New to autocross...

[A1337STI]

so basically i can either drive like a man on a mission or the laughing stock of the autoX event ? well when phrased that way .....

Since this is not a subaru only event, do they get canceled out if its raining? (i would think/ HOPE TO GOD subaru drivers would be excited to autoX in the rain, while like corvette drivers would not be ) (so wishing for a rainny autox , could be a bad idea)

[sperry]

Originally Posted by A1337STI

so basically i can either drive like a man on a mission or the laughing stock of the autoX event ? well when phrased that way .....

Since this is not a subaru only event, do they get canceled out if its raining? (i would think/ HOPE TO GOD subaru drivers would be excited to autoX in the rain, while like corvette drivers would not be ) (so wishing for a rainny autox , could be a bad idea)

Let me just put it this way:



That was from the '04 Test-n-Tune.

[Dean]

Corrected

Originally Posted by sperry

That was from the '04 school

We've also run in some thunderstorms, sort of, but for the most part, we have been really lucky with weather except at our schools. I think it's been two or three years in a row they have been miserable.

[A1337STI]

Yeeeeeehaaaaaaw That's awesome I'm so stoked for april. (except the whole income tax being due part ) "this is gonna be cool"

[doubleurx]

Originally Posted by sperry

The only time I ever saw someone try to use the e-brake in a race was MattR's run in Lovelock.

It started with him at the line... "Hey ya'll, watch this!". Then he drove out the taxiway, on to the runway, and executed a beautiful rear-wheel lockup/pivot around the turnaround cone. Then proceeded to power-on drift the car right off the tarmac and into the desert. Then at the other end of the runway, he decided to drift the right-hand sweeper off the runway down the taxi-way, hitting like 5 cones with the left rear fender of the car... cones that dknv had to go pick up. I was the next car out and got red-flagged because Debbie couldn't get to that many cones before I arrived at her corner.

So yeah, the e-brake can be a ton of fun... but driving a proper apex is still faster.

Edit: oh that's not the only time I've seen an e-brake turn... Theo's used it to stop after the lights before.

Why isn't Matt's sig: "Hey Y'all watch this!"

That is classic. I think I remeber seeing the diagrams with Matt's explanation sans the quote.

I'm going to do my best to make this as well so A1337STI you won't be the only newb out there. Of course I have the advantage that these guys have seen me drive at RFR and already got there laughs out!

[dknv]

Originally Posted by sperry

The only time I ever saw someone try to use the e-brake in a race was MattR's run in Lovelock.

It started with him at the line... "Hey ya'll, watch this!". Then he drove out the taxiway, on to the runway, and executed a beautiful rear-wheel lockup/pivot around the turnaround cone. Then proceeded to power-on drift the car right off the tarmac and into the desert. Then at the other end of the runway, he decided to drift the right-hand sweeper off the runway down the taxi-way, hitting like 5 cones with the left rear fender of the car... cones that dknv had to go pick up. I was the next car out and got red-flagged because Debbie couldn't get to that many cones before I arrived at her corner.

So yeah, the e-brake can be a ton of fun... but driving a proper apex is still faster.

Edit: oh that's not the only time I've seen an e-brake turn... Theo's used it to stop after the lights before.

Theo was crazy! (Where's he been lately?) But for that matter, Matt and MikeK and Sperry are crazy too.
omg, some of those cones were like half a mile away. Then what would happen is, Matt would clip a cone, I run out & set it back up, then Scott comes along & clips the same cone. Ahggg! Can't breathe!

[MattR]

Hahaha....Good times. My explanation:
1. The E-brake u-turn at Lovelock was VERY well excecuted and I think I would have made up time around that turn. I screwed up by overpowering the exit, and spinning all four wheels and sliding off the course. I was having too much fun to lift Honestly though, as quick as the car rotated, I think that may be the only instance where the drift might make up time.

2. Debbie, I'm sorry...hahaha. I got crazy at that right hander because there was so much dust in the car from #1 (see above) that I could not see properly. I should have just stopped.

3. Nick, the MSpaint illustration you are referring to was not this event, instead, it was to explain the Solo Trials crash I had (also at Lovelock) where I went off into the desert sideways at the top of 4th gear This is also known as the origin of my motto..."I got this bitch!"

[MattR]

Here's a writeup that popped up on NASIOC today Not bad, gets the point across.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=951026

[A1337STI]

great thread thanks for the post

[M3n2c3]

Quite the fortuitous discovery, there. Wow, pix and everything!

[A1337STI]

I feel a good .05 seconds faster already which should lower my time to about 5 minutes. you said the average is about 1 minute ?

[M3n2c3]

I'm gonna be picking up a Bell SR-Pro helmet (SA2000, because it's about $100 less than the SA2005) and a Schroth Rallye 3 harness from soloracer.com.

Does anyone have any alternate suggestions before I make the purchase?

Or a lightly used Rallye 3 harness they'd like to sell for cheap?

[sperry]

Originally Posted by M3n2c3

I'm gonna be picking up a Bell SR-Pro helmet (SA2000, because it's about $100 less than the SA2005) and a Schroth Rallye 3 harness from soloracer.com.

Does anyone have any alternate suggestions before I make the purchase?

Or a lightly used Rallye 3 harness they'd like to sell for cheap?

