Considering a FRS as a starter car for auto-x.

[BlaineWasHere]

Originally Posted by EN2_Squirrel

20.642 best.

This must be the shortest AutoX ever. Most of my local courses are 45 seconds and last weekend I did an awesome course in which my best time was 94 seconds!

[Tt3Sheppard]

Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere

Ok, CSG Mike asked me to add up all my AutoX expenditures, particularly the consumables, to see how it adds up to to a track duty car! I think this might be painful but here we go!

Mods (towards STX prep):
KW V3 .................................................. ... $1,900
17x9 RPF1s in orange (for dry tires)..............$1,340
17x9 Rota Grid (for wet tires).......................$850
Strano Parts FSB.........................................$189
Whiteline Camber Top Mounts.......................$197
Works axle back.........................................$400
ARP extended Studs....................................$129
Various parts installations............................$600
Alignment (x2)...........................................$20 0


Total............................................. ............$5,715

Consumables:
Entrance Fees X40 events (estimated)..........$1,600
245/40/17 Hankook RS3s (Dry)...................$675
245/40/17 Hankook RS3s (Dry)...................$675
255/40/17 Dunlop ZIIs (Dry).......................$800
245/40/17 Falken 456s (Wet)......................$550
Broken rear axle (drivers side)(with labor).....$700
Passenger side fender liner X2......................$109
Various body clips from hitting cones.............$50
Various tire installation................................$400

Total............................................. ...........$5,509


So keep in mind that my car is modded for STX, and not very well at that. I only have about 50% of the prep possible. But a track car would certainly have different mods (notice I have no cooling or brake mods). I'm lacking a few more suspension bits and ALL of the power bolt-ons the class allows.

This was pretty eye opening, I guess I spent a lot more on consumables than I though... This was over a 13 month period also BTW. However, NO REGRETS! This summer was a great summer of racing!!!!


So have my latest video just for fun!

i swear at the end it looked like cones were being hit by camera

[G_Ride]

Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere

This must be the shortest AutoX ever. Most of my local courses are 45 seconds and last weekend I did an awesome course in which my best time was 94 seconds!

The Crows Landing course was amazing! I doubt we'll see another course as long as this one again, though

[BlaineWasHere]

Originally Posted by G_Ride

The Crows Landing course was amazing! I doubt we'll see another course as long as this one again, though

BUT if we keep the site we could regularly see 55-60 second courses!!! Still better than the 40-45 we get in Marina/Oakland.

[BlaineWasHere]

Originally Posted by Tt3Sheppard

i swear at the end it looked like cones were being hit by camera

It's a fisheye lens so it distorts.

[circuithero]

There are many variables so its hard to give a simple black and white answer, but my personal experience has been that track days are MUCH more taxing on a car. I completed almost 2 years of autocross on a nearly bone stock car (not the FRS). Stock tires last forever and force you to drive smoothly, my brakes when I finally did change them were at least 50% at the front, probably 75% at the rear and the car ran on nothing but dealer fluids and service intervals. No problems. I threw on some used hoosiers on some used 23lb winter wheels and trophied with an otherwise stock car, including stock, non adjustable 0 camber.

My first track experience at my track was a race driving school. In a sense that was the best $/seat time/learning I could get and got me up to speed quite quickly @ 500$ for the event. But you add in the gas, the RBF 600, rotors and HP+ pads all around and it was easkily a 1k+ event. After that I never changed my rears HP+ pads in another 2 years of tracking, but went on to change about 6 sets of front pads, temporary brake ducts, cooked brake calipers, wheel weights would melt off...etc, etc, etc.

In autocross I honestly think the largest stress on the car is the launch, where you can get wheel hop and stress the driveline. From a 20 minute track session? You are stressing the engine with constant high rpm, heat saturation of the cooling system, the engine, the braking system, the transmission. Ive seen it all, cars that could handle all day abuse of autox fail consistently 15 minutes into the session, overheat, loose brakes, shred bushings...etc, etc.

Case and point, our last lapping day: 996 blows coolant down 2 straights, Z3 M coupe loosing coolant hose, B18 Ek blows headgasket, 335is overheats. Almost every session we were dealing with a failure, and it was not nearly the hottest day I have seen. For reference I was staying off the brakes and coasting but when I went for 3 "fast" laps in the FRS I was loosing my brakes by the end of the 3rd lap. Track is hard on brakes mind you...

So in that sense, if you are just looking for low risk, more accessible seat time with minimal investment I think autox is hard to beat. Slightly different skill set mind you but Im sure you could run a stock FRS for 2-3 years without replacing a thing and become quite the competent driver. Good luck running even a season of track in a bone stock FRS. My 0.02.

[G_Ride]

Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere

BUT if we keep the site we could regularly see 55-60 second courses!!! Still better than the 40-45 we get in Marina/Oakland.

I completely agree. I think even a 70 second course would be manageable.