A little nervous! Any suggestions?
- Thread starter MP3_4ME
- Start date
I have done a few autocrosses. A few tips are to get as familiar with the course as possible. If they allow you to walk the course - do it. Draw a map if you are having a hard time remembering the layout. Also, don't go crazy for times on your first run. It's better to get a clean run in early, that way you won't have to worry so much about staying on course in the later runs. The less pressure you put on yourself the better.
I could give you a bunch of other advice, but if you read this you should be better prepared than most of the people there.
Good Luck!!!
I could give you a bunch of other advice, but if you read this you should be better prepared than most of the people there.
Good Luck!!!
hey jesq i see u have a 93 rx7 i was wondering if you know anything about a neibors car that i was looking at it is a 93 or 94 rx7 bight yellow with a yellow and black interior. he said its a twin turbo with aprox 400hp. he said there was only 350 made. it reminds me of the interir of the new rx8 its is one bad ass lookin car.
wheelguruuu
Member
auto-x
Hey good to hear another MP3 autocrossing out there! one of the best things you can do to help you is ti bump up your tire pressure to about 45-50 PSI(assuming that you still have the dunlop 9000's). start out with a higher pressure and drop it as needed, only because it is easier to drop PSI than it is to add more. other than that your MP3 is set up better than most cars out there! have fun. look ahead as far as you can on the course to set yourself up for tricky turn combo's. and as for little tricks I know, move your rear view mirror up into the roof so you don't look at it(you don't need to see behind you!!!) and put your seat in more of an upright position where you can use the dead pedal on the left side of the car to stabalize yourself.
the other thing is you can ask for an instructor to do a ride along and it costs nothing. just ask when you are registering.
good luck and have fun!
wheelguruuu!
Hey good to hear another MP3 autocrossing out there! one of the best things you can do to help you is ti bump up your tire pressure to about 45-50 PSI(assuming that you still have the dunlop 9000's). start out with a higher pressure and drop it as needed, only because it is easier to drop PSI than it is to add more. other than that your MP3 is set up better than most cars out there! have fun. look ahead as far as you can on the course to set yourself up for tricky turn combo's. and as for little tricks I know, move your rear view mirror up into the roof so you don't look at it(you don't need to see behind you!!!) and put your seat in more of an upright position where you can use the dead pedal on the left side of the car to stabalize yourself.
the other thing is you can ask for an instructor to do a ride along and it costs nothing. just ask when you are registering.
good luck and have fun!
wheelguruuu!
cjstringer
Member
Great advice and posts so far guys!
As for tire pressure, it's the ONLY thing I changed when I took my car to the first AX. I ran 40 in the fronts and 36 in the rears. (you may need to run more as posted above) Get a bottle of white shoe polish and mark the edges of your tires so you can see how far over they roll. Make sure they get near or to the edge of the tread, but not past the edge. Rolling past the edge would have you losing traction.
I will also suggest walking the course. It is a good idea to show up early to the event and maybe walk it 2 or 3 times. (I walked it 4 myself) I went 2 times with a group of people. I listened to what they had to say, but remember, they could be wrong! I walked it the second two times trying to memorize the track and count how many R or L hand turns I would need to get out of the slaloms the quickest, and on one slalom was able to cut out an extra cone by entering different than where the track seems to want to push the car.
Listen VERY CLOSELY in the drivers meeting. A lot of good information can come out of it. (Though it seems to often be garbled in jokes and misc. info.)
If you get a chance, had a ride along in your car, or see if you can get a ride in someone elses car. You can learn a lot.
The event I went to was in the middle of nowhere, so you might want to bring a cooler with some drinks and food. There isn't always a lot of time to get to it and the day goes faster than you would think.
If you gt to shag cones in the morning, look for what might be a tricky spot on the course to work so you can see what others are doing wrong and you mmight not do the same. I wouldn't pick a slalom, they are actually rather simple to understand. It's not simple to drive, but they really aren't that confusing.
