Top 5 Autocross Driving Mistakes
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- Finding speed on an autocross course is all about making the fewest mistakes. Over the years, I’ve made every driving mistake you can possibly make. That’s all part of the process of learning. But, it’s easy for driving mistakes to become your driving technique. And bad technique will slow you down.
Now that I’m an Instructor, I spend most of my time at events riding along with Novices. Helping Novices get faster is my favorite part of autocross.
This video covers the TOP 5 AUTOCROSS DRIVING MISTAKES I see Novices make, and offers TIPS TO HELP YOU AVOID MAKING THEM. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
This is great advice for finding the “aggression” sweet spot. I’ve competed in about 12 autocrosses and I’ve come a long way, but I’m far from a seasoned veteran. For two years I’ve heard over and over, “slow is smooth, smooth is fast”, and I’ve tried to apply that, but generally I’ve developed a bad habit of overdriving and being too choppy. Once that clutch comes up, the competitive juices flow, and it’s easy to forget that counter-intuitive advice. But a funny thing happened at my last event....I have trouble remembering the course, so 1st and 2nd run DNF’s or deadly hesitations are not uncommon for me. This time I walked the course 3 times, focused, and watched carefully while working the course. And for my first run, I was going to concentrate on looking well ahead, and being smoother, making the run at 90% (until getting sure of the course) then adjusting for subsequent runs. I got through that run without any penalties and I looked ahead more than I ever have (it was a bit uncomfortable to do that!). But the run felt nice and smooth. It did NOT feel fast at all. I didn’t even look at the timer when I turned back into the grid, but another Mustang guy came up the car and said, “Holy s##t!, on your first run!!??” I ran a 57.8xx which was good enough to win CAMC and take 8th overall in a 57 driver field. It was an “OOOOOOOHH!” moment. So THAT is how it’s supposed to feel? I knocked another 0.4 off on the second run and finished 6th overall. My best day ever. Driving with some restraint helped. Memorizing the course better really facilitated looking ahead. Looking ahead facilitated smoothness, which resulted in a faster time. Can’t wait to get out there and work on this again.
It's always great to read comments like this. A big part of getting faster is getting familiar with how a really fast run should feel. Then, it's all about replicating that feeling at future events. You are seeing the benefits of sharpening your skills and defining your driving style. And you got the win! That's awesome!
Walking the course is key to your run strategy. Knowing what's coming allows you to attack the elements. I walk the course as many times as I can. That helps me figure out the 5 or 6 cones that actually matter. And it lets me prep for stringing elements together. That allows me to think 2 or 3 elements ahead. Getting comfortable with looking ahead will get you even faster! I'm looking forward to hearing about your next event!
Warhorse Racing ...Thanks for the kind words. Looking ahead as far as I did definitely wasn’t comfortable. Afraid I’m going to pop cones in the element I just entered. Only seeing those cones with peripheral vision, and knowing where my wheels are, will take getting used to, but I feel like I’ve gotten a taste of it now. I’m just going to force myself to look well ahead and keep doing it.
Did my first autocross a few weeks ago! It rained all day unfortunately, it was my first time driving my cobra in the rain and first time autocrossing. I DNF'd my first run because I missed a gate. My 2nd run I ran a 74 sec time, I spun out at the last turn before the finish because I hit the gas too early coming out of a turn. I spun out right into the timer tripod :/ I had 4 more runs after that and really got to know mu car, ended up with a best run of 57 seconds which was 5th of 6 in CAM-T and 25 seconds off the RAW leader (22 seconds off cam-t leader). Definitely was a learning experience! Here are a few of my take aways: 1) It doesn't matter how much power your car has or what kind of car you have. There were stock ford fiestas, honda civics, and even a dodge avenger that were much faster than me. If anything, all the torque actually hurt me, it will take some getting used to to control. 2) You car doesn't have to be highly modified to have a good time. My Cobra just has exhaust and eibach springs and I had a blast! It definitely made me re-think a lot of mods I was going to do to the car. 3) You don't shift but one time, at least for me, so don't waste money on a shifter or clutch pedal lowering kit, etc. I stayed in 2nd the entire time even with 4.10 gears. I may have an advantage over other cars though with the low rpm torque that I can stay in 2nd through the whole track. Video is on my channel, i you have any pointers I'd appreciate it! Unfortunately with the virus no one is allowed to ride with me to help.
