First AutoX -- SUCCESS! [Archive]

KrayzieFox

08-24-2008, 10:25 PM

Well today was my first ever AutoX, and I'm beat.. Woke up at 7 and drove for 2 hours to get there, then sat and stood in the sun the entire day. Finally got home at 9:15 PM..

But anyway, the event was a lot of fun. I was so nervous before my first run, but Patrick (khaosman) let me ride with him before going solo and that helped a lot. But Jesus, his P5-T is CRAZY FAST compared to mine!! That and he drives awesome, so kudos to you Pat for placing first in our class :thumbs:

I did pretty good I think, the first run was scary and I was sideways throughout most of the course but stayed on course and didn't hit any cones. Time of 40.xx seconds. Second run was a lot smoother and probably my best run with a time of 38.xx seconds. Then the third and fourth runs were 38.xx and 37.xx but I missed a gate so they didn't count :(

Pics and videos will be up tomorrow hopefully.. school start tomorrow and I need to go to bed.

JC-MP5

08-24-2008, 10:30 PM

Congrats on losing your auto-x virginity in a non-invasive, comfortable way! :D

lol

Judman13

08-24-2008, 10:31 PM

Dude thats awesomeness. I wish i could do one just to know the feeling!!!!

chico

08-24-2008, 10:47 PM

Congrats! I'll try september. I couldn't august :-(.

I wanna loose my Auto-X viginity :-)

01protegemp3

08-25-2008, 02:07 AM

dido!!

kansei

08-25-2008, 06:57 AM

this is one virginity every Mazda owner needs to lose!

pro5x2

08-25-2008, 08:13 AM

As soon as they open up Morosso in West Palm, i'll be taking both cars down to pop their Auto-x cherry

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 09:44 AM

Very nice. It's fun, isn't it? The only bad thing about autox is how long the day is for how much seat time you get. But it's a great place to start.

KrayzieFox

08-25-2008, 11:27 AM

Very nice. It's fun, isn't it? The only bad thing about autox is how long the day is for how much seat time you get. But it's a great place to start.

Yea for sure man. I was there from 9-3 and only made 4 runs, but it was well worth it. I got a nice tan too while I was out there lol!

aMaff

08-25-2008, 11:52 AM

Congrats dude, glad you had a blast! I can pretty much guarantee you weren't nearly as sideways as you thought you were ;)

SATimko

08-25-2008, 02:04 PM

I remember what I was told on my first Auto-X. "Don't be afraid to drive hard and potentially hit a cone. It's only a cone. It won't destroy your car."

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 02:50 PM

aMaff

08-25-2008, 02:53 PM

I've seen cones do some damage actually. But that was during a mid November event and the cones were so cold they were very stiff. Broke a fog light on a '95 M3 and bent an axle on a shifter kart at that event.

there are a few cars with flimsily mounted fog lights that routinely suffer damage. i've never heard of a 3rd gen protege do it. I know a bunch of them that have taken direct hits (MP3s, P5s, MP3s) without any damage. The E36 M3 is one of the most common. The ford ZX2 is another one that does it.

Judman13

08-25-2008, 03:11 PM

I so want to find one in my area!!! Even if I don't participate. Just watching would be amazing!

aMaff

08-25-2008, 03:21 PM

I so want to find one in my area!!! Even if I don't participate. Just watching would be amazing!

naa, because you'll be kicking yourself for not jumping in and doing it ;)

KrayzieFox

08-25-2008, 03:53 PM

Congrats dude, glad you had a blast! I can pretty much guarantee you weren't nearly as sideways as you thought you were ;)

Yea I know, but it felt like it lol! I've never actually had the rear end of the P5 be THAT loose! There were quite a few Miatas out there, I thought of you :thumbs:

SATimko

08-25-2008, 03:54 PM

naa, because you'll be kicking yourself for not jumping in and doing it ;)

+1321654

I was going to go watch a few times, but I was told that I would be upset if I didn't at least try to run. I'm glad I ran the first time I ever went out there.

KrayzieFox

08-25-2008, 03:57 PM

I agree as well.

I went and watched the last one they had in my town (before FEMA came in after the floods and took over the parking..) and I SOOO wanted to go for a run. Sadly I didn't make it there until 1 PM so it was a bit too late for me to join in..

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 03:57 PM

Did you get it THIS sideways?
http://www.msprotege.com/members/Tom03es/Raytheon_2007.jpg
http://www.msprotege.com/members/Tom03es/Raytheon_2007(2).jpg

I didn't spin out nor did I even know I was hitting those cones.