Definitely check out the link from the post above. You will learn a lot!
Admit to people that it is your first time and be polite to accept any advice they can give you. Everyone is usually helpful. (Though not always correct, so be careful)
If you are running stock, (no cai or other mods) you should be in GS. I had someone try to put me in another class with a worse multiplier, but I found the sheet (an official had it) to show my class.
Lastly, have fun! Your car kicks ass and, as I learned, is far more capable than I was my first time out!. I really hope to push it this weekend also, as I will be racing the 17th too. Enjoy the day and make some cool friends. Most all of the people there are friendly and helpful. Oh, and, your car will be gaulked at. You'll love that part.
PS: OH! almost forgot! Take a bottle of oil with you, just in case you start to run a little low. High RPMs and low oil = bad day.
Have fun!
As for tire pressure, it's the ONLY thing I changed when I took my car to the first AX. I ran 40 in the fronts and 36 in the rears. (you may need to run more as posted above) Get a bottle of white shoe polish and mark the edges of your tires so you can see how far over they roll. Make sure they get near or to the edge of the tread, but not past the edge. Rolling past the edge would have you losing traction.
I will also suggest walking the course. It is a good idea to show up early to the event and maybe walk it 2 or 3 times. (I walked it 4 myself) I went 2 times with a group of people. I listened to what they had to say, but remember, they could be wrong! I walked it the second two times trying to memorize the track and count how many R or L hand turns I would need to get out of the slaloms the quickest, and on one slalom was able to cut out an extra cone by entering different than where the track seems to want to push the car.
Listen VERY CLOSELY in the drivers meeting. A lot of good information can come out of it. (Though it seems to often be garbled in jokes and misc. info.)
If you get a chance, had a ride along in your car, or see if you can get a ride in someone elses car. You can learn a lot.
The event I went to was in the middle of nowhere, so you might want to bring a cooler with some drinks and food. There isn't always a lot of time to get to it and the day goes faster than you would think.
If you gt to shag cones in the morning, look for what might be a tricky spot on the course to work so you can see what others are doing wrong and you mmight not do the same. I wouldn't pick a slalom, they are actually rather simple to understand. It's not simple to drive, but they really aren't that confusing.
Definitely check out the link from the post above. You will learn a lot!
Admit to people that it is your first time and be polite to accept any advice they can give you. Everyone is usually helpful. (Though not always correct, so be careful)
If you are running stock, (no cai or other mods) you should be in GS. I had someone try to put me in another class with a worse multiplier, but I found the sheet (an official had it) to show my class.
Lastly, have fun! Your car kicks ass and, as I learned, is far more capable than I was my first time out!. I really hope to push it this weekend also, as I will be racing the 17th too. Enjoy the day and make some cool friends. Most all of the people there are friendly and helpful. Oh, and, your car will be gaulked at. You'll love that part.
PS: OH! almost forgot! Take a bottle of oil with you, just in case you start to run a little low. High RPMs and low oil = bad day.
Have fun!
All of the above is totally true!
I'll add a couple:
Bring a sweater for the morning and sunscreen for the afternoon.
The above link is great
"Go slow to go fast" is more important than you think it is.
Keep your eyes up and forward and look where you want to go. Don't look at the cones!
Scoot your seat up so when your shoulders are flat against the seat back you can rest your wrists on the steering wheel and there is a slight bend in your left knee with the clutch fully depressed.
Don't try and be a hero! (I just like to say that)
Go at a normal, easy pace on your first run and build up from there.
Your first time out focus on driving the right "line". Ask a person who seems to know what this is. If there is a Novice course walk, do it and ask the guy who is leading it where the proper line is through every turn. Funny, but autocross people don't find asking questions annoying, they really like to show off what they know. They're usually just happy to know there's someone just as wierd as them.
When you walk a course always walk the line you are going to drive on. It seems and feels a little silly to do this when you're walking but it will help when you drive.
