Ok well next weekend, I will be participating in my first autocross and I was just wondering what you guys do bring at the site and what do you do to prepare the car or anything like that.

I know, I am going to bring a portable air compressor, a digital tire gage, so chairs, food and snack but what else?

Any advice, plz feel free!!

Dave

 

sunblock, water, portable shade and inclement weather gear.

 

You are already bringing more than I brought my first time. lol

I just filled my tires up to 40psi and drove.

I wouldn't worry too much about dialing in your tire pressures your first time out. I would concentrate on learning as much as possible without changing any variables. Driving technique will improve your times more than anything.

I guess it depends on the weather you get as well though. Here in Oregon its mild enough that I don't bring any weather related items.

 

from http://www.alscca.org/solo2/tips.shtml

"By Chris Warren
(Reprinted from the December 1998 issue of CarSport)

Okay, at 33 I'm not really an old timer, but I have competed in roughly 100 events over the past nine years. With all of the relatively new blood the Alabama Region has seen recently, I felt it was time for another article on driving tips and general preparations for a successful day of cone dodging. You should come to these events with the goal of having fun. But take it from me -- it's much more fun when you win!

First of all, arrive at the site as early as possible. This will give you plenty of time to change tires, prep your car, get registered, and walk the course. Even if you compete in the family Civic exactly as it is driven from week to week, the more time you have to get ready for that first run, the better.

Probably the single most important and overlooked factor in doing well is walking the course. I would suggest walking the course a minimum of two times, with three or four times being much more rewarding. If you walk the course with a friend or group of driers, make sure you go back and walk it at least once by yourself. Try to visualize things like braking points and where you will need to upshift and downshift. Where is the slowest corner? Where is the fastest straight? I find it helps to pace off certain distances, especially the distance between the slalom cones and the straights. After a while you will learn at what speed you can take a slalom based on the distance. You will learn from the distance of a straight whether or not there will be an upshift to second, or an upshift to third. Remember that a curve or a bend where you will not have to lift should be considered as part of the straight. Naturally, things may not work out exactly as you planned. But if you've done a good job of walking the course, it will be easier to adjust on subsequent runs.

Now for a few driving tips. Let's start from the beginning -- the launch. You should experiment with different RPMs to find the perfect balance between wheel spin and instant acceleration. If you boil the tires on your first launch, try backing off about 500 RPM. If your engine shudders or bogs, try going up about 500 RPM. By your second or third run you should be able to find the right balance. Remember, every event will be a bit different due to track surface, temperature and the condition of your tires.

Once you have left the line, concentrate on getting full acceleration from your car in every gear. Don't shortshift! Try to glance down at your tach and don't upshift until you reach redline. If the first braking point comes before the shift, go ahead and drive that corner in first gear, or second gear if that's the case. This holds true for the entire course.

This brings me to cornering. To the novice, an autocross course probably seems like one long continuous corner, but this is not so. Corners and straights must be recognized and treated as such. There are basically three stages to a corner. The first is braking. Try to get your braking done while the car is still in a straight line. This way you can break very hard without upsettting the car. The second stage is turning in and getting on an even throttle. Try to turn in smoothly and precisely. When driving through the corner you should not be coasting or accelerating. This is known as an even throttle. The third and probably the most important stage is the exit. As you begin to exit the corner you should do two things simultaneously. These are unwinding the steering wheel and gradually increasing the throttle position. This is difficult to do correctly. It is something you must feel through the seat of your pants. Every car is different, but what you are striving for is a balance somewhere between being glued to the surface and an out of control slide.

In my opinion, slaloms are the most difficult aspect of an autocross. It took me many years of practice to feel comfortable in a slalom. I have seen many experienced drivers take completely different approaches to getting through a slalom quickly, so you may need to develop your own unique method. Anyway, this is how I do it. First, I try to brake as late as possible. I will usually still be in the brakes when I'm midway between the first and second cones. I then drive as quickly as possible through the slalom while on an even throttle. This is where knowing the distance between the cones becomes very important. I treat the last two cones of the slalom as a lane change. I know I can take a lane change much faster than a slalom, so I try to get back on a full throttle just as I'm passing the next to the last cone. If I wait until I'm completely out of the slalom to nail the throttle, I have waited too long.

