local autocross meets?

[matthewAPM]

Thighs and QD seem to be the only peoplen with a brain here. (no offense)

Don't go out onto track, especially a track like Road Atlanta for your first performance event. That is just stupid. Finding out that your car has snap oversteer in a autocross is way better than finding that out for the first in the esses.

[evilutionvii]

Lets not forget the difference in price. AutoX is around $40, Road Racing can be nearly 10x that.

[Elbow]

Lets not forget the difference in price. AutoX is around $40, Road Racing can be nearly 10x that.

Ummm SCCA PDX is $100...

[evilutionvii]

Ummm SCCA PDX is $100...

Which is still cheaper than any track event...

[Elbow]

Which is still cheaper than any track event...

That IS a track event....on a road course, like Road Atlanta....

[evilutionvii]

That IS a track event....on a road course, like Road Atlanta....

There are very few PDX hosted throughout the year and most of the time, its only a portion of the track with cones included. Take this weekends PDX at Roebling for example. Not the full course and is designed to be an entry level track event but at a fraction of the cost.

but not nearly as fun....

I would say that depends on the individuals personal interests

[Elbow]

There are very few PDX hosted throughout the year and most of the time, its only a portion of the track with cones included. Take this weekends PDX at Roebling for example. Not the full course and is designed to be an entry level track event but at a fraction of the cost.



I would say that depends on the individuals personal interests

Um...well come to Atlanta, you can run the FULL Road Atlanta, every SCCA weekend there... So your region sucks lolol.

[©hris]

Which is still cheaper than any track event...

but not nearly as fun....

look auto X is cool and all but the experience is nothing like an HPDE event. HPDE you drive at your own pace.... dont push the limits of the car the first few times.... hell in a NASA weekend in HPDE1 you get at least 8 20min sessions.... thats well worth the money you pay. That is 2 1/2 hours on the track.... you learn a lot in that amount of time.

My first time ever on any track was Road Atlanta and i highly recommend saving up and doing the HPDE before you attempt anything... you will go home on Sunday knowing exactly what your car is capable of and what you are capable of as a driver.... autoX doesnt really give you the effect of learning your car at high speeds.

going around cones at 30mph is much different than taking turn 12 at Road Atlanta at 85-90mph.

[Elbow]

Thighs and QD seem to be the only peoplen with a brain here. (no offense)

Don't go out onto track, especially a track like Road Atlanta for your first performance event. That is just stupid. Finding out that your car has snap oversteer in a autocross is way better than finding that out for the first in the esses.

Well maybe, but you don't really go that fast the in autocross to tell, and the conditions are different. You are driving differently.

After flagging many track days now, I can say honestly most the accidents happen with the higher groups then beginners.

[StraightSix]

Thighs and QD seem to be the only peoplen with a brain here. (no offense)

Are *you* really the best person to be making that judgment, eh DK? Even better, have you read the entire thread?

Nearly no one has said that one should forego autocross in favor of a track event. I *did* say that one doesn't *need* to autocross before getting on track. There's a big difference.

I stand by the statement that autocross is a good way to have some fun with a car in a lower speed, lower risk environment than a track event. I'll also stand by the statement that once someone gets on track, autocross loses some, if not nearly all, of its appeal.

I don't think that one event is necessarily better than the other. They are both fun activities with pros and cons. Nor do I think that one must autocross before stepping up to a track event. A driver will learn lessons at both, but not necessarily the same lessons and further a car that isn't that great in an autocross can be a fantastic track car and vice versa. A great example, IMO, is a C5 Z06. People autocross and track those. IMO, the Z06 has too much power to be used effectively in a typical autocross setting, but those cars are fantastic track cars. Another example, EF Civics....great autocross cars but not so great a track car; after tracking and autocrossing mine, I really would like more horsepower on track so that I don't get passed by, literally, everything in the session.

[Z0_o6]

Are *you* really the best person to be making that judgment, eh DK? Even better, have you read the entire thread?

Nearly no one has said that one should forego autocross in favor of a track event. I *did* say that one doesn't *need* to autocross before getting on track. There's a big difference.

I stand by the statement that autocross is a good way to have some fun with a car in a lower speed, lower risk environment than a track event. I'll also stand by the statement that once someone gets on track, autocross loses some, if not nearly all, of its appeal.

I don't think that one event is necessarily better than the other. They are both fun activities with pros and cons. Nor do I think that one must autocross before stepping up to a track event. A driver will learn lessons at both, but not necessarily the same lessons and further a car that isn't that great in an autocross can be a fantastic track car and vice versa. A great example, IMO, is a C5 Z06. People autocross and track those. IMO, the Z06 has too much power to be used effectively in a typical autocross setting, but those cars are fantastic track cars. Another example, EF Civics....great autocross cars but not so great a track car; after tracking and autocrossing mine, I really would like more horsepower on track so that I don't get passed by, literally, everything in the session.

I can completely agree with this statement. My STi for example, would make an absolutely terrible Autocross car now, because I have a 35R on it, so I would never be able to get it spooled until too late, and if it does spool in 1st or 2nd gear into a corner, it does so violently that it will break traction and snap oversteer. On the track the power band would be much much more usable. Whereas when I autox'ed it almost stock, it did absolutely great (for me lol) but on the track I think it would be lacking some in the straights because of the very short gearing and (in my opinion) relatively low power to weight.

[StraightSix]

Whereas when I autox'ed it almost stock, it did absolutely great (for me lol) but on the track I think it would be lacking some in the straights because of the very short gearing and (in my opinion) relatively low power to weight.

I think you'd be surprised at how really quick and AWD car is on track. You can carry a lot more speed through a corner and get the power to the ground better. Lots of Subies appear at our events; everything from bone stock to stupid fast nearly all carbon fiber bodied monsters.

[Z0_o6]

I think you'd be surprised at how really quick and AWD car is on track. You can carry a lot more speed through a corner and get the power to the ground better. Lots of Subies appear at our events; everything from bone stock to stupid fast nearly all carbon fiber bodied monsters.

Oh I'm not gonna argue that! I can't wait to get mine to a track one day.

[evilutionvii]

Lots of Subies appear at our events; everything from bone stock to stupid fast nearly all carbon fiber bodied monsters.

You wouldn't be referring to Bart's 600hp Subie?

[StraightSix]

You wouldn't be referring to Bart's 600hp Subie?

That's one of them. That car is straight up ridiculous.

[evilutionvii]

That's one of them. That car is straight up ridiculous.

He just bought topspeed's old red time attack subie. The motor he's droppin in that thing is insane.