My first Autocross

[98banana]

Looks like I'm about to do my first Autocross. I just registered for the SCCA event at the Fairgrounds in Columbia. It's this Saturday, the 17th.

Some of you long time Autocrossers need to come down and join me so I can get some pointers.

By the way, I'll be in the Focus, not the Ramcharger. :D

John, bring down one of them Foci you have!

[SIUNARA]

Good luck Tom! :thumbsup:

A few tips:

1.) Go fast where you are supposed to go fast and slow where you are supposed to go slow. Many autox people try to go fast where they should go slow and it ends up killing your time.

2.) REAR STEER!!! It helped me give many headaches to the import guys and really helps negotiate some of the tight turns you see in an autox course.

3.) Walk the course...as many times as you can. You'll see things walking the course that may help when you get out there.

What class will you be in G-stock or STS? If you're on street tires STS is where you should be. It is tough to keep up with the G-stock cars unless you're on R's.

Kick some butt!! :D

[98banana]

Thanks Don. I signed up for GS. I just went off of what was on the SCCA site. I have no idea about the particulars for the groups. I'll look in to changing the classification. The guy that won overall (pax) at the same event last month is in GS and he is registered for this one too.

I'm hoping that the experience I had with the Focus at CMP doing quite a bit of sliding the rear end out in the "autocross" section will help me at this thing.

Good tips, by the way. I'll make sure to walk the course all morning. I've heard that is a great thing to do. :thumbsup:

[beerkat]

Don't forget to raise your tire pressures. I did an AX in a Focus once, never got out of 1st gear.:thumbsup:

[98banana]

Don't forget to raise your tire pressures. I did an AX in a Focus once, never got out of 1st gear.:thumbsup:
Good advice. Thanks. You coming up for the event?

[cobrabitn]

Tom,

If you can, inquire a little about the AX event and what it would take to run one if you don't mind. We may have one in the near future if we can get everything to work out right. :hail: :typer: :banana: :spimpin:

Thanks,

Tony

[98banana]

Tom,

If you can, inquire a little about the AX event and what it would take to run one if you don't mind. We may have one in the near future if we can get everything to work out right. :hail: :typer: :banana: :spimpin:

Thanks,

Tony

Be glad to.

There's probably a few people on this board that could run one because of their vast experience with Autocrosses. Calvin_1976, SIUNARA and probably quite a few others.

[justagt]

Hey Tone-E ( NY , right) :D

Jim Pantas would be a good source of info for an autocross.

[SIUNARA]

I'd be glad to help out. I've helped the central Pa. region of SCCA run events before. Let me know if you need any help. :thumbsup:

[cobrabitn]

Okay y'all,

I just want to know a good place to have one. I know they use Knight's stadium. Have any of you ever run there? I'm trying to get the same layout that they have in Knoxville. That course is like a mini road course with fast straights. I wish some of you would go there for the day and check it out.

Anyway, where is a good place? I'm not worried about the logistics as we have plenty of competent people on this board that I know will help organize it. I guess what I want to know is if there is a paved track where we could set up and won't cost us a fortune?

All suggestions are welcome, even Panta's. :D J/K

Don, if you know of something up there in PA then I think we should pursue that too. You need something to spark y'all up there or someone I should say! :D

Thanks for your input!

[98banana]

I can already tell you that I don't like the Fairgrounds here in Columbia because the chair lift they built in the middle of it. There are huge steel posts in the middle of the autocross track that I question the safety of.

I would think the thing to look for is any almost abandoned shopping center parking lot. The owners would be willing to rent it out for cheap, if not free.

[cobrabitn]

There's an old abandoned airport somewhere in the NC/SC area, they run wide open on it. That's what we need to rent. Do you know the one I am talking about? :doubt:

[98banana]

That's the one I was asking about a few months ago. I thinks it's near Fayetteville, if I'm not mistaken. I can dig up the info on it again. That's the place the Hayabusa (sp?) club goes to open up their bikes.

Just about any shopping center parking lot would do. One with lots of open space and no light poles. I'll do some looking around.

I think they have them at the Midlands Tech parking lot near the Columbia Airport now and then.

