I just started really getting into solo competition this year, doing 9 autocrosses so far and 4 rallycrosses. Before winter comes, I have two more autocrosses and three more rallycrosses that I'm trying to make. I was wondering if any of the experienced autocrossers in this forum can tell me what I should be doing to make the most of my seat time.

Of course I know that I should be trying to look ahead and to drive smoothly, but are there any tricks or good procedures that I could be following to help me with these skills? I find that even if I tell myself immediately before a run, I'm still a little more shortsighted than I probably should be. How do you guys force yourselves to keep looking forward?

I was hoping to make an Evo school this year, but I had a scheduling conflict, so that won't be an option until next summer. In the meantime, I wanted to make sure that I am using my seat time to learn to drive better. I think that with the caliber of drivers that post here, this would be the right place to ask.

So...if you have any tips or anecdotes for me, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

If you have not seen this list before, it's a great reminder of the main disciplines of autocross driving: http://www.dmvrscca.org/topten.htm

Chris H

 

I started doing AutoX this year. Having a passenger drive with you who is an experienced AutoX driver will help you as much as anything. If you haven't had someone already ride with you then definitely grab someone your next time out.

Each week try to have a different, experienced hand ride with you so they can give you pointers afterward. Having someone tell you when you should be starting your turn as you're driving is a lot more helpful then just having someone who watched from the sidelines tell you after your run that you turned in too early or too late...

 

+1 to having an experienced person ride with you. Also try to catch rides with other experienced people, although you have to take into account that it's a different car, different tires, etc., so you can't simply duplicate what they're doing. However, there are almost always RX-8's at an autocross, so you should be able to catch a ride in one.

Also try running video so you can study exactly what you're doing after the fact and pick up on any good / bad habits. You can't always remember what happens during a run. Pick up a wide angle lens adaptor, which are available for most video cameras, and you'll be able to see from pillar to pillar.

 

Look ahead as much as possible, that doesn't mean stare 2 gates down. You can glance back and forth, that will make it much easier to get comfortable "looking ahead".