autox questions from a total noob

[perryair]

if anyone who has experience has a few seconds to answer questions, i'd be grateful.

here's my situation: i have a lightly modded brz (jdl catless headers + oft stg 2 tune, eibach prokits and 17x8 rpf1's with 225 bfg comp 2 allseasons - its been aligned back to factory best as possible cause drop but without lca's there's still a decent amount of natural rear camber) as a weekend car.

i have no interest (at least now, but likely even afterwards) trying to become the baddestassest autocrosser in town, in any way. i would however, really like to learn how to drive better because i feel that the car deserves it. the tennessee scca has events that run through the year and some of them arent too far away from home so i'm considering whether to dip my toes in the water.

on to the questions:

1) if i show up to the event with an approved helmet and some magnetic number stickers for the side, will that suffice for the prerequisites? do people prep their cars in any other way typically?

2) is autox the type of thing that you need to purchase trackday insurance for? i dont necessarily care what people 'get away with' - i care what the actual on the ground ramifications are to people's auto insurance policies. i carry geico if that means anything.

3) while i want to become a better driver and i have spent money on a set of mods to the car, i'm not looking really to spend any additional money on the car to be 'more' competitive in any way, are the stock brake bits and all the rest okay just to get through a session or a few?

4) what are any tips that you might have to avoid doing those 'new guy asshole' things that new guys tend to do if i actually try this out?

thx!

[Stang70Fastback]

Originally Posted by perryair

1) if i show up to the event with an approved helmet and some magnetic number stickers for the side, will that suffice for the prerequisites? do people prep their cars in any other way typically?

Bring those two things and you will be better-prepared than most new autocrossers. Yes, that is all you need, but they will do a basic inspection that will involve checking if you have any loose items in the car, so clearing that stuff out before you get there will make your life easier.

2) is autox the type of thing that you need to purchase trackday insurance for? i dont necessarily care what people 'get away with' - i care what the actual on the ground ramifications are to people's auto insurance policies. i carry geico if that means anything.

Nobody purchases track day insurance for autocross, because one of the main ideas behind autocross is to provide a safe environment to have fun with your car. That said, it isn't impossible to do something. Hitting a cone hard enough can crack your bumper, or it can get stuck in your fender well and tear out your liner, etc... Also, most autocross chapters do a good job of designing a course in such a way as to make it VERY difficult to hit any obstacles (curbs, light poles, etc...) but it is also not impossible. In my years of autocrossing, I've personally seen three accidents. One involved hitting a parked truck that didn't get moved before the event, so they built the course around it (stupidly) and someone went far enough off course to hit its bumper. Another involved a car losing control, sliding off the course, through the grass, through a fence, and into another car. In both of those cases, the damage was minor. The third involved a BRZ that lost control and hit a concrete barrier head-on. That one had to be towed. Having said all that, I never have, and never will buy insurance, because it's VERY unlikely to happen. I wouldn't worry about it, but just know that nothing is impossible. If it's your first time, you won't be going fast enough to have to worry about that kind of stuff. It's generally the seasoned veterans that are going fast and hard enough to slide far enough off course to hit something when they lose it, lol.

Also, regarding GEICO, here's an article I wrote not too long ago. Needless to say, I'm with State Farm now. Though my situation is rare, but again - just letting you know nothing is impossible. Don't tell them you autocross, and you should be fine (since they won't cover the car during autocross anyway, there's no reason to bring it up with them.)

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/geico-...brz-1770135735

3) while i want to become a better driver and i have spent money on a set of mods to the car, i'm not looking really to spend any additional money on the car to be 'more' competitive in any way, are the stock brake bits and all the rest okay just to get through a session or a few?

100% stock is the RECOMMENDED way to get into autocross. That includes the stock tires. You've already done some mods, so that's fine, but the point is the car in stock form can be autocrossed to death without issue, and will teach you more than a modified one.

4) what are any tips that you might have to avoid doing those 'new guy asshole' things that new guys tend to do if i actually try this out?

Autocross peeps are different from other "enthusiasts." If we laugh because you put a slow lap time, we're laughing with you. Nobody makes fun of the new people. We know you will be slow. Honestly, if you can make it through the course without getting lost, that's better than a lot of folks' first times, because it can be very confusing. We encourage and want as many people to get into this sport as possible. The best way to gain kudos with the seasoned veterans is to be humble and admit your shortcomings. Ask to ride along in their cars, and then ask them to ride along with you and give you feedback and pointers. ASK ASK ASK for as many ride alongs as possible.

