Open track day Advice

[leadf00t]

I will be taking my car to the track (autox) for the first time this weekend, and was just looking for any advice people might have, ie tire pressure, dsc on, or off etc. tips, or tricks you may have learned from your time on track.

[GoFast]

pressure around 38-41, dsc off.

Walk the course as many times as you can so you get to know it. some people draw it out to make sure they have it down. Dont worry about anyone elses time. The best person to compete with is yourself. Smooth is fast.

[gonerogue]

To add to GoFast, slow in, fast out. The most important thing you can work on at the moment is your own skill. Run it stock and try to find the best line. Fine tuning things may just hide otherwise glaring flaws in your own skill.

If you're understeering, you're asking too much of the car, so back off the throttle or get on the brakes sooner so that you're not carrying too much speed into the corner.

I would also look up some different types of obstacles (e.g. carousel, decreasing/increasing radius, chicane, chicago box, slalom, etc.) and read about how to tackle them. Knowing what to do with certain turns really helps when you're walking the course (which you should do as much as possible).

Just have fun and try to find "the line"! I have my 3rd autocross this Saturday and I'm hoping to fix a few things, including my lead foot.

[meicalnissyen]

pressure around 38-41, dsc off.

Walk the course as many times as you can so you get to know it. some people draw it out to make sure they have it down. Dont worry about anyone elses time. The best person to compete with is yourself. Smooth is fast.

Yeah 38 front 34-36 back mebbe less

smooth is fast oh, so true

turn less, finish the turn

find the line slow and add speed each time

when you screw up, do not fight to "save " the run. let it go, its only a run. there will be many others

get the car back, get the car in the right position, and resume



GET A RIDE ALONG
nothing will help you more. nothing
find the "novice' helpers in that club, and have one with you on every run

[meicalnissyen]

To add to GoFast, slow in, fast out. The most important thing you can work on at the moment is your own skill. Run it stock and try to find the best line. Fine tuning things may just hide otherwise glaring flaws in your own skill.

If you're understeering, you're asking too much of the car, so back off the throttle or get on the brakes sooner so that you're not carrying too much speed into the corner.

I would also look up some different types of obstacles (e.g. carousel, decreasing/increasing radius, chicane, chicago box, slalom, etc.) and read about how to tackle them. Knowing what to do with certain turns really helps when you're walking the course (which you should do as much as possible).

Just have fun and try to find "the line"! I have my 3rd autocross this Saturday and I'm hoping to fix a few things, including my lead foot.

eager beaver

Ross bentley has a nice book on why eager is slow

and I play bach whie approaching the line

marginal help, but help

[gonerogue]

eager beaver

Ross bentley has a nice book on why eager is slow

and I play bach whie approaching the line

marginal help, but help

I'm actually looking to get a couple of the Speed Secrets books soon, so it's interesting that you mention him. I am reading Going Faster! from the Skip Barber school right now.

[BillTheCat]

GET A RIDE ALONG
nothing will help you more. nothing
find the "novice' helpers in that club, and have one with you on every run

That is absolutely step #1. Most organized autocross events will either have experienced drivers who will volunteer to ride along with you, or in some cases, they'll have a time set aside for "novice school." Don't let the act of attending "novice school" deflate your ego. You can earn a ton from a ride-along. If it isn't obvious how to arrange a ride-alomng, just ask anyone at the registration table.

Keep an eye out for autocross schools in your area, too. You'll usually get in way more runs than at a competitive event, and you'll have plenty of ride-along laps.

Best of luck, have fun, be safe, and most of all- don't obsess over your times or freak when you kill a cone or slide off-track. We've all done it. It's part of the hobby.

[Mr_Boom]

Pressures: I normally run 36-37 in the front with 38-40 in the rear. The MS3 naturally wants to push through the corner, so you'll have to be patient before getting in the gas on corner exit.

DSC Off: When you start your car up before you run, hold in the DSC button to turn off both traction and stability control. At my first AutoX I ran the first lap with DSC on just to see how much of a difference it will make off.

I'm fairly new myself to the AutoX world, and I just like to work on one thing at a time. First race I worried about rolling through the corner correctly, next race I worked on looking ahead, and so on and so on...

Have fun, the MS3 is a handful with the turbo and torque steer but it makes for a fun car to drive on course. Just try to make as many straight lines through the course as you can since this is where our car gains the upper hand.

[leadf00t]

Thanks for all of the great information guys.

