Hey all whats good...well the time has finally come, I will be attending my 1st Auto-x event on June 10th and pretty psyched about it. I've been wanting to get into racing since as long as I can remeber but really haven't had a reliable car to do so up until now...well enough of my life story :boring: ..Sorry if it's been discussed & asked a bunch times as well but I just had to toot my lil horn anyway,

I'm looking for some techniques to pickup & learn. Since all cars handle different I felt I really needed to ask 8 owners specifically

Also are there any bad habits that a majority of people do?...I guess what I'm trying to say is, what are some common noob mistake you guys see?

well if its your first time, you dont want to really try to get the lowest track time. you just wanna get across the finish line. so first lap take it slow, study the track. 2nd lap speed up a little, find the tracks weak spots, and where you should be more carefull. then just have fun. no need to win. first time is to be spent gettin used to your car and how it reactsto the track. once your comfortable with the track. thats where the real fun comes in. but i would be in 1-2 events before you start going all out for a win.

just my 2 cents

Yeah I hear ya on that, I can be to damn competitive @ times & have a feeling that is going to cause me some problems while in my rookie stage

here is a good start

http://www.dmvrscca.org/topten.htm

My first time I had a friend (drives an fc) ride with me since he's a member. That helped a lot. After that I eliminated 14 seconds of my next time. I didn't come in first nor last, but I had a lot of fun - that's what it's all about.

here is a good start

http://www.dmvrscca.org/topten.htm

Good link of Evo School tips that I didn't know of, but I might not send someone to start there...

You could try this:

Beginner Link:
http://www.miata.net/sport/autox.html

Classic Novice Book:
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Solo-Racing-Techniques-Autocrossing/dp/0962057312/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9002947-1527006?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180083160&sr=8-1

Really appreciate those links fellas, have them all bookmarked...man I'm already feeling the anxiety, have watched countless Auto-x vids and my main concern I think is just loosing orientation of the track, I think Imma do the afternoon session offered so I can watch others in the morning & learn the track

My first time I had a friend (drives an fc) ride with me since he's a member. That helped a lot. After that I eliminated 14 seconds of my next time. I didn't come in first nor last, but I had a lot of fun - that's what it's all about.

This is great advice. Ask around for a novice instructor and get them to ride with you as many times as possible. Also, if other RX-8 (or similar car) competitors are willing to let you ride along with them, take advantage of that.

Good link of Evo School tips that I didn't know of, but I might not send someone to start there...

You could try this:

Beginner Link:
http://www.miata.net/sport/autox.html

Classic Novice Book:
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Solo-Racing-Techniques-Autocrossing/dp/0962057312/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9002947-1527006?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180083160&sr=8-1

lol i guess they may be a little more advanced...i retract my statement. look at these links first, look at mine later on :p:

The rx8 is a rythm car...you have to find the best lines to maintain your speeds as best as you can. Most beginners do get lost on track. Do a course walk before on your own, then take the Novice course walk with the rest of those that have registered for Novice that day. Other mistake made is braking points. A lot of time is gained or lost on how you set up corners. There are differences in driving style and you'll have to find out if you need to lift, or to brake.

I'm more of a lift driver, and this is why I will never be one of the top drivers. I've been told by many people who have gone on ride-alongs that my driving style is more controlled...I think this is just their way of saying slow :)

Focus on three things:

(1) Finish the course faster on each run.
(2) Hit no cones.
(3) Avoid DNQ.

i say dont worry about kwescott's number 2. you are just starting out and you probably shouldnt try to be very competitive in the beginning, just working on skills. instead of "Hit no cones", work on getting as close to the cones as possible. ideally you want to come extremely close to running over the base of key cones with your rear wheels (like in slaloms, or apex cones). in practicing this, you will inevitably knock cones over. in the end you want to not hit cones, but you must practice getting as close to them as you can.

i also recommend walking the course as many times as time will allow and memorize it. walking it one time is just not enough. walk it with experienced drivers and ask them for their insights. you may also consider bringing a pad and pencil and drawing the course an jotting down notes (i dont do this personally, but it is helpful for some).

