Practice, practice, practice

[Jamie]

I guess I'll be dead before I get any good at this. Let's see, about three to five minutes a month to practice my skills...compared to hours every week in prior competitive sports...
Somehow this doesn't compute for me.

What -- you're not practicing all the time?

These are extracted from an article I wrote many years ago...steal ideas as you see fit:

Set your seat so you can put full force on the brake without locking your knee or sliding forward in the seat, and hold the steering wheel just your fingers, thumbs laid up along the front of the wheel -- an old rally trick which helps prevent you from using your arms to brace against the steering wheel and improves your car control. It's not only good practice, it's better car control!

At stoplights and stop signs, get to know exactly where your clutch engages. If traffic permits, work on feeling the clutch engage and then squeezing the throttle -- you don't have to smoke the tires to get this right, and after awhile, it becomes second nature. Practice smooth upshifts as well, especially that critical 1-2 shift. Ideally, it will feel like an automatic transmission -- just a smooth buildup in speed as you go through the gears.

LOOK AHEAD -- this skill is as valuable in regular driving as it is on an autocross course!

Get to know your brakes -- when coming to a stoplight or stop sign, if conditions permit, apply steady, constant pressure to the brakes from the point at which you start until you stop. See if you can stop where you expect, without varying the pressure on the pedal. (Don't practice this in traffic!)

Practice smooth downshifting into corners. Although you won't often use a 2-1 downshift, it's a good skill to master -- turning into your driveway is a good spot to work that skill.

Practice smooth lines through corners, even at low speeds. Racing legend Stirling Moss once said, "the steering wheel is merely the means of introducing the car to the corner" -- with a proper line, you should be able to hold the wheel at a constant angle through the corner, without any corrections. Practice smoooooth....

[Loren]

I guess I'll be dead before I get any good at this. Let's see, about three to five minutes a month to practice my skills...compared to hours every week in prior competitive sports...
Somehow this doesn't compute for me.

If you've got the money and don't mind traveling just a little, there's pretty much an autocross every weekend somewhere within 2 hours of Tampa throughout most of the year. Jeremy keeps a pretty comprehensive Central Florida autox/track schedule here. Go ye, therefore, and practice!

[Loren]

Practice smooth lines through corners, even at low speeds. Racing legend Stirling Moss once said, "the steering wheel is merely the means of introducing the car to the corner" -- with a proper line, you should be able to hold the wheel at a constant angle through the corner, without any corrections. Practice smoooooth....

This. Everything else, too... but definitely this.

Was just talking to John Evans about this earlier today. You can practice "the line" and "being smooth" everywhere you go. You don't have to drive fast, you don't have to leave your lane, just envision your lane as "the course" and practice visualizing the proper line through the turn (setup, turn-in, apex, track-out) and then DRIVE that line smoothly. Before long, it will become second nature, and when you autocross, you WILL be smoother and naturally drive better lines.

[Jeremy]

You can also practice running over reflectors, so you know where your tires are. Helps you get closer to the cones. Optimal line would have you running over the base of the apex cone on every corner.

I recently started backing into parking spots to help with my gymkhana skills. Think I might try driving to work backwards tomorrow.

On the street to look ahead you will have to look through other car's windows sometimes. And you can also practice shuffle steering.

[Loren]

You can also practice running over reflectors, so you know where your tires are. Helps you get closer to the cones. Optimal line would have you running over the base of the apex cone on every corner.

My wife hates when I do that! But, if it's a road with ample reflectors on both sides and nobody around, I'll yank the car from center to the left edge of the lane to just barely graze the reflectors, and then yank it back to the right to just barely graze the reflectors on that side. If you can do it, it definitely shows that you know where your tires are. The value of this can't be overstated! (for autocross, for racing, even just for street safety)

[twistedwankel]

puncturina wrote:
I guess I'll be dead before I get any good at this. Let's see, about three to five minutes a month to practice my skills...compared to hours every week in prior competitive sports...
Somehow this doesn't compute for me.

Everything all ready mentioned is really great advice!! BUT.

