2013 GRM Challenge Pro Drivers

Alan McCrispin here. I will be at the Challenge this year and plan on driving anything on however many wheels it will keep on the ground. I had to turn down a "free" trip to the F1 race to come to GRM this year but I really did not want to miss this. The Challenge is my favorite event of the year and I give 100% to anyone that allows me to drive their entry. I even broke a thumb driving and entry several years ago early in the day and still drove as many cars as I could the reast of the day.

Like Steve and Danny I have been at the Autocross sport for 30ish years and have 6 national championships. I also came in 3rd out of the 25,000 plus competitors who competed in the Mazda Rev-it-up challenge in 2004. I have raced front wheel drive and rear wheel drive but usually differ to Steve Hoelscher on mid-engine ones. I have also autocrossed trucks, SUV’s & vans.

My pride myself on being able to quickly evaluate and process input from the vehicle and make driving changes in real time on course thus trying to get the most out of unfamiliar cars/trucks.

I will be at the hotel Thursday and plan on visiting with as many people & teams as I can.

I will be on this string most days until the Challenge if anyone has questions.

Thank you all, Alan

In reply to admc58:

Alan When was your first year as a driver at the Challenge?

(FWIW, yes, I'm trying to stroke my own ego.... )

Just because I'm thinking about it... Talking with the pro drivers has been really helpful with my own autocrossing. I once asked Alan how he was able to jump from car, to truck, to home-made creation, and drive them so well. His answer has stuck with me, and I recite it pretty much any time I feel I'm not getting all I could from my car. (I'm not going to tell you what he said. Ask him yourself.)

alfadriver wrote: In reply to admc58: Alan When was your first year as a driver at the Challenge? (FWIW, yes, I'm trying to stroke my own ego.... )

I think it was the year you beat All the Pro Drivers was that 03 or 04...Did that help? I'm pretty sure it was the year after Steve drove the Monster V8 Miata. It is really hard for anyone new to a car to beat a competent driver in a car they are experienced in and you drove really well!

Is that like scoring four touchdowns in one game, alfadriver?

admc58 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: In reply to admc58: Alan When was your first year as a driver at the Challenge? (FWIW, yes, I'm trying to stroke my own ego.... )

I think it was the year you beat All the Pro Drivers was that 03 or 04...Did that help? I'm pretty sure it was the year after Steve drove the Monster V8 Miata. It is really hard for anyone new to a car to beat a competent driver in a car they are experienced in and you drove really well!

In '03 Danny, driving the GTX, beat me in the Mongrel Miata by half a tenth. It was hot and the Miata was on Victoracers which were seriously overheating. The GTX on Hoosiers. '04, I had a last minute business obligation and couldn't make the trip. That was Alan's first year. I was back in '05.

"""""Great feedback!

I am glad that this issue is gaining traction and input from all sides so that we can have a comprehensive and informative discussion.

So has anyone won any titles in a mostly stock e30?""""

Highly modified GRM e30 and I drive a 97 M3/4/5 everyday.

Alan

SVreX wrote: Anyone campaign a MINI?

Fastest Mini at SoloII Nationals driving the GRM entry one year but it was not class competive in SP. Finished 2nd in HS by .072sec another year. Tons of FWD experience.

Alan

hobiercr wrote: If Alan is coming again I've got a question for him. How twitchy do you want me to set up my FWD car? Based on the way things are going when (if) I get her running right I want to get the setup closer to one end of the spectrum so I can remove/loosen rear end stiffness rather than put stuff on.

I like loose...1/8 to 1/4" total toe out depending on the setup of the front end. More stock on the front = more toe out in the rear. Be ready to adjust if possible. You can always get loose rear by upping the rear tire pressures a bunch if needed...50psi;)

Alan

In reply to admc58:

Thanks Alan. Exactly what I was looking for. Front will be tight. Rear will be loose..er. My goal is to get her baselined a little rear happy but with easy adjustment either way.

I really don't know how many total runs I have made at each event but as long as there are cars to drive I will put on a helmet and do my best.

