This was my first autocross, and for anyone who hasn't done one....get the hell out there and do it. It was crazy fun, and very different from track time. The wind was killer early in the day, but at least to me, didn't affect my driving, though I'm not sure about the more advanced guys. I'll be honest, I sucked. My best time was something around 63.2, and I know the leaders in my class were doing like 55s and 56s, and that's fine by me. My car is stock, other than the clutch and JDM front end, and I had no idea what I was doing (never got to have an "experienced driver" ride with me), so I pretty much just floored it everywhere. Anyway, the more experienced guys out there, you'd be better judges of how the day went.

Edit: If someone could help me out, I had no idea where I should've braked, so I wound up just lifting in a few places, and more importantly, on the back straight area, I was not doing that right. I'd hit the rev limiter in 1st, then upshift to 2nd, but then have to slow down too much to get it into 1st for that tight left hander. Any ideas?


Modified by sscguy at 1:29 AM 6/2/2003

 

You should not have been going back to 1st. Learn to be smooth first then learn where to shift. I know it probably would have felt slow, but you would have been faster going out and putting your car in 2nd gear right at the start and carrying it all the way around the course.

As for getting an experienced person to ride with you. You have to speak up and ask. They will find you someone. I usually do ride alongs, but was busy this afternoon and could not stick around.

Good luck and stick with it.
Eric

 

Ok, thanks Crosser. Should I have been in 2nd the entire time, other than launching? I know I was definitely high in the rpm band, but I wasn't really looking at the tach... The reason I thought I should shift back into 1st was because the time that I did, my time was slower, although that could've been from the slowing down to downshift to 1st (it was something like 64.4 for the keeping it in 2nd, 63.2 for the downshift to 1st).

Whatever the case, I'll keep that in mind. I do try to be smooth, and I think was smooth through the turns, though not necessarily with that downshift.

 

i was there in the faded red CRX with gray ZC hood. it has a b16a in it.. my best time on azenis was 57.4 i think..

anyway, i only stayed in first for the launch through that first right hander, then i switched to 2nd and stayed there..

 

It is a very rare occassion which would require me to downshift to first. I shifted to second after the first right-hander and stayed there the rest of the course. My co-driver went to second before the first right-hander and stayed in second. We were both on the limiter in second on the long "straight" at the top. My best run was a 52.9 and my co-driver (AJ, pronounced "Aahj") had a 53.1 but it was dirty.

As far as getting help, most autoxers are pretty friendly folk, so all you gotta do is ask!

Mike

 

I got spanked again this weekend. No excuse other then sloppy driving and dumb circus antics.

I was basicly 1.5 seconds off the lead pace set by RacerMike (good driving dude!). I'm at least starting to feel more comfortable with the car. I'm getting the settings nailed down. Rear tire pressures need to come up some for next time.

Aj (how is that pronounced?) got robbed by a cone that stood between him and an excellent finish. I hit no cones... maybe I'm still not driving hard enough? Nope I just can't keep the car on the line.

I pulled my signature move of turning the car off with my knee on my last run. For those of you that were there and were saying "WTF is he doing" in my last run... well, I was trying to get the car restarted. I have to figure something out since this is the second time I've done this in competition.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so I pretty much just floored it everywhere. </TD></TR></TABLE>


I don't know about road racing, but in autox the gas is NOT an ON/OFF switch. John Thomas taught me that........but what does he know about driving Hondas

 

I see a lot of first timers who row thru the gears when its really not necessary. Like mentioned above, launch in 1st gear, then get to 2nd and leave it there so you can focus on driving the course.

One of the best things you could do is find out if your local region/club is holding an autocross school anytime soon. You'll learn a ton that way!

 

Thanks for all the help guys, I'll definitely remember this the next time around. We were all wondering what happened to you Watkins, you were doing so well, and then...you stopped. Do you have a push-button starter or something? I don't understand how you could turn it off while driving.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you have a push-button starter or something? I don't understand how you could turn it off while driving. </TD></TR></TABLE>

leave it to matt.... he flops around in his car like a fish out of water, and he hit the key. maybe now he will finally buy a friggin harness....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for all the help guys, I'll definitely remember this the next time around. We were all wondering what happened to you Watkins, you were doing so well, and then...you stopped. Do you have a push-button starter or something? I don't understand how you could turn it off while driving. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Nope nothing fancy... just the ability to screw up in ways most people can't imagine. I try and get as close as I can to the steering wheel (which almost all autocrossers will recommend). The problem is I hit my head on the ceiling if I sit the seat up too much. To I compensate by pulling the seat up some as well. This places my knee near the ignition key. I forgot about this and had the alarm unit on my key loop (My stupid fault for leaving it on there).

Anyways, I went through the first sharp right hander and I think my knee pinched the alarm unit against the steering column. Then as I was unwinding the wheel and rolling back on the throttle my knee pulled down on the unit and it twisted the key one click. I was able to reproduce this when I was packing up the car to go home. I kicked myself for leaving the alarm thing on there.

Hopefully that's my stupid pet trick for the season!

 

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

leave it to matt.... he flops around in his car like a fish out of water, and he hit the key. maybe now he will finally buy a friggin harness.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

I have a harness... it just sucks!

New harness and seat would be nice... I think the seat would get my knee out of that area. I just need to scrape up the cash for one... not to mention I don't feel like dealing with the silly Sparco mounting rails.

