First time doing autocross on the 28th

[rachelanne4579]

So I finally bit and joined the SCCA and just registered for my first ever event at Texas Motor Speedway on April 28th. :dancenana: I have never done autoX or anything like it. Any tips/warnings? I'm so excited but a little nervous, too, haha. Anything I should know or have ready before I go?

 

[Torch10th]

So I finally bit and joined the SCCA and just registered for my first ever event at Texas Motor Speedway on April 28th. :dancenana: I have never done autoX or anything like it. Any tips/warnings? I'm so excited but a little nervous, too, haha. Anything I should know or have ready before I go?

AUto-x is not my area of expertise, however you'll benefit from a few things common with road racing.

Make sure that you've got tools available to you, that you're well fed and bring plenty of water!

For auto-x, make sure you take the time to walk the course. I'd recommend doing this alone at first so that nobody around you is a distraction. Then, ask somebody that is experienced to walk the course with you. He/she will likely be invaluable in regards to corner entry and vehicle placement which is critical.

Most road race guys are more than willing to talk shop with newbies. I've heard the same when it comes to auto-x. So don't be afraid to ask questions.

Lastly, don't take it too seriously and just have fun!

 

[Catfood]

First time is the best experience. Make sure your car is all ready for the day then just have as much fun as possible. Drive as hard and stupid as you want or conservative. Watch your times and its great to see the differences. Ask some other experienced people to ride with you to give pointers.

Best feeling in the world was taking a modified Evo out with my old 1979 928. We had competing times all day and in the finals I took him by one second. So sweet!!

 

[rachelanne4579]

AUto-x is not my area of expertise, however you'll benefit from a few things common with road racing.

Make sure that you've got tools available to you, that you're well fed and bring plenty of water!

For auto-x, make sure you take the time to walk the course. I'd recommend doing this alone at first so that nobody around you is a distraction. Then, ask somebody that is experienced to walk the course with you. He/she will likely be invaluable in regards to corner entry and vehicle placement which is critical.

Most road race guys are more than willing to talk shop with newbies. I've heard the same when it comes to auto-x. So don't be afraid to ask questions.

Lastly, don't take it too seriously and just have fun!

Thanks! I have no clue what to expect.

First time is the best experience. Make sure your car is all ready for the day then just have as much fun as possible. Drive as hard and stupid as you want or conservative. Watch your times and its great to see the differences. Ask some other experienced people to ride with you to give pointers.

Best feeling in the world was taking a modified Evo out with my old 1979 928. We had competing times all day and in the finals I took him by one second. So sweet!!

That's a good idea! and I ADORE the 928 and 968. Favorite porsches.

 

[Broke]

Get a helmet and have fun.

 

[DaleM]

So I finally bit and joined the SCCA and just registered for my first ever event at Texas Motor Speedway on April 28th. :dancenana: I have never done autoX or anything like it. Any tips/warnings? I'm so excited but a little nervous, too, haha. Anything I should know or have ready before I go?

There is a full section on SVTP dedicated to the guys who know how to drive fast. It is a hoot, like Drag Racing the set up is important but then you have to know how and when to brake. Best points to turn, various types of turns, when to accelerate out, brakes wear fast, tires wear fast but the right tire is amazing. I drop the windows and sit back as far as possible to get the car weight away from the front and top.

I'd say go to the track section of SVTP because there are some long time gurus in there. It is addicting.

 

[kevinatfms]

Get a helmet and have fun.

Sometimes they are not needed. More organized clubs will require them. SCCA I believe requires one.

I have run a few and if your not competitive and just want to have fun, skip the step about prepping your car or making any drastic changes. Make sure you bring a lawn chair or something to sit on, big cooler full of FOOD & water(you can barter with some of the faster guys for a ride) and a notepad to take down notes about setup tips and advice.

Have a blast!

 

[czwalga00gt]

AUto-x is not my area of expertise, however you'll benefit from a few things common with road racing.

Make sure that you've got tools available to you, that you're well fed and bring plenty of water!

For auto-x, make sure you take the time to walk the course. I'd recommend doing this alone at first so that nobody around you is a distraction. Then, ask somebody that is experienced to walk the course with you. He/she will likely be invaluable in regards to corner entry and vehicle placement which is critical.

Most road race guys are more than willing to talk shop with newbies. I've heard the same when it comes to auto-x. So don't be afraid to ask questions.

Lastly, don't take it too seriously and just have fun!

I have to say I don't think tools are necessary for rallyx... at least if its just a fun event.

 

[Torch10th]

I have to say I don't think tools are necessary for rallyx... at least if its just a fun event.

For a near stock vehicle, on a first outing, you're probably right. But just like a gun or a condom, I'd rather have them and not need them, then need them and not have them.

Any time you're going to some sort of racing or track event, you should have tools at your disposal.