Eva you are really funny. Cannot imagine what "competitive sports" you've aced (in only a few years) in the past where you dedicated so much time? Poor Doug who you beat by a goodly margin in the same car to capture 3rd trophy.

For what it's worth FAST is giving everyone twice the "competitive" seat time of any other club I've been exposed to other than non-competitive "fun runs". Competitive runs are usually limited to 3-4 due to time constraints and a strong desire to have a level playing field of "conditions" for FTD. Thus amplifying the challenge.

Some of us are from the North with a limited season for xcross of 4-6 months with alot of shaky weather. I'm pretty sure you've done the FAST school at least once. There are others out there if you want to greatly increase your skill level over one intensive weekend for a nominal fee. Competing in rain is a great learning tool.

Going to Regional and National Events is an even better way to pick up speed/reduce time. Small pond/ big pond theory. Many of the FAST group have competed successfully at National levels and are very eager to share their "secrets" as is evidenced above.

A roommate wanted me to teach him to play tennis. We played for two years and he never beat me once. When he finally got disgusted over that I told him: "Every time we play I get better too. Go play against someone else of your skill level." He did and he finally won. That made him happy but it didn't make him a better tennis player.

Moral to story: You are all ready faster than most according to the times. What is your definition of "good"?

You want to beat Chris in his car? Buy him back the number 4

You want to beat me? Buy my car. I will sell anything I'm not related to.

[Loren]

Eva's predicament stems from starting her autocross career in cars that are not easy to drive to their full potential on an autocross course. The 350Z, and even more so the Z4M are very powerful cars, and on most autocross courses that means VERY good throttle control is required to get anything out of them. Just learning the skills required to autocross well is hard enough, but when you add the fine level of throttle control and speed management that goes along with a "fast car", the difficulty multiplies.

In comparison, a low-powered, but good-handling car like an early Miata or a Honda Civic or the mighty Yaris is very EASY to drive and easier to learn in. You don't have to worry so much about "is the car going to get away from me", you can just focus on navigating the course and improving your line.

[Jeremy]

Everything I have learned, I learned from riding with people. Unfortunately a lot of those people have moved away. My first Autocross season had 4 past and future national champions in MY CLASS. Guess I was just in the right place at the right time.

[Gerry]

I recently started backing into parking spots to help with my gymkhana skills. Think I might try driving to work backwards tomorrow.

Parking space hunting at USF is also great practice. I do it every day...

You can also practice running over reflectors, so you know where your tires are. Helps you get closer to the cones. Optimal line would have you running over the base of the apex cone on every corner.

My wife hates when I do that! But, if it's a road with ample reflectors on both sides and nobody around, I'll yank the car from center to the left edge of the lane to just barely graze the reflectors, and then yank it back to the right to just barely graze the reflectors on that side. If you can do it, it definitely shows that you know where your tires are. The value of this can't be overstated! (for autocross, for racing, even just for street safety)

I started doing this a couple weeks ago. I'd say it definitely does help!

[twistedwankel]

So you're over 50 and your Autocross skill set could use a big boost.

How about 2 full days with about 12 hours of actual seat time total for $225 (with $25 coupon) with all equipment provided! Roughly equivalent to 140 autocrosses.

Yes. Vehicle, helmet, instructors. All provided.

You will learn:

1. How to inspect your vehicle prior to an event and warming it up to save wear and tear.
2. What clothing, footwear and helmet is appropriate for safety.
3. The importance and setting of tire pressures.
4. Trusting your tires at speed on actual coned course.
5. How to properly brake prior to a corner and properly accelerate out of it while "never lifting".
6. How to save a spin/slide if you do "lift" during a corner.
7. How to drive fast where you look with your eyes not where you think you should.
8. How to feather the clutch at launch.
9. How to match rpm's prior to downshift.
10. How to upshift without using the clutch (optional).
11. How to panic stop without locking up brakes.
12. How to change lanes quickly and safely at speed.
13. Learn to stay focused for extended periods of time.
14. Obtain a State Required Certificate of Completion.

http://www.cycleschoolofflorida.com/Courses.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Okay you've seen them all at Hernando Airport. Also available in Lakeland, etc. This is my personal secret for vastly improving Autocrossing at advanced age. Where else can you have this much fun on wheels for no more than $250 and get a permanent endorsement on your driver's license too - before you're too stiff to do the moves. Assuming you go take the written test at the DVM after your all done taking driving test. Doesn't matter if you ever buy a bike. The hand's on knowledge will stay with you.

