This is for some of you experienced guys out there. Now that I have gotten some autox's under my belt, I was wondering if some of you guys could examine the way I am taking some corners. I will try to give a sequence of what I am doing, and where I am looking on the autox course.
I am coming to a 180 turn around, right now I am looking far ahead to my braking point. I keep looking there until I hit it and start to slow. Now that I am slowing I sort of roll my sight to the apex area and try to arc the car in the way it needs to be. While the car is sliping I still keep my eye on the apex point until I am right on it. After that I pick up the exit point and try to unwind the wheel to it.
Does this sound about right? I have had a little instruction and they always say look ahead as far as you can, but hell, i can sit at the start line and look at the finish line, so that really doesnt tell me a whole bunch. What I am asking is what should I be looking at when I am coming into a turn as well as the whole way through it. kind of a step by step process thoughout the entire turn. Thanks guys

 

I'm new to autox but I think it's not ahead enough. I've been doing what you're doing and I think I'm going to look ahead one or two more steps. Today I'm going to try to look at the apex (or more preferably the exit gate) when I'm hitting my break spot and look at the exit gate (ormore preferably the next entrance gate) before I hit the apex.

 

There is a LOT of confusion about this, but looking at it from a purely logical standpoint might help.

In your example, when you have reached the braking point of the 180, and you turn to the apex, there is no longer any reason to look at the point of the apex. You have committed to the turn, and your only concern is how it will affect the next manuever (exit of the gate, entrance to the next gate, whatever).

If you stay focused on the apex until you are almost there, then you have no idea how your car's attitude is for the next gate, and you may have to "reposition" for the next turn. If, however, you are looking at the exit of the gate (as you turn in), or at the next gate, your brain will calculate the best route for your car to take to accomplish what you are trying to do.

I am always focused on what is next, because what I am doing is (basically) already done.

Also remember a couple of important points. This sport (autocross) is about time, not speed. When you return from a run, they give your time, NOT your average mph. So, the shortest line is (almost) always the better way to go and the line is EVERYTHING! Do not allow the car off the proper line for any reason. The most common mistakes I see by new autocrossers is that they think if they are blasting their way through something, or taking a wider line to get a better entrance on to a straightaway ("It will give me more speed down the straight"), that they are going to do well. The reality is that an experienced autocrosser will take a shorter line, only be down by a mph or so for the straightaway, but be in the corner for a LOT less time than the beginner. It's a time sport...........

Does this help at all?

 

Thanks Tpryor. Yeah it helps some. It's just a little hard for me to trust my eyes that far down the road, espically on an autox course. On a road course I think I could do what you say pretty easily, I am just scared on the autox course I will be looking too far ahead and take out some cones. Do you keep your eyes on the braking point and then look through the corner after you hit it? Or do you look through the turn before even hitting your braking point(peripheral (sp) vision). Thanks for helping me out. Since I am just starting out, I want to learn the correct way before I pick up any bad habits.

 

thats not nearly far enough ahead.

but when you are just starting, it is really hard to look far enough ahead right away, so you might need to do it in stages.

on a 180 turn, i have my head cranked all the way around looking beyond the exit of the 180.

in general, i try not to look at the cones directly, but to superimpose (mentally) my arc on the course. looking directly at the apex cone can tend to draw you into it, which results in pinching off the approach.

hth,

james