Am I crazy for wanting to autocross?

[greg donovan]

remember i want to go up in height not down. and even if i convert to nontapered are the 2wd rear springs the same as 4wd rears?

greg

[Legacy777]

technically they are going to be different.....but by how much......don't know.

[rallysam]

For anyone thinking about AutoX or RallyX, I would have a simple piece of advice that I wish I had known:
Don't fret about it too much. Just try it - no matter what you got.

1) You will get your butt kicked your first time out - no matter what you drive
2) By your 5th event, you will be FAST - no matter what you drive
3) Nobody cares that you are slow. There are always tons of slow noobs and people just don't pay attention.

After you have tried it once, THEN start thinking about what kind of car you want to race and what kind of setup to run. I guarentee you will have a very different perspective after trying it.

This isn't 2Fast2Furious, where a NOS shot and race graphics make you a hero. You will watch veterans in crappy old cars drive with a very calm, clean, boring style... whooping your ass all day long. So concentrate on having a blast and learning a thing or two.

[rallysam]

In my car? Not right at this moment, but once I get most if not all of the problems worked out, and new suspension would I be a fool to even go? I guess what I'm really getting at is, should I ditch this baby for a turbo? or even better swap an ej22t in?

PS
If you can stay in the stock class, I think you would run in H-stock (bottom of the barrel) which includes such stiff competition as the AMC Gremlin and a variety of Geo's.
http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/Lists/2002/stockc.html

[Brat4by4]

Holy crap! Sport Sedans are H-Stock!

I might have to go to some auto-x meets and see if i can hang with the 4-banger mustangs...

[NuwanD]

not crazy at all, n/a cars have a huge advantage on auto-x courses cause of the low end torque, turbos have that nasty lag. I've done a lot of auto-xing in my car for the last 2 years, and i did the first year on the crappiest all-season tires known to man. I may not have been competetive then but i sure had fun, and you'll learn lots about car control. All in all, you should go for it!

[THAWA]

I think I might. Any tips you guys wanna share? Also for all the Gran Turismo people did play this well help your skills any? I know it's just a game but its pretty realistic.

[Yukonart]

Here's a big one. . .

Learn how weight-transfer in braking and cornering affects how your car will handle on the course. As in:

1. Braking too early, then mashing on the gas through the turn will produce oversteer.

2. Braking too late, then having to toss the car during the last part of the braking will produce a good deal of understeer. . . . not being able to turn fast enough.

3. Braking at just the right time will allow you make your weight transfer to the front, then as you apex the turn, transfer weight more to the rear via acceleration to combat any understeer and shoot yourself out of the turn with a good start on going fast again.

Okay. . . those are all oversimplified versions of what you're going to learn. . . but paying attention and learning these situations quickly will not only lower your times, the experience gained will allow you to have more fun. . . .and most importanly, be more conscious of how to handle the car in emergency situations. Autocross will definitely improve driver skill where the benefits will easily apply to everyday driving.

[greg donovan]

here is how GT helped me. it helped me learn setup basics. one thing it doesnt give adjustability on but should is tire pressure. on a car w/no adjustabitily in suspension this is all you have and it can make a world of difference. a little more rear pressure will give you a bit more rear bias in your handling. as far as driving it didnt make much difference. because a road racing line and an autox line are abit differrent. although the tests on gt2 did make a bit of difference. here is a link to susqehanna motor sports a compny that supplies racin off road and rally items as well as some usefull articles about car prep and stuff.

http://catalog.com/susq/other/stuning.htm

either way what will help the most is meeting some of the veterans and walking the course with them. i would also advise going in a later run group and working the course first. this way you get a view of the corners and can see what to expect. have an open mind and a willingness to have fun!

greg [/url]

[rallysam]

I think GT is pretty accurate, believe it or not.

I am a beginner, not an expert, but here's the first handful of things I learned.

Walk the course, think hard, and walk it with an expert if possible.
Ride along with other people.
Follow the race line.
In slow - out fast (most beginners to the opposite).
Don't drift - period.
Plowing on entry? then back off next time.
Remember the friction circle (if you're turning, you can't brake or accelerate much).
All of your movements should be smooth not jerky.

But whatever. Best way to learn is by having fun - not by hitting the books. Enjoy!