Autocross

    Autocross is generally a timed event where you race against the clock; also known as Solo II in the SCCA.  Your object is to maneuver through the course as fast as possible without hitting any cones.  Hitting cones will usually result in time penalties added to your final time.  You do not race against other cars on the course like you see on TV (door-to-door), which makes this sport pretty safe.

    Nothing is needed to get started in Solo II; except a good and safe working car and a valid driver's license.  Helmets are required, but are usually supplied (called loaner helmets) by the sanctioning body hosting the event.  If you do plan on buying your own helmet you have to make sure it is Snell certified.  This certification is stamped on the inside of the helmet underneath the lining.  Helmets that are legal for the 2000 season are M95, SA95, or M2000/SA2000 helmets. Also some regions give discounts if you are an SCCA member. http://www.scca.com

    What are the differences between M & SA helmets?  M helmets are 'motorcycle' helmets and are not lined with a fire resistant material, lighter, and are not repetitive impact resistant (like hitting your head on the roll cage inside your car).  SA helmets do come with a fire resistant lining and are multiple impact resistant.  M helmets are only legal for autocross, whereas SA helmets are good for autocross and road racing events - just in case you would like to try this someday I would suggest an SA helmet.  You also have a choice of open or closed face helmets.  I prefer closed (with a visor), since I wear contacts and wearing sunglasses on a hot day is just a pain with the sunglasses sliding off your face.  Also most road courses require you to have a closed face helmet in case an object enters your car at a high rate of speed.
 
    To get started in autocrossing is very cheap (well except for buying a car).  There are no modifications needed to start.  A lot of people get the misconception that in order to win I have to have the best mods. This is totally untrue.  There are many different levels in Solo II: Stock, Street Prepared, Prepared, Modified, Street Touring, and Street Mod.  Putting mods on your car bumps you up the chain into difficult and more competitive classes.  Autocrossing is more driver than how much money you have spent on your car.
 
    Starting out in Stock is basically where most people start.  You can do some mods:

    So before you write out that check for $5000 realize the more mods you, do the harder the class gets.  Especially Street Prepared where the competitors spend unlimited amounts of money just to gain that 2/10s on the course.  Where $2000 per shock is normally cheap, and $1000 9lb 14" wheel is considered heavy.  Visit RULES for more rules.

    Also people think mods will make them a better driver.  While this may be true when you become a veteran autocrosser, too many mods can make setting up your car TOO confusing.  You'll be wondering/worrying which mod made you slower: coilovers, shock settings, sway bars too stiff, not enough fuel, etc.... When you leave the car STOCK the only thing that makes the car slower is you, pretty simple to figure out.
 
    Try to find an event in your area - I used http://www.scca.com to find a place, but if you live in the northeast you can go here - http://www.autox4u.com.  Now the night before the event you want to follow the check sheet below so you will be prepared for the next day's events:
 

Air Pressure Gauge

Money

Driver's License

Water (to drink)

Food (some clubs do not have time to go out and eat)

Make sure your lugs are torqued down to specs

Make sure battery is secure

Chair

Sunscreen or hat

Shoe polish or chalk for your tires.

 

Extra stuff I bring:

EZ-Up tent (especially nice during the hot summer weather and summer showers)

Tools

Pad of paper to write what settings I had and temperature/weather of the day

Air tank ($20-30 at Kmart or Walmart)

or

Portable air pump - plug into your cigarette lighter (slower but smaller)

Small jack ($20 from Kmart or Walmart)

 
    Make sure you get there a bit early on your first time out.  Registration usually opens at 8 am and with some clubs they close registration at 10 am.  If you miss it you're out of luck.  When you get there find a nice space to park, and head on over to the registration table.  Let them know you are a "newbie" (novice) and they will most likely set you up with the Novice Instructor.  You will pay your entrance fees, show your driver's license, and get your car number.  There are usually anywhere between 2-5 heats.  Each heat is a different group of people throughout the day and goes in the order of: Heat 1, Heat 2, Heat 3, etc.  If you are a "newbie" I would suggest running in Heat 3, and working in Heat 1 (which by the way you have to work to race - sort of a common courtesy).  Doing this will let you be out on the course to watch how the cars take the lines through the course.  Then for Heat 2 you will be able to watch from the sidelines and get some more input.  And then you will race in Heat 3.

