Tevenor
20+ Year Contributor
- 1,785
- 14
- Mar 18, 2002
-
Rochester,
New York
First off, my apologies to the DSMTuners community for the delay in my reports. Things have been hectic here and I am just now finding time to put down the reports to paper, as it were.
My first entry is not about any specific race but rather focus on what makes Autocross ( SOLOII ) different than other motorsports as well as some basic tips. My first 2 "events" were actually driving schools where I taught Novices on Saturday and the advanced training on Sunday, so jumping off of that comes this post.
Autocross ( more formally known as SoloII racing ) is essentially a mini road course in a much smaller playing field. The course can be made out of any open area of asphalt/concrete and changes from event to event. Cones are setup to use as course markers w/ a penalty if you knock any of them down with the average course taking around 60 seconds to complete. Since the event is rarely held in venues large enough for extremely high speed ( 100+ mph ), the risk to the car is considerably less than say a lapping day at Watkins Glen or Sebring. However, the spacing of maneuvers is much closer together and therefore, the action is more in your face, if you will. As such, the good drivers drive on instinct and exacting precision. On the National stage, 2-day events have been decided by hundredths of a second.
Cars are classed by type and modification. For the most part, for any modification and chassis design you bring, there is a class with a rule set that will fit. However, if you feel you want to try this on a regular basis, I highly recommend reading the various rule sets to know which level you want to compete on. Classes range from the Stock classes ( A through H ), the street Prepared classes ( A through F ), Street Modified and Street Modified2, and then the full Mod and full Prepared classes. At any given event, you can see Porsche GT3s, Minis, Pickup trucks, Full mini-Indy race cars, Camaros, DSMs, Wagons, etc. It really does allow a full range of street vehicles as well as prepped vehicles to compete. This is one of Autocrosses greatest draws. There is room for those prepping cars directly for this kind of racing, the weekend racer who makes a few a year with his summer sports car, or the novice who just drove up with his 10 year old Integra.
Novices
The one thing most novices seem to have the hardest time grasping in my experience is that although the goal is to get from the start line to the finish line the fastest, drifting, hard steering wheel inputs, and spinning tires are NOT the fastest way through a course. Autocross is about knowing the absolute traction limit of your car on any particular day on any particular course and exploiting that limit to the utmost. To that end here are Sean's top 3 items to remember to be fast at any autocross course ( I will discuss the same topics but in more advanced detail later on ).
1) Smooth is fast.
Basically if you look like you are driving hard, you are probably driving slow. Smooth steering inputs and smooth gas/brake application keep the car balanced and online and going forward. Sideways motion is not forward motion and therefore doesn't lower your time.
2) Always always always walk the course as MANY times as possible.
Because each event ( for the most part ) is a new course design, all racers start on the same playing field. A large component of a successful autocrosser is the ability to read a course, determine the right line for your driving style, and know the course before a tire ever touches the asphalt. Confidence is a key component in any racing and the more you are comfortable with knowing the course the more confident, the faster you will be.
3) Much of your success will be determined not on course, but off course.
In other words, since the speed through the track doesnt necessarily allow you to think about every turn, a lot of the tuning, tweaking, and is actually done off track. Never be afraid to ask one of the more veteran racers about a specific section of the course if you are having trouble or just to chat about tire pressures, lines, etc. Autocross is a very social sport as we are all trying to get faster against the course.
Veteran
At this point, I am going to revisit the 3 topics above but get in more detail. This more or less comes from the Advanced driver training I taught at on that Sunday. The explanations will get a little more techy without going nuts. And of course, these are just my opinions and I am sure others in the sport such as Dennis Grant or Jtoby will have varying POVs on the topics.
1) Smooth is fast.
Lets reexamine this. Remember that traction limit is determined a lot by force, surface, and tire build/compound. Street tires are built around a softer walled carcass and a harder rubber for longer lasting compound. As such tire pressures need to be inflated well over street pressures to create a sidewall stiff enough to keep the contact patch where it belongs, between the car and the road. As you go up in tire compound towards full autocross tires, the compound gets softer ( and hence shorter life ) but the sidewalls also get much much stiffer. This allows for less roll with increased grip, both good things. However even autocross specific tires can be pushed beyond its limits and this is where smooth driving pays dividends.
Being a smooth driver is essentially keeping the car as close to balance as possible at all times. Transitional weight is applied smoothly and that allows the tires to reach its grip potential without breaching the envelope. Take slaloms for example.