[cowboyharry]

What is rear steer???

[98banana]

Okay, that was fun. It wasn't quite as exciting as open track, but it was fun.

I ended up 7th out of 15 in GS. We had 4 run groups and it rained during the entire run group 2. It was dry for all the other 3. And guess what group I was in... yeap, run group 2. :mad: But, it was fun. The winner of the group ran a 48.xx. My best was a 54.xx which I was pretty happy with. The faster times were definately faster prepared cars. Fast time of the day was 46.xx.

We had fun runs at the end of the day and I ran another 53.xx and a 52.60. That was right up there with many of the faster cars, so I'm happy with it for a first time out.

BUT, the highlight of the day was driving my cousin's '03 10th Anniv. Cobra. It's got about 440 rwhp. It was a blast!!! I ran a 55.xx in it, but had a hell of a lot of fun doing it. Talk about rear steer... not a problem with that car. There was a 180* turn in the course. All I did was squeeze a little throttle and it just snapped right around. Fun, fun, fun!!!

[scocher]

What is rear steer???

Good question :scratch:

[cobrabitn]

Tom,

I don't know your schedule for the 21st of August, but if you can make the Knoxville trip then do it. You have to trust me on this one, you will be talking about it all weekend. If you decide to go then we can meet on I26 somewhere and run up there together with Lisa?? Sorry, I can't let you take the Mystic out on the track because I'll be in the 94 Coupe. :thumbsup:

It'll be fun, promise! Besides, you're not going to let them thar imports embarrass us, are you? :)

Later...

[98banana]

Tom,

I don't know your schedule for the 21st of August, but if you can make the Knoxville trip then do it. You have to trust me on this one, you will be talking about it all weekend. If you decide to go then we can meet on I26 somewhere and run up there together with Lisa?? Sorry, I can't let you take the Mystic out on the track because I'll be in the 94 Coupe. :thumbsup:

It'll be fun, promise! Besides, you're not going to let them thar imports embarrass us, are you? :)

Later...

I may be able to make that. I'll need to check my schedule. That course layout looks like it would favor the high horsepower cars. It would still be a lot of fun for the little guys like myself though. :D

Is it a weekend event or a single day?

[cobrabitn]

It's a single day event. I plan on leaving on Friday pm after work and spending the night in Knoxville. Then come back Saturday night after the event.

It's not that high a speed but 80 mph can be reached depending on your car. I doubt the 94 will ever see that speed though... :D

[SIUNARA]

Rear steering is just what it is called...steering with the rear of the car as well as the front. Using momentum combined with late braking to steer the rear of the car around a turn. It is very easy to do in a Mustang. A little more challenging in a front drive car, but still very doable. It is a must in the autox world in my opinion. Some of the turns on autox courses are so tight that it helps a great deal if you can use it to your advantage...not to mention it is great fun! :D

Not bad Tom!! :thumbsup:

How did your times compare to the STS class? That is where your car would be most competitive on street tires.

[SIUNARA]

Tony,

I wouldn't mind shaking the trees to get some interest in an autox, but are you talking about people driving down south to a Cobra Club sponsered autox or having one up here?

[Calvin_1976]

There's an old abandoned airport somewhere in the NC/SC area, they run wide open on it. That's what we need to rent. Do you know the one I am talking about? :doubt:

That would be the Laurinburg Maxton airport. The surface has seen better days but concrete is always fun to run on.

[Calvin_1976]

Okay, that was fun. It wasn't quite as exciting as open track, but it was fun.

I ended up 7th out of 15 in GS. We had 4 run groups and it rained during the entire run group 2. It was dry for all the other 3. And guess what group I was in... yeap, run group 2. :mad: But, it was fun. The winner of the group ran a 48.xx. My best was a 54.xx which I was pretty happy with. The faster times were definately faster prepared cars. Fast time of the day was 46.xx.

We had fun runs at the end of the day and I ran another 53.xx and a 52.60. That was right up there with many of the faster cars, so I'm happy with it for a first time out.

