AutoX
 

Hey All,

I am very interested in joining an AutoX club. It sounds like a lot of fun and is right in my price range. I live in DC and was looking for a local, active club join.

Any links or recommendations would be appreciated.

Start out with the Captial Driving Club. They are the easiest way to get into AutoX. A lot of twins run in the CDC and there is also SCCA which is a little more money, but that would be the best group to check out if you already have some AutoX experience.

Here's the link for the next CDC autox thread.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89044

Thank you! Entry level is exactly what I am looking for.

The next CDC event is Saturday June 20th at Waldorf Blue Crab Stadium (Regency Furniture). I didn't post because the field is filling up very quickly. If you want to participate, I highly suggest that you make a reservation at www.capitaldrivingclub.com under the Schedule Tab. Members (and those joining the club) and their guests can make a reservation now. Non-member must wait until Friday June 12th (assuming we still have slots).

If you want to join, you can make a reservation using "0" as the member number AND Type "I will join the club at this event." in the Notes Section. Then at registration you would pay the $30 entry fee and $30 membership dues ($60 total). Ed

Yup, CDC autocross is great. http://www.capitaldrivingclub.com/schedule.php

Bunch of BRZ/FRS folks are there. If you want a ride along, people will be more than willing.
- If you have a helmet, bring it. If you dont, there are loners. They may be a little stinky ;)
- CDC offers free drinks, but either bring food or cash for food. AutoX is a full-day event basically.
- Show up. Have fun.

Although I wouldn't say don't go to a CDC event, they aren't for everyone. I went to one and haven't been back myself. They definitely don't have the organization, course size or level of competition that the SCCA clubs have. There are tons of clubs though. The BMW club typically uses the bigger lots as well.

That being said, my experience may have been a one-off. Who knows. I just prefer to have a longer, more challenging course and good competition and I haven't seen any decent sized courses, even on the larger lots. Seat time is seat time though. Hit up as many events as you could and you could get a plethora of experience.

You must have gone to Frederick. ;) Next one is in Waldorf, same lot where SCCA and Autocrossers Inc competes. After that, Winchester, another much larger lot.

WDCR SCCA is at FedEx, not Waldorf. AI goes there though I believe.

Yup, my brain was in stupid mode.

Either way, all agree that Waldorf is a great location.

I know people always like to say that CDC uses only small lots. Although CDC doesn't use FedEx field, they do use Waldorf 6 times this year. AI (which is part of SCCA) only has 3 events this year. SCCA has about 6 events this year.

So SCCA and AI combined have about 9 events at bigger lots (either FedEx or Waldorf). CDC runs at the bigger lots (Waldorf or Winchester) 9 times this year. Plus CDC also runs at Harry Grove 8 times this year, which I admit is a small lot, but many love that lot and is located near to where many participants live.

Basically if you're looking for clubs that run at big lots, I wouldn't discount CDC, but you might avoid going there at Harry Grove.

In terms of organization, I would send CDC an e-mail on how you think the club should improve. I'm not sure where the CDC organization is lacking but CDC is always looking to improve.

CDC has a real-time results display to show results for every participant that you can sort by car number, name, time, or index time. Work assignments are typically only 40 minutes or less (some clubs have you out working for 1.5 hours to 2 hours at a time), which is terrible in the heat. CDC has free drinks and food that is extremely cheap ($2 Hebrew National Hotdogs with Potato buns - not cheap dogs with a bunch cereal, $3 Sausages, and Ribs that are smoked on site for only $10 for a half rack/$6 for quarter rack). They don't make you pay ahead with no troubling refund policy. CDC also give participants 6 runs (3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon - more if time permits) at the autocross and 10 runs (5 and 5) at the Test and Tunes. The results are typically posted within 24 hours. For value, I'm not sure where else to go.

Most of the organizers and course designers are also SCCA organizers. CDC has about 20 organizers with roughly 10 at each event. They attract many new participants but also have National Level drivers there (one National Champion is the head organizer for over half the events and an organizer for almost all the events).

CDC has a safety record that I don't think any other club can beat, with only one car hitting a curb (the driver's friend/instructor told her not to take her foot off the gas and she went off course and hit the curb that was 200 ft away) over the last 12 years with the number or runs per season more than any almost other club in the area (SCCA/AI have a similar run count).

I think CDC offers a lot for everyone. I can see if someone only wants pure competition and doesn't like a "cook-out, BBQ" atmosphere with music that CDC isn't the place for them.

I'm just not sure where CDC lacks organization.

Maybe he just means that it's too laid back for his tastes. CDC gives everyone a chance to compete regardless of vehicle and skill level. Organizers are willing to throw on a helmet and help you figure out the course and how you should attack it. Other drivers like to throw on a helmet and ask for rides from complete strangers. I'm sure to someone who prefers the more structured Autocross groups, CDC can seem unorthodox but they aren't lacking organization.

To each their own but I'd pick the structured chaos and a community that supports and welcomes new comers over any other Autox unit. There is no better place to cut your teeth and experience seat time without pressure than CDC.

<3 CDC and wouldn't go to any other events!

The one I went to was actually at Waldorf and was still around a 40 second course. Tons of lot, but not a lot going on. If I recall though, it may have been the first time they actually ran that lot which may have had something to do with it. There was a ton of confusion though and the way the heats were set-up took far more time than it could have. I've never ran the other CDC venues as they are too small for the distance to travel.

I didn't mean to come off as it being a bad club or whatnot and my apologies if it came off that way. It's just different which is why many people do like it. I didn't mean I would never go back, just that I haven't been back as there have always been other opportunities.

In the end, if you really want to improve (and if you have the money to spend), it would be more beneficial to hit up as many different clubs as you could to get the seat time. I'm hoping that once I get back from overseas, I'll be able to hit up some CDC events. I had them on my schedule this year, but with all that's going on, I had to drop AI and CDC unfortunately.