Going to go apply some of these later on, found me a nice wide open lot, just need cones or some kinda markers to where I can set me up a lil technical course and have @ it

Gotta love empty stadium parking lots :worship:

Figure out the line you plan to take during the course walk(s). Spend as much time as needed on course walks. Know your plan. Whether it is the fastest line or "plan" or not is not important, first time, but you want to be absolutely comfortable "driving" the course in your mind before you even go out on your first run. If you can't run "laps" in you head when done with the walk, you'll struggle. The biggest problem most first timers have, it seems to me, is getting lost on course or not being able to anticipate what is coming up, simply because they have been so concerned with the driving that they haven't taken the time to simply memorize which way the dang course goes! If you know where you need to be and where you'll need to go to get to the next section, it is pretty easy to relax and just drive the car.:)

The biggest problem most first timers have, it seems to me, is getting lost on course or not being able to anticipate what is coming up, simply because they have been so concerned with the driving that they haven't taken the time to simply memorize which way the dang course goes!

i did that my first time... although i'll defend myself by saying it was a shitty course design that actually doubled back and crossed over itself - and they didn't really have enough cones to actually define it very well

:puke:

I'm more of a lift driver, and this is why I will never be one of the top drivers. I've been told by many people who have gone on ride-alongs that my driving style is more controlled...I think this is just their way of saying slow :)

I think I said you don't know how to use the brakes and you are slow. Don't sugar coat it. :rollingla

ouch...lol! pwn3d

Going to go apply some of these later on, found me a nice wide open lot, just need cones or some kinda markers to where I can set me up a lil technical course and have @ it

Gotta love empty stadium parking lots :worship:

Please don't. That kind of behavior is one of the things that leads to site owners discontinue making their sites available to us for safe, sanctioned, insured, events.

There's some good advice posted here. The hardest thing for beginners is to use peripheral vision and look ahead. If you stare at the next cone, every following cone becomes a surprise.
Most of all, have fun. Don't worry about times or hitting cones. Woprk on vision and technique first.

Walking the course is okay if you walk it at least two times. Drive-thru's suck. Make sure also clean to out your car, take out anything that you won't need. To get a bit a head of the game, take out your floormats because they'll ask you to take them out anyways. Also, I recommend taking your usual spare quart of oil, maybe some coolant, a tyre guage and inflator, and a little ice chest filled with non-caffiened drinks i.e. water, gatorade since the summer is about to start and it's gonna get hot. Especially when you're in the grid and when you run - it gets hot, and loss of concentration is caused by dehydration. Don't go on an empty stomach either. These are some new things I'll be doing, come this weekend.

Idk if any of you guys saw my thread about my first auto-x weekend (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=116566) but I am going to try an get some more vids with better times.

Goodluck with your first auto-x. Prepare to be addicted.

I really appreciate all the advice, I'm going to be pretty damn squared away come my 1st event now. Ordered me a protect open face helmet & awaiting for that so I can see how things work out for me being 6"3 and having a sunroof :uhh:

I know I shouldn't shouldn't be concerned w/this yet but when both options are open,is it ideal to drift or grip around that particular cone?

I know I shouldn't shouldn't be concerned w/this yet but when both options are open,is it ideal to drift or grip around that particular cone?

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but what cone?

btw. I just placed an order for my first set of Kumho Ecsta SPTs this morning! Hopefully they'll be here by thursday so I can take them to get mounted. Due to me living in a small town, only one place will mount them for me (due to tpms). And only one guy in the shop knows how to do it too!

But what cone?

My bad for not clrarifying. I'm talking about course layout, if I'm approaching a curve/turn that I can either drift or grip my way through, which is more expedient?

I'm currently on Kuhmos too, will see how they hold up here soon enough...

autocross is about grip....drifting just scrubs off time, and more importantly with the 8....speed. Grip is the name of this game.

On the other issue you brought up....being 6'3'' with a sunroof.....:)

All I will say is, be prepared to drive with your head at a slight angle, with the helmet slammed up against the roof. I am only 6'1''...have the power seats....and can't get the seat low enough to allow me to sit up straight.

Our other 8 has the manuel/base seats without a sunroof...no head/clearance issues with that car.

You will be driving with your head tilted....start practicing now :)

+1 for looking ahead

also, theres a difference between drifting and pivoting the car.

