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> First Autocross, Preperations, tips?
BananaSplit
Posted: Oct 27 2009, 11:55 PM


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Second event is in the books.

Got times of 80.1, 79.2(+2), 77.3(clean). Average times for my class was about 73-74 so I've still got a lot of ground to cover. I did get 8th out of 21 in novices though! whistling.gif

Some thoughts:
I felt really conservative on the first run to get a good confident feeling for the next two runs. But on the 2nd run when I went balls to the wall, I went too hot on two early turns. Too late of a braking point and heavy understeer caused me to eat up two cones. Third run I tried to fix up some mistakes, which I did, but I understeered on a late hairpin following a flat-out slalom where I was bouncing off rev-limiter in 2nd. Again, late braking and came in too hot. Took way too long to get through that turn.

I need to learn the course more. Since I stick with my friends, I only course walk with them and they only walk around once. Next time, I definitely need to learn the course more so I'm gonna take another couple more rounds around. Maybe even tag along the novice course walk. I was essentially winging it. If I memorized the course, I would have known which turns I wouldn't have to slow down so much for and etc. But now that I've got my feet wet, I can start REALLY thinking about this mentally. Taking good lines, finding the right braking point, and other stuff like that.

As for my new tires, the RE01Rs are obviously leagues above my stock all-seasons. Dunno what else I can say about that.

Oh and my hand positioning and wheel turning technique needs work. I'm in the habit of daily driving and keep letting go of the wheel when I shouldn't.

I'm learning a lot of new stuff every month. It's kind of satisfying, even if my times aren't the best.

Here's a video of the instructor throwing my car around for the first run. He's a national champion apparently.
YOUTUBE ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqnzT-tcZaI )
Spaz
Posted: Oct 28 2009, 08:12 AM


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Holy shit that was a tight course! A lot of boxes, tons of hairpins.... no thanks.

Anyway, you mentioned course walks, which I'd completely forgotten to mention before, and are arguably one of the most important things you can do before the event starts. Hell, I'd put the importance over nailing your tire pressures down.

I walk three times.

First walk, I'm just walking. I'll talk to people, get opinions, just spend time familiarizing myself with the basic layout.

Second walk, I'm looking at cones, starting to nail down line choices, looking for the key cones and also cones I can ignore, starting to really memorize things. By the end of this walk I'm usually able to run through the course in my head.

Third walk, I start looking for braking and accelerating points, looking at any camber or marbles in the lot, starting to estimate shift points and element entry speeds, and overall just how I plan to drive the course on my first run.

After that, I then go talk to any friends or other people with similar vehicles to see what they picked up on and how their plan differs from mine. Remember, this isn't a competitive sport on the club level, everyone's out to have fun (especially the novice class), and most should be willing to discuss the course.
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BananaSplit
Posted: Oct 28 2009, 09:15 PM


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Yeah, most articles I've read about autocrossing stress those points. Definitely gonna do that next event.

I kind of feeling like dropping down a class too. I'm currently in STX, but I wonder if I should run in G-stock or SK2(street tire stock class apparently). I don't even have any mods. I only run in STX because my friend does too.
Spaz
Posted: Oct 29 2009, 07:34 AM


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Could you run in STS? That would be the route I'd go with a Civic, I just don't know if the new ones are allowed in the class, not sure on engine displacement. Just do suspension mods and go pwn people if you can.

Your wheels will probably prevent your from running GS, seeing as they're wider than stock.
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BananaSplit
Posted: Oct 29 2009, 10:05 AM


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QUOTE (cmspaz @ 2 hours, 31 minutes ago)
Could you run in STS? That would be the route I'd go with a Civic, I just don't know if the new ones are allowed in the class, not sure on engine displacement. Just do suspension mods and go pwn people if you can.

Your wheels will probably prevent your from running GS, seeing as they're wider than stock.