 

[MGC]

read the primer in the open track section, same things apply to auto-x. most importantly have fun!

 

[soccerman002]

Walk the course, take it easy on your first one or two runs, and have fun!

 

[paynecasey]

Might want to bring a tool kit for minor things that could break. My buddies first SCCA visit cost him $1,500 in repairs on his 80 Vette.

 

[rachelanne4579]

Thanks for the feedback! I will definitely check out that section of the forums. And luckily for me, brake pads aren't that expensive with my work discount haha what tires would you recommend? Right now, I'll be driving my 2006 C230 sport. I've got continental extreme contacts on there now (at least I'm pretty sure that's what they are). I wanted the michelins but they were near 3X the price. As soon as someone buys this car, I'm getting an 11/12 GT CS, so I don't want to invest too much money in this car, but definitely want something better than the comfort tires I have now.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[paynecasey]

I would personally want a separate set of tires for the track then what I daily drive with. Not sure what the SCCA rules are on tread but I'd go with the cheapest bang for the buck tire you don't mine tearing to shreds. Thats just me.

 

[czwalga00gt]

For a near stock vehicle, on a first outing, you're probably right. But just like a gun or a condom, I'd rather have them and not need them, then need them and not have them.

Any time you're going to some sort of racing or track event, you should have tools at your disposal.

Right, I take my entire garage with me to rallys, generator, welder, etc etc.


But for autox? Ehh... not worth the hassle unless its just an adjustable wrench and a few sockets or something.

 

[rachelanne4579]

I would personally want a separate set of tires for the track then what I daily drive with. Not sure what the SCCA rules are on tread but I'd go with the cheapest bang for the buck tire you don't mine tearing to shreds. Thats just me.

That makes sense. I probably need new tires soon anyways, so I may just keep these for the track and buy new nice ones for daily. It's got a 50k miles warranty and I've definitely no where near it, so might be time to visit the tire store

 

[Torch10th]

Thanks for the feedback! I will definitely check out that section of the forums. And luckily for me, brake pads aren't that expensive with my work discount haha what tires would you recommend? Right now, I'll be driving my 2006 C230 sport. I've got continental extreme contacts on there now (at least I'm pretty sure that's what they are). I wanted the michelins but they were near 3X the price. As soon as someone buys this car, I'm getting an 11/12 GT CS, so I don't want to invest too much money in this car, but definitely want something better than the comfort tires I have now.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

To start off with, don't change anything. Go with the car as absolutely stock as possible. You'll likely find that even in stock form you can't drive the car past it's limit. With track time and experience, this will change.

Another reason why you don't want to add anything yet is to determine a path with the vehicle. If you get addicted to the sport and want to start competing for points, you'll need to decide where you think you're going to be competitive. As a result you'll need to pick a class. Based on the car you're using and the class you're shooting for, you may need to keep the car relatively stock. Or if you're shooting for a faster class, you'll want to select modifications that will make you most competitive in that class.

Time trials for road racing is this way as well. I'm going to draw some comparisons that may not be the same but the foundation is probably similar. Generally speaking, to be competitive you don't want to start getting into classes where you vehicle requires quite a bit of modification to reach that class. As an example, lets take TTU in the NASA time trials rule book for instance. TTU is an unlimited class and the cars you generally see there are highly modified Z06 corvettes and the like. If you took a Miata and modified it to the point of being in TTU, although the rules say you should be competitive, you simply won't be.

The same is likely the case for auto-x. You want to be in the top section of whatever class you're running. If you're in H Stock and have a couple points to spare by adding rubber, or shocks etc, you may want to simply bump up to that point. You'll be most competitive there.

As always, read the entire rule book for your sanctioning body.

 

[MachME]

The auto-x I did was set up using a half of a road course, not some parking lot like i normally see on here. It was a blast.

If you have a nice car, for sure use painters tape on the front bumper, especially the lower part and the side skirts. I had a cone I nailed, left a mark down the whole side of the car. Had to come home and get the porter cable out.

As far as "taking it easy the first run" goes, i told my self that too. As soon as the guy waved me to go, that went right out the window. I don't see changing brake pads needed either, if on an actually road course then I would.

 

[KILRSVT]

I know they have the rookie course walk at most events that's helpfully . When
Driving calm down and settle . Remember to look ahead there a lot more techniques it's important to not get overwhelm and have fun

 

[IlliniGT500]

Couple things that helped me the first time out. 1) Painter tape the front and back lower panels, stops cone rub and having to clean melted tire off the rear quarters, 2) walk the track by yourself and then with an experienced driver, imagine speed in and out, 3) set an original benchmark time and work to lower after each run, 4) don't let the other's times bring ya down, it's you against the track, 5) don't try to be Mario on your first run, learn the course, and finally 6) HAVE A GREAT TIME.

I'm looking forward running this year in my GT500. Should be way differsnt than my corvette was.