hey guys im wanting to do an autocross event.. never done one but its always something ive wanted to do. any local sugguestions i can go to.. any event in the near future i can sign up for?? thanks reps for info
local autocross meets?
hey guys im wanting to do an autocross event.. never done one but its always something ive wanted to do. any local sugguestions i can go to.. any event in the near future i can sign up for?? thanks reps for info
please do some research. First off dont ever put meets.
Go to the competition section and look at SCCA/NASA blah blah events. its listed with a website
mkay. sorry if i offended you by calling it a meet...
www.soloatlanta.com should get you on your way.
car info?
forget Auto-X.... Road Racing is where its at... www.Nasa-se.com
X2
x3
I started out autocrossing when the Clemson Sports Car Club was still holding on campus events. My autocrossing "career" ended once I did my first HPDE with NASA. I think I've done one or maybe two autocross events in the three years since I started track driving.
Yeah I have done quite a few, but once you hit real track autocross becomes a kids game and you can skip two autocrosses and run a SCCA PDX.
No need for apologies. There is no offense to calling it a meet.Originally Posted by stevo_EF91
There's nothing wrong with starting off small. It's actually not bad to a do a year or so of auto-x to get your feet wet and to get a decent feel for your car in a shortened run. That was my initial plan before it all fell apart. I did the Solo II thing for two years and had planned on taking the car to the actual track to do it's thing there, but as this was my DD and my income was very low, it was a just a "dream."
But if this guy wants to get into something, whether it be auto-x or roadracing, then it should be a welcoming party here instead of a "forget this, do that" type of ordeal. Later, QD.
FOR MORE INFO, CLICK THE PIC!!!
wow thanks man. never seen you be nice to someone before lol
Haha. I just call it as I see it. Later, QD.
FOR MORE INFO, CLICK THE PIC!!!
I agree with QD here, and I didn't realize that my post may have made it sound like I was bashing autocross.
For clarity, I started my "journey" into amateur motorsports by autocrossing. It is an excellent low risk way to begin something that makes a herion addiction look like a vague craving for something salty. Autocross is very low risk; I've seldom heard of anyone balling up a car at an autocross. Hell, I've been to more Atlanta Region SCCA autocrosses since moving to SC than I went to when I lived in Lawrenceville.
For me, I'm more interested in track time than autocross.
lol no worries. thanks for the feedback though guys
Nice reply man. Later, QD.
FOR MORE INFO, CLICK THE PIC!!!
Yeah I was just saying X2 because I personally would rather do a track day, BUT, I started autocrossing before I did a track event in a car. Autocross is a great cheap thrill at what, $30? Like said, no risks, cheap, easy to get into, and car wear is far less.
With all of this, www.soloatlanta.com is your best friend.
i dont see why any of you guys would recommend someone who doesnt seem to have any experience in competitive or high performance driving other than the backroads on his way home from work to skip autocross and go straight to PDX/HPDE... in my opinion, everyone who wants to do any sort of track driving needs to get a few autocross events under their belt before going to road atlanta and actually putting themselves in a high-risk environment before they REALLY know the limits of their car...
to the OP: go on www.soloatlanta.com for more information on local autocross events. autocross is a great way to learn your limits and the cars limits, and also to get a feel for everything.
The server is too busy at the moment. Please try again later.
i agree but not always.... HPDE with NASA is a great program. Last Road Atlanta event i was with a girl that had never been on a track or had any high performance driving experience and her BF got her the HPDE thing as an anniversary gift. she went out in a Z06 Corvette and did great... even though i did pass her a couple times, she seemed to be learning quickly and having a lot of fun.
HPDE is a learning experience... they dont just throw you to the sharks and say good luck.
Yeah true, hell PDX only allows what like 90mph tops I think in the A and B group, no curb use, etc. SCCA really went pussy on PDX, it's more of fast parade laps then a real track day.
One does not need to autocross before getting into HPDE. As a general rule, the track day newbie won't be pushing his/her car nearly hard enough to get into much trouble. One of the jobs an HPDE instructor has is cultivating the tools available to the student to get the most out of the car. Our, that is NASA's, first HPDE 1 sessions of the day typically start out as little more than higher speed parade laps. The sessions get faster as the weekend progresses and the students become more confident behind the wheel on track.
