Newbie Auto-xer [Archive]

miss daisy

03-21-2006, 10:11 AM

Ok before I knocked around for the car that i am and have autocrossed before, I love my baby and she handles well. But I was wondering if any one has any good advice for a beginner? I have an event in Gainsville and I want to be ready for it...I would really appericate the comments good or bad, but perfer good and helpful hints. I have some pics on myspace.com if any one is interested http://www.myspace.com/25102570

ZenkiS14_Drifter

03-21-2006, 10:16 AM

Dont be afraid to hit cones, they are just cones and most marks will buff out. If you are going to go of coarse try and run the cone over if u can and take the penatly in stead of having a DQ for that run. Tire pressures are very important too, be sure to keep and eye on them and play with them. Always remeber smooth is fast. Most importantly HAVE FUN!!!!!

chi town brat

03-21-2006, 10:30 AM

What class will you be running in?

My best suggestion is to mark in your mind lessons for what you want to achieve.

I had fun for awhile and then when I knew I wanted to stick with it started planning out how to get better.

Starting with learning the cones (gates, boxes, directionals, etc.), then learning to look ahead, then learning to look ahead with speed, then adding on finding the straightest line possible by finding the cone to mark as I go thru.

I took 6 seconds off my Brooksville time last Sunday by simply figuring stuff out and listening to those who had watched me while they worked the course.

miss daisy

03-21-2006, 10:33 AM

Thanks!!!

miss daisy

03-21-2006, 10:52 AM

well the event that i will be running is held with florida suncoast z club and the 350 z club and as for the "classes" there arent any its kind of a "fun" event but there are winners, and i am the only non-nissan runner out there...which adds the pressure even more..but i think i can handle that..

ZenkiS14_Drifter

03-21-2006, 10:58 AM

dont worry about being a non- nissan driver. They dont care, and u have nothing to prove. Dont be afraid to ask questions when your there either.

miss daisy

03-21-2006, 11:07 AM

let me ask you something zenki, do you drift? trust me this has a point...

ZenkiS14_Drifter

03-21-2006, 01:13 PM

nope...its just a screen name on TR. ZenkiS14 was taken so I added drifter to it. At one point in time i was going to, but I decided it was in my best interest to not drift right now.

urn_uuid_owned

03-21-2006, 02:02 PM

Hi, this is what I read and memorized before my first autocross:

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

That document worked for me. Have fun.

Alizarin

03-21-2006, 02:25 PM

Hi, this is what I read and memorized before my first autocross:

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

That document worked for me. Have fun.
A good document to read. For my first few auto-x's I just went out with the goal in mind to improve my time on every run. In fact, I still try to do that. Then again, I've only been to 6, so I am in no way a professional. :lol:

So, for my advice, from one newbie to another... Walk the course as much as you can. Talk to others about their thoughts on lines. Being in a FWD car, it will obviously handle differently from a RWD or AWD car, but thoughts on good corner entry or braking points will still apply. Take it easy on your first run and get a feel for the course. You'll have more runs after that to juice it for time.

miss daisy

03-21-2006, 04:32 PM

i like that website....thank you...well there are two things, first i want to do auto-x because i think that it would be a good foundation when i am ready to drift and unfortunatly i was thrown into the scene of drifting cause i am a supportive loving girlfriend, and i loved it and wanted to do it....but now i am wondering if there better events for auto-x than there are for drifting...also the road course doesnt have cones it is an actually go-cart track so there is penlty uh-ohs and oh shits. But i have done this course before and was very skiddish of it.

VividRacingWRX

03-21-2006, 04:33 PM

Come check out our AutoX event down in Ft. Myers. They set up a 1 Mile Course on an airstrip. Saturdays are test and tune and Drivers School which an experienced instructor will ride with you and teach you what you need to know. Sundays are the race. Go to www.gulfcoastautocrossers.com (http://www.gulfcoastautocrossers.com) and there will be a schedule of events. We usuall get about 120-130 cars out there.

miss daisy

03-21-2006, 04:44 PM

cool, thanks

ZenkiS14_Drifter

03-21-2006, 07:13 PM

Gulf Coast hosts great events!!! I attend them reguarly. I also got into auto-X for drifting purposes and got hooked. Like u said, right now its seems as if there are many more events for auto-X than there are for drifting. It is possible to fill every weekend with an auto-x event. I highly advise the GCAC events. the saturday test and tune give you the amount of runs and time to be able to really tune your car. Granted I am a newbie myself.

bam2002

03-22-2006, 08:39 PM

OK a shameless plug for the BMW CCA events. We run them up at brooksville every month. ITs $25 for 5 to 6 runs on a .9 to 1.1 mile course. Lunch is included but you are there All day. 7:30AM to 4:30.

See http://www.fscbmwcca.org/DrivingEvents/calendar.html
for a schedule.
You will need to go to myautoevents.com to register.

We usually have 2 to 3 Ladies running at this event. Some come on out. We have some great instructors there that will ride with you Or let you ride with them. And with 6 runs you really do get to learn the course and fix mistakes.

Barry

Leonard

03-22-2006, 11:20 PM

Maybe try reading the stickies in this forum...??? I'm pretty sure that somebody has already put together a list of resources that answer every single question you could come up with.....

710-Ryan

03-28-2006, 02:42 PM