OldGuy

I was in town on Sat working on our brand new
motocross track here in town and in the
parking lot of the fairgrounds (dirt) there
was a ton of cones arranged in a track like
setting. There was a bunch of subarus screaming
around the flat track and looking like they were
having a ton of fun. Was that an autocross??
there were no jumps or tabletops or doubles
like in motocross but it looked like alot easier
on the old body!

Jeff 993TT

And if you ever get a chance to do it in the rain, it's awesome!

Great for practicing car control, and TOTALLY safe ( minus hitting a few cones ).

There's usually some kind of ongoing debate on what to do first, autox or DE events. I'd say just jump right into whatever you can do first. Both are fun and they teach different things.

OldGuy

What tires do you use in the dirt?? does it matter??
OG

NetManiac

If it was on dirt it might have been an SCCA Performance Rally. Most autocrosses that I am aware of are done on paved lots. But the general idea is the same. See how fast you can negotiate the course, then compare your time to your buddies for bragging rights.

I'm not sure I would completely agree. While Autocrossing is extremely safe, safer than DE's, TT's, or club racing, there is an element of danger (which is always the case when pushing a car to its limits). This year we have had at least 4 incedences where cars have been either totaled or seriously damaged at an autocross.

lexpilot

You can do body damage at an autocross. If you hit one of the cones that has some gravel imbedded in it while you are a little crossways you will have an abrasion in your paint that will not just rub out. Very rare to see a Porsche spin out. The guys that are the most fun to watch are the Camaro, Firebird, Mustang set. Some of those guys really know how to create horsepower and the preferred method is to steer the rear tires with the throttle. Great fun and the cheapest racing available.

NetManiac

I don't want to scare anyone away from autocrossing. I still go to ours and have a blast at them. I just didn't want people to have the idea that nothing bad could happen at an autocross. I think that kind of an attitude was a major contributor to the incidences that we had this year. I'm not sure if the tracks are to blame or not. After all there were over 100 other cars at the same events that managed the course without incidence. But I don't know for sure as all my information is hear-say, and no one seems to want to talk about it. Which I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand I would like to know the details so I can learn and not make the same mistake. On the other hand I don't want to pry into their affairs (which I may be doing anyway just by posting this???).

I assume by "CG" you mean "Center of Gravity"? Actually, no. If memory serves correctly they were a 928, 996, 993, and a Boxster.

I'm not screaming the "Sky is falling", or anything, just a reality check.

ljugete

NetManiac,

So what did you hear happened and what's the mystery?

We can all learn from these incidents to hopefully prevent future mishaps.

Fishey

Auto X rocks... Altho mostly my autoX isnt legal.. Its still done in a very sucluded large large parking lot with cones ...... BTW no way I could hit anything or damage car unless I decided to flip it at 60mph on flat smooth pavment...

Doug&Julie

I saw pictures of Jim Pasha's (who writes in Excellence) Boxster after it rolled at an autoX. Seems this particular autoX had an unusually long/fast straight that led to a tight turn. Still very surprising.

And Jim was ok if I remember correctly. The article pointed out the safety features of the Boxster and, basically, how they all worked!

911

Good point, Mike. I don't think there's such a thing as a completely safe compeitition event. I've seen several accidents at autocrosses.

Sadly, there were two fatalities at a Cal Club event in the 90s.

Mark97c2

Car caught on fire.

NetManiac

Frank, I'm not sure of all the details. But briefly here's what I do know:

The 928 went off track into a cement column. I guess he waited to long to put both feet in.

The 996 spun on the exit of a corner and rolled backwards into a k-rail. Again, my guess is that he lifted at the wrong time.

I don't really know anything about the 993 and Boxster except that the 993 went backwards into a light pole and the Boxster went nose first into a guard rail. I don't know what to learn from these two because I don't really know what happened.

I may have over sensationalized the "mystery" behind all this. I asked a few people about the incidences the day they happened and they didn't seem like they wanted to talk about it. I haven't actually pursued the topic since.

pig4bill

Careful with absolutes like that. The two people that crashed into each other last week at the Nationals might disagree with you.

I've seen spins at the wrong places that caused bodywork damage, broken wheels, etc not to mention blown up engines, transmissions, and rear axles.

edit: P.S. Check your insurance too. Mine does not cover me at an autocross. It may also void your warranty. Or so the owner of the dealership that sold me the car said. He autocrosses too.

Rezal

A friend of mine's brother took his recently purchased 944 S2 and totaled it in an autocross held at the Pleasanton Police training facility. The location has a tarmac with a concrete patch where I think the cops practice their skid control (BAR rennlisters know what I'm talking about). I think he was coming out of the slalom when he hit the patch and lost it. His problem was that he was a relatively inexperienced driver and instead of "both feet in", ending up letting the car coast to the concrete wall which took out the front quarter of the car.

As for the autox vs. DE debate, I would actually recommend a real driving school first. Not necessarily the overpriced Skip Barber course but something organized by the car clubs. I went the Alfa Romeo Owners of Southern California (AROSC) school, held twice a year at the Streets of Willow Springs. IMHO, this was a real driving school (vs. the DE) because it included a wet skidpad where you were taught to attempt recoveries and practice the "both feet in" rule when you completely lost it. I did however start doing the autoxing first before going to the AROSC school. The AROSC school is a great deal. Used to be $165 for two days, two sessions per day, 1hr class, 1hr skidpad (actual time on pad is less), 1hr track. Don't know what it goes for now but I assume still pretty reasonable vs. Skip Barber's $$$ course. Another added benefit is that you're taking your own car and learning its limits, which an autox is theoretically supposed to teach you but the competitive nature of it gets in the way.