First AutoX event
 

Hey guys, went to my very first AutoX event ever and LOVED IT! Very addicting. My first run was a lame 48.9 secs. By the end of the heat, my 4th run I finished at 44.3 secs. Not too bad of an improvement :happydance: I will definitely be getting new tires for the next go around and getting sway bars. I am still on OEM sway bars. Tanabe Springs are my only suspension upgrade. Let me know what you guys think!

Best Autocross run of the day - YouTube

Awesome!!!

I didn't watch the video, and btw, awesome means "you suck"

Sounds like you had a blast! Props for using the Z the way its meant to be used!

awww thats mean :shakes head:

:icon18:
I hope you had fun out there bro


Once I get new tires I'll track mine too

Oh i had a blast! Very addicting. Already lookin into ordering a new set of tires lol.

Hands hands hands!

You're racing, not driving your grandma to Sunday dinner! lol

Two hands on the wheel unless you're shifting brosef!

Glad you had fun, you looked pretty quick!

:icon18: Yeah, I caught myself about halfway through the run right before the 1st slalom lol. I couldve improved more and more but limited runs as you know lol. The loop before the 1st slalom I definitely couldve pushed much harder as I wasn't even getting tire squeal out of that loop till I came out of it on the gas. I was running ASP so there was a fully built supercharged Miata in my class that was running 41's. The other car in my class was running 42's so I'd say for my first time out, I did pretty well. There was a GTR there that was running 41.5's consistently but I know we cant compare as they are much bulkier lol.

I think you did awesome, especially for your first time out!

Good job!!! Focus on keeping hands at 10 and 2 o'clock and slide one hand over for tight turns. You'll be smoother. Look ahead. :driving:

:tiphat: Thanks Matt! I definitely plan on improving over time! Already have time off request for March 10, and March 31 for the next 2 events. Theres a run off event in April and that will be the last one till July when the new season starts :shakes head:



Thanks for the tips! Definitely don't mind it one bit from ANYONE who can help! :p I'm even now driving with 2 hands looking like a goober on the road just so I can get use to doing it lol. I can look like a loser on the street but lets see who has faster times on the track! :driving:

F all the track people, I love the driving style, that was cool as shít, lol
That's how I drive on a day to day basis!


In all honesty, can you, Shamu and Sh0velman, upload interior videos so we can see the hand thing more?

Watch a multi year national champ at work. He makes wielding 500 HP 20 b powered RX7 look easy.

Erik Strelnieks 2012 Solo Nationals-West - YouTube

Im not nearly as good but here is my in car from the last Nationals I attended in the Porsche Boxster race car I built.

FP #11 Best Run West Course 2011 Nationals - YouTube

That's what I was looking for!
Thanks!!!

Biggest thing I find myself not doing at AX is looking ahead, once you start doing that you'll drop time even more. And of course hands. I always keep mine at 9+3. If you don't kill some cones during the day you arn't trying hard enough.

Or spin out for that matter. ;)

Oh yeah, been there done that at AX and HPDE

Not bad! Who rode with you during the first run? You did great and didn't get lost.

Look ahead and go faster...

The most recent vids of my car are from the Toledo Pro Solo....and yes from :20-:22 the right side wheels are about 6-8" off the ground. We guessed soft for the concrete site in OH, and it was the wrong choice.

You can see that even though I am about to get flung out the window from the grip, I am looking the other direction at the upcoming turn...

i had an instructor ride with me my first 2 runs. 1st run i did get lost. 2nd i didnt. 3rd i did as i tried the look ahead approach and looked a bit to far lol. last one which is the video posted i felt very comfortable bit i shouldve pushed it harder. even after just the first session, i feel so much more confident then i use to in my car. you really learn a lot once you get to push your car near its limits.

So i have a few people message me about the tires i was running. The tires im running the bridgestone Potenza RE970's on front which are an all season tire. By no means good for autocross. they did better then i expected but they are still ALL SEASONS! The rears are the Bridgestone Potenza RE760's. As a lot of you know, they arent the best tire either. its on thr lower end of performance line for the Potenzas which is why i was breaking traction constantly at 3k rpms in 2nd gear lol. and yes, the entire run was done in 2nd gear. never switched gears at all.

If you want to do this more and be competitive, you need to drop some money on tires

I caught myself doing that same "gangsta lean" bit my first autocross. I couldn't see your right hand, but if it was like my first time, it was resting on or near the gear shift.:icon17:

I also remember thinking that that sea of orange cones looked like my son had thrown all his toys on the living room floor. Sure, they tell you what each element means and what you are supposed to do with it, but it's a lot like learning a foreign language.


My recommendations for new autocrossers differ (slightly) from what's been said.

Looking ahead is essential, but I don't push that too hard until after they learn to "speak cone". The gibberish "ahead" looks a lot like the gibberish that's right right in front their hood. I recommend they not drive faster than they can see. (meaning see and decipher) If you get on the gas before you know where you want to go, you will go nowhere fast.

If they are disciplined enough to not get ahead of their eyes, their desire to go faster will naturally get their eyes further ahead. (it just takes some time)

I have the same philosophy with hands and the steering wheel. I tell students that hand-over-hand is generally wasted energy, but not to "sweat" it at first. (at least not beyond just using both hands.)

As they get familiar/comfortable with the cones, and their eyes start getting further down course, the hands start to end up where they need to be in anticipation of "what's next." (with only minor reminders)

Good tires tend to cover up mistakes. As a new driver, you want to know every time you make little mistakes. Crappy tires are often good for that. I recommend killing whatever tires you have on there now and learn as much as you can with them.

The GoPro Santa brought me is great for catching hands:

All seasons on Oahu? :tup: Must be wanting to check out Haleakela on Maui or maybe Big Island. :)

lol, Im from texas where weather can be a bit harry during the winter. Only been out here 5 months and when i transferred, they gave me 2 weeks notice. The tires are actually carry overs from my Altima. 255/45/18's.

already working on that. New RE-11's are in the works. As stated by Z1, i plan on shredding these tires up and learning more before i even think about being competitive. Season ends in 2 months, 3 events left before then. July 14th and its on! New season to display the new skills!:happydance:

Forgot you guys have no winter, I am jealous

no winter? no fall or spring either lol. i go to work everyday and its like 85-90 degrees out lol. only thing that would stop us from going to the beach is rain. coldest it gets is like 65 at night lol.

tell that to the 26" of snow that I had to dig out of last weekend. argggg

LOL sorry to hear. In other news.....I just picked up a set of 275/40/18's RE-11's off craigslist, brand new for $450 :happydance:

Lord Almighty that's cheap.

Grats!

Eh it hits high 50s every now and then on Oahu. I can't decide if i want to spend another three years at Schofield or try Fort Hood out. There's a couple of other things I have to take into consideration.

During the offseason hit up the go karts to keep your skills up :driving:

Good deal

Oh are you on the island IMWEZL? I just assumed you were in SC lol. I live right next to Schofield and I'm up at the auto skills center all the time doing work on my car lol. During the offseason? I get a discount up at Podium Raceway cause I'm friends with one of the managers so I get the employee discount :happydance: I'm up there a lot anyways lol. I always see a white one and a red one parked in the barracks by the Comissary.

Naw I left the island a few years ago. There's a weird little guy at the auto craft shop...cool but a little off...anyways he knows just about everyone and everything. Kinda surprised me but then again it is an island. I think he was working on an older Porsche or VW.

Hawaii gets snow too

VIDEO: Winter storm dumps snow on Hawaii Island’s mountains *|*Big Island Video News