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Attended my first autocross event ever this weekend. I’ve drag raced since I was 16 and this was honestly some of the most fun I've ever had in a car. If you haven’t tried it you must. Cheap thrill and not rough on the car at all.
I’m hooked and changing the direction of my build now. Would like to continue to build up my skills and ultimately get into road racing. First step is to ditch the drag radials. Purchase a set of silvers. The. Install my Johnny Mconell sway bars that I just purchased from a forum member.
Vinyl numbers for your first autocross?? Haha. I did the painters tape thing for years before I finally bought numbers!
Glad you had fun! These cars are very fast in stock form, so don't feel the need to dump a bunch of money into mods right away. With just a set of 200 tw tires and some practice, you can be competitive at the local level on stock suspension in AS or CAM-S.
Vinyl numbers for your first autocross?? Haha. I did the painters tape thing for years before I finally bought numbers!
Glad you had fun! These cars are very fast in stock form, so don't feel the need to dump a bunch of money into mods right away. With just a set of 200 tw tires and some practice, you can be competitive at the local level on stock suspension in AS or CAM-S.
Unfortunately I already had R rated front tires so I was bumped straight to SSR. The Cam-s guys are super competitive in my area so I wouldn’t stand a chance.
unfortunately this club does not allow painters tape numbers. Only reason I’m dumping some more money in is to right the suspension. My magnetic rides are pretty smoked at 58k. I lowered it on bolts and now it’s worse than it was at stock height. The sways and coils were in the works before I started the autocrossing anyways. Can’t stand tall ride height just a personal preference.
Unfortunately I already had R rated front tires so I was bumped straight to SSR. The Cam-s guys are super competitive in my area so I wouldn’t stand a chance.
unfortunately this club does not allow painters tape numbers. Only reason I’m dumping some more money in is to right the suspension. My magnetic rides are pretty smoked at 58k. I lowered it on bolts and now it’s worse than it was at stock height. The sways and coils were in the works before I started the autocrossing anyways. Can’t stand tall ride height just a personal preference.
Well, I goofed and saw a FRC with z06 wheels and thought I was looking at a z06. I didn't notice the fogs or lack of brake ducts. I'll stand by my thought process that a stock C5z can be competitve with good 200 tw tires, but it does sound like you would benefit from some upgrades!
Someone with more actual corvette ownership experience than me may have something to add, since I only entered the hobby in 2011, waiting about 50 years, but I'm here now. I lived thru the muscle car era (none of my cars could participate but I've been a car/history fan my whole life. Until the C4, Corvettes, tho' they did have a presence in road racing were still looked at as drag racers. The C4 changed all that and ever since Corvettes have been realizing their potential more than ever. AutoX and Road racing is addictive. I had done the AutoX at Carlisle every year I went and loved it. During that time, I also did 3 HPDE's, one at VIR with the Corvette Museum and 2 at Pocono, run by the Cumberland Valley Corvette club. I had plans to continue, doing maybe 2 or 3 each year, but about a month after my last one my instructor (it was posted/discussed here when it happened) was killed instructing at Summit Point. I don't get shaken up too easily but Ken was a great instructor and as nice a man you would ever want to know. I talked to my wife and she asked me not to continue and I haven't. However, the feeling of being on a road track, (especially VIR) is like nothing else. No traffic, lights, obstructions, speed concerns or looking over your shoulder(unless you give someone a point-by).
I decided, to fill that void to join the local AutoX association and love it. You will gain great experience there and some will be transferable to the track.(although speed levels are MUCH higher on the track-a good thing!)
Like mentioned above, don't go crazy with mods if you're just starting out, you don't know how far you are going to take this and what's good for AutoX may not be optimal for the track.
In addition, C5's are VERY capable cars. I'll leave you with a maxim expressed by a close friend, who's a long time instructor and former events coordinator at the NCM, who, when asked about mods says: "when you can outdrive that car, come and talk to me. " Trust me, he knows what he's talking about.
AutoX in the Vette is awesome.
It has enough power to turn the car with the gas pedal - which is a ton of fun.
One of the fastest cars in the last AutoX I was in a few years back was a very well-driven C5Z. It was a tiny tight course in a bus lot, up against Miatas, Evo, Elise, Cayman, etc and very competitive drivers. The smaller cars have an agility advantage but the Vette driver was really good, able to slither the car around the corners. Beautiful to watch and he came in top 3. More or less stock car on 200tw tires, nothing fancy.
Unfortunately I already had R rated front tires so I was bumped straight to SSR. The Cam-s guys are super competitive in my area so I wouldn’t stand a chance.
unfortunately this club does not allow painters tape numbers. Only reason I’m dumping some more money in is to right the suspension. My magnetic rides are pretty smoked at 58k. I lowered it on bolts and now it’s worse than it was at stock height. The sways and coils were in the works before I started the autocrossing anyways. Can’t stand tall ride height just a personal preference.
What club are you running that doesn't allow painters tape? That's pretty dumb IMO for a Novice to spend the expense to get numbers.
I don’t get the number thing either. It’s not like our cars can hold onto a magnetic sign.