BUT, the highlight of the day was driving my cousin's '03 10th Anniv. Cobra. It's got about 440 rwhp. It was a blast!!! I ran a 55.xx in it, but had a hell of a lot of fun doing it. Talk about rear steer... not a problem with that car. There was a 180* turn in the course. All I did was squeeze a little throttle and it just snapped right around. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Congrats sounds like you had a good time. :thumbsup:

[cowboyharry]

So rear steer is just another word for sliding? What is sounds like to me. Kinda like going down the road and trompen on the e brake (or brake ped.), lock the rear wheels up, spin around, let go of the brake , then tromp on the gas. Then youd be going back up the road very quick.At least thats how I used to do it when I was geting chased. :eek:

[98banana]

The simplest way to explain rear steer is just by saying the term "rear steer" again. It's using the back of the car to point the vehicle in the direction you want it to go.

In the Focus, I've found that an opposite snap movement like they do in rally racing works pretty well. It depends a lot on how you're braking at the time. Under heavy braking in the Focus, it's almost impossible to get the rear end out because the car wants to push real bad.

Don, here's the results from the event: http://www.scr-scca.com/content/autocross/results2.php?Event=20040717&Report=fin

I haven't looked back at them, but I think the STS guys were a little faster. I don't know if that is normal or not. I talked to a guy at registration about which class I should be in. He didn't know. :eek: I heard them talking to another BMW guy later on and the BMW guy looked at me and my car and said "he's not stock, he's got 17" wheels." Guess he doesn't know much about SVT??? It didn't really matter about the class though, I just wanted to try it once. It won't be the last time though.

My cousin with the '03 that I drove also had his girlfriend out there running. She's now decided to buy a Miata from a family member to run at autocrosses. My brother was thinking about buying a Cooper Mini... he's now planning to get it before the next SCR-SCCA event in August (after the Laurens event next weekend). It's addictive man!

Oh yeah, I think I mentioned to you Don about the Ferrari. He did show up in his new 360 Modena, but was kind of afraid to let me take it out on the course. He hasn't even made the first payment yet. He took a bunch of people for rides though and quickly turned into the most popular guy at the event. :D

[cobrabitn]

Don,

An SCMC AX up there in PA. I don't think you want to drive south everytime we have an SCMC event, do you? :rotf:

Tony

[beerkat]

I did a AX at Midland Tech in columbia with sc/svtoa. We did it in a small parking lot. Had light poles in it. SC/SVTOA is doing thier 2nn AX at Waccawma Potter this weekend. The lot cost 250 for the day. I did not do the first one there so I do not know the layout. Of the few AX that I have done the 411 course is the best one, can not wait until Oct to run it again.:bounce:

Tom, you will find that you Focus will turn times sa good as the Cobras because of the turns. The banked turns are something else. If you can not make the Aug. event do the one in Oct. Of course if you do the one in Aug you want to do the one in Oct. also.
Kim

[SIUNARA]

Tom,

It being your first time autoxing, they should have suggested the novice group for you. You would have finished in the top three and taken home a trophy!! :thumbsup: Sounds like the fun factor was more important though.

Any idea how many of the guys that finished ahead of you in GS were on R's?

Tony,

Yeah, I don't mind driving for open track events, but autox is pushing it a bit. I can donate some time to the autox effort, but not too much until I'm finished with a few other commitments I have right now. :thumbsup:

[tnturbo]

A guy from the East TN region just moved down to yours. John Wilson, runs a blue Civic Si in STS. Don't let his placing in this past event fool you, he is a good driver. GS is actually a little more favorable in PAX than STS .781 for GS compared to .791 for STS

[98banana]

Any idea how many of the guys that finished ahead of you in GS were on R's?
Not sure. The 2 Mini Cooper S entries were the same car with 2 drivers as was the GTI entry. That GTI was bad-a$$! It had a turbo, but I'm pretty sure it had street tires. The Mini and the CRX registered with Hoosiers. As for the others, I'm not sure.

I didn't even notice that about the Novice placings. There's that ol' hindsight kicking me in the a$$ again. :D I would have placed a strong second since they ran in the driest session. My 3rd dry session was the 52.6.