The biggest thing I could emphasize is don't go too fast on the first pass. I did that and looked like a moron when I kinda got knocked out of the seat a little and ended up bouncing it off the rev limiter for a few seconds. Tips I have been given include... two hands on the wheel! It gives smoother and more controlled inputs (I had a bad habit of keeping one on the shifter all the time). Looking ahead, and last but not least to begin my turn before I enter the gate so that the back tire almost clips the cone. Those were from other 8 drivers at a local auto cross and did indeed prove to be very very useful even though I didn't get to do as many runs as I wish I could have and employ them more :)

...Also are there any bad habits that a majority of people do?...I guess what I'm trying to say is, what are some common noob mistake you guys see?Not knowing where the course goes is a big noob mistake. Walking the course until you have the layout in memory is a good start to avoiding this. While you may not be able to get the entire layout at the beginning of autox'ing, try to get enough of it in mind so that you will not be surprised around every turn.

If you have traction control -- remember to turn it off. Hold that button 5 seconds or more until both lights are on. Otherwise, you are apt to get on course, feel the car behaving weirdly, and wonder why it feels like it is braking when you are not.

If you have MT, think about where you are going to shift from 1st to 2nd (or downshift if needed), and add that to your plan. (Actually, downshifting may be saved for future events, and in your first run or two, once you shift up keep it in 2nd gear while you are discovering how your car handles through the course.) Keep in mind that manuevers like shifting or hard braking will upset the car, so try to get those done in a straight line, and away from manuevers such as inside a slalom. Add to your plan, where you will apply brakes. This may take multiple runs to figure out where those points may be, and the shift and braking points can change. If you get through one element faster, you will come upon the next one faster, and therefore you may then need to adjust where your braking point is.

"Looking ahead" is a skill that is likely to take work, and time. The best thing I can think of in this regard, is to ride with a skilled driver who has the ability to talk you through where they are looking on the course -- to give you an idea of where you might try to put your vision when you are behind the wheel. That, and seat time.

Something I just shared with my newbie daughter on autox -- I used to hear people say, "if you're not on the gas, you should be on the brakes". What it took me a long time to figure out is that being on the gas doesn't necessarily mean full throttle all the time. For example, if you're going through a slalom, you may need to ease up or breathe the throttle, but that does not mean coasting!

Start to build your support network. You can get a ton of advice at events if you are willing to ask for help, at the right time. (i.e. this depends on the competitor, but some people don't want to be talked to when they have just come off a run, or when they are just getting ready to go out -- though most appreciate a "good luck" now & then.)

Also are there any bad habits that a majority of people do?...I guess what I'm trying to say is, what are some common noob mistake you guys see?

With out a doubt the number one mistake I see people make is they try to go to fast. The key to speed in autox is making the course as short as possible. This is not road racing, all a late braking wide fast line will get you is a slow time. Most newbies enter a corner to fast and when they feel the front end plow the step on the gas foolishly thinking they will brake the back end loose, most of the time this does not even work in a car with twice the power of an RX-8, only to make the car understeer more. Slow in =s fast out. Brake early and hard and get back on the gas early.

that reminded me of a mistake i see often is people trying to go too fast in the slow sections, and going too slow in the fast sections.

As stated, grip is the way you wanna go. Idk if you looked at that link, and saw the course I ran, and will be running this weekend, but there is a big hair pin and the best way to do it is to understeer!

I'll be doing some understeer at that corner, as well as going into first gear. I'm all hyped up.

Be open-minded. Try anything you can. Also, turn the DSC off after two runs. Feels a lot better IMO.

As stated, grip is the way you wanna go. Idk if you looked at that link, and saw the course I ran, and will be running this weekend, but there is a big hair pin and the best way to do it is to understeer!

I'll be doing some understeer at that corner, as well as going into first gear. I'm all hyped up.

Be open-minded. Try anything you can. Also, turn the DSC off after two runs. Feels a lot better IMO.



I would completely disagree with that. If any end of the car is slipping, understeer or oversteer, you are losing forward motion. The fastest way around any turn is with all four tires working within their limit, go beyond and you are just slowing down.

Also if your car has it turn off the DSC and TC for every run, it will only slow you down.

I would completely disagree with that. If any end of the car is slipping, understeer or oversteer, you are losing forward motion. The fastest way around any turn is with all four tires working within their limit, go beyond and you are just slowing down.