 

    You will also need to be Tech'ed (inspected) to make sure your car is in good running order.  You will need to clean out your car.  Especially loose items like CDs, empty soda cans, etc.  These things can become missiles inside your car at speed, especially on hairpin turns.  Also remove your spare tire & jack, but it's not necessary.  I also suggest to pump up your air pressures to 45/42 (front/rear), cause under hard braking and turning your tires will tend to roll over (BAD!) and you might get a pinch flat.  So pump those rubbers up!!!  And from there experiment to see what's right.  Some people use 'shoe polish' or 'chalk' on their tires to see how far they are rolling over the tires on the course.  You want to make marks on the edges of your tires, make a run, then see how far you scrubbed your marks.  If the marks are scrubbed too far put more more air in, if not enough then take some out.
 
    Once you get everything removed and you think your car is ready, take it over to Tech Inspection.  They will go over your car making sure the wheels are secure, the brake & gas pedal have feel, battery is secure, and overall make sure nothing will fly off your car while racing.  Some clubs will also check your helmet, but if you do not have one tell them you are taking a loaner helmet.  When and if you have enough time, now would be a great chance to walk the course and get a feel for what it looks like OR wait for the "newbie" meeting.  Either way you will still might have time to walk the course in between each of the heats.  I recommend walking the course by yourself without any distractions.  I have seen one too many times people talking away not paying attention to their lines, and to the other extreme people in total trances as they walk the course.  For your first time out you should ask for help, which is usually available.  Do not assume that you know which way to go only to find out you are heading the wrong way into the next oncoming car!
 
   When they call out your heat to work make sure you show up in a timely manner.  No one likes to wait for a worker holding up the runs.  You will probably be sent with someone who knows what they are doing when you go out on the course.  Basically it is your job to pick up cones (when it is safe), flag cars to stop (when a situation arises), and calling cones to the timers (in case they didn't see the cone get hit).  Make sure at all times you are alert on the course.  Do not sit, talk too much, and take pictures/videos when working.  Anything can happen in a split second - and that split second can be the difference between getting nipped by the out of control car, or being run over.  When a car goes by and clips a cone make sure it is one of the following: 1. totally out of the chalk box, 2. in the chalk box but fallen over, 3. some part of the cone touching the chalk box, but still standing.  If it is one of the first two it is a penalty. If it is #3 then it's considered good and not a penalty.
 
    When it's your turn to race - try to stand calm and focused.  They will call your heat and you will have to grid your car according to your number.  I always put my helmet on when 5-6 cars ahead of me start moving.  Make sure your seat belt is pulled tight - some people always twist their seat belts before buckling it - I personally don't find that works well for me.  Some clubs have a red/yellow/green light and some just have a red/green light.  You want to pull up to the line until the light turns red.  The time keeper will let you out when the other car ahead of you is 1/2 way through the course.  Also you do not have to go on green, the timer will start when you trip the second laser beam about 5-10 feet infront of you, so you will be able to do a quick little burn out.  I usually rev my rpms up to about 3000 rpms and drop the clutch and by the time my tires catch I'm at the 2nd beam.
 
    Now there are two things to remember and that's "Be Slow To be Fast" and "Look ahead".  The first thing means being a smoother driver (on the brakes and gas) will usually beat the Kamakazi Gung-ho driver (stabbing at the brakes and gas).  So take it easy on your first one or two laps.  Brake before going into the turns, go into the turn, and 1/2 way through the turn start to feather the gas to get you out of the turn.  I was always told never to brake in a turn, this will make your car do too many things at once and upset the balance of your car.  Second thing means what it says. Look ahead - WAY AHEAD!  Too many people tend to look at the cone right infront of their car, and in that case it's already too late to correct if you are too close to the cone, going to fast, or not going fastest enough. I like to look at least 100-200 feet ahead, which is usually the next section or two. That way you're brain is already preparing your hands and feet on what's coming up.
 
