I am a real newbie when it comes to motor sports competitions. But, i was really interested in AutoX and i wanted to learn more about it. can you guys enlighten me on some of the basic details about autoX? ex) How much wear/tear will it put on your vehicle? How expensive of a sport is it? Things i need to buy in preparation? Age/experience requirements? I have never competed in any type of car "racing" so i know my driving abilities wont be the greatest. but i figured ill never get better if i don't start learning.
You will probably get an answer from BrianGT eventually, but I'll take a stab at your questions in the mean time: How much wear/tear will it put on your vehicle? - Depends on how frequently you autocross, but if you run a full season expect to go through a set of tires and brake pads. Outside of that, unless things are already worn out, you shouldn't experience any ill effects. You are driving your car harder than normal though, so if you stick with it, you will have to start replacing things like the clutch more quickly, frequently than normal. How expensive of a sport is it? - Like the first answer, it depends how much you get into it. Your minimum investment will be the cost of running the event for the day, which ranges in price from $35 and up per event, depending on which organization you autocross with (its been a couple years since I last autocrossed, so the prices might have gone up). After that, the usual next investments include helmets, new tires, possibly some type of lap belt or five point harness. It can get very expensive if you really get hooked and start competing on the national level. But for most folks, its the absolute cheapest way to jump into motorsports. Things i need to buy in preparation? -See my post above, for your first event, just plan to show up, listen to the event organizers and use a loaner helmet. If you enjoy it, then you can start buying some of the basics. Age/experience requirements? -Just a drivers licenses. I have seen people from 16 to 70 run competitively. Autocross is a lot of fun, but not for everyone. Your seat time is relatively limited with lots of standing around and or working he course inbetween. That being said, I will probably get back into autocross some day when I ave more time a different vehicle. Hope that helps a little.
Well stated BelvnAWD!!! I do suggest participating in a novice school (just passed last weekend) cause you get plenty of seat time and can learn a shit load. http://soloatlanta.com PM unidub he does it on a regular bases....cool guy too.
yeah, it's tough on the clutch, but soooo much fun it's worth it. My wife and compete in every points race with the Atl chapter. if you come out, i'll be more then happy to give pointers. answer any questions you might have. you can find a cheap set of OEM wheels and go from there. get some race tires and save the street tires you have. We race an '05 WRX 22 STX. come on out. there's a long week of auto-x coming up soon at AMS. it's 3 days!
I want to atleast come out and watch the experienced people run the track. when is the next autoX event in the metro atlanta area?
Just check out www.soloatlanta.com It has a lot of the information you're looking for. (I didn't read RSConvert's post...)
Go out, talk to the other Subaru people there, ask for a ride along, most would be happy to give you a ride. In my experience, AutoX was very little wear on the car. Most wear will be on your tires and brakes, but it isn't much. You have to understand that for your average event, you will be racing for a total of about 4 minutes give or take. You really can't put that much wear on the car in such a short time. As for the clutch, you launch off the line, shift into 2nd, and then generally are off the clutch for the rest of the run. Since you have a WRX, most likely you will not need to shift to 3rd unless the course layout has a long straight, some of the STi guys might, so they could have a little more wear on the clutch, but again, in 4 minutes, it can't be that much. Novice School is not necessary at first, and would be a waste of money. Go to an event, and run in the Novice Class. Be sure to join the Novice Group when they call you for it. They will walk the course with you, explain how to read the cones, give tips on setting up your car for the section of turns coming, and give you the basic instructions that will help you enjoy your first event. Try to ride along with someone before you run yourself. Your first time out, it is a sea of cones, and very easy to lose the track. If you enjoy your first AutoX experience, then it is worth it to do a Novice Day. I haven't AutoX'd in years. In 2005 and 2006 I was at pretty much every points event, but got bored with it. It is 4 minutes of racing, and 4 hours of standing around.