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Lightbulb Out posted:Check out the rulebook here. Then I shall surely be slowest! 
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Mar 14, 2011 01:51
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angryhampster posted:Then I shall surely be slowest! If you don't think you'll be competitive, and the club is easy going, I'd just class into whatever group that you feel is right.
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Mar 14, 2011 01:54
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I am trying to make the first event in the Sacramento area at Mather Airport April 16th. Got a few loose ends to tie up and I need to get myself a helmet. It will be my first auto-cross and I have no qualms. I got my suspension feeling nice and I'm ready to waste some tires and brakes.
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Mar 14, 2011 02:31
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kimbo305 posted:If you don't think you'll be competitive, and the club is easy going, I'd just class into whatever group that you feel is right. I don't really care about being competitive. I just want to have a good time and have some legal fun with my car. If I wanted to be competitive I'd pick up something much more nimble than a midsize family sedan.
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Mar 14, 2011 02:31
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Good time for a thread! I actually just finished up an event at Firebird International Raceway today. Here have a shaky vid of me tearing up the course in my little Yaris --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTlFkkrm5gQ . That's right kids, if I can race a Yaris you have no excuse for not bringing your grocery getter/boring car out to a meet! ***Currently running in the FSP class and about to shoe horn some RS3s on the car for the next meet.  
Conelrad fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 14, 2011 02:59
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Ziploc posted:I doubt that had anything to do with the organizers. The problem is that as far as I know, the course was set up such that people were able to stand on the track-side of the timing booth with no concern (ie they didn't cone it off or anything). Also, I'm not a huge fan of AZ SCCA anyway. The course layouts I've run the few times I've been have been absurdly short, like even the slowest of the slow drivers and cars were putting up 50 second times. The really fast guys were doing low, low 30s. It feels like almost as much as a ripoff as Friday night drags for $ to track time. Edit: Ha, just noticed the guy above me is in AZ. ~50s in a Yaris in a course that looks a decent bit longer than the one time I took my Miata out. IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Mar 14, 2011 |
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Mar 14, 2011 05:09
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IOwnCalculus posted:The problem is that as far as I know, the course was set up such that people were able to stand on the track-side of the timing booth with no concern (ie they didn't cone it off or anything). That's certainly true up in Phoenix! The track today had a best raw time of something like 35 seconds with my car hitting it at 42. It was a bit hard to justify the drive from Tucson up there for what amounted to <200 seconds drive time. I honestly hope they can get off that skidpad and get somewhere bigger, like the Tucson group did by switching from SIR to Marana. At least Marana has been netting between 50 seconds and 80 seconds raw time 
Conelrad fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 14, 2011 05:17
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"Sorry, you can't ride along, my passenger seat is taken." Sometimes I let real girls ride along: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywwi-QKZqkg whiskas fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Mar 14, 2011 |
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Mar 14, 2011 05:24
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Podothehobbit posted:That's certainly true up in Phoenix! The track today has a best raw time of something like 35 seconds with my car hitting it at 42. It was a bit hard to justify the drive from Tucson up there for what amounted to <200 seconds drive time. I honestly hope they can get off that skidpad and get somewhere bigger, like the Tucson group did by switching from SIR to Marana. At least Marana has been netting between 50 seconds and 80 seconds raw time For a good while, the AZ group ran out at PIR. Never attended an event there so I don't know how the track layouts worked out there. Thing is, way back in ancient history when they were at Firebird the first time around, they used to run on the pad that Bondurant uses and I'm 90% certain the run times ended up considerably longer on that one.