Also if your car has it turn off the DSC and TC for every run, it will only slow you down.

+1 on making sure the DSC is off every run, heard some funny stories today of guys forgetting to turn it off. Man a wealth of info and advice hear

A reason why I asked about drifting is because while researching I cam across this site http://www.alberni.ca/articles/articles/14/1/A-look-at-Auto-X-and-Racing-Techniques/Page1.html :dunno: I guess what works for one person doesn't necessrily means it works or applies to all..

As I get more experienced and understand my car better I'm sure I'll find what best suits my style of driving

I would completely disagree with that. If any end of the car is slipping, understeer or oversteer, you are losing forward motion. The fastest way around any turn is with all four tires working within their limit, go beyond and you are just slowing down.

I didn't say that was the fastest way, did I? I said for that particular corner in the course I'm talking about. Of course the fastest way around any turn is with all four tires working their limit...................................anyone knows that. I never said that wasn't. I just said be open-minded about the course.

Note that I said TRY it with DSC off after two runs and that IMO it feels better? I look at it as a way to appreciate it more when trying one way then the other.

Besides, I've only auto-xed once. I never said that was the way to go.....

don't believe everything you read on teh intrawebs

as always, consider the source, there's no skill required to blab on about things not understood as well as some people would believe ...

I didn't say that was the fastest way, did I? I said for that particular corner in the course I'm talking about. Of course the fastest way around any turn is with all four tires working their limit...................................anyone knows that. I never said that wasn't. I just said be open-minded about the course.

Then why would you do it. :icon_no2:


Besides, I've only auto-xed once......

Oh yeah, then you should give advice. :rolleyes::lol2:

Then why would you do it. :icon_no2:

Because when I DID do it, I improved my time by >1 second, which happened to be my last run.

I won't say a thing anymore since you have way more experience to talk over me. And even though when I say 'understeer for that particular pin', you probably assume I mean understeer like shit. Though, it was spoken about by all the locals that it was weird that slightly understeering gives the advantage on 'that particular pin'

And you're right, my advice isn't better than yours, he didn't say he wanted advice from frequent auto-xers only. I thought it'd be fine seeing that I'm still pretty new at auto-x, that I could share the knowledge I've gathered.

Nope, right?

don't believe everything you read on teh intrawebs

as always, consider the source, there's no skill required to blab on about things not understood as well as some people would believe ...

Oh I don't, my momma always told me to take everything with a grain of salt :icon16:

Because when I DID do it, I improved my time by >1 second, which happened to be my last run.

I won't say a thing anymore since you have way more experience to talk over me. And even though when I say 'understeer for that particular pin', you probably assume I mean understeer like shit. Though, it was spoken about by all the locals that it was weird that slightly understeering gives the advantage on 'that particular pin'

And you're right, my advice isn't better than yours, he didn't say he wanted advice from frequent auto-xers only. I thought it'd be fine seeing that I'm still pretty knew at that.

Nope, right?

So that was the only thing you did different on that run? You could not have picked up your time at some other places on the course? If you have done it one time you will find time even if you overdrive because you are making mistakes in a lot of places.
It is not a matter of how much or how little you push, it is a matter of how much time you lose which with any amount of understeer or oversteer you will do.
No he did not say who he wanted to respond. However to think after one event you can tell someone how to drive the course is crazy. :Eyecrazy: I will also note you did not bother to tell anyone that you had only done one event when you gave your advice.

I wasn't saying 'how to drive the course' I just said be open-minded.

I have already figured out one other way to eliminate time, and the other ways will be figured there.

Well didn't mean to start a argument, pretty noobish question I asked anyway, I mean look @ F1, nascar, GT, etc... It's all about grip. In certain situations though I would think oversteer would come in hand when car needs to be pivoted, but not to much...

This covers a lot of it:
http://www.dmvrscca.org/topten.htm

ANDY'S TOP TEN AUTOX DRIVING TIPS
By Andy Hollis
(Andy is a multiple National Solo Champion and an instructor for the Evolution Solo School)

Originally posted on Miata.Net

[Just got back from a weekend of teaching Evolution schools and thought I'd share some stuff that I must have said a thousand times.]