Oh. One minor condition other than having a valid driver's license. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO RIDE a two wheeled BICYCLE. That leaves my wife out!! I won't let her buy a concealed handgun either!!

So my secret is now out. Original '81 Suzuki GS750EX was a pre-retirement project. Gets 40-50mpg too. Will still do 12+ second 1/4's @ 9500rpm. 500rpm more than the RX8 @ redline. Progress?

[blacksheep-1]

With regards to the "lack of time" issue. I love drag racing (legally this time) you haven't lived until you drive to Atlanta, pay 250 bucks for an NHRA entry, then run two practice runs and last one round, time in vehicle just over 30 seconds. I used to have an SCCA regional license, great fun, beat the crap out of the car and used a set of (then $800) tires each weekend. Time in car, with practice, about an hour. Karts, I was the 1992 state champ, ran over 40 races in one year, costs in tires alone was over $5K. Autocrossing is about the biggest bang for the buck there is, sure we all want more time in the vehicle, but the actual cost of a competition car is the least of the money outlay. Fuel, tires, hotels, tolls and entries always add up to way more than the cost of the vehicle. So yeah, I would like to race 24/7 like Ken Schrader too, but for most of us it just isn't possible.

[puncturina]

Hey you guys are pretty helpful for a bunch of grumpy old men
Seriously, thanks for the tips. I didn't expect any replies -- I was just ruminating about this odd sport where people spend hours/days preparing, only to spend three or four actual minutes doing the deed, as it were.
Anyway, we've been veering from side to side, running over reflectors the last few days. Will take other suggestions under consideration. Thanks Doug for revealing your trade secrets...

[Loren]

You'd be absolutely amazed were you to attend the SCCA Solo Nationals. There are people there (lots of them!) who spend upwards of $100,000 buying and preparing a car, practicing, traveling to "the big event"... all for about 6 minutes of actual competition time over 2 days and the shot at winning a coveted "National Champion" jacket. The amount of time, effort and money spent on this sport is truly astounding!

"Seat time" is key, though. And you should use every minute you spend behind the wheel of a car as an opportunity to either "practice" in some way, or at least reinforce proper driving position and habits. Everything that you do as a part of your daily driving becomes a habit that either works for or against you in competition.

[76-TR6]

I'm pretty sure you've done the FAST school at least once. There are others out there if you want to greatly increase your skill level over one intensive weekend for a nominal fee.

I just learned through a member in my forum club, http://www.6-pack.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, that the http://www.gulfcoastautocrossers.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; offers an autocross driving school in Ft. Myers. "Joe Bimmer" told me at the Ciminito Exceptional Center visit on Friday that Drive Fast also offers one. I think he said it's offered off-season. Where can I find more info on this. Does anyone know of any others as well? I would like to explore and experience my car's potential as much as I possibly can...

Robert

[Loren]

GCAC does a mini novice school the morning of each of their Saturday events, or used to. They also host a "professional" autocross school about once a year that is very expensive, but gets you a lot of seat time.

We do our novice school early in the year, it's looking like March this year. It's a full-day novice school that is much more than the monthly GCAC thing (which is more of an "orientation") and perhaps less than the big autocross school, but also about 1/3 the cost. (we don't bring in pro-level national champion autocrossers to train our novices, it's just us) Keep your eye on the calendar and this forum.

[puncturina]

Well, here's true confessions time. Doug always wants me to drive the Z, but I only drive it about once a week, and that is to and from work about 13 mins each way, on Curlew and 19. Not too much opportunity to get creative.
I have lots of excuses, but mostly it's laziness -- it's too much work to drive a stick, it's hard to get in and out of the car, there's no back seat to throw in all my crap, whatever...

OK, I'll drive it more and practice on my daily drive. What a concept. Actually drive the car...