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Mar 14, 2011 05:59
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I try to autox once a month or so here in SoCal. I run my 08 STI in the local stock street tire class with my only real mods being tires and a huge front sway bar (32mm, stock is 20mm). The club here in the LA area uses a big lot at AAA Speedway in Fontana and we can get courses of around 70 sec out of it. A few times a year they hold events at the abandoned airfield at the old El Toro marine base (of Ken Block Gymkhana #1 fame) and courses there end up being about the same time but are usually much longer with faster sections. I'm confining myself to stock class so I don't go crazy modding my car. If I bump up a class then my car will have to be really stiff to be competitive and I wouldn't enjoy it as much on the street. This also allows me to run stock class in rallycross as well with pretty much the same setup. I just change my wheels/tires and disconnect the front swaybar and then go hit the dirt. My goal is to get first in my class in both with the same car, so far my best in autox is 3rd and rallyx is 2nd. Last month they had autox and rallyx competitions on the same day and I almost attempted to do both just to say that I did. The events were maybe 20 min from each other and if the run/work groups had worked out right I probably could have made both with just my minor modifications in between. I ended up just doing the rallyx because they are run less often and I didn't want to stress myself out too much trying to do both. normal/slow motion vid of autox school in 2009 (before huge FSB) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PX_8I_5FKc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilqkBO1q5sE Rallyx last month 
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Mar 14, 2011 10:28
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I do love to go autocrossing but the time invested vs. seat time is such a drag sometimes that I don't make it out more than a few times a year. Best one I went to, though, was a PCA auto-x early last year where there was supposed to be a massive rainstorm that never came. We only had about 10 cars that we split in two groups, and I think everyone got 12 runs in only four or five hours. It was a good course, too, nice and tight but over 50 seconds long, with only 8' spacing on the cones (pretty exciting, as you've really got to be precise). Every time out I shaved a bit of time off so it felt really productive, everyone had a good time. Then another time with NORA the course was just so damned wide open that it had no flow to it. Most people posted their fastest time the first or second run then got progressively slower, it was super frustrating. Plus, there were a ton of drivers there and it was 95 degrees and blisteringly sunny so I ended up spending 10 hours out in the sun getting horrible burns on my legs. loving sucked. Though I will say that it was pretty great that some guy left his lovely old 80s Chevy out in the middle of the parking lot, so the course was laid out around it, he showed up halfway through the day, confused as gently caress. As for safety incidents, only one I've ever seen was where a Corvette flew off the track into a lightpost down in Atlanta maybe six years ago, totaled the car. Not sure what caused it, but it may have been Georgia Tech's formula SAE car leaking oil on the track, as that was a problem later in the day. Every other time I've been on a very open lot with tons of space between workers and the track, I can't imagine people getting hurt at those events so it makes me think injuries you guys have been talking about have been where corner stations were far too close to the track.
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Mar 14, 2011 13:20
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angryhampster posted:Then I shall surely be slowest! Come drive out with me, and we'll have a great time. For your first Autocross, you'll be put into Novice PAX anyway and I'm sure we can find someone to ridealong with you, and get some ridealongs for you.
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Mar 14, 2011 13:46
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Podothehobbit posted:That's right kids, if I can race a Yaris you have no excuse for not bringing your grocery getter/boring car out to a meet! My excuse is manual steering. I have a feeling it wouldn't be very fun a on an auto x course 
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Mar 14, 2011 14:38
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My interest in autocross went way down ever since I learned you could pay 4-5x as much for a track day and get 15-20x the seat time. I still go occasionally to race or take pics, but I'm not interested in dropping boatloads of money to be competitive in my class. Cars I have autocrossed:    Sometimes the local club locks down a field and we go rallycross  The Eugene club is well organized and not prone to spergin, and in addition to the usual vettes, e30s, and camaros, there are a wide range of cars that show up for a race or 2       
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Mar 14, 2011 17:14
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leica posted:My excuse is manual steering. I have a feeling it wouldn't be very fun a on an auto x course This is like saying your panties are bunched up.
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Mar 14, 2011 17:22
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This is perfect timing for this thread. I'm getting my BMW 2002 as well as our Spec E30 car set up for auto-x this summer. Does anyone do any of the Bay Area events? I know my 2002 is going to be slow as balls, but it's just so fun to drive- I want to take it out for a thrashing. The Spec car should be plenty fast and we're doing the auto-X to figure out the setup before hitting the track with it. Is this something people do? Or are the two events so different that it's not helpful for that?
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Mar 14, 2011 17:51
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McMadCow posted:This is perfect timing for this thread. I'm getting my BMW 2002 as well as our Spec E30 car set up for auto-x this summer. Does anyone do any of the Bay Area events? I know my 2002 is going to be slow as balls, but it's just so fun to drive- I want to take it out for a thrashing. As far as I've learned, AutoX and Track setups are pretty different. For example: AutoX drivers will disconnect rear swaybars. Sometimes front bars. Track drivers will stiffen rear bars to keep their cars balanced.