Just remember “smooth is fast”. Check out Danny Popp and his C5, he dominated the Optima Ultimate street car series for a couple of years: https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...ure-danny-popp
Someone with more actual corvette ownership experience than me may have something to add, since I only entered the hobby in 2011, waiting about 50 years, but I'm here now. I lived thru the muscle car era (none of my cars could participate but I've been a car/history fan my whole life. Until the C4, Corvettes, tho' they did have a presence in road racing were still looked at as drag racers. The C4 changed all that and ever since Corvettes have been realizing their potential more than ever. AutoX and Road racing is addictive. I had done the AutoX at Carlisle every year I went and loved it. During that time, I also did 3 HPDE's, one at VIR with the Corvette Museum and 2 at Pocono, run by the Cumberland Valley Corvette club. I had plans to continue, doing maybe 2 or 3 each year, but about a month after my last one my instructor (it was posted/discussed here when it happened) was killed instructing at Summit Point. I don't get shaken up too easily but Ken was a great instructor and as nice a man you would ever want to know. I talked to my wife and she asked me not to continue and I haven't. However, the feeling of being on a road track, (especially VIR) is like nothing else. No traffic, lights, obstructions, speed concerns or looking over your shoulder(unless you give someone a point-by).
I decided, to fill that void to join the local AutoX association and love it. You will gain great experience there and some will be transferable to the track.(although speed levels are MUCH higher on the track-a good thing!)
Like mentioned above, don't go crazy with mods if you're just starting out, you don't know how far you are going to take this and what's good for AutoX may not be optimal for the track.
In addition, C5's are VERY capable cars. I'll leave you with a maxim expressed by a close friend, who's a long time instructor and former events coordinator at the NCM, who, when asked about mods says: "when you can outdrive that car, come and talk to me. " Trust me, he knows what he's talking about.
Im going for adjustability at this point plus my magnetic suspension is on its way out. Same price as coilovers to replace so I’m just going to take care of it now. Now that the car is lowered on aftermarket bolts it’s become slightly wobbly at times of hard cornering. I’d blame it on the failing suspension and old transversal leaves. I drove a c5z on coils and it was way easier to drive hard. The sway bars were just as while were in here type purchase plus I scored them cheap.
Ive done a few ride around a at mid Ohio in Porsche 911’s from when I worked with an auto group. They’d rent the whole place for a day. Guy let me take his GT3 out for a lap and it was pure ecstasy. The freedom of a road course is like no other. Definitely have a lot to learn before I’m ready for that though. Going to do a rookie day at Nelson’s Ledges this year as well.
Autocross can be harder on your suspension than you think. It's definitely a whole bunch of fun though. So glad I got into it. Need the track to open back up - I'm itching to go out.
Im going for adjustability at this point plus my magnetic suspension is on its way out. Same price as coilovers to replace so I’m just going to take care of it now. Now that the car is lowered on aftermarket bolts it’s become slightly wobbly at times of hard cornering. I’d blame it on the failing suspension and old transversal leaves. I drove a c5z on coils and it was way easier to drive hard. The sway bars were just as while were in here type purchase plus I scored them cheap.
Ive done a few ride around a at mid Ohio in Porsche 911’s from when I worked with an auto group. They’d rent the whole place for a day. Guy let me take his GT3 out for a lap and it was pure ecstasy. The freedom of a road course is like no other. Definitely have a lot to learn before I’m ready for that though. Going to do a rookie day at Nelson’s Ledges this year as well.
I’m sorry I quit before I could try mid Ohio it’s one my friends favorite tracks. I think your suspension upgrades are well thought out
Nice way to spend a day. Sounds like you are hooked and will be having a lot more fun autocrossing the car.
The Motorsport I was looking for and didn’t even know. Everyone should try it at least once. I will admit the getting beat by Miatas is a humbling experience.
The Motorsport I was looking for and didn’t even know. Everyone should try it at least once. I will admit the getting beat by Miatas is a humbling experience.
we hear it from the Miata people all the time, I am in the Masters class (old people) and have to run against a C steet Miata and I run A street, we run real close with Pax times, now the old man in the C 7 GS only beat him once !!!!! thing is I believe I have much more fun in a Vette !!!!!! (last season was my 3rd, have yet to run this season )
C5 Autocross fun
but I've been a car/history fan my whole life. Until the C4, Corvettes, tho' they did have a presence in road racing were still looked at as drag racers. The C4 changed all that and ever since Corvettes have been realizing their potential more than ever. AutoX and Road racing is addictive. I had done the AutoX at Carlisle every year I went and loved it. During that time, I also did 3 HPDE's, one at VIR with the Corvette Museum and 2 at Pocono, run by the Cumberland Valley Corvette club. I had plans to continue, doing maybe 2 or 3 each year, but about a month after my last one my instructor (it was posted/discussed here when it happened) was killed instructing at Summit Point. I don't get shaken up too easily but Ken was a great instructor and as nice a man you would ever want to know. I talked to my wife and she asked me not to continue and I haven't. However, the feeling of being on a road track, (especially VIR) is like nothing else. No traffic, lights, obstructions, speed concerns or looking over your shoulder(unless you give someone a point-by). 
)