First Autocross
 

I attended a PCA Autocross a few weeks ago and it was my first attempt at autocross and was a blast!

I only managed to hit two cones, which surprised me as I was expecting to hit a few more, but maybe I wasn't driving hard enough!

My first run was 55 s, but however hard I tried I couldn't get any other run faster than 54 s. I finished 18 out of 29, so quite a room for improvement, but really was just trying to improve upon my own runs.

I noticed that the first few runs I was on the brakes a lot, and using them much less in the later runs, but it really didn't make much difference to my time. I tried braking real late, but found I was having to stomp on the brakes real hard and pretty much lost the ability to steer at a time when I needed it.

I also discovered that coming on to the gas before leaving a turn often slowed me down as the front started to lose traction.

Overall, I can definitely see that there are some skills to be learned, but had a blast and will definitely be doing it again!

There was a Panamera Turbo running and I was pretty impressed how nimble it was for a big car.

I also discovered that mounting a GoPro to the rear window was not the best place for it :)


http://www.philday.com/911/ax_1.jpg

http://www.philday.com/911/ax_2.jpg

http://www.philday.com/911/ax_3.jpg

http://www.philday.com/911/ax_4.jpg

I'm #24, red 997

Sweet! You just planted one foot on a very slippery slope.

Don't worry about times too much yet. It's a moment to learn / lifetime to master kind of thing. Make sure you ask for rides with fast people, and have good drivers ride with you.

I like sticking my GoPro outside on the rear 1/4 window. You can see both the course and your inputs.

Have fun, what a great way to enjoy that beautiful car.

I'll give that a go next time, thanks!

I generally suggest that new folks look at their overall *improvement* throughout the day, vs. their time compared to others. Slowest to fastest run - what was the time difference? 3s? 5s? 10s?

The more you improve, the more it shows you're learning. :)

In that case, I failed :) First run to best run was 1 second difference. Each run was different as I tried different things and I definitely learned a lot. Each run was going to be faster in my mind, but each time I learned that one turn or another was scrubbing away time. In any event I enjoyed it more than enough to get me to do it again!

I'm sure others will tell you this... But slower is faster...

If your jamming your breaks, and loosing all speed, then your going to fast, at least for now ;-)...

1. Look up... Camara helps that.. You can see that most likely your not.
2. Slow down at first - learn the course first 1-2 runs, then increase speed in the straights.
3. Drive with other as much as possible - you will learn so much, so quickly
4. Let Instructor/good drivers, drive your car with you in passenger seat. Again, you will learn so much, very quickly.
5. But in the end... its all about SEAT TIME... the more you go, the better you will get.
6. I would also check your tire pressure - 1-2 lbs changes can do wonders if your car is pushing or not gripping.

KEEP DRIVING!!!!

And off course... Welcome to the Madness!!

Thanks for the tips!

Most novices try to do the course at the same speed everywhere with very subtle changes in speed. Riding along with experienced people you will see its the opposite of extremes in acceleration, braking, etc. While we can critique video you post, nothing replaces good old fashioned ride alongs both as a driver and as a passenger.

Ditto's on Levtron's comments.
More important... relax and have fun!
For me, AX is 2 different skillsets... car control and finding the line.
I find it easier to focus on one skill at a time and when I coach I suggest the same.
I'm a visual learner so for me ride alongs are always helpful. When I ride with really fast drivers, I try to focus on braking and turning points vs where the car is going on the course.
I think you did well for your first event.

So drove my second PCA autocross today and couldn't be more disappointed. I always thought I was a "good driver", but today showed me how appalling bad I am.

On the walk through I was talking to someone and did not pay attention. The first two runs highlighted this big time, missed gates on both runs, different gates each time. Third run, an instructor was put in my car as it was clear I was f'ing up big time. I pull away and he tells me to get into 2nd gear asap, I glance at the tach, it's at 3k, so I slam it to 2nd anyway, in my frustration I find the reverse gate and it won't go down in to 2nd (obviously), so I come to a stop, get going again and at least find all the gates this time.

Next run by myself, get around just fine, but slow. The next few runs I pick up a little time each run, but feel I am leaving so much out there. Last couple of runs thought I was hitting it hard, but turns out I was dancing like a virgin and just not doing anything right.

I look at the videos, and I'm shocked by what a mess my hands are. Even more shocked by how slow I am. While I am not there to win or even compete, 30 out of 39 just killed me.