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Mar 14, 2011 19:49
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Ziploc posted:As far as I've learned, AutoX and Track setups are pretty different. That seems peculiar, why would autox drivers disconnect the rear sways? In every car I've autocrossed, understeer has always been the problem, never oversteer.
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Mar 14, 2011 20:48
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Dave Inc. posted:That seems peculiar, why would autox drivers disconnect the rear sways? In every car I've autocrossed, understeer has always been the problem, never oversteer. A lot of RWD cars need an aftermarket front sway bar the diameter of an elephant's cock to deal with oversteer. This is one of the reasons why aftermarket front sway bars are stock legal. Great for RWD, awful for FWD.
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Mar 14, 2011 21:34
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whiskas posted:A lot of RWD cars need an aftermarket front sway bar the diameter of an elephant's cock to deal with oversteer at low speeds. I think you missed a part. Most courses focus on low speed cornering. Disconnecting a rear sway can help with low speed corner exit traction on a RWD car.
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Mar 14, 2011 21:53
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Basically a huge gently caress-off front sway bar acts as a pivot point for the steering. Running with no rear sway at autocross removes some understeer, but at the track it's loving terminally bad. The biggest people have found you want to run in the rear is the Mazdaspeed Miata 14mm sway and a lot of SoCal shops are a big fan of the no rear sway option. Also, a lot of national guys and gals have found that just pushing through runs actually nets you a faster time. Understeer is not desirable, but you can get away with more than you think in autocross.
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Mar 14, 2011 23:11
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Phone posted:This is like saying your panties are bunched up. Run a tight parking lot auto x course with manual steering and see how well you do. If you want to be competitive at all it's loving pointless. If you don't mind being slower than molasses then I guess it's ok.
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Mar 14, 2011 23:14
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LISTEN BRO IF YOU AREN'T AT LEAST SPENDING 2K A YEAR ON HOOSIERS YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG Fatcow's NA has a depowered rack and it's obnoxious doing 3 point turns, but it's fine after once you're above 10mph.
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Mar 14, 2011 23:28
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leica posted:Run a tight parking lot auto x course with manual steering and see how well you do. If you want to be competitive at all it's loving pointless. If you don't mind being slower than molasses then I guess it's ok. You could always co-drive if you have a friend that's willing to go to the track. I've swapped my Yaris for a friend's CTS-V on a few occasions and we've both had a blast seeing the pros/cons of each other's vehicles.
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Mar 14, 2011 23:29
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leica posted:Run a tight parking lot auto x course with manual steering and see how well you do. If you want to be competitive at all it's loving pointless. If you don't mind being slower than molasses then I guess it's ok. I think autocross is really good for being just for fun, while learning shitloads about your car. It's less about being competitive, especially if you are not a seasoned autocrosser.
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Mar 14, 2011 23:34
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leica posted:Run a tight parking lot auto x course with manual steering and see how well you do. If you want to be competitive at all it's loving pointless. If you don't mind being slower than molasses then I guess it's ok.
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Mar 14, 2011 23:35
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Phone posted:LISTEN BRO IF YOU AREN'T AT LEAST SPENDING 2K A YEAR ON HOOSIERS YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG Like I said, run it on a course and see how much better (worse) you do than with power steering. Besides, I drive a FWD econobox, not a Miata. Lightbulb Out posted:I think autocross is really good for being just for fun, while learning shitloads about your car. It's less about being competitive, especially if you are not a seasoned autocrosser. I know for a fact it would not be fun in my car due to the manual steering, and not being competitive would add to the non fun because I'm a competitive person. Seriously, it sucks navigating a parking lot, I don't see how an auto x course would be much different. I would track my car before I ever auto crossed it. Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 00:07 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 15, 2011 00:00
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leica posted:I know for a fact it would not be fun in my car due to the manual steering, and not being competitive would add to the non fun because I'm a competitive person. Seriously, it sucks navigating a parking lot, I don't see how an auto x course would be much different. It really sounds a lot lamer than it really is, when you go and do it you have a lot more fun than one expects. You're not going to be winning your first autocross regardless. **EDIT** That is assuming you live some place with a good local region. Lightbulb Out fucked around with this message at 00:04 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 15, 2011 00:02
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There's a member in my club who is super competitive. He has been keeping spreadsheets of all his costs over the last few years and determined that each run at an autocross costs him $20 in wear and tear + parts alone. You may as well picture him pulling up to the starting grid for each run and throwing a $20 bill out the window. This is assuming: Hoosier A6's Launching like a bat out of hell (frequent clutch and diff replacements) Fuel costs Driving like his life depends on it So if you plan on reaching national levels of competition, it isn't cheap.
