Autocross, worth it at this price?

[Icecreamtruk]

Originally Posted by Fenix

Are you taking it on a trailer? Running your car balls out on a track greatly increases the risk of shit breaking. You run the risk of being stranded after a catastrophic failure or worse. You should also get track insurance.

Im not going to get track insurance and yes im driving my car to the track and driving balls out, however much that may be (ball size varies per ppl I assume). Why im not going to get track insurance? Well, 1 is costs, it would literally add thousands of dollars per year, I dont go to the track a few times a year, or even once a month, I go every 2 weeks tops, sometimes every weekend for all of the "season" (early may to late september). I will rather risk it and if something breaks, I'll pay the repair out of my pocket. So thank you for your suggestion but I believe that if you need insurance to get into a track, you have no business to be there in the first place.

Curiously, almost all of the fast guys go there in trailers, so I guess having that you can fuck shit up and still make it home by night does bolsters your confidence levels but I dont want to trailer the car now, nor do I want to invest into a tow car, a trailer, and have to drive a damn pickup or SUV around town instead of my twin.

Again, nothing personal, thanks for the suggestions, but im taking none of those.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

So im really interested in the possible gains in car control technique from doing autocross. I mainly do time attacks so I actually like being competitive and not just lapping for fun.

What is a cup of coffee worth it to you?

Some just want a quick cup.
Some want to talk to someone to get their coffee.
Some make it at home to save money.
Some make it at home to spend time with family or kids or just as part of a routine.

Everyone will tell you a different answer. I would suggest you to look at it this way:

1) what is car control worth to you?
2) do you want to push the car 10/10s at the track and run the high risk of destroying your car? Or do you want to do it at lower limits, pushing 10/10s but much less risk of destroying your car?
3) what type of "car control" do you want to improve on? improving lap times and steady-state cornering at higher speeds is not the same as over/understeer at lower speeds

You should identify what you want to do first before you say yes or no to the mode of instruction.

-alex

[Icecreamtruk]

Originally Posted by Twinz

I think autocross is a great way to learn car control because of the way all the required steering inputs tend to come at you in rapid succession. The car spends very little time "settled" and most of the time "on its toes".

This is mainly the reason for my interest in autox, we'll see if I can stomach those stupid prices. I wish we got something more rational (I mean really, more than half a track day price for 5 minutes of driving, I really cant think past that).

[Icecreamtruk]

Originally Posted by mav1178

What is a cup of coffee worth it to you?

Some just want a quick cup.
Some want to talk to someone to get their coffee.
Some make it at home to save money.
Some make it at home to spend time with family or kids or just as part of a routine.

Everyone will tell you a different answer. I would suggest you to look at it this way:

1) what is car control worth to you?
2) do you want to push the car 10/10s at the track and run the high risk of destroying your car? Or do you want to do it at lower limits, pushing 10/10s but much less risk of destroying your car?
3) what type of "car control" do you want to improve on? improving lap times and steady-state cornering at higher speeds is not the same as over/understeer at lower speeds

You should identify what you want to do first before you say yes or no to the mode of instruction.

-alex

Well, thats the thing, what I mainly want to control isnt low speed over/understeer, its more of the throttle control at the limit so its more like the steady-state cornerning you mention. Im not sure it can be practiced over in autox. Im sure I will still benefit from it, Im not senna after all.

Its interesting to see how different the points of view are here, im assuming everyone clicking on this thread is either interesting or has been doing some kind of autox. It is also good to see that im not the only one who find those prices ridiculous.

[Shark_Bait88]

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

Well, thats the thing, what I mainly want to control isnt low speed over/understeer, its more of the throttle control at the limit so its more like the steady-state cornerning you mention. Im not sure it can be practiced over in autox. Im sure I will still benefit from it, Im not senna after all.

Its interesting to see how different the points of view are here, im assuming everyone clicking on this thread is either interesting or has been doing some kind of autox. It is also good to see that im not the only one who find those prices ridiculous.

What about an amateur drift day? Is entry cost any lower than autox there?

[wparsons]

OP, look at MCO and see if they run any events that would be close enough for you to get to. Most auto X events in Ontario are like $40, I couldn't imagine spending $80+ for a single day auto x.

Originally Posted by Fenix

Are you taking it on a trailer? Running your car balls out on a track greatly increases the risk of shit breaking. You run the risk of being stranded after a catastrophic failure or worse. You should also get track insurance.

You can't get track insurance for competition events up here, I'd be shocked if you can in the US either.

[Icecreamtruk]

Originally Posted by wparsons

OP, look at MCO and see if they run any events that would be close enough for you to get to. Most auto X events in Ontario are like $40, I couldn't imagine spending $80+ for a single day auto x.



You can't get track insurance for competition events up here, I'd be shocked if you can in the US either.

Ah.. thanks for the info, will look that up, there has to be something near the border of ontario that would be worth going to to.

Yeah I had forgotten also that detail about insurance, im not in lapping session, its actually time attack so I couldnt get one even if I tried (but wont anyways).

[Walla Walla]

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

Ah.. thanks for the info, will look that up, there has to be something near the border of ontario that would be worth going to to.

Yeah I had forgotten also that detail about insurance, im not in lapping session, its actually time attack so I couldnt get one even if I tried (but wont anyways).

even in lapping session... track insurance are really not popular in Quebec province... compare to the US

[renfield90]

Originally Posted by wparsons

You can't get track insurance for competition events up here, I'd be shocked if you can in the US either.

https://locktonmotorsports.com/product/hpde-insurance

They will insure you for DE, Time Attack, and Time Trial. Wheel to wheel racing is obviously a different animal.

[renfield90]

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

@renfield90 its a weird thing. They are local clubs, not sanctionned by the SCCA or anything like that to my knowledge (and according to info I can find about them on their websites). They create the events mostly on tracks, using part of the track and part of the paddock most of the time. I dont know how fast their stuff is, I will go check them out at some point. Im affraid of commiting to a whole season, only to find after the first event that either I hate it or I wont learn much from it (cuz of configuration) or both.
@Teseo 85mph after the braking is done and thru the turn, not before

Honestly, this probably sounds exactly like what you are looking for.

We avoid using race tracks to make an autocross course, but if we do we typically put in offsets/slaloms in the longer straights to keep speeds down, and for turns in the track that are under 65mph or so apex speed we just use the turn as is. You still have to contend with safety issues going off into the dirt out of control, but at least there's no traffic to worry about and you can focus purely on driving.

Most events allow spectating for free so go check it out, they might even let you ride along to get a free look at the course.

[Fenix]

I mentioned the increased risk as well as additional options. What he chooses to do is his business. No harsh judgement from me.

[swarb]

Originally Posted by tracerit

Do you knwo of any type of event like this in the LA/OC area? I remember a few years ago, around 2013 i believe, there was a member here who hosted a sort of class on how to handle our cars.

Moto Miwa aka @Moto-P from club4ag has done it a few times with our cars. Moto San should* be free after the sema rush. I believe the last event a few months ago was at the balcony at willow springs.

[nico_rsx]

See your private message. I'm from Québec.