[mr_mazda329]

Ahh this car is fun to AutoX. The car also like to oversteer when you unload rear end(off-throttle Highspeed). I cant wait for another event on the big track here.

[tiagotiago]

Just to add a bit to what is a lot of great advice so far, also try working on using your eyesight accordingly; Don't look at a few feet in front of the car, look as far as you can till the next reference point you have, when you're on a straight try to find your next braking point, when you're on your braking, look for the entry of the corner and as soon as you enter look for the apex, as you're hitting the apex, look for the exit, and after that's done, look down to the next braking point point. You should ideally be focusing on what's coming up next; knowing the track, you'll start to find more subtle clues and you can use those to shave some time off.

I'll also add a quote I remember from one of Bentley's books:
"Delete your expectations, focus on your possibilities". Don't build castles in the sky, take it easy, set realistic goals and then start working from there on, like others have said, aim for a nice, smooth lap, and then start finding places where you can improve on your time.

Most importantly, have fun!!!

[Nliiitend1]

Another quick point to add (I'm on the way out the door):

Keep BOTH hands on the wheel except for the moment that you're shifting.

[chief_wiggum]

How do you guys find out about local Auto X events?

[bacarl]

I use myautoevents.com. Do an Advanced search per your area and filter for autocross.

One other thing for the OP, you may have heard this before but stick with second gear. Launch in first of course, and maybe hold it through the first turn if that's appropriate. But then shift to second and leave it for the rest of the course. The time wasted downshifting is likely to be greater than the time gained by using first gear in a tight corner, esp in a car with as much torque as ours have.

Have fun! I much prefer autocrossing the speed3 to driving it on the street here in Michigan.

[Mr_Boom]

How do you guys find out about local Auto X events?

Check out your local SCCA Region's website and see what type of events they have coming up. You can find regions that are close to you through the SCCA website...

http://www.scca.com/divisions.aspx (http://www.scca.com/divisions.aspx)

[meicalnissyen]

Just to add a bit to what is a lot of great advice so far, also try working on using your eyesight accordingly; Don't look at a few feet in front of the car, look as far as you can till the next reference point you have, when you're on a straight try to find your next braking point, when you're on your braking, look for the entry of the corner and as soon as you enter look for the apex, as you're hitting the apex, look for the exit, and after that's done, look down to the next braking point point. You should ideally be focusing on what's coming up next; knowing the track, you'll start to find more subtle clues and you can use those to shave some time off.

I'll also add a quote I remember from one of Bentley's books:
"Delete your expectations, focus on your possibilities". Don't build castles in the sky, take it easy, set realistic goals and then start working from there on, like others have said, aim for a nice, smooth lap, and then start finding places where you can improve on your time.

Most importantly, have fun!!!
YES, I missed that, look deep look high etc
you will tend to look at the next cone, and drive at it. then correct.

over nad over and over and over

until your back brain learns

drive the path described by the cones. not cone to cone

[chief_wiggum]

I use myautoevents.com. Do an Advanced search per your area and filter for autocross.



Check out your local SCCA Region's website and see what type of events they have coming up. You can find regions that are close to you through the SCCA website...

http://www.scca.com/divisions.aspx (http://www.scca.com/divisions.aspx)

sorry for the thread jack. thanks for the info...looks like several events in my area -- think I found my new hobby.

[meicalnissyen]

Thanks for all of the great information guys.

OH. you need to leave deesss moynsss
to have any chance at meaningful life

rockford is your best hope

[meicalnissyen]

sorry for the thread jack. thanks for the info...looks like several events in my area -- think I found my new hobby.

Blessed Be

[leadf00t]

OH. you need to leave deesss moynsss
to have any chance at meaningful life

rockford is your best hope

Too funny !!

[leadf00t]

sorry for the thread jack. thanks for the info...looks like several events in my area -- think I found my new hobby.

No prob, sometimes it's easier than starting a new one.

[leadf00t]

I had to have a snell sa2000 or newer helmet. It turns out that they have some available for rent, but I spent half a day trying to find one that didnt cost an arm & a leg. I couldnt find one for less than $140, and that wasnt even full faced. Some of those helmets get upwards of $700. Who knew helmets were so expensive.

[8.5MS3]

Also make sure you take everything out of your car, spare tire, jacks etc (lighter is always better). usually they will have an area where you can set up the car before lining up. As others have said take your time. Cones can bruise the car up so bring plenty of blue/green tape and mask the front of the car. or buy the bra like i did. be sure to cover your plates & registration as well. dont want prying eyes voiding your warranty for track use

[Nliiitend1]

In my experience, car bras do more damage than they provide protection. Dirt gets in between the bra and the car's paint and them rubs into the paint...

