Getting into Autocross

Autocross or Autox is a solo time trail event where each driver takes it in turns to drive as quickly as possible though a cone course.  With the emphasis on car handling and skillful driving rather then high performance vehicles. Speeds typically don’t exceed highway speeds and are typically 40 to 80 seconds depending on the size of the course.

It is a great way to get into motor-sport without spending a lot of money.  You can race virtually any car you want and the vast majority are driven to and from the autocross venue.  Typical cost for a days autocross is $20-$40 and that usually includes you lunch.

Here is one of my runs in Ft Myers, Florida.

Car Setup

There are a few simple things to do to your car to make it perform better on the track without spending too much money.  Prior to racing you car you should make sure it is in good running order and check all the fluid levels and if necessary give it and oil change.  Once the car is in good running order you should look at your tire pressure.

Tire Pressure

Increase the tires pressure usually to around 40 PSI then drop 2 PSI on each run and see how the car handles best and what gives you the best time.  Usually when the tires are harder the car feels more precise but it may be quicker when the are a little bit softer (less pressure).  

Wheel Alignment

When you are ready to invest a little bit of money the first thing you should do is get a wheel alignment.  You want to add -ve Camber to you wheels. Usually the max you can get on the front or up to about 2.5 degrees then the rear should be about 1 degree less than the front.  Adjusting the camber and tire pressure will affect the handling of you car and you can use it to increase/reduce understeer or oversteer. As an example for BMW 330i E46 Tuning you want about 1.5 or 2.0 degrees on the front and 0.0 degrees on the back to try to reduce understeer.  I set up the camber on my Mazda Rx8 but you may want to get it done professionally.  

This was the day that I increased the camber on my Rx8. 

A few things you should take with you to autocross are chalk to make your tires, tire pressure gauge, car numbers, water, hat and food etc.

Hope you decide to give autocross a try and ill see you at the track.