The one thing, in my experience, that will get people to judge you is if you understeer your car everywhere. Don't plow into corners at 100 MPH. SLOW IN, FAST OUT. Repeat that to yourself the ENTIRE time you're on course. SLOW IN, FAST OUT. If you're understeering, its not the car; it's you. SLOW IN, FAST OUT. Slow around the course is good. Understeering around the course with loudly squealing tires (and yes, we can tell if it's understeer from the sound) just makes you look like you think you're Ken Block even though you suck, lol.

SLOW IN, FAST OUT. LOOK FAR AHEAD. LOOK TWO CONES AHEAD AT LEAST. Oh, and walk the course more than once before the event starts or you WILL get lost when it comes time to drive it!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, though. HAVE FUN! Don't worry about beating anyone else's times. Make your goal to improve your times on each and every run.

[edj]

1) clean out any loose items from the car so they don't fly around, make sure your
fluids are OK.
2) no track day insurance required. just don't try to be a hero and try to save the run
if you get sideways. just put two feet in (brakes & clutch), come to a safe stop and
then continue with your run.
3) the stock brakes are fine for autocross, especially for new drivers.
4) find out if your club has a novice program and pay attention to what they tell you.
walk the course at least 3 or 4 times. if you know somebody there, ask to them to
mentor you. no burn outs or stupid driving in or near the site.

good luck, have fun, and learn how to enjoy your car.

[trippinbillies40]

Originally Posted by perryair

if anyone who has experience has a few seconds to answer questions, i'd be grateful.

here's my situation: i have a lightly modded brz (jdl catless headers + oft stg 2 tune, eibach prokits and 17x8 rpf1's with 225 bfg comp 2 allseasons - its been aligned back to factory best as possible cause drop but without lca's there's still a decent amount of natural rear camber) as a weekend car.

i have no interest (at least now, but likely even afterwards) trying to become the baddestassest autocrosser in town, in any way. i would however, really like to learn how to drive better because i feel that the car deserves it. the tennessee scca has events that run through the year and some of them arent too far away from home so i'm considering whether to dip my toes in the water.

on to the questions:

1) if i show up to the event with an approved helmet and some magnetic number stickers for the side, will that suffice for the prerequisites? do people prep their cars in any other way typically?

2) is autox the type of thing that you need to purchase trackday insurance for? i dont necessarily care what people 'get away with' - i care what the actual on the ground ramifications are to people's auto insurance policies. i carry geico if that means anything.

3) while i want to become a better driver and i have spent money on a set of mods to the car, i'm not looking really to spend any additional money on the car to be 'more' competitive in any way, are the stock brake bits and all the rest okay just to get through a session or a few?

4) what are any tips that you might have to avoid doing those 'new guy asshole' things that new guys tend to do if i actually try this out?

thx!

Everyone has answered very well so far, good advice given! I'll add a few things: First, you're gonna be hooked. Just get over that now With your mods, you'll be in STX class. As stated above, look for a "novice" class. In SCCA autocross, every class has a "PAX index", which is basically a handicap time. For instance, in 2017 STX has a pax index of .822. This is so you can compare your times to others. Many (most?) regions have a novice class where you race against other novices based on your pax time.

That having been said, if you want to get faster, work on you before you work on the car. I can't stress that enough. There is an SCCA Starting Line School in Atlanta on May 17th. If that's within your budget and you can make it work, I HIGHLY recommend that school. It'll teach you the basics you need for a good foundation before you go develop bad habits. From there, do as many local events as you can, then find an Evolution Performance Driving school to really take your driving to the next level.

Eventually you'll find that your mods are holding you back, especially if you get to be a good enough driver and another good driver in the region has a fully prepped car. Cross that bridge when you get there, not now.

My best tips for driving your first event:

-Show up super early, get registered, get your car teched, and have as much time as possible for walking the course. Your first event will seem like the proverbial "sea of cones", meaning the course might be hard to find. Find someone who looks like they know what they're doing (I believe Chris Harp is in your region, ask for him?) and walk with them. Do the novice walk as well. But your goal should be to not only understand where the course goes, but to have it memorized enough that you're not thinking about where to go next when you're actually driving. Shit comes at you fast in autocross, and if you don't know where to go out of memory, you're slowing yourself down big time.

-When driving, LOOK AHEAD. That is the key thing that any driving school will teach you. Find the important cones and only the important cones, and look ahead when driving to find them as early as possible. Like, crank your head 90 degrees to the side to find that cone. This will give your brain info on what to do WAY sooner than staring down the hood of the car thinking you know where that cone is.

Go have fun and report back how it went!