Did my very first autoX today. Damn I sucked. Not because I couldn't control my car, or because my car was too slow but simply because I could not stay on course. I understand the logic of what the pointer cones and gates mean and I even walked the course 4 times but at speed it sometimes just looked like a sea of cones and I didn't know where to go.
I'm signing up for rookie skool in 2 weeks
Takes awhile.
Congrats on your first event -- I hope you enjoyed yourself, despite the off-courses. Did you ride as much as you could with other drivers? I've often found that a useful way of learning the course. You may also find that courses start to develop a familiar feel based on the venue. After all, there are only so many variations one can have in most locations.
I know you said you're signing up for a rookie school, but most clubs (the good ones anyways 
) will be more than happy to have an "instructor" (read: experienced driver) ride along for a run or two to give you some pointers, or walk through the course with you.
I had an awesome instructor lady ride with me on my second pass and then I let her drive my car on the third. I was just starting to get the layout down when I ran out of runs (only got 4).
Welcome to the sickness, only curable by more runs. What "unevolved" said. Most clubs have people that are more than happy to give pointers, walk the course with you, ride along and give you a ride. Take em up on all the above. Rookie school is good too.
Welcome to the sickness. Dont let your ego get in the way; listen to everyone and set your filter up high. You will get better and autoX becomes second nature.
Find an instructor to ride with you. SCR-SCCA allows any Pro class driver to ride with any Novice to help them stay on course. Novices are also allowed to ride as many times as they want. We also do four Novice walks with a Novice Steward. Another thing that will help is as you walk the course, draw a track map and study it.
Seat time will help a lot too. Keep at it.
when I've been instructing novices in the past (especially if it's your actual first one) I've tried to walk them enough times that they can explain the course to me w/out any prompting ... then I try to get them to drive the first run as though Granny is riding with them while holding their infant in her arms... in other words ... very slowly ... every thing looks so different behind the wheel and at speed... then increase their pace each run... it does get easier as you go along... and as said above ... nothing beats seat time... go to as many events as you can... the more addicts the better..
Another thing you may consider. Try to hit some of the smaller events. A 60 car event is a lot more relaxed than a 200 car event. Some of our less popular non points events you get 6 official runs. Then we do a couple of hours of fun runs. Lots of seat time in one day lets you work on reading the course as well as driving it.
wbjones wrote: when I've been instructing novices in the past (especially if it's your actual first one) I've tried to walk them enough times that they can explain the course to me w/out any prompting ... then I try to get them to drive the first run as though Granny is riding with them while holding their infant in her arms... in other words ... very slowly ... every thing looks so different behind the wheel and at speed... then increase their pace each run... it does get easier as you go along... and as said above ... nothing beats seat time... go to as many events as you can... the more addicts the better..
This is a very good tactic. You have to know where to go before you can go fast. I am also a novice AutoXer. At my home region of Phoenix uses chalk lines. I didn't realize how much I relied on those until I started running Tucson. (no chalk lines)
I will run a slow run first in Tucson and then every consecutive run I vocalize what I'm going to do next. I still get lost once in awhile but I'm getting better.
If seat time doesn't work you can always get a Tom Tom!
stay away from R-compound tires. Grip is an addiction!
while there is some dissenting opinions about R-comps, I feel you'll learn much much more about how to drive if you'll start (for at least 1 preferably as much as 2 or 3 seasons) on street tires.
R-comps cover up so many mistakes .... I wouldn't even go for the "in" tire in the street tire classes , I'd stick with some old hard all seasons for a season ... you'll really learn you lines and techniques, and then be amazed at how fast you can go with a change in tire
a401cj wrote: when I ran out of runs (only got 4).
And therein is the real problem with autocrossing. If you go to a well attended gathering your 4 runs are also spaced so far apart that you've forgotten the course.
But look around, there will be clubs in the area that not only give you more runs but work to get them spaced so that you keep the benefit of your previous runs.
A couple of our local clubs give 8 runs of almost 2 minutes apiece. You get 4 runs very close together in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. We are also usually finished by 3:00 and if you'll help pick up the cones you can also get fun runs.
The most important thing about staying on course is looking ahead. Don't focus on the turn you're in; it's too late to do anything about it anyway. Look 3 or 4 gates ahead, even if it takes looking out the side window to do that. Don't go too slow; the courses are meant to flow at a certain pace. If you go much under that, you lose that flow and it becomes more difficult to discern the path.
wbjones wrote: R-comps cover up so many mistakes ....
I don't agree with that. An early apex is slow even if you're driving on a fast tire.
a401cj wrote: I understand the logic of what the pointer cones and gates mean and I even walked the course 4 times but at speed it sometimes just looked like a sea of cones and I didn't know where to go.
my biggest fear (well that and carnies...damned carnies!).
I think I am going to try to get to an even this season even if I dont drive. Ive never even watched from anywhere other than a computer screen on youtube.
4cylndrfury wrote:a401cj wrote: I understand the logic of what the pointer cones and gates mean and I even walked the course 4 times but at speed it sometimes just looked like a sea of cones and I didn't know where to go.my biggest fear (well that and carnies...damned carnies!). I think I am going to try to get to an even this season even if I dont drive. Ive never even watched from anywhere other than a computer screen on youtube.
Talk to the organizers (ask at registration) and ask to ride along with an instructor. That's what got me started 15 years ago... Better yet, just sign up and do it!
Best way to learn is to just do it. Leave your ego at home. Everyone there was a novice at one time.
I agree, just sign up and do it. Most events have novice classes and instructors (like me, for example), so you're not going it alone. And as you've probably already heard, the adrenaline rush is amazingly addictive. I was trying to text my daughter after my first run yesterday, and my fingers were shaking too much to press the stupid little keys.
My Russian is a bit sketchy, but I am not coming up with anything from your Avatar. Family name perhaps?
Welcome to solo! Back when i was starting out i once got so turned around that I was actually going backwards on the course, towards the start line and another car on course! Now I can walk it once chatting with someone and then draw it from memory. It's part of the challenge of the sport and its why a club will never run the same course more than once.
jstein77 wrote:wbjones wrote: R-comps cover up so many mistakes ....I don't agree with that. An early apex is slow even if you're driving on a fast tire.
you're right... except that that early apex will result in a considerably quicker time, on R-comps, than the same early apex on hard street tires... therefore giving you a non-realistic feeling about how "good" you are...
SupraWes wrote: It's part of the challenge of the sport and its why a club will never run the same course more than once.
our small (nonaffiliated) club and CCRSCCA both run nite series' where the course is the same all yr...
in our case it started out many yrs ago as a test-n-tune and got so popular that it became it's own series...
being a recurring test-n-tune it had to be the same all yr so you could evaluate any changes you'd made...
wbjones wrote:SupraWes wrote: It's part of the challenge of the sport and its why a club will never run the same course more than once.our small (nonaffiliated) club and CCRSCCA both run nite series' where the course is the same all yr... in our case it started out many yrs ago as a test-n-tune and got so popular that it became it's own series... being a recurring test-n-tune it had to be the same all yr so you could evaluate any changes you'd made...
Y'all run those in Charlotte don't you?. I would like to make one of them one day. Being able to make a run, make an adjustment and then another run would be cool. The only way to tell of an adjustment works now is with a butt dyno. Some how I don't think mine is very accurate. 
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