AutoX beginner, wanting some tips
 

This weekend will be my first AutoX attempt with a local Porsche club. Anyone here experienced, have any pointers?

Tried to YouTube some videos and found some 80's stuff, and a lot of GoPro footage but not really any useful advice.

I've always loved cars, spirited country driving, parking lot drifting etc., but this is my first experience in a controlled environment.

Should I tape my head lights (I already have a 3M tint on the headlights)? Should I take my tire pressure gauge and check after every run? Do you keep the traction control on or take all nannies off for AutoX? Do you use the E-brake for sharp hairpin type corners? I've seen both the drift method and the grip method.

Thanks and I apologize if these are /facepalm type questions, complete noob here when it comes to tracking/AutoX! :bonk:

Ask for instructor ride alongs each time. If you're confortable with it, even let them drive your car to give you some ideas.

Remember that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Worry about your line, not getting speed. Learn to read the cones and anticipate what's coming up. Don't turn in fast at the last moment, turn in gradually. Learn to brake in a straight line and be almost or fully off of the brakes before turning the wheels at all.

No need to tape lights off.

Tire pressures are different for every tire but if you're a full street tire (above 200 TW) set your pressures to around 38 cold and run them there for the day, maybe low back to 40 psi after they have 1-2 runs. Low pressures will destroy your tires. No need to get prefect pressures until you have a very firm grasp of this sport. You just want this to keep the tires in good shape.

autocross is simple

1. walk the course and memorize when to go straight, when to turn left and when to turn right.

100% of your time is dependent on you staying on course, and as silly as it is there are competitors out there that will go an entire day without getting it right.

2. start out slow and build up your speed, unless you are a very seasoned competitor your understanding of the relationship of your "course walk" and "behind the wheel" will be poor. So even if you know where to go the feeling of how fast/slow the corner is will change once you're in the car and going at speed.

a lot of times simply completing the course at a moderate pace without hitting cones will put you into the middle of the pack, it's that simple

3. progress your speed, figure out the fastest speed you can carry into a turn before you skid/plow and then back off on your next run


this is my general strategy for days with good weather and lots of runs

run 1, go slow and figure out the line. make sure not to fake yourself and take the wrong "slow" line, because when you drive slow you have grip 100% and every line becomes the right line. Try to predict where your car will drift once you get up to speed

run 2, blast through each corner, understeer, oversteer, see where you spin out, see where you plow, see where you hit cones, essentialy this run you're trying to remember how fast is too fast

run 3 and on, now that you know the limit for each corner, you start figuring out what is "just enough", and this right here is what seperates the pro's from the everyone else.

how quickly you can maximize your car given the course layout.


that taping shit up is for later, for now focus on the basics. Grip vs Drift, don't even worry about that, you'll figure that out on your own.

You've probably heard this already and you will probably hear it many times from instructors when you autocross but looking ahead is the most important thing to teach yourself. When you are approaching a turn you need to at least look to the exit of that turn and hopefully to the entrance of the next turn as well. Walk the course many times, and practice looking ahead while you are walking the course. Then if you can, ride along with some people before you drive. The first time you see the course at speed it is going to seem like it is flying by, but if you have walked the course enough then you should be able to make sense of it. Again, practice looking ahead while you are riding with someone else. I find this is the best time to get yourself in the habit of looking ahead, because you aren't worried about driving. Smoothness will come naturally when you can see what is coming up.

I agree with kido about tire pressures. Don't overthink them, spend your time between runs looking at a course map and try to remember where you made mistakes. And like he said, the more often you have an instructor in your car, the more you will learn.

And don't use the handbrake.

In two ways.

1) Dont use it during the run, no matter how much you think you "know" it will help. Tokyo Drift was wrong. I'm astonished how many Novices (sans instructor) try this.

2) Don't park on the handbrake after a run. Hot brakes plus locking the brakes down = bad time for your rear brakes.

I like where this thread is going! Great advice so far! I'd like to get out there and autox mine sometime in the near future! It's nice to hear from people who have actually done it a lot.