My cars have also never sustained any permanent damage from hitting a cone (and that's with 3 different cars over the course of 9 years). The scuffs have always come right off my paint without an issue...

Also, most SCCA-related clubs allow you to use not only the SA-rated Snell helmets, but also M-rated helmets. Just make sure it's SA2005 or M2005 or newer. The only places I've had to use an SA-rated helmet at were full-on road courses (and not even all of them require the SA rating - some of them are OK with M-rated helmets).

[8.5MS3]

thats true, bras over time do degrade the paint due to dirt, but i only use it on track days or long roadtrips after washing & waxing the car thoroughly as the paint on these cars chips so damn easily

[irnbru83]

So much good advice in this thread.

Driving the course, instead of the cones, is paramount. Too many people drive in a short-sighted manner and get caught up staring at the next cone. You gotta know what is beyond the cone in front of you so that you can properly enter/exit corners.



Having an experienced driver ride-along is also essential.

[leadf00t]

I'm going to inquire about having someone ride along when I get there.

[gonerogue]

I had to have a snell sa2000 or newer helmet. It turns out that they have some available for rent, but I spent half a day trying to find one that didnt cost an arm & a leg. I couldnt fine one for less than $140, and that wasnt even full faced. Some of those helmets get upwards of $700. Who knew helmets were so expensive.

In the grand scheme of things, it's a small price to pay to protect your noggin. I would look at the 200-350 range for a full face. I would definitely go with a full face because you want the helmet to last quite a while and you'll need a full face in case you want to do any HPDE or track days.

[martispeed]

I use myautoevents.com. Do an Advanced search per your area and filter for autocross.

One other thing for the OP, you may have heard this before but stick with second gear. Launch in first of course, and maybe hold it through the first turn if that's appropriate. But then shift to second and leave it for the rest of the course. The time wasted downshifting is likely to be greater than the time gained by using first gear in a tight corner, esp in a car with as much torque as ours have.

Have fun! I much prefer autocrossing the speed3 to driving it on the street here in Michigan.



^^^ then come to the july 19th event at belle isle!!!!!

[lasermp5]

Hands follow the eyes!

[leadf00t]

It was an absolute blast. It is great to just get out there, and drive the hell out of your car without having to worry about traffic laws !! It took a little while getting used to the tire, and brake odors coming into the car, but man this car handles awesome. I rode along with a guy in an 08 M3, omg that thing was fast, and brakes on it were unbelievable. My buddy has an S2000, and that is a great handling car also.

[Nliiitend1]

Yup. As one of my good trackday buddies always says, "It's about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on."

(lol2)

Glad you enjoyed yourself! (thumb)

[fastdreams]

Eyes follow the hands!

Isn't it the other way around?

I think that is one of the most important lessons for me out at the track. Look as far ahead as you possibly can.

Lots of great advice in this thread, I'm not going to try to add to it.

Beware the addiction of track time! :)

[tiagotiago]

Isn't it the other way around?


+1 The hands will follow the eyes. ALWAYS look where you want to go, not at what you want to avoid. It sounds obvious enough, but doing that in the precious few fractions of a second when the car is out of shape and heading towards something you want to avoid (a barrier, a wall, a telephone pole, a concrete post, a cliff, a person,etc ) this is what you want to be doing, not giving up and staring at it and thinking "oh shit". I have avoided 1 big accident because of this; to this day I have no idea how I didn't crash. I do remember going sideways, locking my eyesight to the road and thinking frantically "lookwhereyouwanttogo lookwhereyouwanttogo".

----

And to the OP, I'm really happy you had such a good time!! Sounds like you caught the racing bug, so keep us posted on how you do on future events!

[leadf00t]

Will do. I was driving home thinking better pads,springs, sways, stickier tires, faster laps... As if the modding bug wasnt bad enough before.

On a side note a guy with a new (only 5000 miles) bmw 135i blew his motor yesterday 3 hours into the day. He said it started to lose power, and then he heard knocking noises, then lots of smoke, and then flames coming out of the exaust pipes when I drove by. We broke for lunch while they got him off the track. I almost didnt want to take my car back out after that, but ran the rest of the day without any issues. His back bumper was burnt, and covered with black soot. He had no coolant in the resevoir when he removed the cap. Shitty way to lose you daily driver.