Alan

hobiercr wrote: In reply to admc58: Thanks Alan. Exactly what I was looking for. Front will be tight. Rear will be loose..er. My goal is to get her baselined a little rear happy but with easy adjustment either way.

admc58 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: In reply to admc58: Alan When was your first year as a driver at the Challenge? (FWIW, yes, I'm trying to stroke my own ego.... )

I think it was the year you beat All the Pro Drivers was that 03 or 04...Did that help? I'm pretty sure it was the year after Steve drove the Monster V8 Miata. It is really hard for anyone new to a car to beat a competent driver in a car they are experienced in and you drove really well!

I knew Danny was there- but didn't realize that you were there, too. Thought that Steve was, since he was with the Mongrel guys the year prior.

It was 04.

The reason I bring it up- I have been challenged recently that I could not "beat the pros" when I suggested that other people could do it. So it was half out of ego stroking, and the other half encouraging people to drive their own car.

IMHO, I have no issue with the pro drivers, but IF someone wants to run their own car, do it. It's your car, for crying out loud.

I also think that any precieved advantage of knowing the course is more than nullified by the very different cars that are driven. Certainly it helps, but when driving a car changes that much- the course changes quite a bit too.

I have 2 goals: beat swank at the autocross, and try to beat one of the pro drivers

I am suitably jealous at having to miss this.

Spoolpigeon wrote: I have 2 goals: beat swank at the autocross, and try to beat one of the pro drivers

Well.... the car your driving should handle the same as the red car did last year, probably slightly better, and have a more manageable power delivery. Steve will be pleased. I expect you to manage a top 10 autox finish in it.

If the turbo doesn't fall off, that is.

If my turbo falls off my car, and I'm not even there to see it, ima be mad.

mndsm wrote: If my turbo falls off my car, and I'm not even there to see it, ima be mad.

Well... it IS Spool driving. He breaks things.

mndsm wrote: If my turbo falls off my car, and I'm not even there to see it, ima be mad.

Don't worry, I'll have the GoPro recording every moment

admc58 wrote: Highly modified GRM e30 and I drive a 97 M3/4/5 everyday. Alan

Well, mine is more of a restoration versus serious modification but I bet you can handle that just fine.

I think we might have met at the challenge in 2010; Alan definitely rings a bell in my dim memory. We spent as much time talking about low light photography and prime lenses as we did talking about my black SAAB 9000 iirc? Either way, I am sure that you can handle my beater just fine!

"""""I think we might have met at the challenge in 2010; Alan definitely rings a bell in my dim memory. We spent as much time talking about low light photography and prime lenses as we did talking about my black SAAB 9000 iirc? Either way, I am sure that you can handle my beater just fine!"""""

We did talk quite a lot about that stuff... Picked up a Nikon D90 and 18-105 Vr lens and my daughter has mostly taken it over...several hundred photos per day...going to have to get her in some photography classes. She asked me if she could be one of the GRM photographers this year???

Alan

admc58 wrote: We did talk quite a lot about that stuff... Picked up a Nikon D90 and 18-105 Vr lens and my daughter has mostly taken it over...several hundred photos per day...going to have to get her in some photography classes. She asked me if she could be one of the GRM photographers this year??? Alan

Excellent! I am much better with faces versus names but it is often hard to match a face with a screen name...

It will be great to catch up at the challenge; for me making it back is as much about the people as it is the cars.

Failing health has forced me to end my pro photography career but I never mind talking shop. I was self taught, but my training in art, architecture and art history were immensely valuable in the move to photography. Several hundred photos a day is how I started so it would seem that she is moving in the right direction!

I must add a very personal Thank You, Alan.

I might not remember all of the details perfectly, but your dedication and enthusiasm are unforgettable.

My personal goal for that entire challenge was to place in the top half of the Auto-X with my $1k dollar, fwd, 4 door, DD family car. It would not have been there without you beating my best effort by almost an entire cone!

mndsm wrote: If my turbo falls off my car, and I'm not even there to see it, ima be mad.

If your turbo falls off the car, and you are not there to see it, did it really happen?

Schrodinger's F2T.