I hope that I have given you some new ideas on how to improve your times. Don't be afraid to try a new technique. And remember that they all take a lot of practice. Please feel free to ask me anything you wish at an upcoming event. Until then remember -- "Cones 'R Bad, 'N-Kay?""

 

Thanks guys ! Btw great little article. Made me feel a little more comfortable about autocrossing. Well I just can't wait. This weekend I will be cleaning out my car and removing everything so nothing can fly out while driving.

Dave

 

definately clean all the stuff out of your car (I hate it when i mash the brakes on the street and the entire contents of my car ends up in the windshield...plus tech will make you clean it out)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ewaugh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Probably the single most important and overlooked factor in doing well is walking the course. I would suggest walking the course a minimum of two times, with three or four times being much more rewarding. </TD></TR></TABLE>

At my first autox i ran through the course about 4-5 times althougth i will be doing it a few more times next time and REALLY pay attention to what the course looks like cause its gonna be alot harder to see your reference points at speed. Also when other people are running pay attention to where other people are having trouble going off course and try not to make the same mistakes yourself. (at my first event there was about 10 other noobs and many didn't even get a chance to run the full course because they couldn't figure it out)

good luck and have fun (i placed 3rd sm at my first event....getting some kind of recognition made my day...and week

 

ya that is one thing I am worried about is not completing the course. That is why I am going to bring a pad with me and write down the course.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ewaugh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Probably the single most important and overlooked factor in doing well is walking the course...

...In my opinion, slaloms are the most difficult aspect of an autocross.</TD></TR></TABLE>

When you walk the course, walk the exact line you need to take. If you are going to apex a turn, apex it when you walk, if you are going to stay tight inside during a long turn do that when you walk, it will help you by already knowing in your head exactly where you need to be at all times.

With slaloms count out steps between cones when you walk the course because sometimes slaloms shorten or open up. That way when you hit the last two cones you will know its not that you were overdriving but that the course shortened up on you. Also, smoothness is the key in any run and it is never more important than in a slalom. You are changing direction, throttle, and sometimes brakes very quickly and at the same time, this can easily unsettle a car, so follow ewaugh's technique very closely (roll on and off throttle with your steering input). Lastly, the most common error I see with novices on a slalom is that they are late with the steering. You want your car pointed straight down the slalom at or before each cone, too much do I see a car at 45 degrees behind.

One last thing, get as close to the cones as you can (the ones you need to get close to), this is most important for what I like to call the pivot cone (think chicago box), but is the apex in most cases.

 

Dont forget to check your fuilds, brakes, and suspension.

 

I recommend that when you are registering for the event, you tell them this is your first autocross. Many clubs have a novice group. Even if they don't, ask if there is someone there who would be willing to instruct you. The first time out on the course, the course may look like a sea of cones. It was extremely helpful to first walk the course with an instructor (or someone who is an experienced autocrosser) and then also have them ride in the car with you. People will be more than willing to help you at the event - take advantage of it!

Have a great time.

When out there, be sure to look ahead (don't stare at the very next corner).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by granracing &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I recommend that when you are registering for the event, you tell them this is your first autocross. Many clubs have a novice group. Even if they don't, ask if there is someone there who would be willing to instruct you. The first time out on the course, the course may look like a sea of cones. It was extremely helpful to first walk the course with an instructor (or someone who is an experienced autocrosser) and then also have them ride in the car with you. People will be more than willing to help you at the event - take advantage of it!

Have a great time.

When out there, be sure to look ahead (don't stare at the very next corner).</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is something you should definately do if they have hte option. My first autocross was at a CenDiv event here in IL and my buddies and I got there late and we didnt have time to walk the course. But while I was working the course I had a lot of veterans, I guess you could call them that, and those guys gave me so many tips. THey also found someone who was the top in her class to ride a long with me and point things out. If you have the chance to do either of those, I highly suggest it!

Good luck!