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Mar 15, 2011 00:21
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Lightbulb Out posted:It really sounds a lot lamer than it really is, when you go and do it you have a lot more fun than one expects. I know we're trying to get people to try it out, but you have to temper their expectations some. On a good day, you'll get like 4 runs in the morning, 4 in the afternoon. Fewer if the course is long, people gently caress up and cause reruns, or if lots of cars show up. Still not as bad as rallyx in the winter where you have to stand in snow for hours while all the above delays are happening. It's absolutely fun, but the thought of driving a couple hours someplace for a shot at a few minutes of driving can get to you.
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Mar 15, 2011 00:30
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leica posted:Like I said, run it on a course and see how much better (worse) you do than with power steering. Besides, I drive a FWD econobox, not a Miata. I find manual steering to be better than power steering in autocross in regards to feeling and response of the vehicle, and if you go fast enough you'll hardly know the difference (adrenaline might help with this). A proper alignment doesn't hurt either.
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Mar 15, 2011 00:42
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whiskas posted:There's a member in my club who is super competitive. He has been keeping spreadsheets of all his costs over the last few years and determined that each run at an autocross costs him $20 in wear and tear + parts alone. You may as well picture him pulling up to the starting grid for each run and throwing a $20 bill out the window. If he's running A6s and only burning $20 a run he's doing pretty good. I'm expecting about $12 a run in tires alone on v710s. My car is a depowered power steering rack, about as bad as it can get unless you just pull the power steering belt from the car and leave everything on. If steering is that hard you might need to drop your caster a degree or so. National level autocross in light weight car classes indicates that manual steering is faster because of the weight savings. Specifically for the Miata they take a steering ratio hit as well. FatCow fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 15, 2011 01:06
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leica posted:Run a tight parking lot auto x course with manual steering and see how well you do. If you want to be competitive at all it's loving pointless. If you don't mind being slower than molasses then I guess it's ok. A big issue here is that some manual racks have a HUGE lock-to-lock number (I think my BG 323 was 4 turns lock-to-lock) to make up for the lack of p/s. It made a tight slalom a TON of steering work. 
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Mar 15, 2011 03:34
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What, no powersliding MR2/Maxima photos?
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Mar 15, 2011 03:53
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Ziploc posted:What, no powersliding MR2/Maxima photos? STOP NINJA EDITING DAMMIT. Anyway I addressed the point that the manual rack is a shittier ratio, doesn't matter feel/weight is supreme. Also, I autocrossed in a non-turbo Subaru Forester. All of your car excuses are completely void. I also looped it twice, I thought I was going to die both times. FatCow fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 15, 2011 03:56
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Wow, lots to learn for sure. And here I thought the lack of power steering in the 2002 would make it more fun!
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Mar 15, 2011 04:31
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Ziploc posted:What, no powersliding MR2/Maxima photos? Oh you...       
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Mar 15, 2011 10:52
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The standard E30 rack is 4 turns lock to lock and is annoying on the autocross course for sure, but wouldn't make me sissy enough to not try it at least once. Also, it all depends on the region you're competing in. Here in IOWA we get 6-7 runs assuming all goes well. However, some other regions I've ran in have only gotten 4 runs in during the day.
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Mar 15, 2011 14:21
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My Corvair is 5.25 turns lock-to-lock, and it definitely provided a bit of challenge on course. Doesn't mean it wasn't fun! A great way to scare the piss out of your ride alongs, too... (no I didn't break traction, those rear tires are monsters, and the corvair is a powerless sack of crap. That was my passenger side cylinder head making GBS threads oil past the valve seals) MrSaturn fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Mar 15, 2011 |
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Mar 15, 2011 16:56
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Lightbulb Out posted:The standard E30 rack is 4 turns lock to lock and is annoying on the autocross course for sure, but wouldn't make me sissy enough to not try it at least once. Well apparently you really want to auto x more than I do Seriously though, if I'm gonna spend the money I'd rather save it and track it and get more seat time anyway.
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Mar 15, 2011 16:56
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