Auto-X Events
 

I have been searching for a while for upcoming autocross events in Socal but I haven't found much useful information or any events until next season. Does anyone know of any auto-x races this year in Socal?

Thanks in advance.

Check MotorsportReg.com, they have a few events listed in your area.

That site is amazing, thanks Chris! I was searching the SCCA site all night and could not find a way to bring up local events on their site, the link you provided is perfect. Solo is autocross right?

Yep, solo is auto-cross.

The motorsportreg.com site has been a great thing, it only started a few years ago but now most all of the local clubs put there events there so people can find them, otherwise people would have no clue about half the clubs out there. It makes the payment process a lot simpler as well.

No kidding, it really does. I would not have ever been able to find 75% of those events it has listed. I need to get a helmet now I think, I know that I can probably find loaners at the events but I want to participate in a bunch so it probably will be a good investment. I really want to learn the true limits of the car in a more controlled environment, I figured I would start with autocross and then move up to track work once I get some driving experience and get my brakes up to par.

I have a feeling my open differential will be a huge disadvantage though!

Note that you will need a SA2005 or higher rated helmet for most clubs, a few allow M rated helmets but not many. The SA2010 helmets are just starting to come out but will be a premium, look for discounts on SA2005 helmets to start. SA2005 helmets are good until the end of 2014.

I recommend open face for auto-cross for maximum visibility and relatively low speeds. People like full-face for track. I would go for a cheap SA2005 open face now and then grab a SA2010 full face when you start getting into track and the helmets are more available.

The open diff will hurt but not as much as you might think. It will mostly be on the hard long corners where the car is heavily loaded in one direction and then you try to get power down on exit.

I was thinking about the cheap open face Pyrotect helmet as a way to start off, especially because I don't know how much I will actually be tracking/autocrossing the car. Good point on the diff, I feel like it really hampers corner exit speed on slow tight corners but I read some of your advice in other threads and will concentrate on myself to become a better driver before looking at hardware.

The open face Pyrotect is what I use for auto-x, fits the bill. It's relatively light so your head doesn't feel too weighted down.

With the open diff (or even the VLSD for that matter as it sucks) you have to experiment a little. Rather than being slow in fast out, you can increase entry speed a little and as you start to turn in you give a small throttle lift to get the rear to step out just enough so that you can zero steer (turn the wheel back to center while the car is still rotating). As the car starts to settle down and you've got it pointing towards the next gate you can start to squeeze back on the power without too much wheel spin. It's not easy to do but it is rewarding when you get it right.

That is something I will try to work on. I have been working on getting the back to rotate a bit more mid corner since I would either go slow or I would go into a turn a bit too fast and get some understeer. My issue has been that I feel like the car is pushing a bit even if I keep my speed up through a corner but maybe I am not feeding in enough throttle at the corner exit as well.

I was also thinking about a performance driving school next summer potentially as it would be awesome to get some in car driving advice.

Look for a auto-x school. The BMW club runs one and there is a fancy one called Evolution Performance Driving School that runs once a year in each area. They can really help you with a lot of the fundamentals and even some of the more advanced stuff.

In stock form the car does tend to understeer a lot. On street tires you will find that you have to keep some brake applied as you turn in to keep the front end loaded, especially with stiffer sway bars. I eliminated most all of the understeer by increasing camber. As you are already out of stock class that might be the way to go.

Stock car not turning is an under-statement

I figured I could play with the settings in the rear sway bars if it pushes too much, I hope the Swift springs I have on order (stiffer rate in the rear than the front, f/r are stiffer than stock) will help that as well. Thanks for the recommendation on the driving school, it is definately a worthwhile investment since I want to be able to get the most out of the Z and while I am learning as I drive it more, it can't beat having an expert give you pointers!

Just be careful about how stiff you set the rear bar, you don't want to be wasting time spinning the inner rear off the corner

The front Stillen bar is 28.6% stiffer than stock while the rear is 37% stiffer (hole 1) and 70% stiffer on hole 2. I am holding off on the stiffer setting until I am more comfortable with oversteer, the joys of my first RWD car!

The problem with adding really stiff sway bars to stock suspension is that you get the joys of understeer and oversteer at the same time, occasionally in the same corner. The Stillen sway bars are pretty mild so I don't expect them to cause any real problems, increasing overall spring rate a little will help as well but then you will probably be kicking yourself for not just going with coilovers with adjustable damping.

What is the spring rate on the Swift springs?

The rates are 10k at the front and 10.5k for the rears. I know the benefits of being able to adjust rebound (had Konis on my previous car) but I feel like coilovers are overkill for me at this point as I can't even come close to getting the most out of the car as it sits. I just wouldn't mind it being a bit lower while performing better!

My concern with changing spring rates is always whether or not the dampers will be able to keep up, there is nothing worse than an under damped suspension. Those spring rates look to be about 20% stiffer than stock so hopefully it will be ok. Let us know how it works out.

I wish Koni would make some shocks for our cars, they were amazing in my last car. I have saved all your advice, don't you have a few videos of you autocrossing on youtube?

Yes there are a few videos from this year up on my channel.
YouTube - ChrisP978's Channel

I am registering for a SCCA SoloII at Fontana Speedway, so excited! I want to bring my dad but I don't know if I have to pay for him as well, hopefully they have two loaner helmets on hand. :)

SCCA doesn't allow passengers aside from instructors, one of their silly rules. Two people can drive the same car, both must register and pay.

As far as helmet goes I suggest dropping the co-ordinator an email and asking if it would be okay to borrow a loaner for the day. They can usually round up extra helmets as long as they know ahead of time.

I sent an email, but I had to since I accidentally registered for a Ladies Event which I am not physically qualified for (last I checked). I will let you know how I do, I cannot wait!

With these events, when do they typically end? First car out is at 8:30am I believe, is this the kind of thing where you make as many runs as you are allowed but can leave at any time?

That's not true. Whether or not the region allows passengers usually depends on the insurance they have and the regulation at the venue. My SCCA regions here all allow passengers.

You will have to go in drag. :icon17: Make sure you register for Novice.

They want you there by 7:30 usually. They will have a course walk opportunity and some people available to walk with to help explain the course.

The number of runs is usually fixed, and you will have an equal number of work sessions to driving sessions (usually 2 of each). Take note of your work sessions at the beginning of the day and make sure you are at them on time. Once you have completed your work assignments you are free to leave although they do have a little trophy ceremony at the end. They are usually done around 5pm.

You will see a huge number of cars of all kind at this event, just make sure you are out of your car when the kid carts are running, no car is allowed to move.

Different clubs run with different rules. The SCCA probably has the most rules because they have the most vehicles and the highest level of competition (including national championship events). Once you get a taste for it try out some of the other clubs for a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

You are correct, it is regional. So Cal is one of the regions that doesn't allow passengers, my region is the same. I'm sure there is some reason for the rule but it does scare away Novices to a certain degree.

Damn it, so much for my dad tagging along then. Are there any events that allow passengers then?

It varies club to club. Up in my area pretty much all the clubs allow passengers except for SCCA and a Miata club.