Todays SCCA Event-July 20th, and trying to explain it to those who don't do it

I'm out of the running in autocross for now, I didn't renew my license and autocrossing the BGT was beating it up a little, as fun as it is. I went to the event today as a spectator and really wanted to drive. It was a great course and the turn out was good but not too huge, so the pace was good. Sometimes so many people show up it looks like the infield at a Nascar event. See pics at the end of the post below.

You know, someone recently posted a thread about "haters" at race events, which made me think of trying to explain autocrossing and auto enthusiasm generally to people who aren't into it. Where I work, most people are into sports, and I am not. When they go to events they ask me if I want to go and I decline. Then comes the inevitable question. If you aren't into sports, what do you do with your time? Its as if without sports everyone who is into them wouldn't know what to do with themselves. So, I then explain I enjoy amateur motorsports and autocross and so on. I always think people then think I'm some fast and furious wannabe. Then they ask, what autocross is. I say, well, there is a roadcourse set up in a parking lot with cones and the object is to drive as fast as you can through the course without hitting any cones. Then the expression that is like, "what?". Anyway, I thought about it today at the event. It really is an exiting experience you can't fully explain to someone unless they do it, and you know if they did it it would scare the bejeezus out of them the first time like it seems to do to everyone, myself included! Oh well, here's some cool pics from today. Of particular note were a 944 n/a and a Lincoln Mk VIII. I didn't see the Mk VIII but I wish I had.

Arrowhead Lot L? Nice pics.

Don't worry that everyone doesn't "get" autocross. If they did, the events would be so crowded, you wouldn't want to go anymore!

-Brian

sex to aliens

That Lincoln coupe is sweet!

How many runs does everybody get?

mattmacklind wrote: Where I work, most people are into sports, and I am not. When they go to events they ask me if I want to go and I decline. Then comes the inevitable question. If you aren't into sports, what do you do with your time? Its as if without sports everyone who is into them wouldn't know what to do with themselves.

My answer to similar is that I am not a huge fan of spectator sports. I am really not that impressed with other peoples accomplishments and certainly can not spend my free time reading and re-reading, watching and re-watching, listening and re-listening to the details of those accomplishments.

On the other hand, I enjoy participation sports and choose to spend my time racing cars and racing sailboats.

I explain autocross as a one car, timed event, similar to drag racing but instead of done in a straight line, done in a tricky zig-zag course.

I agree with the statement that if more people came to autocross events there would be a period of it being less fun. I have mostly left autocross for sailboats forr that reason. I grew unhappy with the all day event that yeilded too little drive time. The boats are all "drive time" and I like the team aspect of having a crew.

I find that the single best way to "explain" autocross to someone who has never done it... is to take them for a ride. Preferable something fairly brutal, say, CP or SM

Car noobs, show-car guys, die hard drag racers, some dude's girlfriend, doesn't matter... their eyes open quickly at our level of Gs!

I have heard autocross explained as a 'precision driving event', where you are battling the most implacable foe of all: the clock. The clock doesn't know or care about fear, pain, lack of preparation, or anything else. Unlike competitors in wheel to wheel racing, the clock can't be reasoned with, passed, 'taken out' or scared away.

But yeah, once a drag racer etc takes a ride in something brutal it really opens their eyes (and possibly ruins their underwear!).

I've tried a number of times to explain it to the casual acquaintance - and I've found the best answer is the simple one:

A timed competition to navigate an obstacle course of traffic pylons.

I avoid any reference to 'race'.

If they are still even slightly interested after that, one of many videos available online can explain it better than 1000 words.

Like a hollywood car chase instead of traffic there is cones, fastest time through the course without hitting anything wins.

SupraWes wrote: Like a hollywood car chase instead of traffic there is cones, fastest time through the course without hitting anything wins.

And without explosions...

Explosions would make auto-x cooler. Kind of like adding bacon.

I too am that way. Never been into watching sports (football, basketball, baseball or golf). Too boring for me. All my cowokers at my previous job all they would talk about all day is this guy's stats, or how many homeruns this guy got. This happened for 7 years with various departments I was in.

It might have also been since I was in a different phase of life (I was married co-workers were not).

I describe autocrossing as a course set up with cones in a empty parking lot. I mention it's safe, fun and addicting. If I'm near a computer I put my flash drive in and show them my NE Divisional run :) http://www.myscca.com/community/video/video.do?method=videoDetail&svideoId=IwOTYw

I always end up explaining it as a time trial in a parking lot with a course made out of cones. Seems to get the point across.