 

hey my bro's got a Nascar MOMO seat with mugen rails.. may fit your GSR.... pm me if interested...


as far as the on/off gas pedal.. yeah, mine is just on all the time. hahahaa. j/k.

it takes time.. the best mod you can buy, is seat time.. and a nice set of tires.. but seat time is more important.. i feel like i'm almost to the potential of my 1990 B16a CRX Si in SM2.. so i'm getting tires.. Azenis just won't do with a 54.xxx from Neil simon, the M coupe in my class.. i don't even know if he's the winner..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Watkinsm3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
not to mention I don't feel like dealing with the silly Sparco mounting rails.</TD></TR></TABLE>

well, that is a problem i have licked. lemme know when you are ready, as summer is almost here and i will be pulling my pud for 2 1/2 months.

 

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

well, that is a problem i have licked. lemme know when you are ready, as summer is almost here and i will be pulling my pud for 2 1/2 months. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah... I remember we've discussed this before... I think you just got a side project dude.

 

Are the results for this event posted? Anyone have the link?

Andrew

 

&lt;~~~~ i wuz dere... and my time wuz a 63. sumthin... but like, yeah don't go back to first gear unless your comfortable with rev matching and getting it back to first.... personally i don't have the skillz right now to do all that confidently (don't want to f*ck up my tranny). And also i've been doing it for a year (on and off) but i'm still learning.... but never go ballz out... i could have shaved off mad time but i rather had my friend inside the car and just wanted to have fun and burned through it. Glad you enjoyed your FIRST AUTOCROSS

edit: try to keep it in V-tec range (this is my problem )

 

I was there Too.
Lets say After crewing for SRX-7 # 33 at the 12 hour and comming home at 3 am. I was a wee bit tired. I ran in the after noon and my first run was a 58.7 2nd was a 59.1 OC and 3rd was another OC well I was told that i had 3 OC's and i was dumbfounded as to where i was OC. As I was a little mad with timing because i feel they should know or report what post calls in the offcourse. I stormed back to my car and i was approached by a lady in a black jacket named karen. I thank karen who is on HT somewhere for her help, she got me in the car with eric who let me find where i was OC. I ran my 4th run and on the last slolam i spun, threw it into Reverse, and back into 1st, ( finishing with a 66.1) After watching the Video I noticed i could have had a rough raw time of 58 or 57 flat. Gosh it would have been nice.

And Crosser(Eric)
I want to thank you.

And Karen Krous(spellin?)
Thank you also.

As for SCC guy, what car are you running?? I redlined in 2nd in my 95 ls teg on the back straight.

Hope to see everyone soon. Also any other events local??? I want to run this weekend.

 

I wuz there representin the dumbestics with the torque-iest ST* car bar none. I got a 56.4XX, good for 2nd or 3rd in STX. Beat my co-driver (again! ... co-drivers are 0-for-9 against me in this car).

Yeah, stay in 2nd gear unless you have to park the car. Sunday's course was tight but you could keep the momentum up.

 

Fuuma, staying in VTEC was definitely not a problem, what with bouncing off the rev limiter in first. I was in the black ITR in the morning group, and had I not kept it in first through that back straight, I'm sure I too would've redlined 2nd.

 

OMG!!! you kept it in first on the back straight!!!! dude, leave it in second!! there isn't a need for 1st after the start!! i know, i know.. you're learning. it was your first time..


btw, whoever was mad at the timing van.. i don't remember if i was in the van when you were running, but it would've been the last heat of the morning session..... have you EVER worked in the timing van? if not, do so next time.. it's a heck of a lot more hectic than you know.. although, it does shield you from wind/rain..

btw, if the pole doesn't tell us there number, how are we supposed to know? normally, all they report in is: "car #32, OC"

 

I agree about the timing van... though I felt there were too many people "working" timing. In any case, though, you should never approach the timing people directly, as they need to keep their focus on the timing. Maybe there should be a course worker position of "timing liasion" to field questions like Jason's?

Oh, and Jason... that was George Perinis you rode with, in Pat Griffith's (sloWS6) car.

Karen

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Fuuma, staying in VTEC was definitely not a problem, what with bouncing off the rev limiter in first. I was in the black ITR in the morning group, and had I not kept it in first through that back straight, I'm sure I too would've redlined 2nd.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn! yeah just go into second after your through wif 1st gear and ride on 2nd... i have a GSR so my gearing sux compare to the ITR.

 

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

I think in the future when I pre-register for events, I'll put Aahj...no last name...just Aahj.

I hate cones...but I'm not bitter...

I'll get 'em next time.

sccguy-I think I saw your black ITR...but never saw you. If you ever need to, I can give you a ride.

I tried giving my mom a ride again, but she was hyper-ventalating before she even got in the car. So I just gave my sister a ride. I'm signing her up for the next autocross if there isn't a National event that weekend. Look out for the terd CRX.

It was a good event overall...then I went over to Crosser's house to put in a tranny oil seal only to find out we got the wrong one . So I was his prag for the afternoon and put in an oil pan gasket and that's about it.

I'll shut up now.

aj

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CamaroFS34 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Oh, and Jason... that was George Perinis you rode with, in Pat Griffith's (sloWS6) car.

Karen</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was going to say, did I do a ride along and not remember it. Actually, I think it is that I am THAT good, I can help someone and not even be there. Hahaha. Just kidding. Glad you got straightened out Jason. "King" George is da man.

Aahj, you are like a three year old. Rattling off everything they can remember they did for the day. All you need is to add a gasping, "And then..And then..." before every sentence and you will be complete.