Edwin,
Congrats on taking the plunge and going to your first auto-x! They can be
highly addictive -- I went to my first about 2 years ago and I'm now
competing on a regional level. If you do it often enough, you'll probably
even get drawn into track events as well...
Check out the SCCA Novice Handbook. Real helpful:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm
I'll give you a few pieces of advice, some you've heard already and some
you probably won't. I race a '95 BMW M3 in street prepared, so it's far from
the ride of an MG, but I'll focus on non-car-specific stuff.
The Basics:
- Empty out the car of all extraneous junk. Empty your glove box, take out
all of the stuff rattling around within the car, etc. I also take out my spare
and any extra weight -- every little bit helps, whether you're trying to be
competitive or not.
- Check your car out mechanically. Check the oil, check to make sure
she's in good condition, and you're in a safe car.
- Make sure you have a clear view of the course. I make sure I have a
clean windshield, have my windows rolled down, and move my mirror so
that it isn't blocking my view.
- Up your tire pressures to about 40lbs. cold. That's keep them from
rolling over and will let them slide a bit (that's a good thing).
Understanding the Course:
- I'm going to tell you something others on this list won't -- don't focus on
braking, turn-in, and turn-out points. I've gone to the McKamey/Evolution
Autocross school and they teach a different technique. It's all about
simply looking ahead.
- Walk the course early and as often as possible. When you walk the
course, you should be walking where you think the car should. The core
of the evolution school technique is to be looking ahead -- you want your
eyes to be looking not at the turn you are about to enter, but rather at the
_next_ turn. If you are looking at the turn you are in as you enter it, you
will
most likely hit a cone and you will lose valuable time trying to figure what
you want to do once you exit. You see the turn you are in in your peripheral
vision and you look where you want the car to go. That will lead to a fluid
line through the course.
- If you can, walk with an experienced driver. If you say "I'm a Novice" and
ask for advice, people will be happy to help. Try to find someone with a
car similar to yours. Walk your last walk alone, focusing on the technique
I described above.
- You can go way faster on an autocross then you think. Before you run, try
to get a few ride alongs with experienced drivers in similar cars. Seeing
the course at speed is an advantage, and will undoubtedly make you
more comfortable. There was a new driver in my class this year in a '97
M3. His time was about 6 seconds off the pace. I took him for a
ride-along, intentionally over-driving the car to show him how far it could
go and how hard you could push it -- posting a pretty fast time. He got
back in his car and his next run was only 2 seconds off the pace. ;-)
Running:
- Grid early and get comfortable in your car. Twist your seat belt buckle
before clicking it in to keep it very snug. You don't want to slide around.
- When you get to the line, remember you're there to have fun. Just drive.
If you forget turn in points and looking ahead, relax. Remember you're
there to have fun.
- Don't baby your way out of the gate. I run 255/40-17 Kumho's and I do
full drag race launches to heat them up for the run. You don't have to go
that far, but get out of the box like you mean business. It'll get you focused
on the course and will show in your times.
- If you spin, remember to put both feet in. Don't want to hurt your
drivetrain. Also, don't let it shake you. We all do it. Just restart the car
and
continue your run.
After your runs:
- If your time was great, congratulate yourself. If it wasn't, remember that
autocross is a learned skill and is considerably harder than it looks. If you
had fun, you had a good day.
- Check your car out and make sure everything is good. Autocross puts
very little wear and tear on a car, but sh*t happens.
Hope that helps. Have fun!
-peterg
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