Hey thanks guys! I'm sure my "instructor" for my first event will teach me a lot, but again who knows how experienced this "instructor" is. And I'm sure everyone's got their own style.

I really appreciate the feed backs. I hope I can learn a lot, and most importantly to have fun! I'll have my GF film my runs so you formula 1 racers can criticize my runs lol.

good instructors will all teach you the same fundamentals

what you have to watch out for are those good drivers who can't teach worth a damn, they don't understand their on skill or why they drive well, all they know is that they drive well, these are the worst teachers.

On my first (and only so far) autox, my main problem was lack of throttle modulation, I would always go flat out as soon as I had the car pointing to the apexes, but then the tail would get happy and I'd go off course on a drift.

So, over the day I learned how to modulate my throttle input. Lifting off during corners can be as bad as going flat out. The delayed response caused by the 'throttle by wire' system also takes some getting used to, IMHO.

Seat time is key. Don't put any expectations on yourself except that you're willing to learn. Go on as many ride alongs as possible and get experienced people to ride with you. Also, when you're out marshalling, try to watch other people's lines, where they brake, etc. You can learn a lot by watching in various areas of the course.

Remove ALL loose items in car and trunk including floor mats. Tool kits and spare tire in trunk ok to stay in (at least where I did it last fall). Air pump and tire gauge good to take. Helmet meeting current specs. Whomever is running the event should have info on that posted. If they run in groups (like A, B, C) try to get in B or C for your first time so you can watch and take mental notes of the course. Take an instructor, see if you can go on ride alongs with other drivers. Don't try to 'kill it' on your first run. My first run was a 61.97 and I thought it was much better than that, but electronics don't lie. 6th run was a 51.92. Have fun, that's what it's all about and learning what your can can do.

^^This^^

Good advice, but how would you tell the OP what to look for to know the difference? No offence, but regarding autocross, if the FAST guys offer any sort of advice or instruction I would listen. If they have a proven track record of speed & wins, ESPECIALLY at the National level, I don't feel anyone with less success has the credibility to question the validity of their instruction. What they advise may sound crazy, but it doesn't mean it isn't true.

Otherwise, I agree 100% with everything being said, & most important get lots of seat time & learn all you can from the fast drivers.

Here are ten great tips that I received from my first instructor, Pat Washburn.

Slow In and Fast Out - slow entries allow for fast exits.
Look Ahead - look where you want to drive and not where you are. The car will follow your eyes.
The line you drive is more important than speed - Tight to the inside on sweepers, using all the track on simple corners, and tight lines in a slalom.
Choose your lines first, then fill in with speed.
Smooth is quick - jerky is bad as it upsets the car, shocking the tires over their grip level
Sometime you gotta slow down to go fast - some parts are just slow....be patient. It is very difficult to gain time but very easy to lose time in many sections.
Slaloms - typically they should be taken at a steady speed and you should not be accelerating or on the brakes.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk - you should be able to close your eyes and navigate the course (in your mind of course). This will take time to get comfortable with but the more you walk the easier it will be.
Brake earlier - it gives you more time to react and will allow you to setup and apply the throttle earlier for a faster exit. Brake HARD when braking!!
Attack the back side of slalom cones - by trying to drive past the back side of the cones you are moving the turning point back and keeping ahead of things. Get behind and you will lose time and/or cone. If you are on time, you can typically be on the gas full throttle about half way before the second to last slalom cone. The last one should be a freebie.
LATE APEX - most cones should be late apex'd. Slowing down earlier, turning in sooner but less, and apexing later in the corner allows earlier throttle application. You should feel like your back tire is going to hit the cone.


FACT:
Time is made on the straights - how many and how long they are is up to you!

Cones typically will not damage your car. You may have to rub off some rubber from the cones and the majority of these hits should occur at the rear of the door and back if you are late apexing properly. For those who are visual like myself, this video may also be helpful:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3oh_DX8x5w&feature=share&list=UU1RV7qhYQB mYG3zmWoa1MVQ"]Keep it tight! - YouTube[/ame]


Ultimate Speed Secrets is a great read that applies to all types of racing.

Remember rain gear! I see a lot of new drivers come to schools or events without rain gear looking miserable.