toddk

After some reading here and general curiosity, I signed up for my first auto-cross on Sunday. The day started out overcast at 35 degrees (and ended there ) with a 20mph wind and non-accumulating wisps of snow. For a day like this, I would add a few more items to the checklist including a good windbreaker, warm gloves, and warm hat as you end up tending the course for half the day on your feet.

There were about 120 cars out, including some Ferrari and PCR Red Rocket Formula 125 Karts if you consider them cars. About 4 C5s and 3 C4s, plus lots of Miatas and Subarus. Overall the cars took 6 runs each from 10AM til 4PM with a 30 minute lunch break. I am running a stock C5 on Goodyear GS-D3's.

At checkin they had a printed map of the course which I reviewed all day long. A tall "U" with 3 slaloms and 4 "S"'s. My first course walk (alone) seemed pretty straight forward, other than feeling the cones were fairly close together. I kept thinking about turn-by-turn how to get through each gate. My second time around was with an experienced guy who told me to think of them in groups and suggested some lines to take. The third time around was the Novice group and one of the event coordinators. He talked very little about each of the individual cones, but rather "what can you see now" - the next 3 or 4 gates.

After the walk, our group worked first so I ended up ******** cones that were "displaced" in two 90 minute stints, while the other half of the drivers were on the course. This is good sprinting exercise as that next car is coming in 30 seconds! We had the fortune of working first, which gave me the opportunity to see how others were entering the various features of the course, and many examples of how (not) to take a slalom. We also could hear skidding from the other side of the course at one particular feature. I made several mental notes about what mistakes others were making.

Hurry back and warm up the cold car. Next was our turn to drive. Noobs require instructors for a minimum of the first two runs. Helmet on, ratchet lock the seatbelt, Competition Mode traction control. Lots of wheel spin, then into 2nd for the rest of the course. All those great notes I took above while observing and from the walks - GONE. They flash back briefly to you as you're skidding in the same place you heard the other guys skid. I guess the adrenaline gets in the way, and boy I felt "rushed" trying to hurry through the course as fast as I could (two ways- stress & adrenaline). The instructor is saying "look ahead" which I thought I knew, but I keep staring down that next gate. The two slaloms pass by with a slow rhythm and not a cone dislodged. The "sweeper" I had told myself about turned into right-straight-right. Not an efficient way through, but at least I didn't get lost or off-course. At the end, Phil the instructor confirmed what I knew - I wasn't looking ahead, and I didn't use the whole course. 60.2 seconds.

The second run was unfortunately very similar to the first. The same things I did wrong the first time I repeated nearly verbatim. Except my right-straight-right turned into a hard-right and off course for a DNF. An inevitable result of not looking ahead a couple gates. Argh. 59.6 seconds.

Third run, and "look ahead" finally STUCK. I also found myself verbally talking out loud through the groups of features (not thinking of them individually) with "fast" and "slow" prefixes all before I actually got there. WOW. It felt much smoother and way less stressful somehow when I could prepare 2-3 gates ahead of where I was. Too fast into the back slalom, but got it under control. I still didn't use the full course, but went down to 54.5 seconds. For a brief moment I was 3rd in the novice class!

Lunch. Eat something quick and get warmed up. Review the course map and drive it in my head. Then 90 minutes of wind-driven snow and ******** cones. Observe others' entry points and take more mental notes. Chuckle as I listen to the guy in the great sounding Mustang stabbing the throttle all the way in 1st gear.

Run 4 and I have once again forgotten everything I learned in run 3. History repeats. Skidding and staring at the next gate. The instructor suggests I get a bit closer to the cones in the slalom and "look ahead". 59.1 seconds.

Run 5 things start coming back together with no skidding and less staring. A little more looking ahead (but in hindsight not near enough as run 3 showed me), using the width of the course a bit more and I feel like I now have time to actually apply some tuning of my entry points. The course isn't slowing down, but I feel I finally have time to think about what I'm doing rather than just reacting to the gate I'm at. 55.1 seconds.

Run 6 and I've got a good run through the first slalom going when I see a red flag. A Miata in front of me grandly spun out and ate a few cones. This dislodges my thought train entirely and I putz through the rest of the course.

Wait for the rest of the group to finish run 6 before I get my rerun. Very similar to run 5 in thought process and execution, and the times were right in line. 55.1 seconds again.

The local "MAC" coordinates these autocross events with a bunch of great guys that are all volunteering their time. They have a pretty efficient system, as everyone tries to be on-time to get the 6 runs in for everyone. The instructors are great during and after the runs, and have some free advice for anyone willing to listen. I had them ride along on 5 of my 6 runs and valued their inputs greatly.

