Auto X at Western Speedway

[MNW]

I used to be tempted to go run in autoX and such. But can somebody who is extremely poor with a family do it and be competitive?

Nice pics though. I am more scared I will find out how terrible a driver I am. And in a car as legendary as a skyline I worry everyone will think they suck bad after I do so terrible.

Any thoughts?

practise makes perfect, live by that slogan and you'll be fine

if you go to an autoX event, i think you'll find that people are more supportive knowing that you made the effort to even show up and will help you out in any way possible. I know the first time i went out i was horribly worried about doing something bad to my car and went super slow, but as you get the feel for the car and driving faster and faster you'll get more comfortable. As for being poor and racing, not the best combo, but many people who come out to our autoX events drive old junkers. Thing to remember is maintanance first then modification. You don't need massive amounts of money to do autoX as there are classes. Sadly, when you run a skyline you are placed in Dmod (one of the hardest classes) regardless because the car was never sold in N/A.

First step i would recommend to anyone looking to get into autoX or any other type of racing is suspension, worry about power later as suspension is what will help you the most....that and proper tires.

I just want to add, there is nothing quite like the rush of pushing your car as hard as possible and not having to worry about cops

[mcnab]

I just want to add, there is nothing quite like the rush of pushing your car as hard as possible and not having to worry about cops

Very well said. That's why I highly support LEGAL racing. You can push your car far harder and safer than you could on the streets. Plus you're in an environment where you can learn to be a better driver.

As far as running in AutoX...There will ALWAYS be someone out there that's faster and slower than you. But that's not what AutoX is about. I was the first skyline to come out to our local AutoX's, and I thought I had a reputation to live up to. But I showed up with the attitude that I was just going to have fun, and it didn't matter how I did. That's the right attitude to show up with. Everyone there is mature and responsible (for the most part). They're also there to have fun in a safe and responsible manner. Being competitive isn't about how much money you can put into your car, sure it may help, but an experienced driver in an inferior car can really do very well.

So if you want to go out, go out there and have fun. You'll do just fine! It's about how much fun YOU have, and how you can get better as as driver. Don't worry about trying to be competitive.

[Marke]

^^I you want to go out Auto Xing to impress people, you are doing it for the wrong reason. Just have fun. The more seat time you get the better you will be. You don't need to be all moded out either. Lots of stock vehicles show up and do well.

As for my tires, the gripped really well. Understeer was almost non-exsistant.

[GTR-Dad]

Being competitive isn't about how much money you can put into your car, sure it may help, but an experienced driver in an inferior car can really do very well.

Yes! Think, 80% driver, 20% car...

My 2 cents says your main competition is your own previous performance. You might measure that against others, but you don't worry about who beat who.

Dan

[calgarygts]

bah, i wanna move to bc so bad, my stupid autocross events are like this



the bumps are so harsh, and i broke the clips for my right headlight

[MNW]

bah, i wanna move to bc so bad, my stupid autocross events are like this



the bumps are so harsh, and i broke the clips for my right headlight

that looks more like rallyX than autoX, autoX is on a paved track, not on a dirt track

[calgarygts]

apparently u guys dont get snow in saskatchewan?

its called winter autocross?

[MNW]

apparently u guys dont get snow in saskatchewan?

its called winter autocross?

we call them ice dice (if on ice) or winter slalom if in snow...and i don't move my skyline during winter...its parked

[Marke]

your main competition is your own previous performance

I agree with this, but when the course is different every time, it is hard to tell how you are improving. To gauge my improvement, measure myself against the best times, and keep track of how much time I am behind the leader.

[Transparent Skyline]

Traditionally Auto X is on dirt and slalom is on pavment but in Canada for the most part its just auto X (gymkhana is better thoe :wink: )and rally X. but if ur club has a lot of british influence they may call it auto X on dirt.

[GTR-Dad]

your main competition is your own previous performance

I agree with this, but when the course is different every time, it is hard to tell how you are improving. To gauge my improvement, measure myself against the best times, and keep track of how much time I am behind the leader.

I do the same thing!
When the really fast drivers have cars with different power levels and handling capabilities, different courses make it tough to sort out though. A long straight rewards cars with more power, while a tight course with hardly any straights rewards light cars with lots of sticky rubber.
The best gauge is an experienced guy (so his performance doesn't change much) with a car a lot like yours.

Cheers,
Dan

[Marke]

Came in 8th out of 30 cars my third time out. The club moved me into a different catagory. Now it will be harder for me when it comes to PAX time, not that I really care about PAX. Only 2 other cars in my catagory and they weren't much competition. A SuperCharged Miata and a SC MR-2.
Jason, Greg where are you guys?