More info at http://www.autocross.com/er.
This will be their last event at PMS this season, so get 'em while they're hot!
Printable View
More info at http://www.autocross.com/er.
This will be their last event at PMS this season, so get 'em while they're hot!
I'm planning to be there.
I will be there!
out, wife has class and I have to play daddy.
Not if she's married to you. ::Banana::Quote:
Originally Posted by goofygrin
Count me in, this will be my first autocross event as a novice. Currently I am not a member of any club. My goal is to race the Oct 17th event at TMS, but I'll need to race the next three weekends straight to meet the minimum ax experience requirement. In looking at the Calendar I can accomplish that by running with ER this week, either PCA or TR SCCA 10/3, ER in Mineral Wells on 10/10, and finally with TR SCCA at TMS on 10/17.
So, how do I know what number I may use? I'd like a number that can be used at all events and clubs without having to change it (this year or future years). Is there a master listing of already assigned numbers at all these clubs? What about class letters, I'm thinking I'll be STS since I'm in a stock 90 Miata, I assume this is the same across all clubs?
I was thinking of using decals instead of magnetic numbers/letters. I don't plan on driving my miata except for autocross, so being permanent isn't a problem.
Only ER and SCCA share classing. Assuming that your car is stock on street tires, you will be in TES (Tire E-Stock) in at ER and SCCA events. You will be in Class 1 at NTAXS events. You will be in Class X at BMW events. You will be, I believe, in Class 3x at PCA events.Quote:
Originally Posted by marmed
Only SCCA and ER events require you to have the class info on your car. The rest of the clubs just need numbers. I would not invest in permanent numbers until you find a number that works everywhere.
At all clubs accept ER, you can select your number when you pre-register. You cannot pre-register at ER unless you pre-pay for the entire year at the beginning of the year, so you will just have to wait until Sunday to register at the site.
Alas, I will be at the BMW AX event in Mineral Wells. Otherwise, I would be happy to help you out at the site.
What JRJ512 failed to notice is that you even know you will be in NOVICE class with SCCA and ER - ie: NES.Quote:
Originally Posted by jrj512
The rest of the clubs don't have a novice class, and he got that part right.
I'd go with contrasting masking tape for the first few events. Blue painter's tape, as I'm sure you know, is relatively harmless. That is unless the car is blue.
I'll be there and am willing to help. My number this year is 61, not the 91 in my avatar, E Stock. I'll look for the Bumble Bee Miata.
Also, I will be at Einstein Brothers Bagels at 7am. 2200 Airport Fwy # 500 Bedford, TX 76022
I'll wear a long sleeved blue Hallett Motor Racing Circuit shirt.
lol.. right I'll be in the Bumblebee, and Greg is his GS. Thanks, I guess I won't worry about the number, I'll bring masking tape or painters tape with me.Quote:
Originally Posted by cone-cerned
Marmed, with a stock car on street tires you could be in a few different classes. You can always "upclass" - i.e. run in the class your car with mods would be in. Your Miata could be in (SCCA and ER) STS or a Street Prepared or Mod class, but most likely your butt would be handed back to you on a platter, complete with a side of spaghetti and parsley garnish.
As a beginner you can do the novice class, which is a good idea since you can't be in it for long. I believe ER and SCCA share the "once you trophy you can't run novice anymore" policy. But you could also run in the street tire class with an ES pax with TES on your car assuming, like jrj said, that your tires' treadwear rating is 140 or above (non race tires).
It's up to you. If you plan on autoxing regaulary, this may be a good time to try a few different classes to determine which one you like. This late in the season you probably don't have a chance for a year end points trophy, so it's a good opportunity to experiment. Keep that masking tape handy, good luck and welcome to the sport!
ER you can run Novice all year. SCCA after 3 wins you get a battlefield promotion out of N.
Personally I'd run "N" (coming from the 2008 ER "N" season Champion)
I believe it's one win these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by goofygrin
So what can a couple of newbie's expect our first day out? I hear I'll probably run fairly slow times, and most likely not finish the first few races (dnf?). I'm just hoping my car makes it, it sat out in the country with very little driving before I bought it. I changed the oil today and checked the other fluids, all seem to look good. No leaks, except for a damp right rear shock. The tires are no-name brand but have good tread.
Will we be standing out watching cones between races? That is probably the only thing I'm not looking forward to. I'm a Colorado man, and after 10 years in Ft Worth, I still think it's way too hot here, standing in the heat in a parking lot just doesn't sound fun..lol.
However, I just spent labor day weekend four-wheeling in my Grand Cherokee, with the AC off and crawling at .1 mph all day long in severe heat and with lots of dust... and that was fun, so maybe I'll be okay.
+1 on running "novice" in the clubs that allow it. You'll feel much less intimidated running with others who are new to the sport and not like you'll never get fast, which is how I felt the first time I ran in the "open" class. Also, car-prep is much less of an issue in novice.
Get their early and walk the course 2-3 times. After you walk the course try running the course in your mind, if you cannot remember where to go, walk it again. If you can remember where to go, run it 2-3 more times in your mind this will help a lot when the cones are coming at you at 45 mph.
