Dixie Classic Fairgrounds Autocross -- Winston Salem, NC

[rbrtndrws]

I autocrossed for the first time ever today in the FR-S! I had the 'VSC Sport' mode enabled so not all the nannies were off...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHYmp...ature=youtu.be

I was wondering if you guys could take a look and offer me some criticism and ways to improve?


Thanks!

Rob

[Sccabrz192]

Very Cool!

Few notes:
1) The course looked pretty fun, interesting location! Much different than the scenery I am used to. There were a few gates that as they come up I swore they looked like slaloms the way they were spaced, but as you drove through became obvious they were gates.

2) There were a few areas where you came in hot carrying a lot of speed from the prior section and pushed wide (38s, 53s). Try giving up more speed on the entry (slow in fast out!), be patient on your turn in, you will be able to turn in later with less entry speed and have a better line. With this, you should be able to accelerate and unwind the wheel MUCH MUCH earlier. This will gain you an enormous amount of time as you wont have to wait for the understeer to stop and for the tires to scrub off your excess speed.

3) Try to get on the backside of slalom cones, you should try to hit the back of the cone with the front tire, this will prevent you from getting late in slaloms. The longer the slalom, the worse the issue will grow and the more time you will lose. There were 2 places where you got late and had to scrub off speed. (8s, 44s).

How much experience do you have? Learning slow in fast out is one of the hardest things to teach yourself. Its a race, you want to go bombing in, but knowing when you can bomb it and when you need to impart patience and speed management is the key to being successful, overall your line looked real good except for those places where you understeered due to excessive entry speed. Other places like the sweepers you could probably have used more throttle, but that will come with higher comfort level and more confidence in the car the more you drive it.



Off topic: Love the picture of the 6GC in your avatar. My first car was a 1997 Toyota Celica ST.

[rbrtndrws]

Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it!

I have no experience with this... First autocross ever. I loved it and will definitely be going back soon!

PS- Thanks... That pic is of my ol' 6th gen GT-Four replica.

[EmilGH]

Congrats dude! Nice to see someone rocking' the 86 the way it was intended…

[Sccabrz192]

Originally Posted by rbrtndrws

Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it!

I have no experience with this... First autocross ever. I loved it and will definitely be going back soon!

PS- Thanks... That pic is of my ol' 6th gen GT-Four replica.

That was very well done then for a first attempt!


Here is a prime example of patience, slow in fast out, and backsiding slalom cones. The video is great because you can see steering wheel position, throttle, and brake.

2012 ET Pro-TomL.mp4 - YouTube

[Vanguard]

^Tom Berry is a beast. That course had a weird flow...

Anyways, I agree with Scca. Line choice was ok in places but needs some refinement. I think with this car its going to be all about keeping good momentum and early throttle after sweepers/steady states. As fun (and easy) as it would be to have the backside of the car hanging out, its definitely not as fast.

[Sccabrz192]

Originally Posted by Vanguard

^Tom Berry is a beast. That course had a weird flow...

That is pretty typical for a pro event course. Out and back with a mix of slaloms, deep offsets, and hard turn arounds. it has to be that way to fit 2 mirrored courses on the same pad of concrete.

[MarkRacerX]

Thanks for sharing !!

After racing Autocross I Love my FR-S More and more!!!

[ESBjiujitsu]

loved the course and great driving!!! looked very clean to me! Thank you for sharing! cant wait to auto X my future frs !!!

[rbrtndrws]

Thanks for the feedback! I think it's going to take some time for me to learn the proper techniques and how to fine good lines. I loved auto X and can't wait to go out again!

[Sccabrz192]

Originally Posted by rbrtndrws

Thanks for the feedback! I think it's going to take some time for me to learn the proper techniques and how to fine good lines. I loved auto X and can't wait to go out again!

If you get thoroughly addicted, contact Mike "Junior" Johnson at Evolution Performance Driving Schools. Sign up for atleast a phase 1 1 day course, or if you are really all about it, do the 2-day phase 1 and phase 2 combined.

http://evoschool.com/

There is not a better way to learn how to autocross than those guys and they genuinely go out of their way to welcome newcomers to the autocross family.

I try to make it a point to do one at least every other year just to stay on top of bad habits.

[feldy]

Yep Evo school. Even your local clubs will host a school every spring or such. Those are good to. We hosted a beginner class and a advanced class. The following weekend we hosted the evo guys. They do things differently. While we had a full 60 second course set up. They only set up the elements. A big skid pad. slaloms ect. It was to rich for my blood when we hosted it but I went out and checked it out.

[Sccabrz192]

Originally Posted by feldy

Yep Evo school. Even your local clubs will host a school every spring or such. Those are good to. We hosted a beginner class and a advanced class. The following weekend we hosted the evo guys. They do things differently. While we had a full 60 second course set up. They only set up the elements. A big skid pad. slaloms ect. It was to rich for my blood when we hosted it but I went out and checked it out.

Hmm, that sounds like the phase 2 school. Phase 1 is more of your typical course with strategic elements to work on particular things. Phase 2 is just elements plopped in strategic locations, you walk it in the morning, then drive it forwards, backwards, and in different order to focus on looking ahead and working off of feel and sight rather than memorization.

[Vanguard]

Originally Posted by Sccabrz192

That is pretty typical for a pro event course. Out and back with a mix of slaloms, deep offsets, and hard turn arounds. it has to be that way to fit 2 mirrored courses on the same pad of concrete.

I competed in the Mineral Wells pro a couple months ago. That course appeared to have way better flow than that...

Autocross : 2012 Mineral Wells Pro Solo : 42 STR S2000 Chris - YouTube

[Sccabrz192]

Yea, I wasn't trying to say they all pinch you down in that way... but it's not uncommon.

I've never made it down to Mineral Wells. Though there wouldn't be much point in traveling that far just to prove the fore-gone conclusion that the 2WD ASP cars have no business competing against the AWD boost buggies in Pro events. On a typical tour course, we can (read "should") make up the time they gain on the start because the car handles better, but in a pro style it's a knife in a gunfight. I hope the BRZ gets placed in a class where it can actually compete in pro-style, I think that is just a really neat event format.

That course looked fun though, they really gave you a lot of open room to hang yourself.

[denkigrve]

Robert, that pic in your avatar is tiny. You still running stock suspension and wheels?