So Im going to go to my first autocrossing event this Sunday.

Please rain upon me all your advice about it. Im a n00b.

 

No one here autocrosses?

 

Dont overdrive the car or the course. That is what kills the time the most. You'll be surprised how being smooth and precise pays off. Also, since there are so many corners back to back, you usually need a different line than the classic come in high down to the inside, clip the apex and drift back out. If you do that you'll be offline for all the following corners. You usually have to apex late to prep for the next corner and so on. Walk the course with someone experienced if you can. Also, racers love to help out. Ask for help and advice and you'll get it. Most of all, just have fun!

 

thanks!

 

Memorize the course as best you can. figure out which way to go at certain points while you are walking the course. If you're not sure how to go around the cones at some point ask somebody. Best to get it worked out before you make a run. Have fun. Autocrossing is a blast!

 

yeah the only thing that worries me is, i see pictures of the cones on the course, and i cant even begin to see where one is supposed to navigate through it.

 

Yeah that's why you want to walk the course, take it easy on that first run. You'll get the hang of it. It can be a very humbling experience for people who think they can drive that have never done it. Just walk the course a bunch before you go out. Hopefully you will run later and can watch a few cars go before your first run. You'll have a good time though.

 

Don't be like the people at e-town last year and spin your car on a straight away...

 

I went once this past season. It's really an awesome experience. Once the new season starts, I will definitely be a regular. At first, I was terrified when I saw all the cones. I thought I'd have no idea where to go. Get there early so you can walk the course a few times. It really helped.

If you are a rookie, usually they make you go last, so you can watch the other cars like ChadT said. During my first run, I took it easy to make sure I knew where I was going. My problem during my next few runs was that I drove too hard and kept powersliding. Smoother = faster I learned. Also, if you have a manual tranny and a car with enough torque, it's better to leave the car in second gear than constantly shifting between first and second. The time it takes you to shift can cost you precious seconds.

The great thing about Autox is that skill matters more than the car many times. My friend who is an autox fanatic drove his gf's regular 4-cylinder Jetta. He actually beat my time in my Z one time. At the end of the day, I was able to get my pride back by beating his best time

 

thanks for the information guys.

i have an automatic 3000gt. i dont have to worry about shifting. but stock for stock, the 3000gt has nice suspension. but i already have springs, which i read put me into another class.

what about other things, like I wont think of until im there.. like food, drinks? anything special that you guys find helps you throughout the day?

 

ive done that enough on public roads (due to other peoples stupidity) ill try not to do it here.

 

Bring water, sunscreen, and a folding chair. Be sure to wear shoes, no sandals. Most likely you will be in STX, but i dont know for sure.

Fill your tires up to 45 in front and 35-40 in the back. Make sure the oil is full.

For your first run, find someone who knows what they are doing and isnt numbered near you and ask them to ride along and help you out. Everyone is willing to help the noobie out, because at one time they too were the noob.

And slow early instead of braking late.