Autocross, how to?

[sammyg2]

Fastest day I ever had was at Irwindale, 6th overall out of 50 ( with10 instructors driving, one in the 1st RS).
That was in X class and finished 2nd in class IIRC.
I was in a 914 with a stock front sway bar, 200# rear springs, yoko stickies in back and 15 year old rock hard michelins in front and BMW320I front brakes.
I could steer that thing with my right foot.

One of the instructors asked how I could turn in that good of a time with my clutch slipping so badly every time i got on the gas. I tole im that wasn't the clutch, it was the rear tires.
It had a little more HP than stock. (chebby 350 V8).

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by look 171

Scott,

That Miata of your is easy to drive with the right pedal and getting it back on track requires lifting of the said pedal vary slightly or counter steer. I did lot of it on this turn on the way to my home, usually late at night without any cars around (2nd gear turn). A tight turn that's wide open with nothing to hit if I lost control. Years ago, I would find a large parking lot and screw around in it to see what it can do in the turns (rain is better). I am not sure if that will fly today. How about driving school at Willow or something?

Many years ago out here on the Palos Vedes Peninsula there were actually vacant fields, we used to race mom and dad's cars around in the dirt (dad=Cutlass, mom=Impala) I have mucho experience at sliding cars around (I was drifting before drifting was cool!).

Driving a Miata is light years from an late 60's GM product thou... I really just want to explore the limits on my little car.

I have upgraded, brakes, wheels to 15", tires to 205's but the shocks are still weak.

Roll bars in a Miata's are a huge subject over on Miata.net accompanied by many gory pictures... still not sure if I want one or not.

Other than the blown shocks... the other thing holding me back is my Miata has a slushbox... great for freeway commuting I do everyday but for autocross, not so much I guess?

[look 171]

Scott,

KIds who don't or didn't mess around drifting or power sliding in an empty lot is almost not normal at their early driving age IMO. I use to do it in a icy parking when we visited my relatives in Canada in my teens. Hell, they were mostly rear wheel drives back then so it was easy and fun to fish tail.

You must be talking about those lots near the old Marineland?

The limit is pretty high on those little Miatas. I had KYB adj. shocks put on mine, that was it. I went out for a drive with our pelican hooligans down at Ortega Hwy and it did fine but lacked a the power as soon as the road straighten out but caught up in the corners. Good Bridgestone sticky summer tires were a must. Most of my exploring the limited of my MR2 was in the empty parking lot of a local cal state during christmas holiday. I did a bit of it in my Miata as well but that was when I was a bit older and it wasn't fun getting in trouble so I stopped. I think they will send you off to jail if caught doing that today.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

I never did autox in my 99 Miata but one of the first things I did was to have a rollbar installed= Harddog rollbar. Call me a chickensh_t if you want but it made me feel safer driving a small car. Just trying to think of your head among other things....

First of all, don't do this, unless of course you wear a helmet whenever you drive your car. You are about a thousand times more likely to get rearended than to roll a Miata.

I highly recommend a driving school, SCCA sponsors one. I like the test and tune things like Trekkor runs out at Sears Point from time to time. Nice to do 40 runs instead of 4.

Experience is similar to how Colin Chapman referred to light weight. There is no replacement for it.

[sammyg2]

I used to know a guy who was good at building and driving fast cars. Caint remember his name but his initials were Brad Roberts.
He gave me some pointers when I was first starting out.


He tole me that anyone can go fast with lots of HP but a good driver is one who can go fast in a momentum car.
The miata is similar to a 4 cyl 914 in that to get a good time you need to carry speed and momentum through the entire course. Get through the corners with slowing down at little as possible.
The more you brake the more time you lose, scrubbing off speed by taking corners fast makes you slower. Sometimes you have to blow a corner of porpoise to get the next one right.

SLOW DOWN TO GO FAST.

It sounds a whole lot simpler than it is but if you go after an AX with that in mind your technique will develop faster.

[AFC-911]

Don't forget your rainbow sticker!

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Tobra

First of all, don't do this, unless of course you wear a helmet whenever you drive your car. You are about a thousand times more likely to get rearended than to roll a Miata.

That is why I am not getting a roll-bar... I didn't want to open the can of worms that has been discussed over on Miata.net extensively (with dozens if not hundreds of posts).

Bottom line you are more likely to crack your skull on the roll-bar than to get squished in a roll over.

Besides I'm saving for a set of VMAXX coil-overs. (See, I do read the posts over on Miata.net)

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by look 171

Scott,


You must be talking about those lots near the old Marineland?

