Yaris' Auto-X #1 RIVAL???

[forpinks]

What mods should I stay away from if I don't want to see "Yaris Eaters" at the Auto-X lot?

Also, I have a friend with an EG6 (JDM-R w/ built internals, light suspension mods and 60shot ZEX) and he keeps on telling me that an EG6 will take over the Auto-X track over any car in its class? Is this true or is he just being Ricer? (He doesn't auto x BTW.)

[cali yaris]

gosh, if you want to learn auto-x, buy a used miata or even a celica and go beat it up. You'll spend less than you would on a new Yaris with mods, and I believe a Miata with suspension work would teach you more about racing. Just my opinion.

[WRBlue]

Originally Posted by forpinks

What mods should I stay away from if I don't want to see "Yaris Eaters" at the Auto-X lot?

You can never get away from them. But these would be my mods:

R-Compounds on stock size wheels (any different size wheels will re-class you)
TRD shocks and springs. Or Eibach Pro-kit on TRD struts.
Bigger front sway bar once someone releases one (A rear sway will re-class you though)

With practice, that should make a Yaris very competative in H Stock.

Also, I have a friend with an EG6 (JDM-R w/ built internals, light suspension mods and 60shot ZEX) and he keeps on telling me that an EG6 will take over the Auto-X track over any car in its class? Is this true or is he just being Ricer? (He doesn't auto x BTW.)

The only class that the Civic dominates is STS and then the EG is too heavy. His particular car is only legal in SM or a Mod class, if he takes out the N2O, and will get destroyed easily.

That said, 95% of autoX is the driver

[Sleeper]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

gosh, if you want to learn auto-x, buy a used miata or even a celica and go beat it up. You'll spend less than you would on a new Yaris with mods, and I believe a Miata with suspension work would teach you more about racing. Just my opinion.

I agree with this above post, driving a RWD car made for a little bit of abuse will teach you more about driving than a FWD car made with taking you to the grocery store and work and back. The Yaris isn't meant for this kind of thing and probably can never seriously compete without serious modifications.

Originally Posted by WRBlue

That said, 95% of autoX is the driver

While that is true, I'll bet money you could put Michael Schumacher in a stock Yaris and he'd still get demolished by a teenager driving a stock Mini Cooper as long as said teen didn't crash or go off the track. No matter how much one may want to escape the fact, the Yaris is slow and is not made for racing by any means.

I suggest a cheap, light RWD car with a manual transmission and no ABS for learning how to drive properly on the track, the Yaris is the wrong car for the job.

[kurokoma-kun]

As the owner of 94 Miata, I would agree that anyone wanting to improve driving skills would benefit from driving one. However, as Yaris owner, I'd like to suggest that the jury is still out in how it will perform in autocross; until then, why not give it a try and see how you do?

Here's a little encouragement: the results of Deland Autocross back in March. As you can see, Yaris came out pretty well (a class of 4 cars would be about average in my area too).

Besides, isn't beating your own best time the real challenge in autocross?

[HTM Yaris]

The Yaris is excellent at Autox . I got 2 wins in HS . I got a 6th and 7th OVERALL out of 150 or so cars . All 5 and 6 drivers that bested my time were national champs . One of the national champs wants to drive my car b/c he said my car is definately National Champ material . We think we can get FTD .

I went to the Dragon again this past weekend . There was a guy in a Turbo charged (300bhp) Volvo S70 up there . He wanted to run against me . So we went . I was up front . Going into and exiting turns I would walk him , but turbo would help him run me down . Then I let him up front . He NEVER got more than 5 cars in front . In the turns I would be right back on his ass . I would actually have to slow down when I caught him . We all know how the Yaris accelerates The Volvo owner was shocked when I told him I only had 103 hp . The Volvo owner has this battle on video . I don't know if he will release the vid b/c I was definately holding my own , with only 103 hp . Next time , I will bring my dry tires

[kurokoma-kun]

Originally Posted by HTM Yaris

I got a 6th and 7th OVERALL out of 150 or so cars

whoo doggies!!!