It's great to hear that autocross events are still happening. Chopping 17 seconds off your time is awesome! Your first few events are all about getting familiar with your car and the basics of autocross. DNFs and spins are going to happen, especially in the rain. You didn't let those things prevent you from finding speed and having fun, which is great! You'll be amazed by how quickly you get closer to the top drivers in CAM-T. One of the reasons I made this video is because I won't be able to provide in-car instruction for a while due to the virus. But, it's great to hear that, even without instruction, you came away from the event more familiar with your car. And more importantly, you came away from the event knowing that you don't need to have a ton of mods to have a good time. I will check out your video ASAP. Thanks for posting your experience, it will help inspire other people to get their cars out on course!
Before you know it you will be cutting your time down before you know it.
Awesome video for beginners!! Attending my very first autocross with my mustang in 4 weeks!!
Thanks! You're going to love autocrossing your Mustang! If you haven't already, please check out my "The BASICS & BENEFITS of LOOKING AHEAD" and "How the WRONG LINE COSTS YOU TIME" videos. They are designed to help novices prepare for their first event. If you have any questions about autocross, please ask. I'm happy to help.
Just did my first autox run 2 days ago. I was nervous and as it progressed I got more confident. I was definitely not aggressive enough. I've learned alot watching these videos hopefully I can get to another auto cross event again soon.
I hope you enjoyed your first event! Seat time is the most important thing when you're starting out. The more you autocross, the better you'll get. Building aggression takes time; you have to get comfortable out on course before you can start pushing. I'm glad my videos are helpful. If you ever have any questions, please ask.
The part about as little brakes as possible is kind of the opposite as what I learned recently. I was using way too little brakes and using the tires to slow down rather than the brakes. Learning to really squeeze the brakes instead of gently poking them a little really improved my times. That's just to say there are exceptions and we all have our own problems ;)
The degree and duration of braking varies depending on the element, your input timing, and your car. When I'm instructing, I generally tell drivers to "poke" the brake pedal prior to making a steering input in some elements on their first run. That shows them the benefit of shifting weight to the front wheels before initiating a turn. On subsequent runs, I will have them replace that braking input with a partial lift. The partial lift transfers weight to the front wheels prior to initiating the turn, but doesn't cost as much time as lifting all the way off of the throttle and applying the brake. Replacing braking with a partial lift (which helps you use the brakes as little as possible) in multiple elements will really improve your times. But your input timing has to be right, and your car has to be capable of attacking the element at that speed. When braking for an element is required, you generally want to brake as late as you can without impacting your ability to attack the element, and only as hard as necessary. There are always exceptions, but analyzing your runs to see when you can use the brakes less or less often is always a good strategy for finding speed.
Love your videos, keep them coming!
Thank you!
Very good video. Nice job. I have been involved in Autocross for 10+ years but this is a good reminder
Thank you! You might also like my "5 Ways to FIND SPEED at an AUTOCROSS" video.
This is great, ill be sharing this with my region!
Thanks! And thank you for sharing my video!
Something tells me these tips are going to be very helpful for me in the future 😉
I'm really looking forward to seeing how fast you can get that SSP!
Great tips that capture all the mistakes I made in my first, full season. The only other aspect I’ve found is not really understanding the right lines or simply going into hoon mode during which fundamentals aren’t in top of mind (or in mind at all). Very few of us will be aliens but we can all be better, and that is what makes autox so tantalizing to me.
I still make some of these mistakes. Finding the right line takes time. Walk the course with experienced drivers, and watch the other cars on course between your runs. Look for smooth arcs between elements, don't add unnecessary length to the course, and find the hidden straightaways. Eventually, it all clicks. I don't think I'll ever make a perfect autocross run, but I continue to have a ton of fun trying!
This was helpful; thank you.
Thanks for checking out my video. If you ever have any questions, please ask. I'm happy to help.
Great channel! Keep up the videos. Looking to get into autox soon
Thanks! If you ever have any questions about autocross, please ask. I'm happy to help.
Great tips!!
Thank you!
Excellent video & instruction
Thanks!
I hope your channel gets more attention 😌👌🏿
I have my first event coming up this weekend after what feels like a crazy long hiatus. Thanks for posting these tips- I think I’ve rewatched the video 4 times now to re-drill the basics in.
It's great to hear that events are starting back up. I'm glad people are finding the video helpful. Let me know how you do at the event!
Warhorse Racing will do! Most of my friends left me for CAMT this year :(
Warhorse Racing scca-cpr.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-cpr-ev03_pax.htm
Man was I bad/rusty/timing way off. Over the two day event, I ended up only hitting two cones, after watching the videos, I pretty much did not attack a single element on course. I’ve been racing for 3 years now, and I definitely fell into the over zealous novice that tried to stomp the gas all the time. I don’t think I’ve ever been this timid behind the wheel. 30th pax time
@@maartyrr Looks like you weren't too far behind your competition. And, looking at the Final Results, you shaved 3.5 seconds off your time at Event #3. That's not a bad day. I'm always rusty when the season starts. It takes a bit of time to get into "attack mode". Being able to break down where you can find speed is always a plus. If you have video, watch it before your next event. I find that helps me get my aggression where it needs to be on Run 1.