Sort of... we rode our dirt bike over by Marineland...

Our "dirt track" was on the top of the hill near my parents house... google 'Deane Dana friendship park'.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Take a look at your local SCCA website, most of them have a pretty good "how to get started in autocross" section.

I am sadly negligent in this department, I've had grand ambitions but never tracked a car. Lots of excuses, but I'm going to fix that in 2014. I'll call it a New Years resolution, so at least I'll keep one of them. By spring I'll have the 996 in acceptable shape and give it a go, which probably means I will rapidly descend down the slippery slope.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by AFC-911

Don't forget your rainbow sticker!

Yeah but which one? So many styles available and it has to be just so!

[Jeremy Cottrell]

Come join us at El Toro,

PCAOCR.ORG

Register here

motorsportreg.com

You don't need anything but a car with seat belts. We have loaner helmets. Your first few events you will be paired with an instructor and you'll have a blast!

Come on down Sunday.

Hope to see you there.

[berettafan]

Ax'd a 90 miata with weak compression a few times and found it very frustrating vs the '70 911. The 911 at ax speeds is so much fun you just have to try it. Miata is great but really shows your weaknesses as you need to understand momentum driving. I didn't and sucked at it.

The comments about being humbled by ****boxes is right on. It's tough on the confidence when your race bred machinery gets shown up by a grocery getter.

Oh btw when you get to r comps you are going to be like "holy **** this rocks!!!! "

[stuartj]

Some of the best track and autox days Ive ever had were in the Mrs 3 different Miatas. All absolutely standard, unmodded cars. They are a joy, a real drivers car. As stated, you need to learn to carry chassis speed, cause they surely don't have a lot of grunt.

At out 'local' track, which is a proper race track, but technical and without huge straights (ie perfect Miata territory) she reduced grown men in 911s to tears one wet DI day. She used to get around there in 1.52- friend went to a Cobra day at that track recently, with one very fast exception, none of the 500hp, Mickey Thompson hairy chested pumpkins were breaking 1.55.

MX5s rock.

[John Rogers]

Sammy's post about momentum is spot on and 914-4s and Miatas are classic examples of this. When our daughter started driving her 2L stock 914 and running SCCA events in 1998 we had her paired with a Miata driver who was nationally ranked and she was patient and easy going as a teacher. We went to events from Phoenix to LA and usually two minimum a month. It payed off well as she was a great learner and at the 2000 Porsche Parade in Sacramento she won her class by 12.73 seconds, still the largest margin in all Parades I think. Her second and third runs were within 1/10 second as she proved to also be consistent! She ended up beating some of those Miatas at SCCA events finally but they were tough once the drivers learned the momentum idea.

[AFC-911]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Yeah but which one? So many styles available and it has to be just so!

Depends on your pride.


I say the OP should get a My Little Pony rainbow sticker to match the car.

[HarryD]

How to start in AX. Easy, show up in a safe (road worthy) car. Pay your money. Listen to the instructors. Have fun.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by AFC-911

Depends on your pride.


I say the OP should get a My Little Pony rainbow sticker to match the car.

Well... I want it to be fabulous but not FABULOUS! If you know what I mean

You do realize I am the OP?

[Joe Bob]

Take everything out of the car. Have good brake pads, fresh fluid. Pull the fuse on the horn and wipers......nothing screams wanker (or frustrates you) when the horn or the wipers go off on tight turns. Use the tires that you use on the street.

Check the battery tie down, pull the spare.....check tire pressures. Bring a cheap IR temp gun to read tire temps, each side and middle. Adjust pressures so that temps are flat across the 3 readings.

Read the AX book that Sammy suggested.

Be smooth.....watch the others and use the offered instructors. Time others in each stretch and see who is faster and why......mid. rear, front engine rides enter and exit turns in different locations as do, front and rear wheel drive rides.

WALK the track. Listen to the guy that set it up. He usually set it so that he can kick YOUR ass. Don't discount 914s or the hairdresser cars.

[John Rogers]

Okay, I'll bite, what the hell is a "hair dresser car"? Must be an LA area term???? When we were running with the SCCA we used to see EVERYTHING, pickup trucks, family with their van, go karts, AM monsters, etc, etc.

HAVE FUN!

[Jeremy Cottrell]

PCA-OCR will let you run a Miata in X class at El Toro. No problem there.

I have a couple hairdresser cars too. I run one in SCCA E-Stock, soon to be E-Street. I also run a 911T with PCA, so all are welcome. Come on down.

Joe Bob's advice above is perfect!