You cannot be self conscious when you do any sport for the 1st time. Everyone including myself looked like a fool out there - although I took 1st place at my 1st event, but like I said everyone adapts differently to each sport.

Don't worry about getting 1st because you will not. Worry about getting seat time, seat time, seat time, seat time, seat time, seat time, seat time, *infinity. You can never get TOO much.

Stay late and help out (I love it when people can help clean up the course and truck), ask questions, ask if an instructor can ride with you, ask if an instructor can drive your car, ask if you can ride in someone's car. Don't be meek about asking. Autocrossers are one of the most helpful motorsports people around. We're not getting paid to do this, we're not getting MAJOR CORPORATE sponsors. We're doing this because we have fun.

But also remember to be HUMBLE. Too many people let autocrossing get to their heads and they act like "I'm the SHIAT".

The only thing you should worry about when autocrossing is:

1. Having fun
2. Make sure tire pressures are in the 40s
3. Look ahead
4. Make sure your seat is pulled forward enough so your wrists can rest ontop of the steering wheel
5. HAVE FUN!

 

Thanks again for all of the pointers. My question from the top still stands though. Let's pretend for a moment that I have a friend that was going to set up suspension with sway bar/bars on his 88 CRX... if you were driving that car, how would you set it up? Thanks.

 

I'd keep the car as stock as possible(cheapest way to autocross) so as to maximize seat time in the same car. I'd go to every driving school/event within 200 miles (~3hrs) that I could get to for a year or more.

If I felt I HAAAADD to throw money at the car (You missed the point: seat time >>>>>>>>>> suspension set up) I *MIGHT* buy some Koni Yellow shocks (can't touch the springs), a front sway bar(can't touch the rear swaybar), and thats IT.

 

Re-read all that I have posted because you really really missed my point. Right now I bet you $100 I can drive your car 2-4 seconds faster than you. Which means you don't need mods you need seat time.

Autocrossing is not about which mods or how much money you can throw at your car, it's about seat time. You can throw on $2000 coilover system and probably be 1/2 second faster than before. You can spend $50 on a novice autocross school or $200 on an Evolution School and you will be 4-8 seconds faster without the coilovers.

 

First place in your first event? With no race driving experience? That is crazy.

Oh, and how come tire pressure so high? Less contact patch no?

 

Higher tire pressures = less tire roll over.

If the tire rolls onto the sidewall, you don't get the grip of the tire, and there is some a loss in responsiveness of the car.

 

Yeah, that's one thing you can do that doesn't cost anything: get the tire pressure dialed. I subscribe to the theory that the fronts should be up at max pressure and the rears a few pounds below, to allow them to walk a little more around corners. That would help you with what you're trying to accomplish. (More experienced guys correct me if I'm wrong).

In my first ever autox I thought I would do well, but I spun out 180 in my first turn after the gate. :lmfao:
Needless to say, I did schitty, but I kept coming back for two years and eventually won the trophy for H-stock slush season in 2002. :chuckles: Because I raced in stock class, I couldn't (and didn't) modify my car, beyond a K&N replacement filter and falken Azenis.

-Dan

 

Yup you can go up or down in the rears relative to the fronts to get the back end to rotate around corners.

If you run say 42f/38r the back end will come around nice and gently. If you run 42f/44r the back end will have a tendancy to snap oversteer, which can be scary if you are not used to car control and how to pull yourself out of snap oversteer.

 

Re-Read my question. It was not about your philosophy on Auto-x or what I can do better with my money. That's great that you can drive my car faster than me, I could honestly care less. You see, auto-x is about having fun and not thinking you're the shiat (I could swear I heard that somewhere before). That is exactly what I want to do. I want to have fun driving my car. I find more enjoyment driving a car with a tight suspension set up than stock. So, that is how I am choosing to have fun. If you want to answer my question about your opinion on sway set up (assuming that sways ARE going to be on the car we're discussing) or let me know what suspension set up you are running, it would be much appreciated. If you just want to keep telling me what not to do, and how wrong I am; then I guess you must be the shiat after all and I shouldn't even be talking to you.

 

Well I guess I will not be helping you out anymore. Have fun. You know what to do then. If I remember right you asked this:

We gave you opinions and what to do. But yet you act like an ass. We are trying to show you the right way and don't make the same mistakes we made. No one told you you were wrong. Just do it then go have fun. But don't ask question you already had answers for already and waste our time.