I fully endorse your picks. Great helmet, and great harnesses. And the $100 discount sounds worth it, since you'll be able to use that helmet for like 10 years at autocross, and on the track for the next 5.

I've got a set of those harnesses (as do like 10 other SECCS people) and love them. People will argue that they're not as safe as the factory 2-point belts in a rollover, but that's a decision you'll have to make for yourself. Personally, I run the schroths during both autocross and track days, as long as they're legal within the organization that's running the event (SCCA doesn't allow aftermarket belts on track w/o a rollbar, no matter what, at least that was the rule last season). I'd be happy to sell you my harnesses as soon as I get a cage, but the cage is being delayed a while, and my driver's belt does have signs of wear, so once I get a cage I will likely just toss them out, or sell the buckles/hardware as spare parts.

[Kevin M]

Good choice on the helmet, but I think you'll have a hard time finding the SA2000 version. Soloracer only has smalls left on their clearance shelf.

I use my harnesses on the track as well. I figure the increased risk of injury in a rollover is more than balanced by the better feel and control I have of the car with harnesses on. I have a 4-point g-Force harness in my miata that will be a full 6 point harness once I put in the race bucket. And in a collision, I would much prefer to be wearing my harness than the stock belts, since in my case, the lapbelt is much higher than my hips for some reason. If I hit something head-on I'm gonna have some internal injuries with the OEM belt on. :-|

[M3n2c3]

Small is exacly the size that I need.

And with as relatively rare as rollovers seem to be in autox, I'll definitely use a harness. The stock belt blows fuzzy goats - I don't want to have to brace against the steering wheel to hold myself in place anymore.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by M3n2c3

Small is exacly the size that I need.

And with as relatively rare as rollovers seem to be in autox, I'll definitely use a harness. The stock belt blows fuzzy goats - I don't want to have to brace against the steering wheel to hold myself in place anymore.

There's always "the seatbelt trick"... slide the seat all the way back, jerk the belt so it locks, slide the seat forward so the belt is locked against you. I use that trick at the track when the harnesses aren't allowed.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

There's always "the seatbelt trick"... slide the seat all the way back, jerk the belt so it locks, slide the seat forward so the belt is locked against you. I use that trick at the track when the harnesses aren't allowed.

I teach it to almost all my students, and use it myself in 90% of my students cars that don't have harnesses, and it works great.

It takes practice to learn where to slide to to get it to work and end up in the right seating position.

Depending on the car, sometimes seat back tilt, or seat up and down or som combination work better, especially with power seats.

[dknv]

Originally Posted by Dean

I teach it to almost all my students, and use it myself in 90% of my students cars that don't have harnesses, and it works great.

It takes practice to learn where to slide to to get it to work and end up in the right seating position.

Depending on the car, sometimes seat back tilt, or seat up and down or som combination work better, especially with power seats.

And it's free.

[Forgotten]

Dean showed me the trick during the autocross school last year. It took me until the last couple events to get in down, so I could do it in about 10 seconds. It does help, but feels nowhere near as good as harnesses.

[M3n2c3]

The side bolsters in the RS aren't anything fantastic, so I want something that'll hold me down by both shoulders. The benefits of having a harness over a stock belt were very apparent when I rode along with Dean last year.

[MPREZIV]

^^ If your '05 seats are anywhere near as shitty as my '01 stockers, I fully understand your pain! My only benefit was that I'm taller than you, and used the tranny tunnel/driver's door to brace my self with my knees, depending on which direction I was turning. Ghey.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

^^ If your '05 seats are anywhere near as shitty as my '01 stockers, I fully understand your pain! My only benefit was that I'm taller than you, and used the tranny tunnel/driver's door to brace my self with my knees, depending on which direction I was turning. Ghey.

The '05 comes w/ the same seats as the WRX, doesn't it? 'Course, I don't think there have been factory seats more comfortable than the '02/'03 WRX seats (at least here in the US, since the US STI seats are too wide).

I can't wait to replace mine with racing shells so I've got a seat to build a GT4/PC cockpit with.

[A1337STI]

Someone will definatly have to show me this seatbelt trick

The provided link says that they often pair up the greenist Noob with the most advanced driver at the event. Hopefully that will be the case here pretty darn sure i'm gonna be the greenist Noob there i'm not sure who has the most experiance. and if it matters if the instructors knows your car model well, or if its more imporant they know autoX well (probably the later, but i dunno) . Do they always run a car behind you? If i know i'm going to drive the first run slow on purpose can the hold the next guy back , or is that not allowed ?

[MPREZIV]

Oh, you won't be the only NOOB there! I've never dont this before either! I'm so f'ing excited! I can't wait!

[sperry]

Originally Posted by A1337STI

Someone will definatly have to show me this seatbelt trick

The provided link says that they often pair up the greenist Noob with the most advanced driver at the event. Hopefully that will be the case here pretty darn sure i'm gonna be the greenist Noob there i'm not sure who has the most experiance. and if it matters if the instructors knows your car model well, or if its more imporant they know autoX well (probably the later, but i dunno) . Do they always run a car behind you? If i know i'm going to drive the first run slow on purpose can the hold the next guy back , or is that not allowed ?

Cars are spaced so no one will run up on the next car. And if there's a spin or something, the 2nd car gets red flagged and is given a re-run. There's almost never more than two cars on course at one time.