Autocross, how to?
 

The recent celebrity accident got me thinking.

I am few months into Miata ownership.

About a week ago we had a rare light rain... on my way to work I got a little too hot on the freeway on-ramp and waged the tail of the Miata (yes, very stupid for 56 year old)

So again thinking... maybe I could find a safe way/time/place to explore the limits of my new tiny sports car... such as autocross.

What sort of equipment do I need to get into autocross? Cheaply seeing as I doubt it will be a regular hobby.

Thanks!

A safe car and a helmet... Some autocross events have some loaner helmets.

Otherwise, go have fun!

If you like to read, see if you can find a copy of The Autocross Performance Handbook.

As I remember, the SCCA only requires a safe car and I think they do a short inspection. When we started many, many years ago they did supply loaner helmets AND an instructor who is generally familiar with your car make and model. In southern CA there used to be a couple a month at minimum.

look for a local motorsports club. SCCA is a good place to start, but BMW, porsche, corvette clubs etc also have autocrosses.

if they have a beginners school, go to it.

when you go, sign up for novice or beginner or a class like that. when you go, check in at the front desk, and tell them it is your first time. they will probably help you through signing up for work, how to work your work station, and they probably also have instructors to ride along with you on your first few runs to teach you how to drive.

no matter how good a driver you are the street or track or go kart, you will be slow. you will be painfully slow. you will look at the cars and drivers killing you by multiple seconds, and go, wow, how the hell can they do that?

do not take this as discouragement, take it as encouragement. ask these drivers for advice, have them watch your runs, ride along with them, have them ride with you. that is how you learn.

i went to my first event 3 years ago in the 951, and this year won the local series in the STR class in my MR2:

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My son and I ran in SCCA Autocross. A great way to learn valuable car control technique. The weekend after my daughter got her drivers license I had her at the next autocross event. She learned a lot and is actually a fantastic driver....racing or otherwise.

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?

here's your chance Scott. go and check it out

Speed Ventures - Track Event Detailed Information

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....

Scott, if you are in SoCal this weekend, stop by El Toro on Sunday. The OCPCA is having the last AX of the season. We have an X class, where any car can run, not just Porches.

How to AX? Aim for the cones and at last minute, avoid them! :D

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The most important thing is to make sure you have plenty of anti-freeze.

Serial, I have a book on my shelf called "secrets to solo racing" by Henry Watts.
It won't teach you everything, only experience will do that. But it'll help you get started in the right direction.

I have another related book but it's a little more advanced:
"speed secrets:
professional race driving techniques" by Ross Bentley


I still can't drive worth a crap, can you imagine how bad I'd be without my books? ;)

^^^^^ slodave above

You don't have to run a Porsche in the PCA Orange County Region's autoXs. You don't even have to be a PCA member. It's about $75. They will provide an instructor and even a helmet, oftentimes even lunch. No special preparation you need to do (just tape over the battery terminals with duct tape and take out everything that isn't bolted down: floormats, stuff in the glovebox, stuff in the trunk, etc).

SCCA here is uber serious, PCA a hoot and a half. PCA lets you run non-Porsches, not a problem, but other regions may differ.

The Watts book is a must read.

Its a slippery slope to a tire trailer, Hoosiers or Falken's or something, and every weekend an event...

Oh one other thing I learned:
the AX starter really gets a kick out of it when you nail the throttle and drop the clutch juuuuuust right in yer 9 eleben and the boost comes on a little early while you accidentally light up both back tires and end up 45 degrees from the normal line within the first 10 feet almost taking out the lights and leaving him in a big cloud of grey smoke.

LOL You'll all get a big chuckle out of it, highly recommended

Yeah, taking out the timing lights is trick! :D Also make sure to walk through them as you walk out to corner work.

I would have liked a stainless double hoop bar in my last miata, but those aren't cheap.

The first thing that I did to my current miata was pull the roll bar out of it. With me sitting in the seat, I could touch the bar with my head by just tilting my head back slightly. The bar was more dangerous to my head than not having one.

Anything that learn how your car reacts with help you, AutoXes & DE fit that bill. Hell, yesterday I was coming from a meeting, 3 lane road that curves at an intersection. A big truck came into my lane, and with no escape route (telephone pole ) and a 50mph road meant split second decision, get hit by the Plumbing truck, hit a telephone pole if I couldn't couldn't get my Trans Am stopped & not get hit by the truck . Course this all went down in a matter of seconds, and while my tires got toasty, no feathers were ruffled on the Thunder Chicken:D
Had it not been for the time I have spent at the track, which started with auto-Xes (and I still run SCCA ones when I can) I would not have been as aware or prepared to properly react today, understanding how my car would react to quick maneuvers & braking.

Around here all you need is a motorcycle helmet and a car with tight lug nuts without a bunch of crap in it. Putting duct tape over the battery terminals is a good idea. Heck, they'll even tighten your lug nuts for you and loan you the duct tape. Drive. Do stupid stuff. Learn. You can't get hurt (not counting your ego, masculinity, and standing in the community). But that's southern Ohio.

Scott... Here's a 944 Autocross video for you. ;)

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I seriously caught the bug a few years back and spent a good sum of money on upgrades and what not. I'm running RA1s now which really raise the limits and make it much more fun. Also much more money.

But take your miata bone stock and you will have a blast! They are fun little cars to drive in anger, and it will surprise you how well a good driver can shuffle one around the track!

^^ Now we just need to get you to an AX that is run on a huge tarmac. :D

getting a lot of push there man, and when you did get the oversteer, it was from the classic understeer in, to snap oversteer, which is ultimately an understeer on corner entrance problem.

go in a bit slower, and get on the power faster, as the back steps out, drive it out with your right foot a bit less steering angle :D:D:D