Autocross - driving tips please

Discussion topics related exclusively to our annual gathering in Carlisle PA on June 3-5, 2005.
Locked
Merkur Club web site
FURIOUSS
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2005 9:48 am
Location: TAMPA, FL

Autocross - driving tips please

Post by FURIOUSS »

Hi, I'm brand new to autocrossing and would like to know if anyone has some driving tips.
I've only been to 3 events.
I'm quite happy with my XR, so I'd like to improve the driver.

I just got the results of my last event (It started to rain so I left.)
I came in number 20 of 29. I was very pleased not to come in dead last.
I beat a new Mini S turbo, BMW M-Coupe, A hot Civic, and a handfill of BMWs (The numbering of which escapes me.)
Beating the M-Coupe makes me quite aware that the driver is more important than the car.

Thanks, Im Furiouss
85 XR RACER, 88 XR MODIFIED.
'05 Mazdaspeed Miata,'92 Daytona IROC R/T, '81 Delorean,'80 TR-8, A 2nd TR-8, TR-7, '75 Bricklin, '67 Fairlane HT, '63 Avanti, '27 Model T, (and 5 other XR4s)
My other car is a Tow Vehicle.
User avatar
mhamilton
Level 6
Level 6
Posts: 834
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2003 11:04 pm
Location: Carroll (Columbus), Ohio

Post by mhamilton »

Improvements for the car...racing seat to keep you from fighting to stay planted. Stiffer suspension. Stabilizer bars.

There is so many things to improve the car. The XR can compete with less power and more agility.

Big thing to improve the driver...more seat time in the car.
Last edited by mhamilton on Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Head for the Hills, the Town of Lompach is Under Water!"
User avatar
mhamilton
Level 6
Level 6
Posts: 834
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2003 11:04 pm
Location: Carroll (Columbus), Ohio

Post by mhamilton »

Last year I competed in a wore-out 96 Sentra base 1.6L 5 speed. It had a homemade open air intake and stabilzer bars. This car was an everyday driver. One race event, I placed second overall. I think some underestimated the car (plus it was a 4 door).

My XR was not as fun as the Sentra. I think I wanted to trash the Nissan and not the XR. Must have worked, the 96 is no longer mine. I don't want to hurt the XR, nobody cries when a Nissan breaks.
"Head for the Hills, the Town of Lompach is Under Water!"
anglin
Level 7
Level 7
Posts: 2449
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:20 pm
Location: Hartford, CT
Contact:

Re: Autocross - driving tips please

Post by anglin »

FURIOUSS wrote:Hi, I'm brand new to autocrossing and would like to know if anyone has some driving tips.
I would have missed this thread if I hadn't gone back into the Carlisle folder.
FURIOUSS wrote:I'm quite happy with my XR, so I'd like to improve the driver.
Excellent call. Imagine this: A 45 second course is laid out in front of you. You make several runs and you are running 48s on that course. If you make mods to the car, you may still run 48s on the 45 second course. That's because you are driving the car at the 48 second potential. You can mod the car all day long and not improve anything. Just because Ferrari gives you a ride in Michael Schumacher's car doesn't mean you are going to be the F1 World Champion.
FURIOUSS wrote:I just got the results of my last event (It started to rain so I left.)
If you need car control skills and experience you need to STAY at wet events. I've raced at *one* wet event and got my ass handed to me by somebody (Grayson) driving my own car. The problem was I had no idea what I was doing in the wet, driving it all wrong. Didn't help that Grayson had several wet events under his belt.

So what if your times don't improve because it is raining. You'll get to take advantage of critical seat time.
FURIOUSS wrote:Beating the M-Coupe makes me quite aware that the driver is more important than the car.
People don't realize how true the axiom, "if you want to go faster, tighten the nut behind the wheel" is. Seat time, seat time, seat time. Go to one of those McKamey Evolution driving schools if they come close to you. They aren't cheap, but most folks that go to them (already good drivers) come out of the school going a few tenths faster.

Understanding what to do and why you are doing it is important to. Do you know the difference between early and late apexes? The difference between how you handle increasing radius and decreasing radius corners? The proper line though a carousel? I actually have a book on autocross driving. It gave me a new perspective on what I was doing, even though I had been racing very well for a couple years before getting it.

Just to answer those questions:

- early apex: early turn in, leads to more rotation and a wider exit line
- late apex: earlier braking, straighter line on corner exit for more speed on the straight away
- increasing radius: apex early
- decreasing radius: apex late
- proper carousel line: hug the cones, especially if it's a really long (more than 180°) carousel, but be considerate of what you have to do after the carousel
Anglin email: - anglin at mc2racing.com
www.mc2racing.com
User avatar
mhamilton
Level 6
Level 6
Posts: 834
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2003 11:04 pm
Location: Carroll (Columbus), Ohio

Post by mhamilton »

Yea, what Anglin said!

I do it for fun, and fun it is!

Hey Anglin, sell him some suspension mods.
anglin
Level 7
Level 7
Posts: 2449
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:20 pm
Location: Hartford, CT
Contact:

Post by anglin »

mhamilton wrote:Hey Anglin, sell him some suspension mods.
That's up to him. I've always wanted to take a stock XR (as in G Stock Class) and try my hand with it. I daily drive a stock XR, but I've only raced a modded XR. I wonder how the XR would fare against a well prepped, well driven G Stock competitor.

There are a handful of details we need to know before any suggestions for modification should be made.

- what is your target class?
- how much time do you spend with the car on the street?
- how competitive do you really want to be?

There are more questions, but that's a good start.

Brad, Paul, Norm, John; can this thread be moved to Racing/Track Events?
Anglin email: - anglin at mc2racing.com
www.mc2racing.com
Locked