Autocross! (my first time)

[BrazdonW]

after running off course my first 3 runs (again this was my very first time) i got within 2 seconds of my buddies WRX!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b225/brazdon/IMG_2115a.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b225/brazdon/IMG_2056a.jpg
Celebrity shot! (whooopppeee)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b225/brazdon/IMG_2078a.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b225/brazdon/IMG_2080a.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b225/brazdon/IMG_2119a.jpg

such a good time!

[BLAZINBLUEVITZ]

damm work blocking the photos. guess questions will come later on tonight and i take it whooppie was a spectator cause of his part delay?

[SilverBack]

Nice! What was your fastest time?

[BrazdonW]

54.2 seconds
btw you never leave second gear lol

[Loren]

You never forget your first time!

Keep at it, a well-driven Yaris is capable of pissing off drivers of much more expensive and "faster" cars. With the exception of one S2000 driven by an alien, the only cars that finished ahead of my Yaris in two days of autocross this weekend had either forced induction or race tires. :biggrin:

Event results, if you're interested:
http://wedrivefast.com/Results/EventResults/tabid/80/Default.aspx

[cleong]

It is always a sweet feeling to show people up in your underdog car, especially if it looks so innocent

[Astroman]

Thirty-Nine did the same thing saturday, he posted better times than most the other considerably more powerful expensive cars.

[BrazdonW]

haha thanks for the support! :)
it was a blast
i plan on going to the next one at fed ex field on april 11th!
i learned a ton my first time autocrossing
and it actually translated pretty well into how i drive on the roads as well

[LtNoogie]

Good work. I'll have to look at the pictures after work.

Question... how nervous were you until you got the green flag?

How hyped up were you after your third run?:biggrin:

[slothman86]

You never forget your first time!

Keep at it, a well-driven Yaris is capable of pissing off drivers of much more expensive and "faster" cars. With the exception of one S2000 driven by an alien, the only cars that finished ahead of my Yaris in two days of autocross this weekend had either forced induction or race tires. :biggrin:

Event results, if you're interested:
http://wedrivefast.com/Results/EventResults/tabid/80/Default.aspx


WHY DOES IT SAY SLOYOTA? ESP SINCE YOU'RE IN THE TOP 10??!1?!! :mad::mad::mad:

[KCALB SIRAY]

Great shots, at least you don't have any cones flying up in the them, hahaha. I'll see if I can come out and see you guys on the 11th.

[SailDesign]

WHY DOES IT SAY SLOYOTA? ESP SINCE YOU'RE IN THE TOP 10??!1?!! :mad::mad::mad:

That would be a SLeeper tOYOTA.. :biggrin:

[slothman86]

That would be a SLeeper tOYOTA.. :biggrin:

LOL

[Sabretooth]

lol! If that is true

I personally liked this one, the guy who placed 34th by time, his car...a 01 Bmw P.O.S. 325 Something?


Loren is heavily experienced from what I can grasp and has had enough track time in many aspects to blow your mind. Hence why he can take a little car, and surpass an Evo when it comes to time.

[Loren]

I enter it as the Sloyota just to remind people that they got beaten by a slow-ass economy car. Don't kid yourself, the Yaris is slow! But, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.

I like the SLeeper tOYOTA idea, though!

The BMW was, I think, a car being prepped for 24 hours of LeMons (24hoursoflemons.com), I think it's more like an '85 rather than an '01. I rode as a passenger with him on one run, gave him some tips, and he shaved nearly a second off of his next run. I love it when people listen!

The guy who owns the Evo is a newb and just recently bought the car. My buddy, Jeff, co-drove it Sunday and just wasn't used to it. The car needs better tires.

Sabre hit on the key... skill and experience. I've been autocrossing since 1996, and I still only consider myself at about 8.5 on a scale of 1-10.

[BrazdonW]

believe it or not i didnt hit any cones i just didnt follow the coarse correctly the first 3 times lol
after my 3rd run i was so excited to run again because i know what to expect fully
the first couple times i was really nervous to hit the cones on the way out of starting lol

[Loren]

Two things you should read:
The Physics of Racing (http://phors.locost7.info/contents.htm) - Written by an engineer when he first started autocrossing. In-depth, but not completely over-your-head (you can ignore the math if you want to, I did!) analysis of what your car is doing.
Roger Johnson's Course Design Bible (http://delta-scca.org/club/maps/courses/course_design.pdf) - Most experienced autocross course designers have read this, and if you want to be able to easily follow their courses (and more importantly, be aware of their sneaky tricks that can cost you time!), you should read it, too.

[HTM Yaris]

But, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.


:bow: Thats one of the reasons I bought the Yaris .

Usually when I show up at the Autox , I hear peeps snickering and whatnot . Until I complete my first run . Then there is a crowd of peeps gawking at my car saying "I can't believe that car is that fast" . I then remind them its not the car its the driver.

The last Autox I went to I got to drive the S2000 that got FTD (fastest time of day ) On my first "fun run" I was .3 second off FTD . On the next run I drove his buddy's S2000 and got to within .008 of FTD . They wouldn't let me drive anymore after that :frown:

I contribute alot of my driving finesse to playing video games . Sure you don't feel the G's but the "EYE TIME" is invaluable . Another thing that Sir Loren hit on is listening to what other peeps say .

