works for other people doesn't usually work for me, especially if that involves dispensing with discretion and trying to make up time in the tight elements. So when I made my first run and got to the finish, I threw the Captain in there and at the last second tried to make that left. That's where we realized there was a difference in handling between a fully prepped Camaro on Hoosier A6 tires and a Miata on year-old Potenzas. Talk about a reality check, and I had plenty of time to consider that reality check as I waited for the car to bleed off enough speed to finally start turning.

The STS class at WDCR events is turning out to be a fun bunch. I hadn't socialized much with these guys before as I was just a newbie, but after getting to know some of these people on various forums and the WDCR email list, we're finding them to be good folks. There's a lot of comparing of each other's stuff between runs and the fast guys also compare times as well as on-course strategies. When they start talking this stuff, I just listen and see if there's any useful information.

The only problem with STS is that there's actually three classes within it. First and second on the day were two guys sharing a CRX that shows up in an enclosed trailer. Seriously, they have a car that is not registered for higheay use to run for ten minutes a week of track time in a street tire division. It boggles the mind.

After the CRX is a first-generation MR2 that doesn't look like any fun to drive on the street so I'd hazard a guess that it isn't driven on the street much at all. Then there's the Miata contingent - all of which are registered, insured, and driven with some regularity. I don't think any of them are such no-compromise autocross cars that they can't possibly go on a 500-mile roadie immediately after the event.

Not that this should be construed as whining. It's just that, while some of these guys take this autocross stuff kinda seriously, there are others who take it uber seriously. So there were seven Miatas running to see who would wind up fourth in class.

I wound up last among everyone, but only half a second away from being out of the cellar. Even better, depending on how you look at it, I found another excuse for being slow. I'm not sure when it happened but the right rear shock gave up the fight and during my late runs it was getting pretty tough putting the power down without the right rear wheel bouncing like a basketball.

So we're staring down some fixing before the last few events of the season arrive. I was willing to essentially park Slow for the rest of the year, competition-wise, and run the '99 since any events we'll run won't use SCCA classing, which is unwelcoming to second-generation Miatas that have aftermarket suspension. But Kate says I should freshen up the Captain and keep running that so I will have some idea of what it's going to be like next year when we expect to run every event chasing points. This makes sense, but I have to admit that the '99 drives too well to not take out and fling around the cones once in a while.

Next time out for us is up in the air. I think the BMW cub runs at Bowie on Oct. 24, though Kate will be out of town for that one. I might put the Potenzas on the '99 and have some fun there. CDC runs Bowie in early November, and finishes its season later in the month way up in Frederick with a competitive event on Saturday and a test-and-tune day Sunday. I imagine we'll try to take advantage of all of these if possible before everyone takes a break over the winter.

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