Warhorse Racing this is true and I hope to maybe get a rhythm back with the car. I am making a couple of changes to make the car a bit more settled too. Hopefully I can build the confidence again.
Your video's are always very helpful so thanks for posting them!
When my 03 Mach 1 is fully rebuilt I'm looking to take it to an autocross track. What components can fail or break in the suspension due to autocross stress and spinouts? I just replaced my k-member, A arms, UCA, LCA, sway bars, and struts/shocks. Do I need to worry about lower torque boxes or sway bar mounts? Or what else should I worry about? The goal is to try not to break anything by oversights on my part.
Thanks for checking out my videos! I'm glad they're helping. Autocross is relatively easy on cars. Most well-maintained cars will be fine for autocross. The big things to check are ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods (inner and outer), tires, brakes, and bushings. If any of those items are worn out, autocrossing the car can lead to them failing. I have a video about the "6 Things to Check Before You Autocross Your Mustang". I have bent sway bar mounts, but that seems to be very rare. If you have good 3-piece poly bushings in the UCAs/LCAs, your torque boxes should be fine, unless you have a ton of horsepower. If you run spherical bushings on the chassis side, you might want to reinforce the torque boxes. Remember to make sure your battery isn't lose, and your lug nuts are tight before your runs.
Many thanks from an established Car Guy who had a realization and is now aspiring to be a driving enthusiast.
Thanks for checking out the video! If you have some time, please watch my "The BASICS & BENEFITS of LOOKING AHEAD" video. It's an important skill that will help you get faster out on course.
Great vid
I really need to get back into autocross... I miss it
Great video, thank you. I was at my first event last Saturday, and what held me back the whole time was fear of getting lost, really struggled with that!
I hope the video was helpful. It gets much easier to find your way through the course with each event you attend. After a few events, you'll start to be able to pick out the 5 or 6 key cones on course. Walk the course as many times as you can, find experienced autocrossers to walk with, and get as much instruction as possible. Doing those 3 things will help you avoid DNFs and find speed.
I think part of the problem is the limited opportunity to learn at each event. Seat time is short and you're often going through a lot of different segments in 60 seconds, which all flies by very quickly resulting in you comprehending very little of what you just did. It's something that gets easier to understand when you have done more events, but for novices it's the biggest obstacle to learning.
One recommendation I would have is to record your runs and then watch them after the event. That way you can actually see how you were driving in each segment and study it closely and to see the places where you could go faster or the mistakes you made. A camera situated behind you which captures everything out the windshield as well as your actions behind the wheel is probably the best angle, but that may not be an option in every vehicle to mount a camera.
As an instructor, I've seen how easy it is for novices to get overwhelmed by the "sea of cones" at autocross events. I remember how confused I was at my first few events. My two clubs offer instruction at every event (I'm one of the Novice Coordinators). Our novice programs function like mini novice schools: instructors lead a novice course walk, ride with novices, take them for ride-alongs & even offer to drive their cars. With the right instruction, it is possible to learn a lot about autocross fundamentals at an event, despite only getting a handful of runs. While some clubs don't have enough staff to have a novice program or host novice schools, the autocross community is full of people who want to help novices. I encourage any novice who runs with a club that doesn't offer formal instruction to seek out veteran autocrossers and ask for help, ride with as many experienced autocrossers as possible at their events, and find resources (like this channel) to answer any questions they have. It's also worth mentioning that most of the novices I meet improve tremendously over their first 5 events.
Recording your runs is a great way to help improve your skills, provided you know what to look for. Comparing your videos to other videos from the same event can help determine where a faster driver was finding speed on course. Being able to analyze an autocross run is a very important skill.
Can you walk us through the changes you have made since the rule changes to CAM -C in some upcoming post's
The main change to the CAM Class Rules is putting the 94-04 Mustangs in CAM-T, which means the minimum weight has gone from 3,300 lbs. to 3,000 lbs. I'm still figuring out the weight-loss plans for my 2004 V6 and my 2000 GT. I had hoped to see how they did in CAM-T early on in the season without shedding more weight, but those events were cancelled. If you're looking for weight reduction tips, my "MUSTANG ST PART 3" and "ThoroughbRED Part 2" videos are a good start. Once I decide on the right direction for getting the cars lighter, I will post videos detailing the parts I chose and how much weight they save.
