S197 autox
- Thread starter cmw0300
- Start date
Chalk your tires at the tread line on your side wall . After your first run if the chalk mark is gone you need more air (your tire is too soft and rolling over too much) If the tire isn't rolling to the chalk mark, your air pressure is too high. We always brought a bug sprayer with water to spray down the tires to cool them between runs (since we were in Florida) to help us from trying to chase air pressures during our sessions as the tires heated up. You can also base it off understeer and over steer but since the only thing I auto-x'ed was AWD (both STi's) I'm not sure how a RWD car will react.
TGR96
el blanco nino
I remember my first autocross. I showed up with my relatively stock 07 GT/CS Vert, and saw all the "track prepped" cars and immediately got intimidated. Ended up having a blast, and four years later, I'm still doing it when I can.
In addition to what rcharles said in his post above, I'd like to add to just go with the mentality of having fun, and don't get keyed up about the other guys there. If your venue is anything like mine, there are guys that LIVE for autocross, and have dumped a ton of money into their cars just to go run around cones in a parking lot. Many even trailer their cars to the event. That's all fine and good if that's their thing, but I like the relative laid-backness of autocrossing, the fact that there's little chance of damaging your car (although in motorsports, anything can happen!), and its cheap thrills!
Prepare yourself that your times are going to be relatively slow, but don't let it bother you. Everyone is slow when they first start out. When you are out on the course, look ahead, always think about the next couple of cones ahead of the cone you are currently negotiating. If you should happen to spin out, don't turn it into a NASCAR victory lane-style donut fest. Yeah, we actually had a first timer do that once. LOL
Make friends while you are there. Most guys that autocross are pretty friendly, and no matter if they drive a Miata or a Maserati, most are just car guys out there having fun with there rides.
Good luck and report back what you thought of your first event!
In addition to what rcharles said in his post above, I'd like to add to just go with the mentality of having fun, and don't get keyed up about the other guys there. If your venue is anything like mine, there are guys that LIVE for autocross, and have dumped a ton of money into their cars just to go run around cones in a parking lot. Many even trailer their cars to the event. That's all fine and good if that's their thing, but I like the relative laid-backness of autocrossing, the fact that there's little chance of damaging your car (although in motorsports, anything can happen!), and its cheap thrills!
Prepare yourself that your times are going to be relatively slow, but don't let it bother you. Everyone is slow when they first start out. When you are out on the course, look ahead, always think about the next couple of cones ahead of the cone you are currently negotiating. If you should happen to spin out, don't turn it into a NASCAR victory lane-style donut fest. Yeah, we actually had a first timer do that once. LOL
Make friends while you are there. Most guys that autocross are pretty friendly, and no matter if they drive a Miata or a Maserati, most are just car guys out there having fun with there rides.
Good luck and report back what you thought of your first event!
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Norm Peterson
corner barstool sitter
Get there early. You'll have to either register or at least sign in if you pre-registered, empty your car of anything not bolted down (especially including floor mats), get your car tech inspected, and attend the drivers' meeting. All that in addition to your course walks. Long story short - don't cramp yourself on time here by rolling up late.
Bring water so you'll stay hydrated, at least a snack (not all events have food on site, and I don't know about yours), tire pressure gauge, ideally a torque wrench for checking lug nut torque, maybe something to sit on, sunscreen, maybe rain gear.
I always ran 3 or 4 psi more in the front tires than in the rear tires in the RWD cars that I autocrossed. Traction control off (if you have AdvanceTrak stability control you may want to leave that nanny on, or on at reduced sensitivity).
Take advantage of any instructed course walks, where an experienced autocrosser leads a group of novices around the course while providing a running commentary. Same goes for instructed runs, where you get an instructor riding along with you, again providing commentary and usually a short debriefing session at the end of the run.
Norm
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Strengthrehab
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My first sutocross, I backed over someone's tuning laptop.
I need to get back to it in the new car.
I need to get back to it in the new car.
I'm an organizer for a local club. Ditto what everyone else says, especially the bit about having fun and not taking it too seriously. There are some people who act like dodging cones in a parking lot is SERIOUS BUSINESS. Avoid them; they're generally annoying douchecanoe chuckleheads.
Also, find the person wearing the largest hat, and follow him around. He will almost certainly be an autocross veteran.
Also, find the person wearing the largest hat, and follow him around. He will almost certainly be an autocross veteran.
TGR96
el blanco nino
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Speedboosted
Found missing cylinders
I cannot stop laughing at these two comments. Holy hell, LOL. So much truth in the second one too.
Strengthrehab
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Hey its not my fault the laptop was close to my tire. Who leaves a laptop on the ground in the pits?
GTX86
forum member
Yeah that's pretty dumb, I don't blame you. I wouldn't have thought to look out for a fucking laptop while parking my car.
I autocrossed both my 2012 3.7 and my 2007 GT. They do better than a lot of people think but I agree with rcharles on the slow in/fast out thing. Mustangs loooove to understeer with the stock suspension setup and it can be frustrating.
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