did my first autocross and LOVED it!

[Miataracer]

So, Saturday I got up bright and early in the morning to face the cold wet weather and drive an hour to the last autocross of the season for central IL. I stripped all the extra weight and loose items out of the car and after the drivers meeting we went to it! I ran in the STS novice class because it was my first time and I had a header. Everyone got 5 runs and I ended up taking 2nd in novice getting beaten by 2 seconds by a GIRL! After the official event was done we got to take what they call "fun runs" around the course for $1 each. All in all it was a total blast. I can't wait for the season to start again this coming spring!

[MexSiR]

Thats awesome man!...I hope we had autox here, but maybe im going to study in the US so ill autocross there, how long did it take you to go around the track?

[Dumped91Hatch]

Yeah i'm waiting for the autocross to start here in April.

[BullShifter]

autocross is fun, I just need more speed.

[SilverY2KCivic]

You suck Miataracer! naw, j/k I say that because here in So. Cali our events get so many participants (usually 200-300+) that we only get 3 runs per driver, and NO "X" or fun runs due to time restraints. Can't beat the price to race though, even at $10 ($30 to enter an event) a run it's worth it I think.

So what was your times, and what was the best time of STS for the day in your event?

[Miataracer]

For the STS novice class the best time was like 55.6 or something like that and my time was 57.3. For regular STS the best time was like 52.something... I forget but for a totally stock suspension civic and my first autocross i don't think that was half bad.

On another note... you said it would be easier to get the back to rotate with a larger rear sway and no front right? I ask because I could get mine to rotate somewhat but not as much as I would have liked...

[KrNxRaCer00]

nice buddy.

im jealous. can't wait to get the teg out there on the course .

[BullShifter]

Originally Posted by Miataracer

On another note... you said it would be easier to get the back to rotate with a larger rear sway and no front right? I ask because I could get mine to rotate somewhat but not as much as I would have liked...

Depending on your driving style, you my want a larger rear sway with no front sway. This usually reasults in oversteer . . .

Originally Posted by jackasssi

On FWD cars, the large bar goes on the rear, not the front. Because the driving wheels are at the front of the car, you want increased roll stiffness at the rear. This improves traction at the driving wheels and reduces understeer which FWD set-ups almost ALWAYS have. A sway bar or larger one would be used at the front of FWD car only if the rear wheel lifts during steady cornering, and if the car leans too much. So use a front bar with caution unless you like heavy under-steer on your FWD car. Most sway bars are used on the front suspension, except FWD. It adds more roll stiffness to the front, which reduces rear suspension weight transfer in a turn. This delays or eliminates lifting one of the drive wheels, and may create an understeering by increasing the loading on the outside of the front tires.

Most production cars use a sway bar, usually in the front, but they are a compromise for average driving conditions. This means the sway is stiff enough to limit roll to acceptable point if the car is driven "normally". If hard driving is the normal operating condition for the car, typical production sways are not stiff enough. They allow so much roll that on a car with independent suspension the tires may operate at a positive camber angle in a turn. Stiffer/larger front sway make the car unpredictable. A car that rolls less is a lot more fun to drive. I could type a 5 page thing about sway bars on FWD, but I think this should do . . . . RWD is COMPLETELY opposite.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=147801

[MexSiR]

KrNxRaCer00: yeah man take your beauty to the track, ITRS are soooo sweeett...may not be very fast in a straigh line, althought they are fast, but in the twisties...HELL YEAH!! go and smack some damn SRTS on the track!

[SilverY2KCivic]

Originally Posted by Miataracer

On another note... you said it would be easier to get the back to rotate with a larger rear sway and no front right? I ask because I could get mine to rotate somewhat but not as much as I would have liked...

Yup, that's correct. I have 22mm rear and 0mm front. But the larger the rear, and the stiffer as well, the easier it'll be to rotate it when unloaded using the brakes. Just becareful it doesn't oversteer snap on you, then a spinout and possibly a DNF is inevitable.

And great job on your times!

[Miataracer]

yeah mine would only rotate a bit when i came into the corner hot and gave it a pretty heavy thump on the brakes, and this was in the wet. even when i got it to give a little it was never even close to being able to make a full spin

by the way, the girl who won sts novice was running one of those new v spec sentras

[Fliquer]

If you think Autocross is fun NOW, just wait 'till you go to your first TRACK EVENT! 100 X BETTER than autocross, and you dont need to be an auto-x wiz to go. I went to my first track school after attending only 3 autocrosses. I guarantee that once you go to your first school, you will be hooked for life.

[SilverY2KCivic]

Originally Posted by Fliquer

If you think Autocross is fun NOW, just wait 'till you go to your first TRACK EVENT! 100 X BETTER than autocross, and you dont need to be an auto-x wiz to go. I went to my first track school after attending only 3 autocrosses. I guarantee that once you go to your first school, you will be hooked for life.

That's what I'm waiting for!


Miataracer, pardon my forgetfullness, but what's your current suspension setup? Springs (rates if you know them), shocks, sizes of any bars you have, etc...?

[BullShifter]

Originally Posted by Fliquer

If you think Autocross is fun NOW, just wait 'till you go to your first TRACK EVENT! 100 X BETTER than autocross, and you dont need to be an auto-x wiz to go. I went to my first track school after attending only 3 autocrosses. I guarantee that once you go to your first school, you will be hooked for life.

Track time beats autocross any day!

www.racingschools.com
www.scca.org

[Miataracer]

my current suspension set up is all stock minus front sway bar... tired out 168,000 mile shocks, springs, suspension bushings...

and as for the track days... been there, done that, got the SCCA drivers liscence now I know its bed time I can't even spell that right... ugh