Autocross Thread: Reading this thread just bumped you up a class.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Autocross Thread: Reading this thread just bumped you up a class.

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

I'm on my 4th autocross season in the DMVR/IA SCCA regions. We have some a pretty awesome group.

Staging

Sideways MGBGT

Lotus Elan

My E30

My other E30 running 20psi

Subaru XT, one of the only other cars in ST(my class)

These Camaros are loving terrifying.

330i ZHP, he's super quick.

RADL ASSEMBLE

# ¿ Mar 13, 2011 06:44

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 01:06

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

There's been a couple accidents around here, but not for a number of years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsX2LxrtZ0E

Also someone doing a fun run in someone elses car at the end of the day locked the brakes up going through the finish and ran into the timing truck.

That was 3 or 4 years ago, and safety stewardship has greatly improved since then.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2011 17:13

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

SNiPER_Magnum posted:

Yikes, that tire wall is pretty cozy. Don't think I'd ever want to run there.

It's a go kart track, and it's awesome that it's more of a real track than a regular autocross course, but it seems terribly unsafe.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2011 17:27

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

angryhampster posted:

Alright so I really want to run my Mazda6 this year. It's bone stock except for maybe installing a thick RSB on this spring. If I put on that one simple modification, will I be removed from the stock class?

Check out the rulebook here.

It looks like only front sway bar modifications are allowed for stock classes.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2011 01:13

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

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.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2011 13:46

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

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.

# ¿ Mar 14, 2011 23:34

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

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.

I would track my car before I ever auto crossed it.

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

# ¿ Mar 15, 2011 00:02

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

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.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2011 14:21

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

SNiPER_Magnum posted:

Get an E36 rack, it's awesome.

It is one of the best upgrades I've ever done to both my more racing car and the DD 318.

I can't loving wait to autocross this weekend. I just got a new full face helmet, so we'll see if I like it.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2011 17:47

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

I went autocrossing this weekend. Here are all of my 6 runs from different angles. The lot was super small, and we had to move lots across town in the morning, but overall it went rather smoothly. 1st place in ST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNJ2xJD49Jc

# ¿ Apr 7, 2011 15:07

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

I busted my lip off on some cones and ran over it. That was an easy $170. Just going to ziptie it back together where it ripped and run it for now, though.

And before my lip came off..

The day started off super wet, and then got a LOT faster. I won ST, but I need to get closer to those cones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-xp1gh9Y8A&t=253s

# ¿ May 17, 2011 05:08

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

My friend made a short film about my car and autocrossing. I'm kind of goony in it, but then again, I am goony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL39bDSulvo

# ¿ Dec 14, 2011 15:22

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

Feel free to post it. He is also putting together an autocross video.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2011 04:35

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

Here's a follow up to my friends Red Car video, only now with just general autocrossing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGlMifQCZYA

# ¿ Jan 30, 2012 17:46

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

Sockington, my best guess is that you would be in STX. Bushings, springs and shocks are allowed in ST classes.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2012 16:33

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

I'm so jealous of telemetry as well. You guys should critique me, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1IZufXB9jk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pDMw2mWYP4

Understeered in some spots, and not a great course, but I am always looking for constructive criticism.

The car is significantly faster with proper rear bushings, I have so much more confidence keeping the power down through a corner now.

Lightbulb Out fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Apr 10, 2012

# ¿ Apr 10, 2012 21:47

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

The Locator posted:

Well, as you already mentioned, you were way over driving a couple of the corners, which pushed you way out off-line a few times.

Based purely on the sound, I'd say you need to work on smoothness with your throttle inputs (and just based on experience instructing, if you are not smooth with the throttle, chances are you could probably work on your steering input smoothness as well, but that doesn't really convey well in the video), sounds like you are pretty on/off/on/off at times.

The horrible 180 degree turn-around: You are really pinching yourself off there, forcing you to drive it terribly slow. There are no cones off to the left on the entry, you could probably make a wide entry, and tight exit, and take it quite a bit faster.

Other turns - In general it appeared that you have a tendency to enter tight on the cones, and exit far away from the cones. Unless this is the way you have to drive a corner to set up properly for the next feature, this is the exact opposite of how I would normally try to take a corner. Normally you want to late-apex a corner, which would normally set you up tight on the cones towards the exit of the corner (inside cones that is), and allows you to get on the throttle faster (smoothly) on corner exit.

Only other thing, is that based on your camera 2, you can stand to tighten up on the cones on your passenger side quite a bit, you rarely got close to them that I saw (only watched it once though, I should already be in bed).

Overall, looked like some fairly quick runs, with the worst 'thing' being the horrible push in a couple of over-driven corners.

Thanks! That was basically what I was expecting, but I like having other people give me criticism. I definitely need to keep the power on more, which keeps the car from pushing as badly. I was really bad at those hairpins.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2012 14:57

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

Yes. You should autocross.

# ¿ May 16, 2012 15:47

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

Crustashio posted:

Jack it up pretty high, especially if you don't have stiff sidewalls. AutoX puts a lot of lateral load on your tires and you can end up riding on the sidewalls.

I don't know what you're talking about!

Forgot to check that cars tire pressure, just my red ones.. 20psi. Oopsy.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2013 19:43

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

I have a bunch of friends at nats.... :smith:

I haven't autocrossed even once this year. For shame.

# ¿ Sep 5, 2013 17:34

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 01:06

Lightbulb Out: Apr 28, 2006; slack jawed yokel

Muffinpox posted:

Nah, just if you're running super sports or something comparable. On that course every car but the miatas had to go full threshold braking into the stop box to scrub enough speed to make a 1g kink at the end, his giggling is when we hit the kink. A bit after "goddamnit" he says "I had no idea you could brake or turn that hard on a street tire."

I have a similar one from my exes first time in my S2000 on Direzza Z1s, his is just far funnier.

I have the same experience when people ride in my lovely E30s. Always super surprised at how hard its being driven and the grip.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2013 18:29

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Autocross Thread: Reading this thread just bumped you up a class.