I really have to totally rethink how I drive. I am clearly doing something so far wrong it is not funny.

This would have been an okay run if I had not let my frustration get the better of me;

An "okay" run, but lacking any "will to win";

I know practice makes perfect, but where do I start? I really did enjoy it, but felt so frustrated at my inability to do better.

I think we all felt that way :) I'd start by simply reading. Learn about weight transfer and the impact that has on handling. Learn about driving lines, what an apex is, when you should drive tight and when you should drive wide. (Tons of info free online, and Skip Barber's "Going Faster" book is a great resource too.) Watch what lines the fast guys are driving, where they're accelerating, and where they're braking. But mostly, just get seat time. Learn how your car accelerates, how it brakes, and how hard you can corner- your car will handle WAY better than you probably realize. Then you can start to practice how to control oversteer and understeer, and how to do those other advanced techniques you've been reading about. You'll find yourself transferring these skills to every-day driving, too, even when you're driving WELL shy of the limit- little things, like taking better lines through intersections (most people do it ALL wrong and don't even realize it), and braking only when you need to instead of 1/4 mile early. Of course, your passengers will be flipping out because your "60%" is probably 2-3x what they've ever done, lol.

But mostly, just get seat time. The single biggest thing you can do to get faster is to look ahead- easier said than done. Don't look at the cone in front of you, look 1-2 elements beyond that. Check out SCCA and other indie autocross clubs in your area, too. Test 'n Tunes, cone clinics- if you can, do an Evo school or Solo Pro school.

e: this clip applies to autocross, too (the part that starts at ~7:30)
Richard drives a F1 car round Silverstone - Top Gear - BBC - YouTube

Your videos seem quite typical of a beginner auto crosser to me. You beat 9 people. Nothing wrong with that at all. My first event I was DFL. I think I beat one person my 2nd event, because it was her first! (I've now done 125 events.)

Yes, you are a little low on aggression and you coast too much. Either be braking hard or getting all the acceleration you can for the circumstances and don't let up until you have to brake again. Ride with a hotshot and you will understand. I can tell that you are taking the corners too slow because there is rarely a correction needed. On the limit you will be constantly correcting to keep from spinning or sliding. But, this takes seat time. You have to go over the limit to find out where it is. This doesn't mean you need to ruin your tires by constantly spinning. But, as I was once told, "You have to know that there is grip on the other side of slip."

Thank you both for the info, appreciated. I was aware I was not pushing the limit enough. I did find the limit of traction a few times on different runs, but wasn't driving close enough to it for the majority of the time. When I was driving I really thought I was not coasting, but the videos tell a different story. I definitely need to get more seat time and some lessons would definitely help. Thanks.

More than anything, you probably just psyched yourself out. Not paying attention to the course walk was the first domino, and it spiraled from there.

It's not an easy game, that's part of the fun. I've done several hundred events and I have one just like you did at least once a season. Shake it off, take a deep breath. Remember there is nothing to win, you're just there to have some fun driving your sports car to the limits in a way you never could on the street. I've seen many people lose sight of the fact that it's supposed to be fun, burn out, and leave the sport.

Also of note, instead of focusing what was bad in the video, look what was right. Looks like you have very smooth input on the steering, and select not bad at all racing lines. I find people that start out less aggressive but near the right line (which you look to be) tend to get faster a lot quicker than people who start at an 11 and have to try and dial it back.

Keep at it, ask for rides with fast people and watch how they do things. Meet people and talk to them. And remember, if you don't hit a cone or spin once in a while, you're not trying hard enough.

EDIT: One more thing I thought of - your 991 is basically a supercar. You're starting off in hard mode. I can't speak for everyone, but I started out in a 140hp Nissan, which was much easier to learn on, and I still struggled for a while. It's going to take you longer to approach and get comfortable with the limits when the limits are so darn high. This is one time where having a Fiesta would be an advantage.

Without a doubt. I think a lot was self inflicted. It was only by the 4th run that I actually had a full complete run and was very aware of been behind the game. I was still so concerned about missing gates that I'm sure I was driving slower just because of that.

I think my biggest problem is having a sense of urgency. I keep thinking I have time to get better each run, which I actually did, but when you start off so slow you have so much to make up. Next time I will have a different plan and no doubt learn a few things from mistakes as well :-)

There is actually an Evo school here later this month, but it is sold out. Getting more seat time is definitely a priority for me.

Thanks for your input :-)