Yeah. I was thinking my wheels would keep me out of GS. The problem I have though is that I don't really understand the concept of SK1/SK2. It's considered a "local class" so I'm not sure if you guys have it in your area. The instructor that drove my car in the previously posted video suggested I could run in SK2. Here's what the forums say about it if anyone can clear it up:

QUOTE

SK1: (Street Tire, Stock Car 1)
SS AS BS & FS only.
Stock Preparation Level Cars, 140 treadwear or higher street tires only
Times are indexed car class.

SK2: (Street Tire, Stock Car 2)
CS DS ES GS & HS only.
Stock Preparation Level Cars, 140 treadwear or higher street tires only.
Times are indexed by car class.
Spaz
Posted: Oct 29 2009, 11:14 AM


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We do not have those classes. We only have one local class, SI (Special Interest) which is a novice class, is not scored or indexed (AKA not a points class), and you can run in it with any level of preparation (My car is an SM car, others run with stock cars) until you place first in class at a single event. At any event following you must run your car in the correct class.

The concept of the SK classes, as I read them, is that it allows you to run a stock car vs other stock cars on wheels and tires that fit the -T indexing restrictions.

This post has been edited by cmspaz on Oct 29 2009, 11:14 AM
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BananaSplit
Posted: Oct 29 2009, 06:38 PM


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Ah. I'll probably run in ST/STS Novice next event. Besides, they're in run group one and work group 2 next month. STX isn't running until after lunch. I'd rather work early in the day when it's least hot. laugh.gif
Spaz
Posted: Oct 29 2009, 07:26 PM


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QUOTE (BananaSplit @ 47 minutes, 16 seconds ago)
Ah. I'll probably run in ST/STS Novice next event. Besides, they're in run group one and work group 2 next month. STX isn't running until after lunch. I'd rather work early in the day when it's least hot. laugh.gif

You and I think alike on the work order.

Of course, I try to go even further and show up bright and early to work registration, that way I don't have to chase cones at all! laugh.gif
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BananaSplit
Posted: Oct 30 2009, 12:48 PM


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QUOTE (cmspaz @ Yesterday, 8:26 PM)
You and I think alike on the work order.

Of course, I try to go even further and show up bright and early to work registration, that way I don't have to chase cones at all! laugh.gif

In my only two events, I worked course. I had a terrible learning experience in my first event though. I got assigned a slalom and a hairpin by myself on my first ever course working experience. Even worse, I was working for the PAX and SM crew. The guy working starting gate was letting them go so quick after another that I barely had time to run cones. And that wasn't even the worst of it! A bimmer was gunning it through the slalom and barely cut a slalom cone, but that thing had so much hangtime and distance, by the time it landed, it was near the outside entrance of the hairpin and the second car was already on its way through the slalom. Me being a new worker and all, had no idea what to do. Eventually he got red flagged though.

Buuut after that, it all went peachy. My second event went a lot smoother. Mostly GS and HS cars.
Spaz
Posted: Nov 1 2009, 07:44 AM


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QUOTE (BananaSplit @ Oct 30 2009, 03:48 PM)
In my only two events, I worked course. I had a terrible learning experience in my first event though. I got assigned a slalom and a hairpin by myself on my first ever course working experience. Even worse, I was working for the PAX and SM crew. The guy working starting gate was letting them go so quick after another that I barely had time to run cones. And that wasn't even the worst of it! A bimmer was gunning it through the slalom and barely cut a slalom cone, but that thing had so much hangtime and distance, by the time it landed, it was near the outside entrance of the hairpin and the second car was already on its way through the slalom. Me being a new worker and all, had no idea what to do. Eventually he got red flagged though.

Buuut after that, it all went peachy. My second event went a lot smoother. Mostly GS and HS cars.

Then you need to bring that up to someone as an issue, particularly the radio worker for your section of the course. If they're sending the cars too fast for one person, they're probably too fast for everyone. There's really nothing you can do except sprint to the cone, sprint back, and if you don't have enough time for that, let people know. Plus, the radio worker should be letting them know to hold cars if the course isn't back together. It sounds to me like your region doesn't have that quite down yet.