1] Position first, then speed. Positioning the car perfectly is more important than trying to attain the highest potential speed. For example, you will drop more time by correctly positioning the car nearer to slalom cones than you will by adding 1 or 2 MPH in speed. Same with sweepers (tight line). Same with 90-degree turns (use all of the track). Also, position is a prerequisite for speed. If you are not in the correct place, you will not be able go faster. Or at least not for very long!

2] Turn earlier...and less. To go faster, the arc you are running must be bigger. A bigger arc requires less steering. To make a bigger arc that is centered in the same place, the arc must start sooner (turn earlier).

3] Brake earlier...and less. Waiting until the last possible second approaching a turn and then dropping anchor at precisely the correct place so that the desired entry speed is reached exactly as you come to the turn-in point is quite difficult to execute consistently. Especially when you consider that you get no practice runs on the course, and the surface changes on every run, and you aren't likely to be in exactly the same position with the same approach speed on every run, etc. Better to start braking a little earlier to give some margin of error. And by braking less you can either add or subtract braking effort as you close in on the turn-in point. This will make you consistent and smooth.

4] Lift early instead of braking later. Continuing with the philosophy of #3, when you need to reduce speed only a moderate amount, try an early lift of the throttle instead of a later push of the brake. This is less upsetting to the car, is easier to do and thus more consistent, and allows for more precise placement entering the maneuver (remember #1 above).

5] Easier to add speed in a turn than to get rid of it. If you are under the limit, a slight push of the right foot will get you more speed with no additional side effects. On the other hand, if you are too fast and the tires have begun slipping, you can only reduce throttle and wait until the tires turn enough of that excess energy into smoke and heat. Don't use your tires as brakes!

6] Use your right foot to modulate car position in constant radius turns, not the steering wheel. In a steady state turn, once you have established the correct steering input to maintain that arc, lifting the throttle slightly will let the car tuck in closer to the inside cones. Conversely, slightly increasing the throttle will push the car out a bit farther to avoid inside cones. It is much easier to make small corrections in position with slight variations in the tires' slip angle (that's what you are doing with the throttle) than with the steering wheel.

7] Unwind the wheel, then add power. If the car is using all of the tire's tractive capacity to corner, there is none left for additional acceleration. At corner exit, as you unwind the wheel, you make some available. If you do not unwind the wheel, the tire will start to slide and the car will push out (see #6 above).

8] Attack the back. For slaloms (also applicable to most offsets), getting close to the cones is critical for quick times (see #1). To get close, we must move the car less, which means bigger arcs. Bigger arcs come from less steering and require earlier turning (see #2). Now for the fun part... When you go by a slalom cone and start turning the steering wheel back the other way, when does the car start to actually change direction? Answer: When the wheel crosses the center point (Not when you first start turning back!) How long does that take? If you are smooth, it takes .25 - .5 seconds. Now, how long is a typical person's reaction time? Answer: about .5 seconds. Finally, how long does it take to go between slalom cones? Answer: Typically on the order of 1 second. Given all of that, your brain must make the decision to begin turning the steering wheel back the other way just *before* you go by the previous cone!!

Since this is a mental issue, a good visualization technique to get used to this is to think about trying to run over the back side of each slalom cone with the inside rear tire of the car. To hit it with the rear tire (and not the front), the car must be arcing well before the cone and the arc must be shallow. Attack the back!

9] Hands follow the eyes, car follows the hands. 'Nuf said.

10] Scan ahead, don't stare. Keep the eyes moving. Looking ahead does not mean staring ahead. Your eyes must be constantly moving forward and back, and sometimes left and right. Glance forward, glance back. Your brain can only operate on the information you give it.

Bonus Tip: Don't forget the stuff in between the marked maneuvers! Too often we think of a course as series of discrete maneuvers. There is typically more to be gained or lost in the areas that are in between. Pay special attention to the places where there are no cones.




Permission to Publish below:

Andy Hollis Miata Forum Member Member # 3320 posted 18 March 2002 23:52

For those asking permission to reprint or copy elsewhere, no problem. I only ask that you keep my name attached for credit.

Thanks to DMVR's Rick Talbot for passing this along!.

lol..man i posted that already, 4th post in this thread

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=1894967&postcount=4

Man I sooooo wanna go AC my car!! Here in Calgary every friday night there is an open night for drags and AC at the local race track. I went two weeks ago, and the oval was being used for....... oval racing. Last week I just watched to see what it's like, how people drive, what the course looks like. This week I drive!!!!! Gonna bring a friend who's a talented photographer, get him to snap cool shots. I'm bugging him to race his Element as well, seeing as how there was a Firefly without a hood running the course last week.

