Autocrossing with my Z06
#1
Autocrossing with my Z06
I just can't get out of the gate without spinning the tires...
I am running stock class with stock non cup 2 tires. my first 200 feet are killing my times. I have tried multiple driving modes and I still suck at getting out of the gate. Once I get going, I am good. I am not looking to switch tires. But I have 5000 miles on the current tires.
Any thoughts?
I am running stock class with stock non cup 2 tires. my first 200 feet are killing my times. I have tried multiple driving modes and I still suck at getting out of the gate. Once I get going, I am good. I am not looking to switch tires. But I have 5000 miles on the current tires.
Any thoughts?
#2
Melting Slicks
I usually just ease out of the gate off idle. I get into it fairly quickly, but I dont try to launch the car.
I dont know anybody who hammers it out of the gate, especially in a PD blower car. Maybe guys that run crazy sticky tires.
Spinning your tires on the start is probably worse than just easing out there.
My first time out with this car(600 miles) I was within 4 seconds of the fastest guy on a 90 second course. He was running 77.xxx and I was running 81.xxx. I doubt he was hammering it out of the gate either. I believe he was not running street tires and he is a nationwide scca solo nationals guy(crazy good driver).
Best times are either going to be with everything off(10 second press) or track race mode. Last time out I ran: track race... track sport 1... track race. My second run was the slowest run.
I dont know anybody who hammers it out of the gate, especially in a PD blower car. Maybe guys that run crazy sticky tires.
Spinning your tires on the start is probably worse than just easing out there.
My first time out with this car(600 miles) I was within 4 seconds of the fastest guy on a 90 second course. He was running 77.xxx and I was running 81.xxx. I doubt he was hammering it out of the gate either. I believe he was not running street tires and he is a nationwide scca solo nationals guy(crazy good driver).
Best times are either going to be with everything off(10 second press) or track race mode. Last time out I ran: track race... track sport 1... track race. My second run was the slowest run.
Last edited by rjacobs; 06-10-2019 at 10:30 AM.
#3
Practice your launches, get a better feel for the throttle so you don't spin and see how much you can push the car without spinning or TC kicking in. Not much you can really do without going to stickier tires.
#4
Safety Car
In every course I have ever run or have ever designed there is some type of speed control soon after launch. A corner, a box, an offset. It is deliberate and necessary to keep people from making noise, burning up clutches, or ruining tires. Our sites don't like long black rubber strips left after we finish on a Sunday evening.
In fact I would often start in 2nd in a car with plenty of power or torque. It saved an awkward gear change during tjat early post timer hard cornering manuever and generally allowed me to run most of the course in that gear if I was driving a manual.
So easing out sounds like really good advice.
In fact I would often start in 2nd in a car with plenty of power or torque. It saved an awkward gear change during tjat early post timer hard cornering manuever and generally allowed me to run most of the course in that gear if I was driving a manual.
So easing out sounds like really good advice.
#5
Le Mans Master
I've run the Cup 2's on mine in Track Sport 1. The key I've found with this car is that slower is actually faster, the majority of courses I've run on I can do in 1st gear, but I'm very careful in trying to keep wheelspin to a minimum both starting out and out of turns. The key is to keep going forward, not sideways, it can be a challenge, a ZO6 7M on a tight course is like using a 16lb sledgehammer to pound in a thumb tack. Most autocrosses I've been to the quickest cars are almost never the most powerful, you'll see a lot of quick Miatas, Honda S 2000's, Suburu STI's , Focus RS's and Porsche Boxster/Caymans, and a lot of those guys can really pedal the car.
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NTMD8R (06-11-2019)
#6
Melting Slicks
My wife and I have been autocrossing Corvettes for 38 years.
Our '16 Z06 A8 is our latest one... we've had it for almost 2 years... this is our second year autocrossing it.
We do about 25 events each year.
As TKgs010 says... those pesky miatas, S2000s, Suburus, STIs, etc., etc. really hand us our heads.
We run in SCCA classes, and to stay in the street classes (we now run in CAMS), we need 200 treadwear
tires. The only ones which give us the size we can use are Rivals, on 18" wheels.
We fundamentally use 2nd gear (after launch), and just stay there for all runs.
My wife actually launches in 2nd gear... she avoids shifting that way.
We are STILL learning how to drive this car..... using the throttle JUDICIOUSLY.... easing into it....
very slow into corners and easing throttle before the apex, and progressive throttle after apex
is what works best.
We have experimented with all various MRC settings, and we now find that "TOURING" mode is best,
for it allows the car to lean a bit more
(in Autocross, softer suspension is better; as opposed to Track events where stiffer suspension is wanted).
Edit: we always run with TC and AH OFF !!!!
Good luck and have fun
Our '16 Z06 A8 is our latest one... we've had it for almost 2 years... this is our second year autocrossing it.
We do about 25 events each year.
As TKgs010 says... those pesky miatas, S2000s, Suburus, STIs, etc., etc. really hand us our heads.
We run in SCCA classes, and to stay in the street classes (we now run in CAMS), we need 200 treadwear
tires. The only ones which give us the size we can use are Rivals, on 18" wheels.
We fundamentally use 2nd gear (after launch), and just stay there for all runs.
My wife actually launches in 2nd gear... she avoids shifting that way.
We are STILL learning how to drive this car..... using the throttle JUDICIOUSLY.... easing into it....
very slow into corners and easing throttle before the apex, and progressive throttle after apex
is what works best.
We have experimented with all various MRC settings, and we now find that "TOURING" mode is best,
for it allows the car to lean a bit more
(in Autocross, softer suspension is better; as opposed to Track events where stiffer suspension is wanted).
Edit: we always run with TC and AH OFF !!!!
Good luck and have fun
Last edited by NTMD8R; 06-11-2019 at 10:42 PM.
#7
Melting Slicks
I read a pretty detailed thread when I got my car on how to set it up for auto-x and the general consensus was the less level of intrusion from the TC/SC, the faster you could run the course. Most guys said either shut it off with a long press of the button or run track-race since it has the lowest level of intrusion of the nannies.
#8
Safety Car
I suppose we should differentiate autocross and Pro Solo. The latter actually has a dragstrip type launch and no hard turn or offset for about 100 feet. Here 2 identical courses are set up out and to the left and back and the right course is out and to the right and back. And there is a tree and runs are match races against a single competitor. There launch is very important and also very difficult because not only are you not on a prepped surface but quite often on sandy concrete inactive airport parking areas used for the events. Two problems to face. First is that quite often the launch area is not level, so a sock filled with something is necessary to be placed behind one of the rear wheels when staged to keep from rolling backwards and the other is your assistant needs clean crap off your tires as you stage just as they do on a dragstrip. However here peddling the launch is of the utmost importance. Not that most people run Pro Solos as there are only 10 a year nationally and typically only draw very serious and competent competitors.
#9
Race Director
I just can't get out of the gate without spinning the tires...
I am running stock class with stock non cup 2 tires. my first 200 feet are killing my times. I have tried multiple driving modes and I still suck at getting out of the gate. Once I get going, I am good. I am not looking to switch tires. But I have 5000 miles on the current tires.
Any thoughts?
I am running stock class with stock non cup 2 tires. my first 200 feet are killing my times. I have tried multiple driving modes and I still suck at getting out of the gate. Once I get going, I am good. I am not looking to switch tires. But I have 5000 miles on the current tires.
Any thoughts?