The number one thing to do when driving is look ahead, this will help a ton with staying on course and driving the correct line.
I would recommend getting in the back of the grid and bumming a ride around the course with one of the experienced drivers before your run. The course will look a lot different at speed than during the course walk, and don't forget to have fun.
Anybody know who is designing the course?
Quote:
Originally Posted by marmed
Working the course is not bad. In fact it is probably my favorite job. You get to see all the lines alot of the fast guys are running. Your gonna be working with at least one experienced guy/lady at you corner, and during breaks in the action I'm sure they can explain alot to you. Just make sure you bring a hat, shades, sunscreen, and plenty of hydrating drinks.
Like Robert said, get as many rides as you can, especially early in the heat. And have some of the instructors ride with you.
DFW has alot of great people. All are willing to help you out, especially the guys hanging around on this site. Sure the weather is hot, but since I moved, 3 of my 5 days racing up here have been in the rain. Running and working in the dry is a whole lot more fun. :D
Attachment 4686Quote:
Anybody know who is designing the course?
I plan to be there to try my 1st time auto crossing. What should I bring? I dont know enough about tire temps to bring a sprayer, I know to bring a tire pressure gauge and make sure as they heat up to keep the pressure consistent. I know to take everything loose out of the car, but what should I set my tires at? 40psi? Ill be driving the car there, unlike the Bumblebee which is a trailer queen. hehe
I might even make it for bagels! heh See you guys at 7!?
Bring drinking water, lunch (they do not usually stop for lunch, so you have to eat on the fly), closed-toed shoes, tires at 40 PSI, sun screen, and a folding chair. If you have a helmet, then bring it or use a loaner.
Don't worry about a tire sprayer or jacking with air pressures.
If you don't want to drive out on 40psi tires (rolling stones!), you will have no problem borrowing a compressor from someone if you ask around a bit. I'd be happy to help you out, and most folks are the same way.
Started having some heating issues, so my car is done for the weekend. I think it's just the fan motor. I will check it next week.
Anyway, it looks like I will be at ER after all... in a borrowed car.
See you all at 7 AM.
Well, I was re-thinking this and I decided that I will just go back to MW today and find a co-drive. I want to spend some more time with that course.
Nice to meet those of you I met today. Had a blast figuring out how to drive a stock 160k mile 20 year old miata.
Yeah me too. Sorry I took out the timing gear my first time out. Nevertheless I really had a good time and will be back for more.
http://www.4Lo.com/90miata/corner.jpg
I did have another question on PAX. How can I find out what my theoretical course time goal should be? Is that posted somewhere? I'm wondering where I placed vs what I could have done, I'm still a little confused how that scoring system works.
This page will give you some information. RTP/PAX is not based on THE course you are running today, but ALL courses that you run.
Look at the results. general default posted a link.
Check the Rapide Pax class. That show how you finished in the theoretical times.
Not all the clubs post a Raw Times finishing list. That would compare your best time with the best time of everyone else.
PAX sort-of shows what your car should thoretically be capable of doing when compared to a full-on open-wheel mod car that is purpose built for autocross, if it was driven to its maximum potential. There is no "ideal" time for a given course, but there are very good drivers in fully-prepped cars who can act as a benchmark (Mark Madarash, David Whitener, John Wagner, etc), but you are still not going to be as fast as they are in your car. Look at the fastest times in your class (E-stock) and similar classes (G-stock, STS) to have an idea of what you're eventual goal should be.
I found after a few events that there are some drivers who attend the same events who tend to have times similar or slightly faster than mine, and I use them as my benchmark. If I can get close ar better, I'm driving well. Some of that is also course-dependent: I am ususally slower than David Whitener on a tight, technical course, but I can sometimes beat him on a course that rewards HP.
AS others have told you, go have fun, run with the novices and work on your basic technique (looking ahead, smoothness, course-walking), and you'll get faster. After you've got a few events under your belt, things will become clearer.
Okay, I get it! For 2010 ES class gets a .829 handicap, this also explains the scores under Tires and Novice classes (since different cars can be lumped together, they use the PAX handicap as well).
Thanks cone-cerned and ozmdd.
It seems that almost everyone is racing with good tires instead of street tires. Is that why there is a separate tires class? I mean, if I moved out of Novice, but kept running stock street tires, I would run TES instead of ES?
Cars running in 'regular' ES (or any other Stock class) are typically running real race rubber (R-compounds). As long as the treadwear rating is at least 140, you can run Tire class or Novice as the case may be. You could run ES, but you'd start with a tire handicap.Quote:
Originally Posted by marmed
I ran my first two seasons in TES on street tires. You should not move up to R-comps until you have a few seasons under your belt. Otherwise, you would be wasting money on a level of tire that you would not reach with your abilities. I see people make that mistake a lot. Learn to drive, first.
You should consider, in order, better street tires (such as Dunlop Star Specs), a larger front sway bar, and then new Koni Sport shocks.
Good advice. I wasn't planning on changing much of anything this year for sure. I may replace my rear shocks since one is blown out. Besides that I just plan on driving and hopefully getting the most I can from what I have now.Quote:
Originally Posted by jrj512