Don't leave 2nd gear.
Do some steering with the brakes and throttle.
Ways to spot a person who knows what they're talking about:
Their car has a permanent number painted on it.
Their car is sorta ugly.
Their wearing a jacket that says something like "2000 Nation/Regional Champion" embroidered on it.
They've got a trailer and extra wheels and tires stacked up.
Everybody seems to know their name.
You just watched them run their corvette and you thought to yourself, " I didn't know a corvette could do that!"
The guy just gave you a sound thrashing.
When the guy finishes his run the guy on the PA gets really loud when he calls out the time.
Miata people are really nice and can be a good help.
Believe it or not, on occasion the guys in your own class will give you tips on how to be more competitive and how to beat them. It's actually smart to search out guys to help you or ride along with you that have a front wheel drive car, just because there are different techniques used in front-wheel vs. rear-wheel driving and the front-wheel guy will have a better idea of what is happening in a corner with your car.
If they let you do fun runs. Do them. Seat time is key.
I've been told to wait a while to get the sticky r-compound tires by several experienced people. Eventually you will want them, but they mask some thing you might be doing wrong and if you can go fast on the street tires you can go really fast on the sticky tires.
You are not going to win unless you are the only person in your class. So put that out of your head right now. It will take a while to win, just focus on learning.
Oh yeah,
HAVE FUN!
I'll add a couple:
Bring a sweater for the morning and sunscreen for the afternoon.
The above link is great
"Go slow to go fast" is more important than you think it is.
Keep your eyes up and forward and look where you want to go. Don't look at the cones!
Scoot your seat up so when your shoulders are flat against the seat back you can rest your wrists on the steering wheel and there is a slight bend in your left knee with the clutch fully depressed.
Don't try and be a hero! (I just like to say that)
Go at a normal, easy pace on your first run and build up from there.
Your first time out focus on driving the right "line". Ask a person who seems to know what this is. If there is a Novice course walk, do it and ask the guy who is leading it where the proper line is through every turn. Funny, but autocross people don't find asking questions annoying, they really like to show off what they know. They're usually just happy to know there's someone just as wierd as them.
When you walk a course always walk the line you are going to drive on. It seems and feels a little silly to do this when you're walking but it will help when you drive.
Don't leave 2nd gear.
Do some steering with the brakes and throttle.
Ways to spot a person who knows what they're talking about:
Their car has a permanent number painted on it.
Their car is sorta ugly.
Their wearing a jacket that says something like "2000 Nation/Regional Champion" embroidered on it.
They've got a trailer and extra wheels and tires stacked up.
Everybody seems to know their name.
You just watched them run their corvette and you thought to yourself, " I didn't know a corvette could do that!"
The guy just gave you a sound thrashing.
When the guy finishes his run the guy on the PA gets really loud when he calls out the time.
Miata people are really nice and can be a good help.
Believe it or not, on occasion the guys in your own class will give you tips on how to be more competitive and how to beat them. It's actually smart to search out guys to help you or ride along with you that have a front wheel drive car, just because there are different techniques used in front-wheel vs. rear-wheel driving and the front-wheel guy will have a better idea of what is happening in a corner with your car.
If they let you do fun runs. Do them. Seat time is key.
I've been told to wait a while to get the sticky r-compound tires by several experienced people. Eventually you will want them, but they mask some thing you might be doing wrong and if you can go fast on the street tires you can go really fast on the sticky tires.
You are not going to win unless you are the only person in your class. So put that out of your head right now. It will take a while to win, just focus on learning.
Oh yeah,
HAVE FUN!
Oh yeah,
bring water, you'll get thirsty.
Don't mod your car (Not even a CAI) it puts you in a different class. Don't let wheelguruu up there talk you into running FSP, He's a nut.
Be careful about advice you receive from dudes in STS, Many of them are relative newbies to the sport and have some "interesting" ideas about what makes a car fast. Stay in stock class for a while, you'll save money and you'll find you're going just as fast, if not faster, than many of the people in the modded classes like STS.
bring water, you'll get thirsty.