Don't hit those corner workers.

From Jackie Stewart
"(in a corner) Don't get on the gas unless you know you don't have to back off from it"

Well didn't mean to start a argument, pretty noobish question I asked anyway, I mean look @ F1, nascar, GT, etc... It's all about grip.

obviously you've never seen the ice man during qualifying. he dgaf about grip or no grip. he says "yesh, i think sho i'll make this track my bitch" and that he does. respeck.

"Go that way, real fast. When you see a cone... turn."

This covers a lot of it:
http://www.dmvrscca.org/topten.htm

ANDY'S TOP TEN AUTOX DRIVING TIPS
By Andy Hollis
(Andy is a multiple National Solo Champion and an instructor for the Evolution Solo School)

Andy is a great guy, and I've tried to soak up a lot of his knowledge. It's great to watch him out on track putting on a car control clinic on every single run. Yay for Des Moines Valley Region!

More than anything, ride with experienced people and have them ride with you. Whatever we say here on the forum is one thing, but having a very experienced racer tell you, point out how to apply it on that course, and then show you exactly what doing it that way feels like is utterly priceless.

I would actually venture to say that you could leave the TC on for your first few runs. There's enough to do with concentrating on the racing line and learning course layout without spending a ton of mental energy on keeping that back end under control. It's just me, but since you really won't be all that fast to begin with when you start and will be trying to learn so much, it's best to make the process as simple as possible.

+1 big time for Evolution School. Best $450 I ever spent, fantastic experience. Not only did I learn from bigtime national champs, but I got about 2 years worth of runs in a single weekend (a bit over 80 all told). It took me about a year to put everything I learned into action and make it habit, but I am looking forward to going back ASAP. You will want to have some experience before you go, though. They reccomend at least a season under your belt before you go to Phase 1.

Question....
I am still using the stock Potenza's.. should I increase the air pressure to prevent rollover onto the sidwalls? And if so, what pressure do you recommend?

good question Harshjay. I used the Potenzas for half a season of autocross, so about 8 events or so. What I did was to find the pressure that brought the tire wear as closest to the wear edge as possible, just at the edge of rollover. I then wanted to stagger pressure given the cars overstear characteristics....so I increased the front one pound, and decreased the rear one pound....making for a 2 pound difference between front and back. I've know people who have used more of a stagger, and those that have kept the same air pressure, but have changed suspension components instead.

I am assuming you have a stock car, so I would suggest the staggered air pressure. I don't recall the exact pressure I used....but start high and look at the tire wear...and work your way down until you get to the edge of the wear indicator/roll-over point.


EDIT: Your sig says you have MS suspension....I would still recommend the staggered air pressures. Start at the pressure you normally drive on the street and go from there. Check air pressure between runs and blead air out so that you have runs at optimal pressures each time.

what i do with air pressures is i make them a little bit high, and in between runs i examine how much tread i using and lower pressures accordingly to try to make use of the full contact patch. like kwescott said, you can adjust tire pressures to aid in battling oversteer or understeer, but i have coilovers so i make minor adjustments there instead

Haha I'm surprised the 2 foot rule hasn't been mentioned yet haha...anyway well looks like I will be attending my 1st Auto X sooner than expected, A friend informed me last night of an event going on this weekend and I'm all over it...Check out the course

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s220/Derex8/1stAutoX_00.jpg

Finally after 3 pages someone mentions tire pressure.... Now I want to know who will mention a heel-toe downshift from 2nd to 1st...

One of the best ways to determine the correct PSI is to "shoe polish" your tires. You put a dot on your tires with shoe polish (which is in good supply as it's used to put numbers on windows) over the edge so that it's on the sidewall and tread. After your run, you will see how far the polish has been rubbed off. If it's right on the shoulder where the tread ends its just right. If it's on the sidewall you need to increase PSI, if it's not reaching the shoulder you need to decrease.