Running the courses considering only the next gate is quite stressful and not at all efficient. I was concerned too much about hitting the cone I was just coming up to, rather than focusing on where I needed to go. Actually applying the "look ahead" is tougher than it seems, but way more relaxing. It equates to planning ahead rather than being surprised, which makes the whole experience way more enjoyable.

I also can see a few seconds I "left out there" that I will need to try and find at the next event. If I strung together only the best components of all my runs, I can easily see 2-3 seconds of improvement. The Pro class were running 45-48 seconds consistently, which I assume comes with seat time, experience, and some upgrades. I agree with what the instructors said - you're either out to have fun in your favorite car, or you want to win a particular class and will pick the best car to get you there. I am squarely in the prior group.

I have some C6 Z51 swaybars sitting at home, and am wondering what they would do to my times, more specifically the slaloms. Some of the Miata guys had intentionally unhooked their swaybars which should render them useless, so I'm wondering if that is due to the cold weather or a vehicle-specific trick?

A few days after the event, I think the "talking out loud" was a big part of my success in run #3 along with actually looking ahead. If I wasn't talking, I needed to look ahead further for what was coming. Getting past the driver limitation to see what the car can do is next. Any other suggestions on what you do mentally as you are going through the course, or while waiting? I can see how this sport can be addicting!

Todd

Jason

Mental practice is priceless, and priced right! You will see the good guys with their eyes closed or a 1000 yard stare driving the course in their head. If you timed them, they'd be right on the actual time it takes to run. Getting your brain up to speed at autox will make the eventual road course seem like slow motion. If you ever get a chance, attend an Evolution Driving School for autocross. Looking and thinking ahead are two points they really emphasize. Now kiss all your money and free time away.

dmyers

The practice of grouping elements together helps a lot and an instructor I had recently suggested asking myself "what's next?" as an exercise when walking the course and even driving to help me think and look ahead.

paulmeisterpk

The best mod for autocross is tightening the nut behind the wheel.
Autocross is 60% mental and 40% car. Don't worry about car mods for now.
But the best car mods for the money are an alignment with some negative camber and some sticky tires like Kumho XS or Dunlop Direzza Star Specs, but I think the star specs are somewhat limited in sizing.

Greywolfe

I talk out loud to myself during track days. It does really work for me also. I was off for 6 months so I had to keep my self looking way ahead since bad habits can come back without practice.

Don't worry consistency will come with time. The good thing is you know what mistakes you are making and work on them. That is the process to improvement.

Also dont try to be fast at every gate. Some times you have to give up a little in one spot to gain alot in other areas. Thats what they meant by lookng at it as a whole course.

And finally relax and have fun! Sometimes when you don't try so hard you do better.

toddk

Thanks for all the replies guys.

In your experience, is this something that happens gradually in 3 or 4 events, or does it take seasons?

My car is a fair-weather DD, and I don't have a car trailer. I could probably manage a tire trailer eventually. These events are 40+ miles from home. Does anyone do/undo DIY camber adjustment, either before leaving or at the event?

Is this something you determine during the course walk, or how it feels as you drive it? Or plan to try a couple alternatives in different runs and see what works best?

It sounds a bit odd, but I felt like I was telling myself what to do, with just a few seconds of forethought and planning. One of the instructors mentioned another driver who holds his breath during the whole run. I guess whatever works.

Todd

trapp

I AGREE!!

The number one thing taught at Bondurant school is VISION. The farther you look ahead the slower the action is and the better you drive. The second most important is confidence and knowing capabilities of your car. We had a afternoon on their autocross course and it truely made a hugh difference. I never realized how I underestamated the true potential of the Z06. I highly recommend a highspeed driving school with a C6 corvette.........

RAREBLU1

Know the course, when your new that is the number one thing. If you don't know were you going you can't get their fast. I found after I done it for awile I was more able to break the course down and memorize better. You need to be able to run it in your head, it help me to draw my own map with pencil and paper on my first walk.

VetteDrmr

It happens over time and experience. I've been doing this since '99 and I'm still learning and picking up time here and there.

If you want to get an alignment done, have a shop use the C5 Z06 settings to set your car up. It's a good compromise alignment for a dual-use car. I've never messed with changing alignments on my Vette, although I've got a mostly track Miata I'm beginning to play around with.

The tires that were mentioned are all completely street worthy and can be driven on to/from the event. For that matter you could drive them every day, but I have reasonably cheapo street tires and separate autox tires on a set of wagon wheels, which you can get for next to nothing.

BTW, I did my first track event after I'd been autocrossing for about five years, and the first time I was flat-footed down the front stretch I was wondering what to do with the intermission. DEs are great fun, but autocross is also great fun, cheaper, and usually a lot more accessible.

Welcome to the club, and have a good one,
Mike

BLOWNALKY01

Sounds like fun, OP.

Jason

Bits, fits, spurts, starts, stops, plateaus and breakthroughs. Rinse. Repeat.