Don't mod your car (Not even a CAI) it puts you in a different class. Don't let wheelguruu up there talk you into running FSP, He's a nut.
Be careful about advice you receive from dudes in STS, Many of them are relative newbies to the sport and have some "interesting" ideas about what makes a car fast. Stay in stock class for a while, you'll save money and you'll find you're going just as fast, if not faster, than many of the people in the modded classes like STS.
hi there:
why do u guys have those chances to run in a close circuit? to compete with others or simply wanna know how is the limit of you and your car? where to find the info about that and generally how much it costs?
all of those tips are good and i might read it more carefully to prepare my first autocross...if possible...thanks
why do u guys have those chances to run in a close circuit? to compete with others or simply wanna know how is the limit of you and your car? where to find the info about that and generally how much it costs?
all of those tips are good and i might read it more carefully to prepare my first autocross...if possible...thanksAll the above is good just remember to relax and have fun. Don't compare your times to other people's times just try to make each of your runs fast than the last. After the event, you can worry about how your times compare with other people's. Most clubs have a plan to help Novice drivers, if not you can find someone that will help you. Have them watch, ride critique whatever. Forget your ego, because it will probably get bruised. For more specifics see:
http://www.sierrasportscars.net/axtips.htm
This is our club's web page and we are mostly an autorcross club. Just make sure to have fun.
http://www.sierrasportscars.net/axtips.htm
This is our club's web page and we are mostly an autorcross club. Just make sure to have fun.
mx:
Here's a good place to start:
http://www.scca.org/interactive/regions.html
Find the region for where you live on the list then click the link to go to that region's web site. They'll have all the local info on where to go to do SOLO 2 which is what we are all talking about here.
If you're lucky there might be a couple open track days or time trials at a road race course in your area which really gets you into some scary/fun situations at the limit.
I think there are some people in here that are from the same area as you and have done some autocross stuff. Maybe they'll pop up with a post?
Good luck!
Here's a good place to start:
http://www.scca.org/interactive/regions.html
Find the region for where you live on the list then click the link to go to that region's web site. They'll have all the local info on where to go to do SOLO 2 which is what we are all talking about here.
If you're lucky there might be a couple open track days or time trials at a road race course in your area which really gets you into some scary/fun situations at the limit.
I think there are some people in here that are from the same area as you and have done some autocross stuff. Maybe they'll pop up with a post?
Good luck!
cjstringer
Member
mx6929 said:hi there:
why do u guys have those chances to run in a close circuit? to compete with others or simply wanna know how is the limit of you and your car? where to find the info about that and generally how much it costs?
Not 100% sure what this is supposed to be asking, but I'll give it a go. Why do we have chances to run a closed circuit? Not sure what that's supposed to mean. I race to learn the limits of my car and to compete with others. I also want to prove to myself that I am a good driver. It's been years since I've raced and I want to get back into it.
If you need info, check out all of the links throughout the posts in this topic. For price, usually $15-20 depending on whether or not you are an SCCA member.
Hope that answered what I think you were asking.
MAZDAMP3MAN
Member
LT1 Power said:
For your info MR"LS1" My Mp3 beat a Corvette in the last event of the year on what was supposed to be a more all out course along with cornering. I beat it by 3 seconds. May not be much but still I beat it. I don't know where you get your cockyness but I have a few friends with WRXs that would love to add to the V-8 tally.
cjstringer
Member
I think what LT1 was saying is that on your first time out, don't expect miracles. Chances are, you will have your ass handed to you. There are usually a lot of really good drivers, and stock classes are usually pretty popular because of the price.
WHO CARES! HAVE FUN IT'S RACING DAMN IT! AND IT'S LEGAL! WOOHOO!
WHO CARES! HAVE FUN IT'S RACING DAMN IT! AND IT'S LEGAL! WOOHOO!