A slalom is a series of cones in line and you have to alternate side to side. You see them all the time is the Winter Olympics for skiing and in those stupid little dog trick shows. The fastest way through the slalom is to be smooth with the highest constant speed as possible without unsettling the car. Imagine a pendulum in a grandfather clock. The pendulum swings in big arcs and as it reaches each terminus, the accelerate decrease or increases smoothly until the fastest velocity is at the bottom of the arc. Your steering inputs should mimic this arc. You will hear the veteran autocrossers talking about the slaloms rhythm which essentially is a function of the spacing of the cones and the speed at which you take the slalom. It is NOT a point and shoot exercise. In other words it is not about running as hard as you can at the next cone and then making a hard nasty severe turn at the cone to get to the next one.
What this really all gets down to is keeping your car stable and balanced which in-turn allows the tires the most grip usage and the best handling. Turning the steering inputs past the slip angle, over breaking, breaking the tires loose, are all examples of forcing the car into a state where ultimate grip is reduced and ultimate speed suffers.
2) Always always always walk the course as MANY times as possible.
I touched a bit on this above but I want to cover it a little more in depth. When you walk the course, you arent just learning where it goes, but you should also be trying to identify what sections can be linked together into singular maneuvers. For instance how does the exit of a slalom set you up for the next corner? Is there any way to link the next 2 or 3 turns into 1 arcing turn? Where are my braking zones?
As an example, watch the F1 series or any other road courses series ( German Touring, Australian series, etc ) and watch the cars actual line versus the course lines. They never follow the S of the course, but try to straight line it through that section. Your attitude should be no different. The less real estate the car travels the better. However, a higher speed can make up for more real estate. And now you have a topic to discuss with veterans that will debated for years to come: Which is better? To take the shorter tighter line even though speed is slower or travel farther but keep a higher rate of speed? Some will say shorter, others will say faster. But here is a secret: they are both right.
And once you run the course, make sure to LOOK AHEAD. If you are watching the cones go by the car, you arent in a position to line yourself up for the next corner. Much of this takes practice but until you are completely confident in the course, you cant focus on looking ahead.
3) Much of your success will be determined not on course, but off course.
Remember that different drivetrains may use different lines depending on course design. An AWD platform usually can apply power out of a corner much before a FWD or RWD setup, for example. As such, talk to people with the same drivetrain to get their feedback. Even your competitors! At a local level, although competition is competition, it usually is more about everyone going as fast as you can and most veterans realize the more competition there is, the faster they will go so they welcome more competition. ( But not always so be wary.
)
More on topic, go over the course in your mind. Although Autocrossing has been touted as not a sport of memorization, knowing exactly where you are going never hurts. Draw a map if they dont hand it out at the events. Make notes on sections you are having trouble with. This will help with your own solution as well as knowing what to ask the other racers. Remember that knowledge is speed. How much your tires increase pressure between the start pressures and finish pressure will tell you about how you are driving. Where is the wear pattern on the tire block? Are you scrubbing your tires a lot? Watch the faster racers and watch their line. Are you running close? Can you identify why? Etc etc etc.
Small Tidbits
Just some small helpful hints that might work some tenths off your time.
1) Never cross your hands. Feed the steering wheel from side to side, hand to hand. If you cross your hands and the steering wheel jerks, you arent in a position to control it. ( on a side note, if you are crossing your arms while steering, you are probably turning too much ).
2) Throttle pressure and brake pressure should be a lot like the steering inputs. Smooth and gradual. Stopping on the brakes or gas will unsettle the car and tires and usually will cost you time.
3) If you are having trouble telling if you are rolling onto your tires sidewalls, use some white shoe polish to see where the tire is rolling.
4) Dont forget sunscreen. Much of your time will be spent in the sun either working or chit chatting.
5) Make sure your oil is topped off. Although this wont make you go faster, neither will a seized engine. Remember even though these turns are slower than say a full road course, they are also tighter and its pretty common to pull more than 1G laterally on the turns. Oil doesnt like this.
6) Keep both hands on the wheel. Once you shift, resting it on the shifter good ole boy style doesnt do you any good.
Hopefully these highlights will help you on your next autocross excursion. Remeber that these are all volunteer run. The organizers and chiefs don't get paid to do it. Help out if you can. People will tend to give you a lot more help if you they see you busting your ass helping with the event as much as they are. Don't be afraid to just stop in. Most regions have instructors available to novices and first timers. Listen to them. They will be your greatest resource. Once you get out of the novice class and into open racing, you are on your own.
