Washington - Emerald Downs Autocross Event!!!
 

Hello everyone!

There will an autocross event at Emerald Downs in Auburn, WA on March 7th & 8th. This is the closest autocross ever gets to the Seattle area and this event only happens once per year. If you've been thinking of trying out autocross or just haven't been able to make the drive out to Bremerton or Packwood then this is the event for you.




Full schedule of local autocross events in the state of Washington can be found at: http://www.wwscc.org/schedule.html

Full schedule of all race events can be found at: http://www.wheretorace.com/

What class are you in? Is there some sort of pre-requisite?

Pr-requisite? No, anyone* can autocross. If you never have before, sign up for novice. For the Practice, it doesn't matter, just a practice, but for the Sunday event it will.

*you do need things like, a car, and a valid driver's license.

Check out these sources for info getting started.
http://www.nwr-scca.org/solo/Start.htm
http://www.wwscc.org/so-how-do-i-get-started.html

Updated with link/info for Sunday registration for WWSCC / TorqueSteerers.

A little over a week left until these events happen. There are novice instructors available at all events to ride along and provide feedback. Everyone is very friendly, too! If you've been meaning to get into racing or just want a chance to drive your car fast without worrying about speeding/aggressive driving tickets this is a great, safe chance to do so!

The only requirement is that you don't have any loose objects in your car and have a valid driver's license.

Is anyone else doing this? I'm a newbie/novice and it's my first event. Any pointers or feedback? Super excited but at the same time nervous. Fellow BRZ's/FRS?

I see a bunch of twins registered. Nothing to be nervous about! There's a ton of experienced helpful people around, and we don't bite. The NWR prides itself on being known as "The Friendly Region".

Best tip I've got is take a grid cone and put it up on your car when you want an instructor ride along.

i am :) only going to afternoon though

so im new to this whole thing, i registered for novam on saturday. so thats open practice and it starts at 7:30am at emerlad downs??

I'm doing the afternoon too! I might have to do the cone thing this time around till I get the hang of things... :)

Yup. 7:30 is a good time to arrive, gives you time to park and register/tech with extra time for course walks. Here's the event page for the Saturday practice to give you an idea of the schedule. http://www.nwr-scca.org/solo/practice.htm

For those of you saying you're only running in the afternoon, note that would only be for Sunday, where the day is broken in half. The Saturday practice is an all-day thing.

thanks for letting me know, i was actually wondering about that.

I'm gonna try and get in on this. It'll be my first time though. Gotta shift around some work stuff.

Pre-registration closes Friday afternoon. There's still a little room in the practice event on Saturday and the Sunday event has no entry limit so sign up soon if you want to come out (you'll save $5 per session)! You can also register on site Sunday morning or at noon if you'd like.


For those of you that are nervous / first timers feel free to come talk to me on Saturday or Sunday. I'll be driving a yellow RS 1.0 and when I'm not in my car I'll be wearing a brown SCCA coat that says Novice of the Year on the back accompanied by basketball shorts. Shouldn't be too hard to spot.

If you want a novice instructor to ride along with you and give you pointers just put a cone on top of your car once you're in grid and they will find you before you run. Feel free to ask anyone on site (in particular those wearing an SCCA jacket) any questions you want as everyone around here is very helpful and knowledgeable.

Some easy tips I can give you about driving at autocross for your first time though are these:

• Slow is smooth, smooth is fast - Don't try to over drive the course or brake at the last minute. A wide line around a turn costs you a lot more time than a tight line at a slower speed.
• Try to look further ahead than just the next cone - This is the hardest thing to force yourself to do because it's natural to look at the next objective in front of you. Try to always be looking 2-3 cones/gates ahead to determine where you're going and how to set up your car to make those.
• Brake in a straight line - Braking while cornering is a surefire way to spin out because the weight shift to the front of your car will cause the traction to your rear tires to lessen. Try to brake in a straight line prior to sharp corners.
• Keep both hands on the wheel - A lot of people develop bad habits over the years from regular driving such as keeping their right hand on their shifter or only turning with one hand. Make sure you keep both hands on your steering wheel for the best control.
• Breathe!!! - Don't forget to breathe. Even long time autocrossers often forget this.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help - Everyone was new at some point. Some courses are confusing to read and at some point at an autocross in your life you will get lost. It's okay, it happens to everyone, and if it happens to you just slow down and find the course. If you can't find the course, ask a corner worker.
• Have fun! - At the end of the day that's what we're out there for.