Going to first auto X, any auto's & questions??

Im going to my 1st auto X next month, im all stock, i wanna get a feel for what she'll do stock.
Anything i should prep, my tires aren't great, but id rather chew up the old ones learning than the new ones im getting.

Anybody else auto x or road race a a4, what gear should i leave it in?
I know a m6 would be the best choice, but i cant change that.
Im going with 2 f-body owners who have some track hours, one has a LS1 Z28 M6, the other a A4 LT1 T/A.

Just leave it in D and let the computer figure it out :)

As for prep just make sure the battery won't move and you take out any loose items that could fly around. If you're car is in good mechanical condition (I'm sure it is) then you should have no problem passing tech (which is alot stricter than the once over glance they call tech at OSW).

If you're going out with MSCC then I'm sure either Jim or Chuck will be there to show you the ropes. Just get there as early as you can so you'll have a chance to walk the course a few times.

Good Luck!

I use an A4 but only once so far. I use to race a '70 Firebird in a prepared class and it had an TH-400.

Most autocrosses will be run in 1st and 2nd gear with your 3.23 but when I ran mine the first time, it sort of did what it wanted to do. It really needs a shift kit so you have more control over shifting. Your 1st gear is pretty steep which is great for acceleration.

Click here for more information (http://www2.crystalridge.net:8080/cars/autocross.htm)

Hey Gerry, glad to hear you are going to make it out.

I manually shift my auto but at first I was just leaving it in second gear. I haven't seen a course yet where you will get out of second gear. The tough part for me is when you get on to a fast part of the course and get into second gear and then need to negotiate a pivot cone or tight corners. The car needs to get back down into first gear but it takes a lot of throttle for it to downshift on it's own. I manually downshift but if you do it when the car is unsettled it will break the rear tires loose and possibly induce a spin. This is also very hard on the transmission BTW.

With all of that said I would leave the car in second gear for your first event.

The only advise I give a first timer is to GO SLOW. I know this sounds wrong but most first timers push to hard. Autocross is all about being SMOOTH!

drive in 2nd! that way you wont cook the brakes as bad! depending on what tires you have, pump them up!! if you are running 245/50/16, put 52 lbs front and 42 rear, if you have 245/40/16 or 17, go with 47 front and 40 rear. that should help with a big problem with tight turn in. after first run, check them! heat builds pressure and you can lower them between runs to the pressure you started with. also, if you spin the back tires, it looks good, but it takes longer to go thru the course, and faster is better! later after you learn the car more and get to run on differant surfaces, ask other f-body guys what pressure they run. have fun, and bring water and sun screen! this is the most fun you can have with your car! dont be affraid to ask others questions, or even ask for a ride. thats a great way to see whats going on! good luck

I have ran three events in my '95 A4 w/ 2.73's. LT1 Edit is great... if you don't have it leave it in 2nd and just make sure you don't have any straights that make you hit 6k. My local tracks have such sharp turns that I can't leave it in 2nd b/c I need first occasionally.

My car is understeering bad. I've found about 40 front, 38 rear is doing the best for me. I have 245/45/16 BFG's.

Which event are you going to and/or which club? We had an event today and I thought perhaps I'd see you there. Or did I miss you? I saw Jeff talking to a couple before they left.

If they're old tires, we can mark'em with polish to see how much they're rolling over. Some recent tires have arrows or other rollover indicators on the sidewall. If you have a decent sidewall, I'd suggest 37-38lbs in the front and about 32lbs in the rear. We can take tire temps after the runs and adjust the pressure. Those numbers give me even temps across the contact patch.

I lost to those boys in their race rubber :cry: I swear I'm going to have 11-12" wheels all around and 315-335 race rubber all-around by the end of this year!

Sorry I couldn't respond earlier, my cookies were fubar and it wouldn't let me post. If you were out there today and I missed you, what did you think?

Damn i missed out, with all the bad weather i wasn't sure if it was still going on.:(
Also, i had no info on where it was, what clubs, hold auto X's, when they start & so on.
I DJ on saturday nights downtown & i dont get home till around 3:45 am, so i really have to plan ahead for a early sunday event.

Yeah I was talking to Jeff on the MCO board, then it fell off the the face of the earth.
:confused:
I also got a new Dell this week, i was slacking on seting it up, i couldnt check my posts.

Yeah im wack & i missed out! :(
Anyhow if you could post the info for all the events you guys attened, the costs, location, times, rules & costs, that would be great.
Dont wanna miss another.

I really wish i went b/c im getting new tires this week, i might get D/R's for the back, but i dont wanna if i fall in love with autocross.

BTW are you on the CFFB board too??

Gerry,

These two organizations are the only ones I know of that hold Autocrosses in our area. Their schedules should be posted along with the locations:

Martin Sports Car Club (http://www.martinsportscarclub.com)
Central Florida SCCA (http://209.26.216.140/)

Cost is usually $20-$25 and the events start around 9:00am but you should really be there earlier to setup and register.

If you need more info this (http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm) is a great guide for novices.

djgerry,
There are 5 of us MCO guys that are regulars at MSCC now. Chris Wells and George Bonafede drive C5's. Chris used to be an MCO member but never made it out to any events except the second month at SnS and never registered on the board. So he's probably been crossed off the list now. Jeff, Jim and I all drive F bodies. Sooner or later they're gonna catch me but until then I'm layin' the smack down. I do appreciate finally having competition though. I've been doing this for a couple years now. They're both pretty new. I give them whatever pointers I can, but it takes time to get fast.

We run rain or shine. Rainy weather is easier on the tires but a lot harder to drive in. It's so hard to stay out of the gas.

The drag radials are gonna have soft sidewalls and aren't recommened for autocrossing. Come out with your old tires next month if you can. The best way to do this is to have a set of dedicated race tires. That way you don't trash your street tires. But make sure you like it first. We'll show you the ropes and get you hooked. Just like a drug dealer in a school yard. We'll get you going and then you can't stop. :D Starting next month we're gonna be running in Tavares. There's bathrooms, shade and water fountains there. We'll still go to Palm Bay every now and then. Maybe twice a year or so. We also go to the road course in Gainesville twice a year. Get a couple events under your belt before joining us in Gainesville in October. Let either of us know and we'll let you drive over with us so you don't get lost. If you have a helmet bring it. Otherwise you can borrow one. Make sure the battery is secure and all lug nuts are present. Make sure the brakes are good and stop without pulling left or right. That's pretty much all of tech inspection. You'll be in Novice class for you first 3 events. If I remember right Jeff and Jim both won Novice class and got bounced into GTP with me before their first 3 months were up. We need to get new daddy Mike out there with his Cobra too.

Chuck

Hey Gerry the next event is on Saturday July 12th so hopefully that works better with your late night schedule. Like Chuck said it is in Tavares so it is an easier drive than Palm Bay. Hope to see you out there!

Jeff, Jim and I all drive F bodies. Sooner or later they're gonna catch me but until then I'm layin' the smack down.

I was hoping now that we are about equal with modifications that it would be a closer race. I came in second but you still beat me by 2 seconds. :cry: All I have to say is :bow: This doesn't mean I'm giving up it is just going to take a little more practice than I thought but rest assured I will smoke you one day. :D