Feel free to post any questions you have and have fun out there!
Up next......the first event.
My first entry is not about any specific race but rather focus on what makes Autocross ( SOLOII ) different than other motorsports as well as some basic tips. My first 2 "events" were actually driving schools where I taught Novices on Saturday and the advanced training on Sunday, so jumping off of that comes this post.
Autocross ( more formally known as SoloII racing ) is essentially a mini road course in a much smaller playing field. The course can be made out of any open area of asphalt/concrete and changes from event to event. Cones are setup to use as course markers w/ a penalty if you knock any of them down with the average course taking around 60 seconds to complete. Since the event is rarely held in venues large enough for extremely high speed ( 100+ mph ), the risk to the car is considerably less than say a lapping day at Watkins Glen or Sebring. However, the spacing of maneuvers is much closer together and therefore, the action is more in your face, if you will. As such, the good drivers drive on instinct and exacting precision. On the National stage, 2-day events have been decided by hundredths of a second.
Cars are classed by type and modification. For the most part, for any modification and chassis design you bring, there is a class with a rule set that will fit. However, if you feel you want to try this on a regular basis, I highly recommend reading the various rule sets to know which level you want to compete on. Classes range from the Stock classes ( A through H ), the street Prepared classes ( A through F ), Street Modified and Street Modified2, and then the full Mod and full Prepared classes. At any given event, you can see Porsche GT3s, Minis, Pickup trucks, Full mini-Indy race cars, Camaros, DSMs, Wagons, etc. It really does allow a full range of street vehicles as well as prepped vehicles to compete. This is one of Autocrosses greatest draws. There is room for those prepping cars directly for this kind of racing, the weekend racer who makes a few a year with his summer sports car, or the novice who just drove up with his 10 year old Integra.
Novices
The one thing most novices seem to have the hardest time grasping in my experience is that although the goal is to get from the start line to the finish line the fastest, drifting, hard steering wheel inputs, and spinning tires are NOT the fastest way through a course. Autocross is about knowing the absolute traction limit of your car on any particular day on any particular course and exploiting that limit to the utmost. To that end here are Sean's top 3 items to remember to be fast at any autocross course ( I will discuss the same topics but in more advanced detail later on ).
1) Smooth is fast.
Basically if you look like you are driving hard, you are probably driving slow. Smooth steering inputs and smooth gas/brake application keep the car balanced and online and going forward. Sideways motion is not forward motion and therefore doesn't lower your time.
2) Always always always walk the course as MANY times as possible.
Because each event ( for the most part ) is a new course design, all racers start on the same playing field. A large component of a successful autocrosser is the ability to read a course, determine the right line for your driving style, and know the course before a tire ever touches the asphalt. Confidence is a key component in any racing and the more you are comfortable with knowing the course the more confident, the faster you will be.
3) Much of your success will be determined not on course, but off course.
In other words, since the speed through the track doesnt necessarily allow you to think about every turn, a lot of the tuning, tweaking, and is actually done off track. Never be afraid to ask one of the more veteran racers about a specific section of the course if you are having trouble or just to chat about tire pressures, lines, etc. Autocross is a very social sport as we are all trying to get faster against the course.
Veteran
At this point, I am going to revisit the 3 topics above but get in more detail. This more or less comes from the Advanced driver training I taught at on that Sunday. The explanations will get a little more techy without going nuts. And of course, these are just my opinions and I am sure others in the sport such as Dennis Grant or Jtoby will have varying POVs on the topics.
1) Smooth is fast.
Lets reexamine this. Remember that traction limit is determined a lot by force, surface, and tire build/compound. Street tires are built around a softer walled carcass and a harder rubber for longer lasting compound. As such tire pressures need to be inflated well over street pressures to create a sidewall stiff enough to keep the contact patch where it belongs, between the car and the road. As you go up in tire compound towards full autocross tires, the compound gets softer ( and hence shorter life ) but the sidewalls also get much much stiffer. This allows for less roll with increased grip, both good things. However even autocross specific tires can be pushed beyond its limits and this is where smooth driving pays dividends.
Being a smooth driver is essentially keeping the car as close to balance as possible at all times. Transitional weight is applied smoothly and that allows the tires to reach its grip potential without breaching the envelope. Take slaloms for example.
