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Thread: OK tell me about autocross

  1. #1

    Default OK tell me about autocross

    Requirements and anything a newbie needs to know.
    99 Miata Black

  2. #2
    Team Cheap Bastard
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    The best thing for a nooB is to hook-up with an experienced autocrosser your first time out. Let someone show you the ropes. Where to stand, what to ask, what to do, where to go, who to pay.

    All you need is a car that can pass a Tech Inspection (brakes, fluids, tires, wheel bearings must all pass muster). You will need a helmet and closed-toe shoes.

  3. #3

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    Very good ,...thanks for that info
    99 Miata Black

  4. #4

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    Hey Billy,

    Just goto open track, much more speed, much more fun. I cannot stand how Dallas SCCA runs their autocross. All freaking day long for (4) less than one minute runs.

    No thanks.
    93 FMII + LOTS MORE
    The Black Mamba

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by sammm
    Where to stand...
    Edit -
    LINKIE (from a previous post showing what can happen when you're not paying attention... it would have helped had I added this the first time! )
    --

    I dare say these people were a) not paying attention and b) not standing where they should have been.

    Hang with the old hats with the swivel heads (there's a reason they're still banging around!)... they'll teach you most of what you need to know.

    The rest just comes with seat time and walking the course time and standing around time and finding the port-o-potty time and what's this line for time and be sure to sign the waiver time and... well, you get the idea.

  6. #6
    Team Cheap Bastard
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    Quote Originally Posted by Screamin'Screw
    Just goto open track, much more speed, much more fun. I cannot stand how Dallas SCCA runs their autocross. All freaking day long for (4) less than one minute runs. No thanks.
    Good thing we are all free to make our own choices. Different strokes. You may hate it, but then again you may not. Decide for yourself!

    I'll admit you won't find a lot of fans of how our regional SCCA events are handled. There are other choices if it comes down to that.

  7. #7

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    By the way... my above post wasn't meant to scare anyone off from autocrossing (I'm still a freaking plebe!)

    Understand that it's a helluva time, a real blast! I can't think of anything else that I would get up at some ungodly hour of the day for. However, entrenched with that fun is also the reality of danger... and the realization that you have to keep your eyes and ears open for anyone and everything - both as a driver and a course worker.

    But in honesty, I would not want to be doing anything else... you're not going to catch me getting up this early to go fishing!

  8. #8
    Obnoxious at any speed altiain's Avatar
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    ccage, all you really need to start autocrossing is a car in good working order (Sammm covered the highlights on that), and the desire to try it.

    A helmet is required, but most local clubs have a few loaners, so you don't even need one of these your first time out. If you decide you like it, you might want to buy your own however, as loaners can get kinda... pungent in mid-summer.

    I'm not going to get into the "autocross versus open track" debate. They both offer unique challenges, and they're both fun, for different reasons. Open track offers significantly more seat time, but it also costs more in entry fees, tires, and brakes, and it does pose a higher risk, imho. Autocrossing doesn't offer the same amount of seat time, but it's easier on the car and on the wallet, and some people (like me ) really like the challenge of mastering a new course every time.

    The first autocross of the '05 season will be a North Texas S2000 Owner's Club event at Mineral Wells Airfield on Saturday, February 19th. These are great events for learning, as there are instructors available free of charge, the events are kept small and informal, and you'll get 8 timed runs (plus fun runs) on a 1+ mile course. Keep watching the Autocross Events section of the board for details, and come on out and join a bunch of us for the start of the '05 season.
    Iain

    "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Screamin'Screw
    Hey Billy,

    Just goto open track, much more speed, much more fun. I cannot stand how Dallas SCCA runs their autocross. All freaking day long for (4) less than one minute runs.

    No thanks.
    Well, opinions will vary...

    In my opinion, autocross is the perfect place for a person unfamiliar with performance driving to start. It's inexpensive. It's a great learning experience. There are a ton of great Miata (and other) Pilots willing to help you, from taking you on a ride along, to helping you set up your car. Lastly, autocross is safe, but fast enough to get your heart rate up. I think it's much more prudent to learn car control on an autocross course -- or better yet, at an autocross school -- than on an open track.

    Altiain explained why AX is a great place to start, so I'll just add THIS LINK to a nice Solo II Novice Handbook by Kate Hughes. This document will give you most of the basics – how to prepare, what to expect at an event, etc – so you’ll feel a bit better informed. Enjoy reading it, ask questions here, and come out to the NTS2KOC autocross event on February 19th!
    "That which does not kill us, just makes us madder"
    Cletus Nietzsche (Friedrich's half-brother on his sister's side)

  10. #10

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    Thats a very informative link thank you!!!
    99 Miata Black

  11. #11

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
    Quote Originally Posted by Kestrel
    That is a great link... thanks Kestrel!!
    I read it before my first AX, and I thought it was pretty informative. Made me feel like I had at least a small clue what was going on. Of course, those friendly MME folks -- altiain, Majik, and particularly POS took me under their wing straight away and helped me through my first few events. I know they regret that now...

    Don't forget Tailchasers great article on autocrossing too... it's probably even more useful than Kate Hughes' Handbook, because it has some specific info on our events.
    "That which does not kill us, just makes us madder"
    Cletus Nietzsche (Friedrich's half-brother on his sister's side)

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  14. #14
    Driver rjosey8385's Avatar
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    Wow - that IS a good link....wonder if I can start over
    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming...'Wow! What a ride!'

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