Auto X
#1
Instructor
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Auto X
Looking to do my first Auto X event in the beginning of May.
Any tips/tricks?
Car is a C5 6spd with Vararam and Borla exhaust. Otherwise, bone stock.
Trying to get my boss to go, he has an 06 GTO and my co worker with his 370z (coil over set up, supercharger).
Anyone else in Houston going?
Any tips/tricks?
Car is a C5 6spd with Vararam and Borla exhaust. Otherwise, bone stock.
Trying to get my boss to go, he has an 06 GTO and my co worker with his 370z (coil over set up, supercharger).
Anyone else in Houston going?
#2
Safety Car
Look ahead, don't drive off the nose of the car.
Slow In, Fast Out
Two Feet in to Stop the Spin!!
Have Fun, Be aggressive, but smooth.
Good Reading:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm
Secrets of Solo Racing by Henry A. Watts
Autocross Performance Handbook by Richard Newton (he is a forum member as well.)
Slow In, Fast Out
Two Feet in to Stop the Spin!!
Have Fun, Be aggressive, but smooth.
Good Reading:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm
Secrets of Solo Racing by Henry A. Watts
Autocross Performance Handbook by Richard Newton (he is a forum member as well.)
#3
Burning Brakes
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In order of importance:
1. Be Safe
2. Have Fun
3. Meet new friends
4. Keep improving
Then after a lot of seat time, worry about the competition.
Don't worry so much about your times. Just keep trying to improve yourself. Keep trying to find the limit and hold the car there with out loosing control.
Be smooth. Don't yank on the steering wheel, turn it smoothly. Quick movements of the wheel will upset the balance. Most likely it will cause the car to push too much. Don't mash the gas or brake pedals. Doing so will cause your car to loos traction or upset the balance. Ease into the pedals.
Keep the car in the highest gear you can while still being able to get off of a corner. Most autocrosses I shift into 2nd less than 100ft from the start line and leave it there for the entire run. The higher gear you are in, the smoother you will be.
1. Be Safe
2. Have Fun
3. Meet new friends
4. Keep improving
Then after a lot of seat time, worry about the competition.
Don't worry so much about your times. Just keep trying to improve yourself. Keep trying to find the limit and hold the car there with out loosing control.
Be smooth. Don't yank on the steering wheel, turn it smoothly. Quick movements of the wheel will upset the balance. Most likely it will cause the car to push too much. Don't mash the gas or brake pedals. Doing so will cause your car to loos traction or upset the balance. Ease into the pedals.
Keep the car in the highest gear you can while still being able to get off of a corner. Most autocrosses I shift into 2nd less than 100ft from the start line and leave it there for the entire run. The higher gear you are in, the smoother you will be.
#5
In order of importance:
1. Be Safe
2. Have Fun
3. Meet new friends
4. Keep improving
Then after a lot of seat time, worry about the competition.
Don't worry so much about your times. Just keep trying to improve yourself. Keep trying to find the limit and hold the car there with out loosing control.
1. Be Safe
2. Have Fun
3. Meet new friends
4. Keep improving
Then after a lot of seat time, worry about the competition.
Don't worry so much about your times. Just keep trying to improve yourself. Keep trying to find the limit and hold the car there with out loosing control.
Keep in mind that you absolutely will not take Fastest Time of Day at your first Autox, car control really is a skill and it takes time to build those skills. Focus first on having fun and meeting new people, as your skills begin to build you really will have more and more fun.
Careful, motorsports can be addicting.
#6
Instructor
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Location: Houston Texas
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Look ahead, don't drive off the nose of the car.
Slow In, Fast Out
Two Feet in to Stop the Spin!!
Have Fun, Be aggressive, but smooth.
Good Reading:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm
Secrets of Solo Racing by Henry A. Watts
Autocross Performance Handbook by Richard Newton (he is a forum member as well.)
Slow In, Fast Out
Two Feet in to Stop the Spin!!
Have Fun, Be aggressive, but smooth.
Good Reading:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm
Secrets of Solo Racing by Henry A. Watts
Autocross Performance Handbook by Richard Newton (he is a forum member as well.)
In order of importance:
1. Be Safe
2. Have Fun
3. Meet new friends
4. Keep improving
Then after a lot of seat time, worry about the competition.
Don't worry so much about your times. Just keep trying to improve yourself. Keep trying to find the limit and hold the car there with out loosing control.
Be smooth. Don't yank on the steering wheel, turn it smoothly. Quick movements of the wheel will upset the balance. Most likely it will cause the car to push too much. Don't mash the gas or brake pedals. Doing so will cause your car to loos traction or upset the balance. Ease into the pedals.
Keep the car in the highest gear you can while still being able to get off of a corner. Most autocrosses I shift into 2nd less than 100ft from the start line and leave it there for the entire run. The higher gear you are in, the smoother you will be.
1. Be Safe
2. Have Fun
3. Meet new friends
4. Keep improving
Then after a lot of seat time, worry about the competition.
Don't worry so much about your times. Just keep trying to improve yourself. Keep trying to find the limit and hold the car there with out loosing control.
Be smooth. Don't yank on the steering wheel, turn it smoothly. Quick movements of the wheel will upset the balance. Most likely it will cause the car to push too much. Don't mash the gas or brake pedals. Doing so will cause your car to loos traction or upset the balance. Ease into the pedals.
Keep the car in the highest gear you can while still being able to get off of a corner. Most autocrosses I shift into 2nd less than 100ft from the start line and leave it there for the entire run. The higher gear you are in, the smoother you will be.
This!
Keep in mind that you absolutely will not take Fastest Time of Day at your first Autox, car control really is a skill and it takes time to build those skills. Focus first on having fun and meeting new people, as your skills begin to build you really will have more and more fun.
Careful, motorsports can be addicting.
Keep in mind that you absolutely will not take Fastest Time of Day at your first Autox, car control really is a skill and it takes time to build those skills. Focus first on having fun and meeting new people, as your skills begin to build you really will have more and more fun.
Careful, motorsports can be addicting.
Do you guys suggest Competitive Driving mode, or all off?
#7
Drifting
#8
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#9
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Make sure you pay attention to your (driver's) comfort. Dress for the weather. Bring plenty of fluids if it is going to be a warm day. leave your ego at home and HAVE FUN
#10
Safety Car
IDK, my Corvette likes the 1/4 mile too. Just ask the Fox Body I whooped up on last saturday. His 14.3 to my 13.46. He did get the better light, I'll give him that.
#11
Instructor
I bought a cheap fender cover from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/24-FENDER-COVE...4717573&sr=1-5
Cut a section big enough to fit the seat bottom. It keeps you glued to the seat.
http://www.amazon.com/24-FENDER-COVE...4717573&sr=1-5
Cut a section big enough to fit the seat bottom. It keeps you glued to the seat.
#12
Drifting
I bought a cheap fender cover from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/24-FENDER-COVE...4717573&sr=1-5
Cut a section big enough to fit the seat bottom. It keeps you glued to the seat.
http://www.amazon.com/24-FENDER-COVE...4717573&sr=1-5
Cut a section big enough to fit the seat bottom. It keeps you glued to the seat.
Also use your left foot on the dummy pedal to keep youself in the seat when you can.
#13
For your first time out the Competitive Driving Mode may be nice to keep activated, but keep in mind that it will mask some of the mistakes you will make as a new driver. As you get better you will probably want to turn it off to help continue to build your car control skills. The Comp driving mode also does a lot of it's intervention with the brakes, so keep in mind that brake wear will be accelerated... this probably isn't a big deal for Autox, but for full track days the Comp Driving Mode certainly will increase brake pad wear.
#14
I'd add one to the above good tips:
Ask for an instructor to ride along on one (or several) of your runs-- best way to get up the learning curve is to have real-time feedback from a friendly critic with tons of seat time.
Ask for an instructor to ride along on one (or several) of your runs-- best way to get up the learning curve is to have real-time feedback from a friendly critic with tons of seat time.
#15
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This is something I have never done, and I have never really had the car to do it with. Now I do.
#16
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I bought a cheap fender cover from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/24-FENDER-COVE...4717573&sr=1-5
Cut a section big enough to fit the seat bottom. It keeps you glued to the seat.
http://www.amazon.com/24-FENDER-COVE...4717573&sr=1-5
Cut a section big enough to fit the seat bottom. It keeps you glued to the seat.
I was planning on doing a set of A4 down the line anyways lol.
Good deal! Go out there and let er rip!
For your first time out the Competitive Driving Mode may be nice to keep activated, but keep in mind that it will mask some of the mistakes you will make as a new driver. As you get better you will probably want to turn it off to help continue to build your car control skills. The Comp driving mode also does a lot of it's intervention with the brakes, so keep in mind that brake wear will be accelerated... this probably isn't a big deal for Autox, but for full track days the Comp Driving Mode certainly will increase brake pad wear.
For your first time out the Competitive Driving Mode may be nice to keep activated, but keep in mind that it will mask some of the mistakes you will make as a new driver. As you get better you will probably want to turn it off to help continue to build your car control skills. The Comp driving mode also does a lot of it's intervention with the brakes, so keep in mind that brake wear will be accelerated... this probably isn't a big deal for Autox, but for full track days the Comp Driving Mode certainly will increase brake pad wear.
Whats the "normal" wear and tear on the car for an Auto X day?
#17
Le Mans Master
One day? One weekend?
Not bad, check your brake pads at the beginning and end of each day.
Look at the inside and outside shoulders of your tires.
AutoX is a 30 - 60 sec run, wait an hour or so do it again. depending on the number of runs and attendance.
Not bad, check your brake pads at the beginning and end of each day.
Look at the inside and outside shoulders of your tires.
AutoX is a 30 - 60 sec run, wait an hour or so do it again. depending on the number of runs and attendance.
#18
Instructor
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Someone told me that your paint will take a bad hit.
#19
Drifting
Yeah, I still say my C4 seats were better than my Z06 seats. I've done this to my seat and it definitely helped
http://www.z06vette.com/forums/f117/...upport-108924/
The nice thing about solo is you really don't have to be afraid to push it; if you spin, you spin (and I have ) .
http://www.z06vette.com/forums/f117/...upport-108924/
Good deal! Go out there and let er rip!
For your first time out the Competitive Driving Mode may be nice to keep activated, but keep in mind that it will mask some of the mistakes you will make as a new driver. As you get better you will probably want to turn it off to help continue to build your car control skills. The Comp driving mode also does a lot of it's intervention with the brakes, so keep in mind that brake wear will be accelerated... this probably isn't a big deal for Autox, but for full track days the Comp Driving Mode certainly will increase brake pad wear.
For your first time out the Competitive Driving Mode may be nice to keep activated, but keep in mind that it will mask some of the mistakes you will make as a new driver. As you get better you will probably want to turn it off to help continue to build your car control skills. The Comp driving mode also does a lot of it's intervention with the brakes, so keep in mind that brake wear will be accelerated... this probably isn't a big deal for Autox, but for full track days the Comp Driving Mode certainly will increase brake pad wear.
#20
Safety Car
I'm not saying the Corvette cant run the 1/4, I'm saying its the first car I have owned that actually seems like it was designed to go around corners as well. I get too caught up in the 1/4 mile game. This is something that I can keep my car stock and pick up skill, rather than spend every last dollar I have to gain .1 to break 11s. My real "drag queen" (I know I know) was my 2006 Mustang with a turbo set up. I was pulling 12.4 @ 117 with a 2.3 60ft. Never got a good set of tires on it, which is a shame. With a good 60ft, 11s were calling my name...
This is something I have never done, and I have never really had the car to do it with. Now I do.
This is something I have never done, and I have never really had the car to do it with. Now I do.
Mustang's can be made to handle just ask the guys running them in auto-x. Even the newer ones with the Track Pak , actually handle very well for a stock solid rear end car.
Takes skill/practice to get good at 1/4 mile, I'm no John Force, but there are a lot of guys I see that are a lot worse than I am at going straight.
My car is basically stock, I'm not changing anything any time soon, I keep getting faster at the drags, just practice.
Have fun with the Corvette, I did a Friday Night at the Races (1/4 mile), Auto-x'ed Saturday, Car Show Sunday, once.
Name another car you can be that flexible with? Gotta love Corvettes.