    Remember cones are usually a time penalty, with most clubs being 2 seconds added to your final time.  If you get lost slow down and regain your composure.  If you start to feel your car go off course and there is no saving it - just let it go.  Slow down safely and stop - gain your bearings and continue on.  It is better to save your car than to save your run.  I have seen one too many times someone try to save their run by braking harder only to offset the balance of their car and flip!
 
  Some tidbits for taking lines through a course:
    1. For a hairpin u-turn I was always told to take the outside line, hit the middle inside cone (not literally!), then go for the outside cones again.  This will keep your speed up more so than taking the inside line the whole time.
    2. For S-turns (or esses) you want to take the outside line, than most inner cone, than inner cone, then outside line. Sorry about trying to explain this in words - I'll try to get some pictures up.
    3. Most course will be a 2nd gear course.  If you have an automatic I would leave it in 2nd or 3rd gear.  In some instances I have shifted back and forth from 1st and 2nd gear.  You will have to learn your car's peak torque and hp and how to keep your car in that area.
 
  How to set-up your car:
    There are basically three different types of handling a car can do - Understeer, Oversteer, and Neutral Handling.  Understeer is when you want the car to turn, but you are still skidding or going straight. For example when you are driving in the snow and you want to negotiate a turn, but instead of turning right you go straight and slide past your exit/turn.

      Oversteer is the opposite - you want to turn, but the rear of your car kicks around with you facing the other direction, and in some extremes go into some nice 360s.

    And of course neutral handling is when your car is a balance between the both and you can initially cause your car to understeer or oversteer by using different inputs to the car - steering wheel with brakes, steering wheel with gas, etc...

    For most FWD (front wheel drive) cars your car will understeer from factory. This is actually safer than oversteer. Reason being for the general population you will want a car to be controllable by letting off the gas instead of having the back end kick around when negotiating a turn.

    To set-up most Hondas (which are FWD) you want more oversteer to a point of neutral handling or a little bit of oversteer.  Now depending on your class you are only allowed certain modifications, so I will start with stock classes and which are allowable to my class (STS) which anything is basically legal.

    For stock classes you can create more oversteer by increasing or decreasing the rear air pressures relative to the fronts.  So if you are running 40psi in the fronts you should run at least 4 less or 4 more psi's in the rear.  How is this so? Lets look at how air pressures and tires work:

    The cheapest way to see if you are using the whole FRONT tire is to chalk or shoe polish the edges of your sidewalls.  After one run you should check to see if the tires are rolling over too much or not enough.  Usually there is an arrow or point on your tire where the shoulder meets the tread.

        1.    If you are rolling over to this you have perfect air pressure. 
        2.    If you are scrubbing past the arrow/point you need more air. 
        3.    If you are not scrubbing to the arrow/point you need less air in the tires.

    The other way to check to see if you have enough air in your FRONT tires is to use a pyrometer, which measures surface temperature of objects.  Some are non contact using infrared beam to measure the temperatures, and others are probes that you stick a little needle into the tire.  You want the front tires to measure equal temperatures across a tire, which means you are using the whole tread.

       1.   If the middle is hot and the shoulders are cooler, then you need less air.
       2.   If the shoulders are hot and the middle is cool, then you need more air.

    Once we get the front tires working at their max, now you need to tend to the rear tires.  Rear tires will get the car to rotate/oversteer.  Factory settings are usually equal pressures front and rear, which promote understeering (as we mentioned before).  So any pressure which is not equal to the front tires (remember on a stock car) you should be able to get the car more neutral.

    For Novice drivers I recommend doing lower pressures in the rear.  The reason being is that lowering the rear pressures will make the tire ride on the shoulders of the tires (two contact points), so when the car starts to rotate/oversteer it does it in a slower manner - easier to catch just by stepping on the gas to get the rear to plant.

    When you get used to this setting, try using higher pressures in the rear.  This will cause the tire to ride on the middle of the tread (one contact point), so now rotation/oversteer will be quick.  And believe me it happens FAST!  You should be ready to get back on the gas pedal to keep the car from spinnning.

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