Watch out guys!

[Loren]

about 13 mins each way, on Curlew and 19. Not too much opportunity to get creative.

Plot a more interesting route! The most uninspiring distance between two points is a straight line.

[Jeremy]

You'd be absolutely amazed were you to attend the SCCA Solo Nationals. There are people there (lots of them!) who spend upwards of $100,000 buying and preparing a car, practicing, traveling to "the big event"... all for about 6 minutes of actual competition time over 2 days and the shot at winning a coveted "National Champion" jacket. The amount of time, effort and money spent on this sport is truly astounding!.

You may have already heard about this, but the guy that won superstock this year changed to a brand new set of tires after every run. So that means he brought at least 7 sets of mounted brand new tires.

[Loren]

You may have already heard about this, but the guy that won superstock this year changed to a brand new set of tires after every run. So that means he brought at least 7 sets of mounted brand new tires.

Heh. No, hadn't heard that one. Guess he didn't see any value in "heat in the tires", huh?

[twistedwankel]

Well, here's true confessions time. ... it's hard to get in and out of the car, there's no back seat to throw in all my crap,

This is precisely why after test driving a 1/2 dozen "cool" used two seaters (including Z3, boxster, 350Z) I decided on the "4 adult sized", suicide doored, RX8 with a good sized trunk. AKA the Miata Coupe with a back seat.

Upon re-reading the search here on "stock mods" it reminded me of things. Based on best bang for the buck. I am happy with my original alignment (tire wear) so left that alone whatever it is? After grinding excellent used Bridgestones to the wear bars (and beyond) I went with the widest/cheapest 140 tires that would easily fit on my 8" wide factory rims. That is 245/40/18" Hankook's. Stock was 225/45/18. Same diameter but nearly 3/4" wider. Awesome stick BUT one loses a little bit of agility in quick slaloms, etc. Driver's choice BUT you will be amazed.



Things for Doug/you to consider in the 300HP+ torque monster M:

Exhaust. Cat back is wide open in all stock classes everywhere. Can save alot of weight and add power (meaningless to you I think). I believe the Z4 is perfect 50/50 empty balance stock.
RX8 has 52%Front- 48%Rear balance (they say) with driver. Slightly off from the Miata's 50/50. So I tend to run with alot of gas in the saddle tank for rear ballast. I also see no advantage to a lighter exhaust for a few HP at high rpm for $500+ AND I hate highway drone.

Performance Alignment. Perfectly legal in all stock classes everywhere. FAST -2.2 degrees camber max and assorted front/rear toe for autocross maximum turn in. Great for an autocross car that's not a daily driver but doesn't always like going in a straight line for a trip. $140+ You will both be amazed.

Launch: Costs nothing, nada, zero, zilch, $0. Either short shift quickly or start out in 2nd gear as you have more torque than your street tires can possible handle. You will both be amazed if not all ready doing this. This is an old CP trick. Keeps the car planted with probably no additional upshift needed on our courses.

FAST ONLY Stock Special. Buy a set of new or used 16-17" x 9" rims (cheaper tires?) which will cost less than the HP tires most likely. If you can get more offset increasing the track too that's even better 1/4" per wheel. Have them match the mating ring of the hub for strength. Normally lighter too. $750+ new. You will be amazed.

It is unlikely BMW left any room for improvement in suspension components such as front stabilizer bar or bushings. BUT you can put in double adjustable shocks (usually for a ton of money) if you like to experiment and write things down in your 10 minutes/month for two drivers? I had a front koni years ago break internally and dent my hood so I'm not a real fan anymore plus with the koni rears nearly impossible to quickly adjust after on the car. There are plenty of others.

Note: I took me about 3 years/seasons to hone my ability out of a stone age Z Gatorback tire on a "great" automatic turbo car to the point where I was about 4 seconds off the R race tire stock guys in the same class. Then I bought a used separate set of factory rims and R tires and beat them all. Changing tires twice/day is no longer an option for me.

From here on it gets really picky and would not be FUN anymore:)

The S2 guys might band together and ship the RX8 to S1 next season AND I wouldn't blame them!!

See you in S1?