A slalom is a series of cones in line and you have to alternate side to side. You see them all the time is the Winter Olympics for skiing and in those stupid little dog trick shows. The fastest way through the slalom is to be smooth with the highest constant speed as possible without unsettling the car. Imagine a pendulum in a grandfather clock. The pendulum swings in big arcs and as it reaches each terminus, the accelerate decrease or increases smoothly until the fastest velocity is at the bottom of the arc. Your steering inputs should mimic this arc. You will hear the veteran autocrossers talking about the slaloms rhythm which essentially is a function of the spacing of the cones and the speed at which you take the slalom. It is NOT a point and shoot exercise. In other words it is not about running as hard as you can at the next cone and then making a hard nasty severe turn at the cone to get to the next one.
What this really all gets down to is keeping your car stable and balanced which in-turn allows the tires the most grip usage and the best handling. Turning the steering inputs past the slip angle, over breaking, breaking the tires loose, are all examples of forcing the car into a state where ultimate grip is reduced and ultimate speed suffers.
2) Always always always walk the course as MANY times as possible.
I touched a bit on this above but I want to cover it a little more in depth. When you walk the course, you arent just learning where it goes, but you should also be trying to identify what sections can be linked together into singular maneuvers. For instance how does the exit of a slalom set you up for the next corner? Is there any way to link the next 2 or 3 turns into 1 arcing turn? Where are my braking zones?
As an example, watch the F1 series or any other road courses series ( German Touring, Australian series, etc ) and watch the cars actual line versus the course lines. They never follow the S of the course, but try to straight line it through that section. Your attitude should be no different. The less real estate the car travels the better. However, a higher speed can make up for more real estate. And now you have a topic to discuss with veterans that will debated for years to come: Which is better? To take the shorter tighter line even though speed is slower or travel farther but keep a higher rate of speed? Some will say shorter, others will say faster. But here is a secret: they are both right.
And once you run the course, make sure to LOOK AHEAD. If you are watching the cones go by the car, you arent in a position to line yourself up for the next corner. Much of this takes practice but until you are completely confident in the course, you cant focus on looking ahead.
3) Much of your success will be determined not on course, but off course.
Remember that different drivetrains may use different lines depending on course design. An AWD platform usually can apply power out of a corner much before a FWD or RWD setup, for example. As such, talk to people with the same drivetrain to get their feedback. Even your competitors! At a local level, although competition is competition, it usually is more about everyone going as fast as you can and most veterans realize the more competition there is, the faster they will go so they welcome more competition. ( But not always so be wary.
) More on topic, go over the course in your mind. Although Autocrossing has been touted as not a sport of memorization, knowing exactly where you are going never hurts. Draw a map if they dont hand it out at the events. Make notes on sections you are having trouble with. This will help with your own solution as well as knowing what to ask the other racers. Remember that knowledge is speed. How much your tires increase pressure between the start pressures and finish pressure will tell you about how you are driving. Where is the wear pattern on the tire block? Are you scrubbing your tires a lot? Watch the faster racers and watch their line. Are you running close? Can you identify why? Etc etc etc.
Small Tidbits
Just some small helpful hints that might work some tenths off your time.
1) Never cross your hands. Feed the steering wheel from side to side, hand to hand. If you cross your hands and the steering wheel jerks, you arent in a position to control it. ( on a side note, if you are crossing your arms while steering, you are probably turning too much ).
2) Throttle pressure and brake pressure should be a lot like the steering inputs. Smooth and gradual. Stopping on the brakes or gas will unsettle the car and tires and usually will cost you time.
3) If you are having trouble telling if you are rolling onto your tires sidewalls, use some white shoe polish to see where the tire is rolling.
4) Dont forget sunscreen. Much of your time will be spent in the sun either working or chit chatting.
5) Make sure your oil is topped off. Although this wont make you go faster, neither will a seized engine. Remember even though these turns are slower than say a full road course, they are also tighter and its pretty common to pull more than 1G laterally on the turns. Oil doesnt like this.
6) Keep both hands on the wheel. Once you shift, resting it on the shifter good ole boy style doesnt do you any good.
Hopefully these highlights will help you on your next autocross excursion. Remeber that these are all volunteer run. The organizers and chiefs don't get paid to do it. Help out if you can. People will tend to give you a lot more help if you they see you busting your ass helping with the event as much as they are. Don't be afraid to just stop in. Most regions have instructors available to novices and first timers. Listen to them. They will be your greatest resource. Once you get out of the novice class and into open racing, you are on your own.
Feel free to post any questions you have and have fun out there!
Up next......the first event.
.... 