That will get you "optimum grip" PSI for that tire, although you technically only really want that for the front. I might suggest a bit of safe understeer at first just to make things a bit simpler and drive home the Slow-in-fast-out concept of cornering. Learn how to get your front end around the cones first, and then mess with getting more rotation out of the rears later.

I just recently autocrossed for the first time a few days ago. I'm no expert but the best advice I can give you is to believe in your car because it's actually very good for Autocross.

In the first run I did I ran a 98 sec run but by the time I got to my 5th (final) run I got it down to 84 seconds. Just go for it. It's just cones anyways. :)

damn im jealous, we dont see our course at all till the day of when they say its okay to walk it

Yup, well this bites, event was cancelled due to potential flooding of track. Damn you mother nature!!! Well this weekend wasn't all a waste. I did as you all suggested. I drove on site the day prior to the event and received a crash course on Auto X. That had to be damn near one of the most well spent 2 hours of my life. The instructor got behind the wheel of my car & unlocked a secret mod: Skill. I've never seen my car manuever like that...:Eyecrazy:..

Alot was thrown @ me within those 2 hours but some key points were always look ahead and determine the best line, slow in & fast out, smooth transactions, I have brakes use them, and push it, I need to know the limits of my car.

Sorry that you'll have to wait another month...I can imagine it is hard to wait. I know a month between races is just too much time for me....

Oh no...no month wait for me, I couldn't bear that. My next event is this sunday :lol2:. If I was set financially, and had no other obligations I could Auto X just about every weekend of the month in my area/region, brr-scca (http://www.brr-scca.org/), odr-scca.org (http://www.odr-scca.org/dave/home.htm), nasa midatlantic (http://nasaracing.net), and TSCC (http://www.tidewatersportscarclub.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1), and VMSC (http://www.vmsc.org/)

Oh and SCCA will be having 2 pro solo events @ fedex field this month which is like 2 hours away...Meh, don't think I'm ready for the pros yet, may just go up there and watch though.

pros are fun....no need to be scared/nervous about them. Of course the competition is stiffer...but you won't be competitive out of the box anyways, so you might as well get out there and have the fun. I'm sure glad I finally went for my first time this year. This is my second year of autocross....my first full year as I only got a half a season last year.

lucky guys. our last event was in april, the next one is july 1st ><

First time ever on the track and it's was better than free hookers and blow!!! So much fun. I did a safe lap with a co-pilot to tell me the course, and the first stage of the traction control off. I then completely turned off the computer and did my second..... I came out of the box and the first turn powered a drift for 25 feet.... drifted a few more... and pulled a huger drift but let er go and came around.... so much fun, and what a different car with the computer off... just getting hard on the throttle can make the back end walk. I just fell in love with this car all over again!!!

Check it out ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5U9f3H_41w

HAHA What a F*@king blast....Just fin my first Auto X about 4 hours ago and my adrenaline is still pumpin...oh man had a great time...It's funny most of those techniques went str8 out the window when I got on course..everything was happening so damn fast haha but I did remeber though to keep looking ahead

I put up some pretty damn good times being a 1st timer, will place results as soon as they become availiable. My next investment is grippier(if tats even a word) tires. Lost lets say 4-5 seconds on these damn SPTs...everytime I would wanna get on the throttle a lil more there goes my tires screaming, "Aw Nawh Hell Nawh You done up and done it". Then another 2-3 on my lines just get these 2 things str8 and I will be up there w/the top dogs in no time :uhh:...amazed @ the competition out there ppl bringing full service trailers, air tools, damn nice.

Can I get more grip out of my tires by using good lines and braking?

congrats, glad u had fun!

yes, you can absolutely get more grip out of your tires using good lines and braking right. i remember the beginning of last season, a colleague in a 300ZX was telling me how excited he was to have picked up some r-compounds and how much faster he could go. unfortunately i still beat him by a good margin on my street tires. im not saying that im some awesome driver or anything, just that too often people upgrade their cars without upgrading their skills

most important things to remember when you first start out is the walk the course at know it, and then look ahead and always knwo whats coming and where you're going. i understand its easy to forget all the other things, but they will slowly start coming to you as you progress.

Yeah I found that out real quick on my 1st run. Wasn't looking ahead and within a second I was off course. I also need to break my habit of using one hand when cornering car.