Alternatively, as you work, you'll need to look at what cones are most commonly getting hit, and position yourself that you can more easily get to those specific cones. Or just pick an element to maintain where you know nobody's going to hit anything. The largest event of last season, the only thing I had to chase was a water bottle that fell over and started rolling toward the course. Nobody hit anything in the element I was stationed at.
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Calhouncam
Posted: Nov 5 2009, 12:35 AM


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For autoX the suspension will be the best bang for the buck mod you could do. Then performance intake, chip, limited slip diff, exhaust. Also think about where you can save weight. Pulling seats out for the event, sound deadening, etc.
Spaz
Posted: Nov 5 2009, 04:31 PM


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QUOTE (Calhouncam @ Today, 3:35 AM)
For autoX the suspension will be the best bang for the buck mod you could do. Then performance intake, chip, limited slip diff, exhaust. Also think about where you can save weight. Pulling seats out for the event, sound deadening, etc.

Wrong.

Best bang for the buck is tightening the nut behind the wheel. wink2.gif Then after that is tires. THEN suspension.
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Slash
Posted: Nov 6 2009, 06:05 AM


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QUOTE (cmspaz @ Yesterday, 4:31 PM)
Wrong.

Best bang for the buck is tightening the nut behind the wheel. wink2.gif Then after that is tires. THEN suspension.

What do you mean by tightening the nut behind the wheel? could you elaborate more please?
Spaz
Posted: Nov 6 2009, 07:41 AM


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This one:
user posted image

The nut behind the wheel is the driver, and you tighten it by learning to drive better. wink2.gif
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BananaSplit
Posted: Nov 6 2009, 01:27 PM


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I thought you were talking about camber laugh.gif

Anyway, my RPF-1's are sad. They're sitting in the backyard waiting to be used. The next event isn't until Nov 29th. I'm itching to get back out there! sad.gif
DigiBunny
  Posted: Nov 7 2009, 01:47 AM


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There's a little Autocross going on down by the fort; Kia's doing a thing for their Soul car. Some reverse parking, follwed by a short slalom, paralell park, then drive in reverse all the way to the finish. Tell you guys how it went tommorow.



This post has been edited by DigiBunny on Dec 1 2009, 01:01 AM
BananaSplit
Posted: Nov 30 2009, 01:18 PM


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Just finished my third event yesterday morning. Probably the most fun I've had thus far. Some thoughts:

-The course was really fun. A lot more straight sections and slaloms/walloms than past events.
-I walked course a total of two times. I was aiming for three, but the organizers were behind schedule. Registration opened up a good 20 minutes late, and the course wasn't ready for walking immediately. They had to rearrange some certain sections apparently. However, that extra course walk improved my knowledge of the course greatly. I actually knew what was coming up and I learned that makes a huge difference.
-Cold morning, damp surface, and cold tires were my downfall for my first run. I ran in group 1 and I was probably the 5th person to run overall. Not good at all. The first section was an S-turn flowing into a hairpin and as soon as I took that S-turn, I felt my tires giving out and when I came into the hairpin, I did a complete 180. It was my first time ever spinning out and everything happened so fast, I didn't go two feet into the brake and clutch. The car stalled and fell into limp mode and I had to *putt putt* around the course at like 20mph because my car wouldn't go any higher than 3000 RPM. At least I got my first spin out experience though.
-My second and third runs were good though. I'm feeling slowly more confident about racing now. I'm not as conservative anymore. I'm also starting to learn the limitations of my car in its current state. My throttle control and braking are improving.

Those are the main points of my last event I think. The next event is in two weeks! Kinda better than having to wait 4 weeks for an event.
Spaz
Posted: Nov 30 2009, 04:04 PM


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I spun and stalled the first run at my second event. Took a bit to get the car going, then had to get moving quick because a buddy of mine was flying up behind me. The biggest thing to learn from it: take it easy your first run. Nobody pushes their car to the limits their first on course.
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