I heard that there was a autox on sunday within driving distance (70 miles one way) and I knew a few people who were also going for their first time and we all went for it. Woke up at 7am and it was raining very hard, no biggie the tires on my car are bfgoodrich g-force KD (max summer performance) so I knew I was in for some slip sliding around. We met up with 8 other cars at 8am to make the drive they were :BMW M-coupe/BMW 540i/BMW 530i/Volvo 740s/Nissan Maxima/subie 2.5 and a G35, all daily drivers with all basically completly stock everything. Drive for 2 hours practically hydroplaning the entire time and finally make it to the event only to be 30 mins late for the first round of driving. We wait another hour in our cars to register as it was raining too hard to wanna stand out and watch the others take to the track.

We all finnaly sign up at 11:30 with quite possibly the most unorganized group of people running the show and I will leave it at that, about 50-60 cars signed up at the hour I did (no 7's) and we walked the track and got a drivers meeting type thing, still raining really hard. Right before they were to let the drivers loose on the track the guy over the p.a. announced that everyone needed to put in 'work' which consisted of standing in 50 degrees with constant 15mph winds while raining hard and watch cones while the others took to the track for about two hours.

Now its group two's turn after staning for 2hours watching group one go, Its 2:30 and I'm freezing and every peice of clothing is soaked as I get into my car for the first of only 4 runs on the track Big let down.

My first lap out I decided to put on a show for the course workers with some of the most reckless driving seen at the event, prolly 80% of my first lap was me going sideways and taking out cones right and left finishing it off with three spinouts lol, I guess I was a little too aggressive for a 1st timer and the conditions and I got a warning from a guy in a GT3 porshe to clam down or I would be kicked while someone else was busy picked cones out from under my front bumper. 2nd lap was a little more of the reckless sideways driving, all tho I didn't hit any cones I still missed a couple gates from not completly knowing the course which resulted in me not even checking for my time as it was bad. 3rd lap is when I started getting the hang of the course and the conditions, I got a clean lap in with a time of 63 seconds. On my fourth and final lap I had my buddie who was riding along get a camcorder and film me on course, when I pulled up to the starting line I was told that my passenger couldn't hold a camera and film for some dumb reason (prolyl safety related) so I respected that and didn't film my best pass of the day, I gathered all my knowledge of the previous runs and put down a 60 seconds flat lap, which was a really good time with condition and a virgin autox'er behind the wheel, the best cars there (tuned 911's and evo's) were putting down best times of 52 seconds so I don't feel too bad about my driving with me only being 8 seconds off with a whooping 100hp and max performance summer tires to work. (also the mods in sig.)

So if you have had the pactients to read this I want to know if all autox's are so unfullfilling and are liek this one, if so I will prolly not go again as I'm more looking for seat time.

What should I look to for more seat time and actual driving ?

 

yah i hit up the last auto x of the season a lil while ago n thought i was gonna get kicked out cause i layed down a huge outta control drift on my 3rd run. they all told us the first time we came to the event "no drifting" they wanted absolute grip all the time. but it was pretty awesome anyways

 

its much more worth it if it isn't raining out.

 

Yes I agreewith Totensiebush about the rain. I am waiting to test my skills in the rain before the autox season ends.

 

Lucky dog! I've been praying for a rainy event just so I could be on more even terms with the guys on racing tires! lol. Trust me man, you attended under the worst possible conditions (poor organization, running late, weather, etc.). Try it again and you will be hooked for sure. btw, for my video setup I use a table top tripod (shorter than a full model) in the hatch area, secured with ropes to three anchor points. Works great, total cost 15 bucks (for the tripod).

 

For more seat time try HPDE events held by both SCCA and NASA, they cost a lot more, but you are actually lapping a race track. Check if your area runs any hillclimbs also, there are no hills here, pout, but don't quit after only one event keep trying and those who do well in the rain are the real drivers, so good first effort.

 

Try it dry with a well organized event and you will definitely enjoy it a lot more. Autox is all about handling and control, HP usually doesn't help much and sometimes its even a big drawback because of wheel spin. Autox is a great place to learn the skills you need for racing without the high cost.

 

yeah once I was out there in the rain I had a absolute ball driving, what made it even better was the fact that I got to push my car in the rain which is something I have had a very bad record of doing on the streets so this event gave me the chance at attempting.

Aussie are those groups that you mentioned have a lot of track time ? Basically I spent all sunday down at the runway -missing one hell of a seahawks game in the process might I add for only five mins of actual driving, i have read others post about there autox's and having near an hour of track time at other autox event and was expecting similer.

Kentetsu along the videocamera lines I have a rollbar in the car and want to know what or how I could rig a camera up to it, I have seen ones that are for sale that work factory with mine but cost 100$ which I don't wanna spend. here a pics and if anyone has a idea of where I should start with making a mount for a camera I would like to hear.

 

I would be VERY surprised to see someone get even a dozen runs, so the hour of track time is bs.

 

I've seen the specialty camera mounts before, but like you said they are pretty expensive. That's why I chose to do mine the way I did. Works great, check it out here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MuzeHxIXy...elated&search=

 

you made that mount ?
Is it mounted to a roll bar ?

all info you could give me I would appreciate hearing, I want to do one up myself but haven't seen anyone to get any ideas of how.

 

I'll try to get a photo later for you, but all I did was take a table-top (short) tripod and tie it down in the hatch area (base of both seatbelt mounts, plus one line running to the back) to secure it. Very simple, but works great. I think I paid under 15 bucks for the tripod at Meijer.

 

Yes, you generally only get 5 minutes driving time at most autocrosses.
If it's not worth it to you, quit wasting everyone else's time and watch TV.

 

How did your friends that you drove up with do in the wet conditions?

 

cool get me that photo when you have a chance. Your set up sounds easier then fab'ng up something to the rollbar and I wanna see it.

 

well out of all the cars I drove out to the event with I had the best overall time

-I got dead last (11th) in my class (open pax) which consisted of:
2 minis 1st/2nd, porshse gt3 6th, porshe 944 3rd, 2 pontiac solstus 5th/9th, STi 4th, 2 miata's 7th/8th and a 350z 10th

the 1st place mini's best lap was 40.6 and my best lap was 48.7

I got the 57th best time out of 96 cars that participated with prolly the least hp car at the event.

as for the rain it was really funny cause the guy with the m-coupe said that the bmw traction control was the greatest traction control evar and he would do good cause of it soo what happends.....first lap he spun a 360 and then proceeded to blame the rain and his michielen ps2 tires, I lol'd at him over that and gavce him a hard time

 

Get yourself on some dry pavement and you should be able to easily catch that 350z and the minis....