Does Auto-x lend itself to HPDE?
05-12-2013, 10:23 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
very important stepping stone, teaches car control in some extreme situations. Also situation awareness, ocular tactics, the list goes on. A very important aspect that for me has been that it teaches quick track analysis and helps one to learn new circuits quickly.
I moved on to DE's after years of Auto-X when I got tired spending the whole day for a total of 6 minutes of track time. I put the competitive aspect on the back burner to pursue learning every circuit I could.
I moved on to DE's after years of Auto-X when I got tired spending the whole day for a total of 6 minutes of track time. I put the competitive aspect on the back burner to pursue learning every circuit I could.
05-12-2013, 11:17 PM
#17
Definitely helps. Seat time is seat time. Only at autox can you push the car past 10/10ths without risk of black flags or crashing (until u start racing). IME its a much easier to teach an autoxer to drive at DE than to teach a guy who's only done DE how to autox.
05-12-2013, 11:20 PM
#18
Three Wheelin'
05-12-2013, 11:29 PM
#19
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Yes, I agree with everyone else. Autox definitely translates to the track (and 'aggressive' rotation of the car can have its place on the track too, particularly in tight turns, and depending on the car). Find the limits and develop car control and other skills safely in autox, then apply that to the track.
05-13-2013, 09:51 AM
#21
Rennlist Member
Although we also allow attendance at DE if a minimum of 3 "successful" autox events can be verified. "Successful" means that they demonstrated reasonable car skills based upon their relative times to others at the event. For example, finishing in last place 8 seconds behind the next slowest car probably would not count as "successful". Yes, it can be subjective, but in our Club, most of the Autox transitioners have attended our Club's autox's, and are already known to a good number of participants (including instructors) that do both Autox and DE.
05-13-2013, 04:33 PM
#22
Race Car
I feel that a sucessful year of auto-x should be a prerequisite to getting on any race track. Auto-x teaches car control and balance in as safe of a setting as you can get before stepping up to a race track, as long as you realize that they are different disciplines. To be fast in auto-x you have to be way more agressive and use geneally higher tire slip angles than on a road course, while on a road course you need to focus on being smooth and consistent before being fast.
FYI, I did auto-x for about 5 years before going road racing in SCCA with a Lola S2000 car for about 6 years, then back to auto-x for a few years, and now doing DE's, and looking for my next race car, so I have seen both sides. There is a "trueism" that if you start at auto-x, you can move sucessfully to road racing, but the reverse is not as easy.
The poster guy for this was Randy Pobst who was an auto-x champion in SCCA before moviing to road racing where he is still a pro driver.
FYI, I did auto-x for about 5 years before going road racing in SCCA with a Lola S2000 car for about 6 years, then back to auto-x for a few years, and now doing DE's, and looking for my next race car, so I have seen both sides. There is a "trueism" that if you start at auto-x, you can move sucessfully to road racing, but the reverse is not as easy.
The poster guy for this was Randy Pobst who was an auto-x champion in SCCA before moviing to road racing where he is still a pro driver.
+1
much easier to go from AX to HPDE, than other way around.
but its a excellent starting point. especially if they have a skid pad.