sjfehr

Preliminary results are posted. Let Greg know if you see any errors or issues.
http://www.odr-scca.org/index2.php?o...=118&Itemid=29

Z33_Taxi

nice run...idk how you guys do autox; I can barely focus on the cones in the vid...I'll stick to driftwater, so much easier to follow a road than a cone trail

sjfehr

We have course maps and walk through several times before running the course. At Pungo, we do a slow-speed drive through prior to timed runs, too, so that everyone has a chance to see it from the perspective of the driver's seat and at higher speeds, (it's completely different when the comes come at you at-speed.) All the cones mean something, so when you know how to read them, it all makes perfect sense. Most courses, you can walk (or even drive) up to the start line without ever having seen a map, and go straight through it without errors.

Mostly, though, it comes with practice. The #1 piece of advice I give to novices is to look ahead; it's easier said than done, but WOW what a difference it makes when you finally start looking ahead. When you do, the course just seems to slow way down, much better lines comes naturally, and you have time to *think* as well, and concentrate on acceleration/brake points, weight transfer, etc. If you watch the first section of that video 3 or 4 times, and look towards where you know the car will go, it's amazing, it will just... slow down.

That said, hetting lost on course your first race is a time-honored novice tradition. No matter how you end up on the results list at the end of the day, it's still such a blast to push your car to the limit HDPEs and track driving are much higher speeds, but still a bit conservative; the risk and punishment for exceeding the limits of your car is just too high to risk, so you have to drive with a margin of error. By contrast, you can safely push your car right up to its limits (and sometimes past them) in autocross, and the worst that happens is you hit a few cones. It's a different kind of driving, and one I really enjoy. Driftwater is somewhere in between. You can't beat driftwater for seat time, though!

Delta Charlie

I don't know if I am stupid or something, but I am having trouble locating the event results

sjfehr

That's odd, the results are gone; they were there earlier this week, I saw them! That's the right page. The championship points page was updated so you can see how you placed at least (175 is 1st place, and decreasing from there). I'll talk to Greg and see what's up with the results.

http://www.odr-scca.org/component/op...102/Itemid,29/

Edit: it's fixed now! Greg made a correction to it, but forgot to make it visible.

Delta Charlie

Sweet!

00lude

haha, I wouldn't go that far.

sjfehr

If the course is designed right, the worst that happens if you push too far and spin or plow off-course really should be just hitting a few cones. Though I guess there are some exceptions, like timing equipment. Or in Jeff Schmidt's case, the finish flag.

00lude

Course design is a major factor but not all local clubs have the same safety standards/requirements of the SCCA. I have brought up what I consider unsafe conditions on several occasions. I was on a "safe" course (although I didn't consider it safe), not overdriving and well; $2500 later, my car looks fantastic.

There is plenty that can go wrong and its something that every autocrosser needs to be aware of. That said, I think its probably the safest motorsport around.

250

Despite getting lost every single solitary time i went solo, I had a blast. Great event, great help, great people.

Also, i can appreciate how dangerous this sport has the ability to be. Just at this event, one car got (to me) closer-than-i'd-like-were-I-him to going off into the trees post-finishline. That said, you can still make some pretty fantastic mistakes and still be okay. In all, the reward FAR outweighs the minimal (again, to me) risk.