Why autocross for just 3 minutes of track time?

Recently our Central Florida autocross community lost Robert Belvoir, a guy who's been running down here for decades. Tonight was his memorial, and the place was packed--including guys I haven't seen in years.

Several people spoke before the whole room, while there was plenty of socializing before and afterward. I often hear, Why autocross for just a few minutes of track time?

Tonight the answer was obvious: Because lifelong friendships are formed while out there shagging cones, fixing cars and just hanging out.

I learned that a long time ago at the big fly-in at Oshkosh. It isn't the planes, its the people you meet.

Because of the day surrounding those three minutes, yep

The only time I ask myself that is on the long drive home from a poorly run event when it's hot. So I stopped going to those ones. Problem solved!

Because really, it is the people, the day, the cars and the competition as much as it is the 'track time'

My wife and I were just having this discussion. She actually enjoyed going and watching the events. The guys I used to run with are all doing track days now, but that just doesn't fit into my finances and schedule right now. I really need to get back to an AX soon.

I've always taken this view of Auto-X vs HPDE, which is why I've never done it.

However, since the BRZ is a nearly $30k car vs a $2000 throwaway NA Miata, I'm going to give it a shot this coming year.

This is the reason I have only done one auto-x in my life. For me go-kart rentals are the best value. Not the same as drivin a proper car, true, but it does it for me.

For the rest of the experience I work with a racing team on weekends to be around it and meet the people. It doesn't cost me a thing, and I don't have to stand in a hot parking lot.

All that said, I wish I could enjoy auto-x more. I'm envious of everyone's happy stories.

Being one of the "core" workers in our Club, I often spend 7-8 hours on site, often with zero time behind the wheel. I've always enjoyed a good party and autox is a party with cars.

Rallycross can be the same. 10 runs I think has been the most I've had at one event, figure 10-12 minutes of track time (ok 15min until fairly recent I admit it). But it's ~8 hours of hanging out with really good friends, and meeting new ones with a common interest. And not common interests, sometimes on lunch breaks I get to learn me about guns and dub step and motorcycles.

My first autocross ever in the xB I had no idea what to expect. I was ready for flat brimmed hats and E36 M3 talking kids in Honda's and Subaru's. There were a couple, but plenty more of good guys willing to give me pointers, talk about tire pressures and apexes and walking the course. Even riding along to stop me getting lost in a sea of cones. I joined the SCCA 3 days later & have been enjoying the friendships ever since.

Because if you stand in a parking lot for 8 hours wearing a boonie hat and holding a red flag when there aren't cones and racecars, people think you're weird.

Cuz I can't afford any other form of racing.
That being said, when I used to run I'd run with the local AROC folks. I'd get there early to set up the course (what better way to learn the course). Then I could run when I wanted to and leave when I wanted to. That way, if I had to I could be outta there by noon. Usually I was there till the end and I'd usually work a heat on top of course setup because they didn't have the rule that everyone had to work. There were always desperate calls for workers and I couldn't just stand there listening to that even though I worked already.
Anyway, with AROC I'd get way more than 3 mins of track time. I think my record was 12 runs by 5 pm. 5 competition runs and 7 fun runs. What a day! That's a whole season of SCCA events in one day.

On top of all the good reasons above, I enjoy the actual competition! Locally we have a few national champs and several tour winners/ trophy placers, so its a serious challenge to win your class and even harder to place well in PAX. The drive to beat those guys makes each run very intense yet very enjoyable.

Another good reason is that you drive your car at or above 100% the entire run. You're always on the edge and its thrilling. At a track day I tend to run at about 80%. I can't afford to bring my car home in a basket, so I keep a safe pace to ensure that. Yes, I still have a blast, but its not quite the same thrill as a balls out autocross run.

If you think about autocross in terms of seat time then you're missing the point. Its the competition and the company you keep that bring the whole package together. I fell into that mind set after a year of AX and took an 8-9 year hiatus. On a lark I started again this past spring and I instantly began kicking myself for passing up all those years.