I’ve been wondering how much time you lose even from seemingly small over-driving mistakes. Getting a bit too deep and bogging down. Getting on the throttle too hard or too early, where the tail steps out a foot while the rear wheels spin. It’s just a brief moment, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of those mistakes on a 60-second course add up to 1.5 seconds or more.
It's not hard to lose time on course. There will never be a perfect autocross run. It's all about making fewer mistakes than your competition. It takes time to recover from every error, so every mistake gets amplified.
A great way to track your trouble spots is to keep a scanner or get a radio that can hear the course workers chatter and strap it to the passenger seat belt. This way you can hear where you miss gates or hit the cones. Not to mention if someone calls the red flag you'll hear it before you actually see it. The club I run with uses Motorola radios and I picked up a used one on eBay for $5 and it's become a great copilot. When I work the course I have my own personal radio and that was one less contact concern during Covid
As an instructor that has been hit by flying water bottles, loose fire extinguishers and even planks of wood that drivers have put into their cars after tech inspection, I'd be reluctant to put a radio in the car unless I was 100% certain it was very well secured. Any loose item can become a projectile at speed or get stuck under a brake pedal. Having said that, every driver has a different learning style and finds different tools useful. I tend to be really vocal in the passenger seat when instructing. Some drivers love it; some prefer instruction after they've completed a run. If a driver is able to split focus between the course and the radio chatter, a properly secured radio co-pilot might be a good option for them.
Any suggestions on what wheel to run for a 2000 maxima? 17 or 18? My understanding is if the course is more sweeping than slaloming, more tire contact is better. Also, if the course has a lot of sharp turns maybe lighter is more worth it?
I have no experience with a 2000 Maxima. But, generally, you want the widest tire (without being too pinched on the rim), and the shortest sidewall (without being too short). A lighter rim is always better; some 18" rims weigh less than 17" rims. The rules for your class might also limit your options. Tire availability will also impact your choice. Check out my video about choosing the right autocross rims & tires; it might help. But, I think it's also worth reaching out to someone who actually autocrosses a Maxima.
@@warhorseracing thanks. Like the 04 Stang btw. Best looking
Any of these in Canada ?? Southern Ont?? It d be cool to try :)
The CASC Ontario website has a listing of clubs that might offer autocross events. It looks like they call it "autoslalom" in Canada.
Cool stuff gearhead sent me got you with a follow 🔴🇺🇸🔧👍
Thank you for subscribing! GearHead704 has some cool stuff planned for his SSP. I'm happy to be helping him out with his autocross setup.
Do you think I'll have a hard time autocrossing an auto mustang? I recently got an 04 GT and I really want to track it but having an auto kills my mood every time...
Don't let the fact that your car is an automatic keep you from taking it to an autocross event. I've instructed several students in SN95 Mustangs with automatics over the years. I've driven their cars for "instructor runs" too. I put the transmission in 2nd gear and "lock out" OD; that usually prevents the car from trying to upshift out of 2nd gear. You will have to keep the revs up to prevent the car from bogging down, especially in slow/tight elements. But, that will teach you to be early on the throttle (an important autocross skill). Depending on how often you plan to autocross your car, a shift kit and transmission cooler might be worth considering (just make sure they are legal in your SCCA Category).
I cant drive yet but this is helpful
When you get your license, going to autocross events will teach you valuable skills that will make you a safer/better driver on the road.
It would be great to be able to trade some emails. I have a nice 93 Foxbody and I have a different setup than yours. Your videos are great.
Thanks! I have a thread on StangNet titled, "Fox Body Autocross Project"; if you ask questions there, the answers will be able to help as many people as possible (which is my goal). You can also PM me through StangNet. I'm happy to help.
“Most people have never had their car go to the limit under normal driving” *my dumbass taking an exit at 60, brakes, lift off over steer,* ooops clumsy me
I kinda have this issue.. I noticed I drive like I’m on the track even when I’m on the street looking for those areas I can improve my cornering, braking and acceleration, even in daily driving situations. With all the stress of this “Pandemic” and people driving the way they tend too, I’m starting to think they should implement a “race lane” on all public roads and highways. Anybody else 2nd this theory???
Unlike your video by mistake, touchscreen is faster than my brain!
How do I contact you? Send me an email address. I have a Fox Mustang I race in an endurance racing. Would you be interested in wheel to wheel racing? Just here me out.
Please PM me on Stangnet.com, SN95Forums.com or Corral.net. and we can start a discussion. Thanks.
I think your mistake was to have a mustang.
Mustang is the worst car for autocross, Miata is the answer!
Miata is 1 answer. Reeeeaaaally fun cars, but I rather see people push and develop other chassis