Highpower500

Car: 2003 Z06

It was REALLY fun!

There were a great bunch of friendly guys more than willing to help out and ride with a newbie.

Lots to learn, but I was able to shave off about 8 seconds off my lap time from my first runs to my last.

It is possible to spin out even in Competition mode

It will be a while before I need to do any performance upgrades to my car that I will be able to take advantage of. It had all the power I needed and more (see above RE: Competition mode)

My laps started to get faster when I started focusing on being smooth instead of trying to go fast.

It was REALLY fun!

Greywolfe

Glad you had a blast. I started in 2008 and love it.

Leave the car stock until you get good. Ask a veteran to run your car and check his/her time. When you can get close to that time then upgrade but watch what you do and what class you will be in.

Driver skill is the biggest factor.

Then spend money on tires, brakes and suspension. Power is the least important factor in autocross.

kimmer

Seat time seat time.

08velocity

yup!!! seat time = better times= wayyy more fun !! as I was told my first time the first mod you do is to tighten the nut behind the wheel !!

DigitalWidgets

I just started autocrossing this year myself. I learned a lot one afternoon riding shotgun with a guy I met in a Miata. He was very smooth and so much tighter on the cones that I was. I slowed down and copied some of the things I saw him do, and sure enough I shaved 3 secs. off my time consistently for the rest of the day.

I'm also not interested in mods at this point. I've got so much to improve in my driving that I feel I'd be cheating myself a bit if I didn't work on that first.

chasboy

I did the autoX at Carlisle for the second time, but this year I did 2 practice heats, (total 9 runs) and the actual race on Sunday where I won my class. ( 1JS) I also have been at 2 HPDE's, one at Pocono, run by the Cumberland Valley CC(they run the Carlisle AutoX as well) and at VIR, which was run by NCM. To confirm what was said above, I've learned that seat time, don't mod a car that is way better than you, SMOOTH IS FAST, and taking good instruction when you can get it, are the greatest contributors to improvement.
I was unhappy with my times in my first Friday session, not breaking 52 sec. I was referred to a guy there who runs 40 on the same course. "I'll get you under 50" he said. Well, first run, 50.?, 2 & 3: 49.? 4th, 48.8. I was ecstatic, to put it mildly. On race day, my first 2 runs were in the 49's, third, mid 48, fourth 48.06. Almost 47! There is SO much to learn, and it's so much fun learning it!!