Just to throw in my 2 cents.

You get all of those things from wheel to wheel racing as well.

Because it's a ton of fun, that's why. And those are some of the most intense, adrenaline-filled three minutes of your life.

wvumtnbkr wrote: Just to throw in my 2 cents. You get all of those things from wheel to wheel racing as well.

Even the cheapest wheel to wheel racing is a major cost step up, though, and the chance of totally wadding up your car is much higher, leaving you without a car to have fun with. As someone up higher said, that tends to make you want to run much less hard, especially if tracking your daily driver...

And if you're not racing your daily driver, then you have to have storage space for a race car, trailer, and spares, and a tow vehicle. Again, costs go up quite a bit from just blasting your street sports car around some cones at 11/10ths. Hell, let's justy talk entry fees for a weekend...

wvumtnbkr wrote: Just to throw in my 2 cents. You get all of those things from wheel to wheel racing as well.

And that's also horrifically more expensive. Even the "cheap" forms of racing.

I would argue that the prepared cars that autocross (that are trailered) cost the the same or MORE than me racing my old rx7 around a track.

Sure. But my beater miata is fun. SWMBO is learning to race (autoX) it with me so we have bonding time too that wheel to wheel racing would be prohibitively expensive for us.

jstein77 wrote: Because it's a ton of fun, that's why. And those are some of the most intense, adrenaline-filled three minutes of your life.

While I agree in principle, I think the most intense adrenaline-filled three minutes of my life occurred one Friday night back in highschool...

That being said, for the money spent, and being able to run whatever car you drive with little to no prep (if you aren't dead set on being competitive), it is time/money well spent. I haven't autocrossed in years, but I still talk to the people I ran with. In my case, I learned more while sitting around at the event talking to people than I did during my 3-5 runs, and I learned a LOT during those runs.

wvumtnbkr wrote: I would argue that the prepared cars that autocross (that are trailered) cost the the same or MORE than me racing my old rx7 around a track.

Most of use autocross our street cars, though. Just because someone might autocross a Veyron doesn't mwean that you can say autocross is as expensive as wheel to wheel racing. ;)

And even Spec RX7s are not as cheap as a street RX7 that gets to autocross on the weekends without a thousand dollars worth of safety gear and yet another full set of tires. Face it, the costs of wheel to wheel racing is a notch above autocross prep for most of us. I can go hit the autoross in my DD street MINI for $40 and a borrowed helmet. I can't take it to a track day for that (or have as much worry free fun) and I certainly can't take it wheel to wheel racing for that. I can't afford to wad it up, or have some chode wad it up for me going into a corner to hot beside/behind me. THAT'S the cost of wheel to wheel racing that has to be mentioned especially since you aren't going to have insurance pay to fix it when that happens.

What i am hearing is that autocrossers would go W2W if it wasn't for money.

What I read into Davids' original post was that racing, autox in this case, is about much more than the time on track...or parking lot...or whatever. It's about the people you meet and friends you make. I couldn't agree more. In every form of racing I've done, the people have been the best part. It was true when I did autox and is true now in LeMons. I love the competition, don't get me wrong, but the people I race with are what make it what it is.

Great post David, and point well taken.

wvumtnbkr wrote: What i am hearing is that autocrossers would go W2W if it wasn't for money.

Not necessarily. I could easily afford to go crap can racing, or buy seat time in friends cars, but I have no desire to take on that level of risk.

HPDE is good enough for me.

I hear this question a lot. I think people forget not everyone has a track in their backyard. Until the NCM track opened my nearest track was 2.5 hours each way, and I'm sure other have as far or further. That extra zero for the cost of admission is a big deterrent. It it's a lot easier to make a small mistake with huge consequences at a track making risk factor pretty large as well. Information is another huge one, It's hard enough to get the word out to the masses about autocross and many of those with years of autocross under their belt have no clue how to get on track or what those requirements are. And lets face it track events aren't for everyone, it's a whole other animal.