Beginner and/or "Track/Autox Guide" Sticky?

[NoVAphotog]

I'll try to get to this within a couple days. Pretty busy but already a lot of good information.

Sounds good. Feel free to "clean up" my initial post and make it more general if needed.

[JULSGT]

if this is goin to be your first autox, make the initial 360 of your car (walk around), check your lug nuts!!! tire pressure, brake fluids, oil level etc, then try to perform a test run, not running, just to know the track path, then, have fun, on the first events you will not win gold, but you will know better your vehicle, thats gold to me.

[Sockethead]

If you have the opportunity to ride with an instructor , do it. You can learn a lot from them. I was glad I had an instructor my first time.

[Stewbie]

It just so happens that the June 2014 issue of Grassroots Motorsport has an article on autocross: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/

Somebody mentioned tire pressures. Your tires are likely to rollover a lot if you autoX using the manufacturer's recommended pressures, so you'll probably want to run higher pressures to race. My club recommends 40/40 F/R as a starting point and then adjust from there. The ideal pressure will of course vary from car to car, and day to day You can chalk your tires to see how far they are rolling over, and then adjust pressures accordingly. That said, don't worry too much about this while you are a newbie. There'll be plenty of minutia to obsess over when you've got some experience.

[Stewbie]

It just so happens that the June 2014 issue of Grassroots Motorsport has an article on autocross: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/

Just read the digital edition. The article is more about a GRM staffer's experience in the SCCA Starting Line program, and less about autocross advice. I wouldn't spend $5 on the magazine just for that article. That said, for car nuts like us its a very entertaining magazine for $5.

[TigerTater]

What do ya'll have to say about an AT for autox? It seems to me that most of the course is driven in 2nd gear <60mph?...In S-D (sport mode) the tranny to me is very adaptive and will quickly shift up or down (hold revs etc.) depending on the need. Anyone with an AT driven either autox or on tracks with some input?

[Avetiso]

Stephenkrish did it with his AT.

[Stewbie]

The majority of cars at my club's events are manuals, but we do get some automatics. Your primary goal at autoX is to have fun and you can do this in either.

[derbo]

Stephenkrish did it with his AT.

Nothing wrong with AT!

http://www.vsetrack.com/2002.htm


This guy has an awesome AT that he tracked for years.

[BCS_ZHP]

Daniel,
BMWCCA NCC (National Capitol Chapter) has an auto cross every month or so at the Minor league baseball stadiums in Waldorf and Bowie, quarterly they go to Summit Point for more experienced drivers. Consider joining the local BMW CCA chapter.