i just bought new tires

thats all i need to get ready

 

Nothin...I'm startin the year as a stocker and getting to know my car well before I start toying around.

 

i'm thinking about changing up some alignment settings to get more front grip, and get the rear easier to rotate. i'm thinking -1.5 up front -.1 in the rear, with a couple mm of toe. oh yeah, and i've got a front strut bar to put on.

 

Ummm... nothing. It's all in the head. Keep the head straight, the rest will follow.

 

Lots of "racing" video games to keep the reflexes sharp and, when it snows, lots of 4 wheel drifts

 

Wait! The auto-x season isn't year-round where you guys are??!! :banana: (I used to be the jealous guy, living in New England and reading about other areas starting auto-x in February or March. Now I'm on the other side of the fence, and it's oohh so sweet! )

I'm about due for some new tires. I've always gone with Victoracers, but I might see what Hoosier has to offer in a size that would work for me.

I probably should get the car aligned someday (installed Konis and GCs about 6 weeks ago).

Last but not least I'm looking into swapping to a WRX steering rack or maybe even an STi rack for better response, and I might eventually invest in a Quaife front diff.

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan
SM Killa!

 

i've never auto-x before, just wondering how do you guys know which way to go through the cones? i mean wth????

 

Send in my scca membership form ... I keep forgeting about that ...

 

Go to an event it's better to have it explained at the event site while you're looking at them.

Basically there's a few elements that make up a course.

The biggest thing to see is a 'pointer'. A pointer cone lays down on the ground on the other side of a standing cone telling the driver which side of the standing cone the driver should go around.

A 'gate' is 2 cones wide enough for a car to go though.

A 'slalom' is a series of cones that you alternate sides on every sucessive cone. Sometimes, they're optional, meaning... you can pass the 1st cone on either the left or the right. Many times, the 1st cone has a pointer on it saying you can only start the slalom on that side.

Then there's pivots. A cone or two or three clumped togehter that you must just go around in an arc to either the left or the right (depending on the course design).

Last but not least are 'walls'. Walls of cones are put up near single cones to make you slow down or make that particular turn a little tighter.

You see... for every cone you hit, you get 2 seconds added onto your time.

Those are really the elements of the course. There are other designs and combinations called various things... but those are the basic building blocks of a course.

Once you go to an event, you get to walk the course and really see what the course looks like and understand.

I usually only do one or two course walks now. Most of my driving now is looking ahead about 3-4 gates and planning for them. After years of doing this, you get used to different elements and know what to look for.

--kC

 

hey kc, i'd shake ur hand if i could thanks for the elaborate explanation. cones are bad!!!