I've been to HPDEs and a Road Racing School, but never attended an AutoX. My preconcieved ideas about it are that you're doing a lot of waiting around and very little driving, but I figure I'll try to not pass judgment till I've done one.

I'm contemplating attending my 1st AutoX in late Nov so I want to clarify some things. I've read through the SCCA 2005 Solo Rules and I'm still a little confused where my car will be classed. This is what I have:

1999 Honda Civic DX
Front Strut Tower bar
Koni Sport Shocks
GC coilovers
ITR Rear swaybar
Cat-back exhaust
K&N Drop in filter
Miata 14" alloy wheels
Falken Azenis 195/60-14

Everything else is comlpetely stock. Obviously I'm out of the Stock catagory, but where exactly does my car land? I'm mostly confused with the rules about spring perches as it seems that having coilovers will bump me into a diffrent class than if I had regular spings??

I know that it doesn't matter where I'm placed, I'm not going to be competitive, and I'm ok with that. I just want to be prepared.

Also, who runs with CSCC here?

 

Your class is STS (Street Touring on Street tires)

Autocrossing is a lot of hanging around for the amount of driving time you get. But that driving time is the most intense. A good autocrosser can consistently place his car within 3" of a cone even when traveling at 40 mph. That requires complete concentration and complete knowledge of what his car is going to do.

Unlike HPDEs there is real competition in autocross. Also unlike HPDEs and road-racing the course you run on changes every time. You have a short period of time to figure out the best line and almost no time to practice.

Unlike track events you can safely drive at 10/10ths while autocrossing. If you exceed your limits the worst that will usually happen is a spin in an empty parking lot.

I have done HPDE events and after 3 20 minute sessions I find myself a little bored and my mind begins to wander. That's dangerous. I never have had that happen at an autocross.

I recommend that one try both disciplines. They are each enjoyable in different ways. They have different risk-reward equations.

regards,
alan

 

Said like a veteran autocrosser Alan knows his stuff.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 00R101 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Your class is STS (Street Touring on Street tires)</TD></TR></TABLE>

OR fsp

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shakedown94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

OR fsp </TD></TR></TABLE>

ok that's where I was confused. It seems that I fit into both STS and FSP, but which is a better fit?

 

STS has the better PAX Index
STS will have more cars

 

Choose STS because FSP allows R-compound tires. (Azenis are sticky, but they're not THAT sticky...)

Jon

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by getfast &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Choose STS because FSP allows R-compound tires. (Azenis are sticky, but they're not THAT sticky...) </TD></TR></TABLE>

got it! Thanks

 

Well FSP also allows alot more modifications and engine tuning than STS. STS is a fun class since it's on street tires.

I like how the idiot here (Hondaman) talks out of his butt hole: http://forums.clubsi.com/showf...age=0

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CivicSiRacer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well FSP also allows alot more modifications and engine tuning than STS. STS is a fun class since it's on street tires.

I like how the idiot here (Hondaman) talks out of his butt hole: http://forums.clubsi.com/showf...age=0</TD></TR></TABLE>

just like he would get "play" waxed in sts at nationals

 

Dont forget most auto-x events require you to corner work which involves chasing and reseting hit cones, calling in cone counts, waving flags etc.

(sometimes you have more excitement working an auto-x event, because some lotus or miata is coming all bonsai just after some Geo Metro just plowed through a slalom, and took out 3 cones, and you have to reset or hide the cones, and get the F*CK out of the way before he gets there

Make sure to bring some good sneakers and a hat

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crazydave &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Dont forget most auto-x events require you to corner work which involves chasing and reseting hit cones, calling in cone counts, waving flags etc.

(sometimes you have more excitement working an auto-x event, because some lotus or miata is coming all bonsai just after some Geo Metro just plowed through a slalom, and took out 3 cones, and you have to reset or hide the cones, and get the F*CK out of the way before he gets there

Make sure to bring some good sneakers and a hat</TD></TR></TABLE>

dodging cars is half the fun. where can you get closer to the action. but it sux when the heat index is 110 and you decided to run to time only in the afternoon after the normal morning run group with your class