I was in charlotte, NC visiting a friend of mine and we got a call from his wifes dad that there was going to be an autox the next day about an hour and a half away. I was very excited, I've never competed before.

So my friends and I drive up there, it was the middle of nowhere. There was a drag strip up there and they set up a course in the parking lot.

After I get signed in and they deside what class to put me in (they put me in SM). I noticed that I'm the only integra there (time for me to represent).

over all it was a blast, I wasn't pushing my car as hard as I could because I had a long drive home and needed to make sure it would get me there.

In the end I placed 3rd out of 11 in my class. The two cars that beat me were a supercharged (ofcourse) mini cooper, and a 300+ hp turbo miata (that miata could fly)

I had a lot of fun, but if I do it again it will be after I fix something, wich brings me to my technical part of the thread. The corse was set up so that there was a lot of shifting from 1 to 2 to 1 to 2 to 1 ect, that took it's toll (SP) on my clutch. It feels the same and engages at the same point but the null zone at the beginning of the clutch pedel feels longer (if that makes any since). What could that be?

Here's a Picture of me from the event.

 

aren't there classes to make things even?? i didnt know a stock integra was in the same class as supercharged mini and a turbo miata.

but looks fun.

 

They said I wasn't stock cause I had both engine work (intake/exhaust) and suspension work (D2 full coilovers). so they stuck me in that class.

 

im from charlotte, nc....where did you guys have this event at? looks fun...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nataku &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">They said I wasn't stock cause I had both engine work (intake/exhaust) and suspension work (D2 full coilovers). so they stuck me in that class.</TD></TR></TABLE>

thats not even close to fair, but placing 3rd is great for your first time

 

the event was in wilkesboro, nc at the wilkesboro racing park.

http://www.driftwilkes.com

 

Looks like you had a blast.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nataku &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">They said I wasn't stock cause I had both engine work (intake/exhaust) and suspension work (D2 full coilovers). so they stuck me in that class.</TD></TR></TABLE>

intake, exhaust, and suspension should put you in STS.

 

no helmet!?

 

nataku, are you rev-matching your downshifts? if you're not, then you're wasting so much clutch it's ridiculous. you did well considering the competition, and your car looks great by the way. autocross is a blast, i love it!! do a search for rev matching and see what comes up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mattman33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no helmet!? </TD></TR></TABLE>

You don't really need one - the cones don't hurt.

 

i thought helmets were required by regulation? i guess it depends on your region...

 

Do YOU know what this means!!!? It means that you pretty much came in first for having a pretty stock car, good job!

Yeah especially downshifting into 1st gear, you gotta rev match real good. I would have tried to take the turns more aggressive to stay in 2nd but obviously i wasnt there so i have no clue what the turns looked like. Oh and nice car.

 

autocross courses are too tight. you'll be lugging if you take a lot of those turns in 2nd.

 

autox is so much fun, nice pic

 

This sounds fishy.

This couldn't have been a true competition auto-x. Region or not, helmets must be required, think of the liability.

You should have been in Street Touring or even Street Prepared at the very least. The fact that they put you in an open class means they don't know the rules.

Most SCCA auto-X's are all 2nd gear with some 3rd gear. The fact that it was a lot of 1st gear shifts suggests that it was a course geared to be slow. Probably put on by a local car club.

But, nonetheless, looks like you did well, and that IS a cool picture. Nice wheels.

 

yeah..no helmet and no numbers on the side????


you should have been in STS w/ i/h/e and suspension stuff..

good pic tho...and sounds like you had fun...

and ive never had to go back into first either...

 

I probably could have stayed in second most of the time, but it was my first race experince so I learned something new that day. I thought I would be faster in first. But second tunred out to have enough torque to do just fine.

Yes i know about rev matching but I was so excited that I forgot about it my first 2 runs. Then my clutch overheated and I took a break before doing my last 2 runs.

they said helmets wern't required because we never got out of second gear, but I do agree that it is strange that we weren't required.

Here is another picture for you guys.


I was suprised to see that I was the only honda/acura. There was an S2k but for some reason he never ran.

this event was put on by a group called Driftwilkes. Probably wasn't an official auto-x. was still a blast though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nickG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah..no helmet and no numbers on the side????</TD></TR></TABLE>

The 40 on my quarter panel window doesn't count?

 

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

The 40 on my quarter panel window doesn't count?</TD></TR></TABLE>

i just noticed that...but at an SCCA autox you need big numbers and your class on the side....like this..this was my first one..hence the paper and tape..now i bought magnets that go on the sides

 

yea probably wasn't offical... it was still fun though.

 

Did they have any kind of timing equipment?

I have been to SCCA-events where the courses were very small (lap times in the 30-second range), all 1st and 2nd gear.

Other ones I've been to were much longer and had some areas that were top of 3rd gear (70-90mph speeds). Those are the most fun but also hardest on your brakes

 

only timing equipment was two people with stop watches.

 

What else do you have done to your suspension, besides D2s?

 

just the full coilovers. and factory strut bar.