Congrats on your first Autox . Hopefully there will be many more :thumbup:

[kurokoma-kun]

Congrats Brazdon! Thats so exciting, nice results :thumbup:

Our season starts this weekend, test + tune on Saturday and race on Sunday, I can't waaaaaiiiiiiiittttt!!!! :burnrubber:

I haven't read the books Loren mentions, but if you want to read here's another one I liked: Secrets of Solo Racing: Expert Techniques for Autocrossing and Time Trials by Henry Watts. It explains a lot of basics such as how to figure out the fastest line, turning, apexing, acceleration and braking, hand positions on the steering wheel, stuff about how tires behave (slip angle etc), when to lift and when not to!

[Loren]

The plus of the "books" that I listed is that they're not books, they're freely available on the internet. I've heard about the Watts book, but never read it... or maybe I did, I think someone may have loaned it to me a couple years ago, but by then I already knew almost everything it had to say. I think the "Physics of Racing" series covers a LOT of those things pretty well, and from a novice perspective rather than an "expert" perspective.

PS: Welcome back, Kuro!

[tomato]

:headbang::coolpics:

Well done! :thumbsup:

[kurokoma-kun]

The plus of the "books" that I listed is that they're not books, they're freely available on the internet.

PS: Welcome back, Kuro!

Right as usual Loren! :thumbsup: That "solo secrets" book was my bathroom reading for quite a while :rolleyes::wink: but now that I've finally discovered the joys of wireless and a notebook computer I'll be able to check out your recommendations in my accustomed environment :laugh:

[BrazdonW]

haha you guys are the best thanks for all the info! im sure it will give me a good bit of information i could use!
im so excited for the next autocross already!

[KCALB SIRAY]

whats the time on the Fed Ex ?

[BrazdonW]

im not sure on time yet but if its anything like the blue crabs one you get there at 830am to check in and get your work heat and it went untill around 4pm

[KCALB SIRAY]

nice, should be cool

[BrazdonW]

it would be great to have a few yari out there!

[KCALB SIRAY]

it would be great to have a few yari out there!

she's not xourse ready yet...but soon, muahahahahaha

[Loren]

she's not xourse ready yet...but soon, muahahahahaha
You think a stock Yaris can't autocross? Look at it this way, if you're out there in a stock Yaris and you suck, you have a really big excuse!

Seriously, get out there and drive already! If your car is good enough to drive on the street, it's good enough to autocross. No excuses.

[LtNoogie]

she's not xourse ready yet...but soon, muahahahahaha

My first autocross was on stock tires and sitting higher than my Jeep. My only mod was the TRD muffler, I think.

[KCALB SIRAY]

You think a stock Yaris can't autocross? Look at it this way, if you're out there in a stock Yaris and you suck, you have a really big excuse!

Seriously, get out there and drive already! If your car is good enough to drive on the street, it's good enough to autocross. No excuses.

My first autocross was on stock tires and sitting higher than my Jeep. My only mod was the TRD muffler, I think.

lol, as soon as my finger left the enter button, I new you guys would be all over me, lol....you are right, screw the daily driver in me:headbang::burnrubber: count me in

[BrazdonW]

thats what i like to hear!
a guy in a stock xb had one of the best times in our class lol

[BLAZINBLUEVITZ]

any links to event?

[BrazdonW]

http://autocrossersinc.org/

[whooppee777]

it was fun as shit. i did a ride along with brazdon a few times to help him with the course. im pissed i didnt register in time. i was unaware there was a deadline. i'll be at fedex field if i can take off work.

the scion xb ran a 50 and it was bone stock

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Nice. I might rent out a parking lot with my gf's bro and his friends in the summer. I'll see what my sedan can do against some heavily modded Hachis. lol.

[BrazdonW]

it was fun as shit. i did a ride along with brazdon a few times to help him with the course. im pissed i didnt register in time. i was unaware there was a deadline. i'll be at fedex field if i can take off work.

the scion xb ran a 50 and it was bone stock

that was nuts lol
25 years of experience with autocross gives you an advantage i hear hahahah

[TheUnGroomed]

When is this autocross at FedEx Field happening? I may have check that out.

[BrazdonW]

April 11th

[slothman86]

I enter it as the Sloyota just to remind people that they got beaten by a slow-ass economy car. Don't kid yourself, the Yaris is slow! But, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.

I like the SLeeper tOYOTA idea, though!

The BMW was, I think, a car being prepped for 24 hours of LeMons (24hoursoflemons.com), I think it's more like an '85 rather than an '01. I rode as a passenger with him on one run, gave him some tips, and he shaved nearly a second off of his next run. I love it when people listen!

The guy who owns the Evo is a newb and just recently bought the car. My buddy, Jeff, co-drove it Sunday and just wasn't used to it. The car needs better tires.

Sabre hit on the key... skill and experience. I've been autocrossing since 1996, and I still only consider myself at about 8.5 on a scale of 1-10.


that makes me feel good inside! I love the idea of skill will when overall! Kind of reminds me of Initial-D...LOL