I really need to attend an AutoX.

Duke wrote:

Beer Baron wrote: Although, it's really fun to bring/find a friend who can give you some good natured competition. No matter who goes faster, youboth win. Really, just aim to improve on every run.

We have 2 guys who are good friends, and pretty equally matched as drivers. They each pay 2 fees and enter both their cars in both their names, then spend the day trying to beat each other in the other guy's car. Plus they get a ton of seat time.

That's a pretty cool idea. Do they have to work double the work shifts too?

tjbell wrote: I want to go and participate in the worst way. SWMBO thinks its bad news for my 200k plus mile Saab 9-5...

I took the wife's old accent out at ~180k. Here it is with 4 people:

Still stock suspension at that point. It got new suspension that winter. And tires.

Woody wrote:

Duke wrote:

Beer Baron wrote: Although, it's really fun to bring/find a friend who can give you some good natured competition. No matter who goes faster, youboth win. Really, just aim to improve on every run.

We have 2 guys who are good friends, and pretty equally matched as drivers. They each pay 2 fees and enter both their cars in both their names, then spend the day trying to beat each other in the other guy's car. Plus they get a ton of seat time.

That's a pretty cool idea. Do they have to work double the work shifts too?

Yeah. Basically, we make them tech in the morning, and then instruct for any run group they're not driving in.

In reply to Duke:

Sounds like you guys have it all figured out down there!

Dusterbd13 wrote: Ask an old timer to ride with you. Iaalways do that and ask them to help me navigate. Helps ommensly. And remember, it's purely to have fun. I could give a E36 M3 how I finished. But if I go home grinning from ear to ear, it was a good day.

Couldn't agree more - at the end of the day, we do these things because we enjoy it. Below is my third run at my first ever event. First two runs I went off-course, but that just serves as motivation for the next time.

This was in my old E36 M3-box 1996 Corolla, affectionately known as Rusty the Silver Bullet - may he rest in pieces. Old cr@ppy tires, flogged original suspension, horrible slush-box automatic, 270k km's. Awesome fun! Just don't take yourself too seriously, and you'll have a blast! Sadly, I haven't been since, as we got married shortly after and have since had a daughter, so life gets busy fast.

Rusty's AutoX

Do it!

Woody wrote: In reply to Duke: Sounds like you guys have it all figured out down there!

We try!

I've done 2, and my plan for next season is to run a full season, dedicated tire, membership and all.

Bobzilla wrote:

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: Do it! Skip the attend, just participate. It's maybe the cheapest motorsport you can participate in, up to a point. It just takes time, strategy, and discipline to spend few dollars on it. In reply to Bobzilla: The maybe easiest way to a good PAX is to stay in a slow class, especially C Stock and slower.

STF. Where we spends thousands to barely beat HStreet.

Could be worst. Could be FSP.

93EXCivic wrote:

Bobzilla wrote:

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: Do it! Skip the attend, just participate. It's maybe the cheapest motorsport you can participate in, up to a point. It just takes time, strategy, and discipline to spend few dollars on it. In reply to Bobzilla: The maybe easiest way to a good PAX is to stay in a slow class, especially C Stock and slower.

STF. Where we spends thousands to barely beat HStreet.

Could be worst. Could be FSP.

I stand corrected.

EDIT: No lie though, this years 2014 STF champion was only .315 ahead of the HStreet Champ after TWO DAYS.

Cuda wrote: Serious question. How the heck do you guys remember the course layout. I want to try it soon, but worry that i would be like a 90 year old lady on the freeway and endanger everyone.

My advice, walk the course in the perspective that you would be in from the drivers seat(meaning allow for the width of your vehicle), then visualize your run. I've gotten really good at visualizing. Completely ignore PAX, what others in your class are running, and national level crap. Focus only on yourself, your runs, and having fun.

After your first run, you can always hop in with an experienced driver for a ride around the course to see a fresh view on how they're running the course.

tjbell wrote: I want to go and participate in the worst way. SWMBO thinks its bad news for my 200k plus mile Saab 9-5...

We have a dude driving a 350k mile Lincoln Mark 8.

My FX16 has 285,000 miles on it. DO IT!

chrispy wrote:

tjbell wrote: I want to go and participate in the worst way. SWMBO thinks its bad news for my 200k plus mile Saab 9-5...

We have a dude driving a 350k mile Lincoln Mark 8.

You can make it bad news if you want to...such as holding the car in 1st gear all the way through a somewhat tight course. But as long as you're not doing something like that, a run of less than one minute with very short bursts of gas, then brake, won't kill it.

One of the best autocross events I've been to was in southern NH somewhere on an old airport. Nice long course and you could choose the slalom of doom or the world's biggest tightening sweeper. Lots of fun opportunities around there.