I outdid myself on my last run. High speed slalom @ end of course, either I wasn't smooth enough and/or asking too much of tires and spun out almost taking the timer down w/me :tank: needless to say I got penalized on that as well

I placed 3rd out of 23 drivers in NOV class with a best lap time of 60.85 and PAX of 49.167 alright I guess, Avg lap time for this course running on some decent street tires w/low tread rating was 55 secs. Best time overall was 48.496 some all out track prep car of course.

along with better lines and better entry and exit speeds....air pressure can make a difference with grip. Stagger air pressures and this will help you a bit with the "rear walk" you spoke about. Usually a 2-3 pound difference in air pressures will do....with the higher pressure on the front tires......welcome to the addiction.

personally, i still don't think you need to worry about tire pressures too much. they will be helpful later in tuning your car, but it is more important right now that you adjust your driving habits and learn to best control your car as it is, then you can gain a larger advantage from tuning your car later. it will also help you to be able to do better when your car isnt perfectly tuned.

Great newbie info here: http://www.wtfstables.com/rmsoloschool

Hook up with the group that uses the Pungo air field. I was there last year and what a great group of people.

Say what!?!...What were you down here for just Auto X? Yeah I was out pungo about 2 weeks ago for an event that ended up getting cancelled because of flooding, yeah go figure. I got to meet the fellas out there and recive some course/driving instruction.

"Go that way, real fast. When you see a cone... turn."

That's what I did for the first section on my first run Sunday at Devens. When I turned the corner onto the taxiway toward the corner, I thought, "Hmm...why did the slalom turn into just a little juke? Oh, I think I just went off course."

I guess you can look too far ahead. :banghead:

part of looking ahead is comprehending what is there...

Well jus had my second event yesterday and it's confirmed I'm getting quicker lap times with the DSC on WTF!?!?! I guess I really need to learn better control of the car as far as countersterring and braking @ the right times.

I also noticed that I was braking all the way through some tight turns causing me to understeer like a mofo :spank: Slow in fast out!!! I'll get it eventually

haha i had an event yesteray too, i didnt have a good day :(

turn your dsc off!!

ideally you shouldnt need to countersteer much. this also means setting up the car so it wont oversteer much also.

definitely must brake before the turn :p:

don't be the cone, don't be the cone ... nananananananananaaaaaa

don't be the cone, don't be the cone ... nananananananananaaaaaa


Where you look, is where you go...:lol2:

^^^^Can't wait till that becomes second nature

Offtopic but can anyone suggest some sites so I can order some reusable type numbers & letters for Auto X...much appreciated

http://www.solotime.com/

Thanks!!!

Just did my first AutoX event this past weekend... what a blast! I posted horrible times, but I did improve my time from 58.9 my first run to 53.1 my last run (average track time of about 46-49 seconds). I know I lost a lot of time to my wheels... still stock wheels, and the tread is a little bit low on them. I also lost probably about half a second every run to getting confused on one section of the course where it looks like you're supposed to go left, and not through a gate... but really, you're supposed to go through said gate, and then head left. I always started going left, and then correcting myself, and... bleh. That comes from experience, though... knowing how to read the course when you walk it... right? Last thing I know I lost time on was not pushing my car enough, and taking probably every corner a bit too wide... but then, I didn't knock over a single corner the entire day, and only had one DNF.

I had my 2nd autocross event this past sunday, and consistently posted lower times as I progressed -- I am indeed addicted. I have been trying to isolate my shortcomings in each run one at a time and tackle it on the next -- better positioning on certain turns, braking early, throttle control, turning into the apex, etc. One thing I've noticed about my style of driving is that I am very timid on the brakes, and I don't think I am fully utilizing them. Do you guys mash the brakes to the point of engaging ABS often on your runs?

Tomorrow I get my stock Potenzas out of the garage and put on some new SSR Comp-H wheels. I can't wait to feel the difference in doing runs in the Potenzas vs. my current tires (Avon Tech all-seasons are what I have been running on all this time).

^^^ Stock potenzas vs. all seasons probably not much difference @ all

Do you guys mash the brakes to the point of engaging ABS often on your runs? :nono: From what I was told you wanna hit the brakes just on the brink of engaging ABS.

Had my 3rd Auto X this weekend :) I must be improving as a driver because I'm finding myself knocking windshield wipers and blinkers on more frequently :lol2: