Autocross video - need some pointers from the experts
09-24-2013, 08:37 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Autocross video - need some pointers from the experts
Sorry for the unedited video. I still have to figure out how to do that. Skip ahead to the one minute mark to see the run.
It was only my second event so, I still have a lot to learn. Please feel free to give me some constructive criticism to help me get faster (besides more seat time). Thanks!
It was only my second event so, I still have a lot to learn. Please feel free to give me some constructive criticism to help me get faster (besides more seat time). Thanks!
09-24-2013, 11:16 PM
#2
Instructor
If that was your second event - you are doing pretty darn good! Nice job navigating thru the course. 
AX is a game won or lost by fractions of a second. A couple of things you can think about to help shave a few fractions are:
Launch the car harder at the start. Don't burn out, but a slight churn of the rear tires is good. Keep the RPM's up and don't let the motor bog down.
Look for a little bit shorter line thru the course. Tighter on the cones, loosen the rear end up thru the slaloms, and straighter thru the lane changes will help shorten the course. If you can reduce the travelled distance on the course by even 40 feet, it's measureable on the clock.
Use more throttle. This piece comes with some "baggage" though. Remember the rule "slow in = fast out". But, with more throttle don't overdrive it into the turn or you lose the ability to roll down hard on the gas coming out.
You know Corvette's are powerful and fast, just don't forget that they can stop just as hard as they can accelerate. Use more brake, a whole lot more. This piece helps you keep the rule above in play.
Last tip - aim the camera on yourself for a few runs. You might be surprised to see what you are doing during your run. Make sure you have two hands on the wheel, you are sitting upright and looking down course, your belts are tight, etc...
Looks like you'll be knocking down your lap times pretty quickly. It's pretty hectic inside the cockpit on a AX run and you will be working hard all the way thru the course - so don't forget to breathe! So have fun and most of all, enjoy your car!
AX is a game won or lost by fractions of a second. A couple of things you can think about to help shave a few fractions are:
Launch the car harder at the start. Don't burn out, but a slight churn of the rear tires is good. Keep the RPM's up and don't let the motor bog down.
Look for a little bit shorter line thru the course. Tighter on the cones, loosen the rear end up thru the slaloms, and straighter thru the lane changes will help shorten the course. If you can reduce the travelled distance on the course by even 40 feet, it's measureable on the clock.
Use more throttle. This piece comes with some "baggage" though. Remember the rule "slow in = fast out". But, with more throttle don't overdrive it into the turn or you lose the ability to roll down hard on the gas coming out.
You know Corvette's are powerful and fast, just don't forget that they can stop just as hard as they can accelerate. Use more brake, a whole lot more. This piece helps you keep the rule above in play.
Last tip - aim the camera on yourself for a few runs. You might be surprised to see what you are doing during your run. Make sure you have two hands on the wheel, you are sitting upright and looking down course, your belts are tight, etc...
Looks like you'll be knocking down your lap times pretty quickly. It's pretty hectic inside the cockpit on a AX run and you will be working hard all the way thru the course - so don't forget to breathe! So have fun and most of all, enjoy your car!
09-26-2013, 10:36 PM
#4
Safety Car
No expert but it looks like you could be pushing the car a lot harder. Don't be afraid of it, be aggressive but smooth.
Try to hit the cones in the slalom with the back tires, you appear to be turning in too soon.
As noted you need to be much tighter on the cones and use the brakes. I brake late and deep, I use them very aggressively. Time spent coasting is never recovered, you should be accelerating in some way or braking as hard as you can MOST of the time.
Try to hit the cones in the slalom with the back tires, you appear to be turning in too soon.
As noted you need to be much tighter on the cones and use the brakes. I brake late and deep, I use them very aggressively. Time spent coasting is never recovered, you should be accelerating in some way or braking as hard as you can MOST of the time.
09-26-2013, 11:31 PM
#5
Safety Car
Whoever set that course up sure likes slaloms don't they. A slalom is like a ballet once you get the rhythm it is beautiful.
Most courses I would say think nothing but late apex and late everything but remember that he who can late apex the earliest will win.
But on your course this is all about the slaloms. One thing I used to concentrate on was thinking I was really pulling the car hard across the slalom cone. You end up not but nevertheless thinking about finishing each cone as something you need to complete is a good thought as that helps you get across the midline ready to do the next cone. I also spent a lot of time wondering whether to keep a smooth speed or to accelerate as much as possible and than brake when necessary to make the next cone or two. The answer is "it depends." Once I was setting up courses I would fudge a bit and make some of the cones not equidistant to see who would notice that and react accordingly. I also would try and volunteer for the cone ******** job (even if grid or timing is cooler) and always station myself by what I perceived as the most difficult part of the course quite often the slalom or a particularly difficult Chicago Box or double apex turn. Watch what the hot shoes do. Interestingly enough I saw a lot of variation on how really great drivers would handle slaloms.
One of the best tips I ever got was to always be on the gas or the brakes never in between. So even in a nearly constant sweeper, you would want to accelerate until you needed to brake to tighten up the turn.
The other real helpful thing to do is put really good drivers in your car (behind the wheel not in the passenger seat). It keeps you from thinking the car is what is holding you back. It is humbling to think you are doing really well and than have someone run the same course in your car about 2-3 seconds faster than you did. But it will teach you something particularly if your region lets you ride with them. That was always a hot topic on our Regions Solo2 board as we all recognized that it was a great help to newbies to either ride with a better driver or have a better driver run their car while they were a passenger. But we always had someone that abused that rule so that they could get runs on the course as a passenger to help themselves when they ran later. We ended up taking care of those folks individually.
Hopefully your region allows ride alongs.
Most courses I would say think nothing but late apex and late everything but remember that he who can late apex the earliest will win.
But on your course this is all about the slaloms. One thing I used to concentrate on was thinking I was really pulling the car hard across the slalom cone. You end up not but nevertheless thinking about finishing each cone as something you need to complete is a good thought as that helps you get across the midline ready to do the next cone. I also spent a lot of time wondering whether to keep a smooth speed or to accelerate as much as possible and than brake when necessary to make the next cone or two. The answer is "it depends." Once I was setting up courses I would fudge a bit and make some of the cones not equidistant to see who would notice that and react accordingly. I also would try and volunteer for the cone ******** job (even if grid or timing is cooler) and always station myself by what I perceived as the most difficult part of the course quite often the slalom or a particularly difficult Chicago Box or double apex turn. Watch what the hot shoes do. Interestingly enough I saw a lot of variation on how really great drivers would handle slaloms.
One of the best tips I ever got was to always be on the gas or the brakes never in between. So even in a nearly constant sweeper, you would want to accelerate until you needed to brake to tighten up the turn.
The other real helpful thing to do is put really good drivers in your car (behind the wheel not in the passenger seat). It keeps you from thinking the car is what is holding you back. It is humbling to think you are doing really well and than have someone run the same course in your car about 2-3 seconds faster than you did. But it will teach you something particularly if your region lets you ride with them. That was always a hot topic on our Regions Solo2 board as we all recognized that it was a great help to newbies to either ride with a better driver or have a better driver run their car while they were a passenger. But we always had someone that abused that rule so that they could get runs on the course as a passenger to help themselves when they ran later. We ended up taking care of those folks individually.
Hopefully your region allows ride alongs.
09-27-2013, 07:59 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
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Thanks for the replies. Looking back at the video, I can see that you guys are right, I could have been much more aggressive. There were a few spots where I coasted instead of being on the gas or brake. I'll have lots to practice my next time out.
09-28-2013, 10:53 PM
#7
Max G’s
Seat Time, Smooth is Fast, Slow In/Fast Out, and the most important corner is the one leading to the longest straight. This applies to autox or the track. Oh yeah- "Have Fun"
09-29-2013, 07:00 PM
#8
The most important habit you can learn is to look ahead. In autox, you are always trying to setup for the next turn as you are negotiating the current turn/gate/cone. This allows you to "late apex as soon as possible" like others have mentioned.
So 2 keys to autox:
Looking ahead
Late apex as early as possible
So 2 keys to autox:
Looking ahead
Late apex as early as possible