[WRBlue]

Originally Posted by Sleeper

I agree with this above post, driving a RWD car made for a little bit of abuse will teach you more about driving than a FWD car made with taking you to the grocery store and work and back. The Yaris isn't meant for this kind of thing and probably can never seriously compete without serious modifications.

Anything can be competaive locally. The MOST important part is that the car is well sorted. Something that you know is the case with a brand new Yaris. Something that is probally not the case with a 15 year old Miata. The biggest thing to learn from is seat time. It doesn't matter much what the car was built for, seat time is what really matters in learning.

While that is true, I'll bet money you could put Michael Schumacher in a stock Yaris and he'd still get demolished by a teenager driving a stock Mini Cooper as long as said teen didn't crash or go off the track. No matter how much one may want to escape the fact, the Yaris is slow and is not made for racing by any means.

I might have been a little generous with the 95% driver. It could be 90% driver, 8% tires, 1 % car and 1% luck. Schumacher would be a bad choice. Now if you picked a FWD national champ, put them in a Yaris, they would beat a teen (thats not a FJB/FJA national champ) by 10+ seconds over a 40 second course. By the last comment, I can guess you've never been to an autox where a good driver was driving a normal car. 2 weekends ago at an SFR event, I watched a guy in a Kia Rio Wagon beat me in my DS WRX, a number of ST* cars, a number of SM cars, and a number of Super Stock (and A, B, C, etc)

I suggest a cheap, light RWD car with a manual transmission and no ABS for learning how to drive properly on the track, the Yaris is the wrong car for the job.

We're not talking track, we're talking autox which is a totally different beast all together.

[Sleeper]

Originally Posted by WRBlue

By the last comment, I can guess you've never been to an autox where a good driver was driving a normal car.
-snip-
We're not talking track, we're talking autox which is a totally different beast all together.

You do have me on the first point, I've never been to an AutoX with anything more than a couple of good drivers and a bunch of dumbass ricers and boy-racers in their rebadged econoboxes were putting around the track with helmets on, but going too slow to need them... I've seen good drivers on video though.

However, I consider AutoX very similar to track racing. Both are done in controlled courses and in classes to prevent unfair advantages.

An aside though, I used to do plenty of dirt track racing and autocross (albeit less structured, and more just for fun) in my younger years. I had my own almost completely scratch built Sprint Car for some time... Which brings me to something else, you know how they say the Japanese invented drifting? They're wrong, if you have ever been to a dirt track you'll know what I'm talking about. I was powersliding a 400hp sprint car around an oval track before the word "drifting" was applied to anything but smoke and boats.

[WRBlue]

Originally Posted by Sleeper

However, I consider AutoX very similar to track racing. Both are done in controlled courses and in classes to prevent unfair advantages.

But they use very different skill sets ;)

An aside though, I used to do plenty of dirt track racing and autocross (albeit less structured, and more just for fun) in my younger years. I had my own almost completely scratch built Sprint Car for some time... Which brings me to something else, you know how they say the Japanese invented drifting? They're wrong, if you have ever been to a dirt track you'll know what I'm talking about. I was powersliding a 400hp sprint car around an oval track before the word "drifting" was applied to anything but smoke and boats.

The Japanese started drifting in the mid 70s. But Outlaws are much better at it ;) And it took about 25 years for it to come here.

[kurokoma-kun]

Originally Posted by WRBlue

these would be my mods:...TRD shocks and springs. Or Eibach Pro-kit on TRD struts....Bigger front sway bar once someone releases one (A rear sway will re-class you though)

WR, what is your opinion of the tanabe NF210's for auto-x application? And which shocks to go with them?

I embarrassed to admit that I prefer the tanabe's over the TRD's just becasue they are blue instead of red sorry, a girl after all

[bearda]

Originally Posted by WRBlue

You can never get away from them. But these would be my mods:

R-Compounds on stock size wheels (any different size wheels will re-class you)
TRD shocks and springs. Or Eibach Pro-kit on TRD struts.
Bigger front sway bar once someone releases one (A rear sway will re-class you though)

With practice, that should make a Yaris very competative in H Stock.

I don't really understand SCCA classing rules well, but they're pretty strict for stock classes. When I found out replacing my pedals threw me in with WRXs I started looking at local clubs...