Track driving and autocross, although related, require slightly differing approaches. I had an instructor once that nearly instantly recognized that, up to that point, most of my driving experience was from autocross rather than track days; my control inputs were more abrupt than was appropriate for the track.
The bottom line, though, is that amateur motorsports is a great way to develop one's driving abilities, get to know the car, and actually use the car up to it's limits. It matters more that one get involved with an activity that he/she is comfortable with and will have fun doing than which of those activities it is.
Good points StraightSix. I have noticed lots of drivers who are fast at autocross aren't as fast at road racing right away, it's a different ball game. Autocross requires a much more aggressive form of driving as road racing requires much more smooth driving.
By the way, do you HPDE? What car?
I get out and HPDE when I can. I'm usually in my gold '90 Civic hatchback, #74. I drove some at Road Atlanta the last time we were there, in HPDE 3 on Friday and some of the HPDE 2 sessions on Saturday. The brakes started feeling really mushy after the last session I drove in, and tried bleeding them Saturday night and Sunday morning. I say tried because the master cylinder wasn't pushing fluid to the left front or right rear caliper; it had failed. Drove the car back home and replaced the master Monday morning, and had a decent pedal again.
I have a video from RA. I also have some older stuff up on YouTube. One is an AR Region autocross the other is from a DE 2 session @ Roebling .
When NASA is at Road Atlanta I don't usually get the time to get out on track. My duties in timing tend to keep me pretty busy.
What do you do? I'm usually F&C.
Chief of Timing and Scoring. I'm in the tower but not on the track net, so you guys on the corners never get to hear my cheery voice, lol.
No one said you had to. Just stating that it would probably be a good idea to do so. Like we all seem to agree, a nice cheap way to get out and test (to an extent) your car and get a good feel for it before you head out to an open track.
Saule Goode, fellas. Later, QD.
FOR MORE INFO, CLICK THE PIC!!!
Haha well darn.
I work for Road Atlanta so enjoy hearing Hazel's, she is my god.
Haha well darn.
I work for Road Atlanta so enjoy hearing Hazel's, she is my god.
hiring?? lol
Eh, Thighs strongly implied it in his post, or I thought so at least.
But, I do think we're all in agreement that autocross is good way to get into the wonderful world of amateur motorsports.
Hazel is graet. I actually started working for NASA by flagging corners. I've flagged at VIR about a half dozen times, and Road Atlanta once.Haha well darn.
I work for Road Atlanta so enjoy hearing Hazel's, she is my god.
You should stick around for our Saturday night awards banquet and meet some of us, that is if you haven't already.
When is that, every Saturday NASA weekend? I always forget or am uninformed until the day of about cookouts and get togethers after the races and never have a change of clothes lol.
Yup. There's BBQ and cold beer (if you're of age) on Saturday night. Whatchu need a change of clothes for? I don't think any of us, officials or the NASA corner workers, change.
Sweet sounds good, I am of age, and I don't know, I just feel goofy in all white lol.
Free beer and food after every saturday nasa event.... i was in pit lane for the enduro at Lowes during the awards so i didnt get any then but there is always free beer and food during saturdays awards ceremony.
Simon u need to come find us at the Fandango Racing trailer in August RA.... stop by and say whats up.
Last edited by ©hris; 07-07-2009 at 04:49 PM.
Will do, maybe I will have a car out there so I can play lol.
There wasn't any food or beer at Lowe's since we had to be out by 6pm. That's also why the sprint awards were presented during the enduro.
I know the feeling about feeling a little goofy in white at an awards party. I felt the same way after flagging VIR and going to their awards.
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.
Lets not forget the difference in price. AutoX is around $40, Road Racing can be nearly 10x that.
2008-2009 MGASCCA Street Modified Champion
4WS Tuned
Ummm SCCA PDX is $100...
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.
Which is still cheaper than any track event...
2008-2009 MGASCCA Street Modified Champion
4WS Tuned
That IS a track event....on a road course, like Road Atlanta....
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.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