KrayzieFox

08-25-2008, 03:58 PM

^LoL!! How the hell did you do that?! I think I may have been close a couple times but probably not THAT extreme. Awesome picture by the way, I wish I had someone to take some good pics.

Judman13

08-25-2008, 04:03 PM

Well idk if there are any events near-by and plus if I break the car then I have nothing to drive and no money to fix it. Plus totally stocker...Booooo

aMaff

08-25-2008, 04:03 PM

I have a feeling that the amount of dust on course (was it a rally cross!?!?!) may have had something to do with it haha. Awesome pic tho!

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 04:04 PM

How did I do that..... good question. Basically the car was originally headed toward the left side of the picture and the exit is off toward the right. I would come charging down into that corner, which was EXTREMELY sandy, get on the brakes too much, turn the wheel too quickly. Then, I'd have to apply liberal amounts of throttle and counter steer to pull the car through the exit gate. I seriously felt like a WRC driver. It was awesome. Of course it wasn't fast, but it made for spectacular pictures! Once I cleaned up that corner, I set 9th fastest time of the event. Not bad for an automatic Protege on snow tires!

aMaff

08-25-2008, 04:07 PM

There were quite a few Miatas out there, I thought of you :thumbs:
Ps: awwww :D

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 04:07 PM

I have a feeling that the amount of dust on course (was it a rally cross!?!?!) may have had something to do with it haha. Awesome pic tho!
Seriously, when I was regional Solo chair and I was filling out the sanctions, I thought about checking the rallycross box for this site. This lot is horribly sandy. It was an embarasment to the club. We've swept and swept that lot so much over the years- even brought in a skid steer with a broom attachment, and it hasn't made any difference at all. But, the lot was free to use and when sites are hard to come by, you take what you can get.

aMaff

08-25-2008, 04:41 PM

Seriously, when I was regional Solo chair and I was filling out the sanctions, I thought about checking the rallycross box for this site. This lot is horribly sandy. It was an embarasment to the club. We've swept and swept that lot so much over the years- even brought in a skid steer with a broom attachment, and it hasn't made any difference at all. But, the lot was free to use and when sites are hard to come by, you take what you can get.

I totally understand. FWIW, it sounds like it's a lot like the surface of Heartland Park HAHAHA

DemonIAm

08-25-2008, 04:46 PM

wow, that is a great photo set!

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 04:49 PM

HPT is super clean compared to this. We had several brooms in the trailer- AND a couple snow shovels used to pick up the gravel. This lot is in Wichita at an airplane manufacturer called Hawker/Beachcraft. Let's just say that this lot lives up to the "beach" part of of the name.

SATimko

08-25-2008, 04:53 PM

Well idk if there are any events near-by and plus if I break the car then I have nothing to drive and no money to fix it. Plus totally stocker...Booooo

Totally stocker means stock class. Not a bad thing. I wish I was running in my stock class...I probably wouldn't have gotten eaten up as bad as I did in STS. Especially when you consider the only two main mods I had were the AWR 21.5mm rear bar and Corksport axle back.

Judman13

08-25-2008, 05:51 PM

So a sway bar and and a axle back take off the stock label wow!!

MazdaTom

08-25-2008, 06:03 PM

The axle back doesn't, but the sway bar does.

JC-MP5

08-25-2008, 06:41 PM

As soon as they open up Morosso in West Palm, i'll be taking both cars down to pop their Auto-x cherry

+1 Theres Auto-x there? SINCE WHEN?????!!!!??!

Judman13

08-25-2008, 06:53 PM

humm because it doesn't come with a rear bar??

JC-MP5

08-25-2008, 06:54 PM

humm because it doesn't come with a rear bar??

Cuz it comes with teeny, tiny bar. :P lol

SATimko

08-25-2008, 07:11 PM

Yes. Stock is 16mm, mine is 21.5mm. It's biggar.

JC-MP5

08-25-2008, 07:20 PM

Yes. Stock is 16mm, mine is 21.5mm. It's biggar.

Cant wait to put on my AWR.... mmmmm 323F Dreeeeft!

Shasta

08-25-2008, 08:08 PM

Congrats, I've always enjoyed watching those races but never had the balls to do it.

drivebybiped

08-25-2008, 10:10 PM

awesome!

I can't wait for the Novice day out here in October.
I tell myself that I want to stay stock, but secretly I know I don't. I don't want to be competitive and just have fun, so I'll probably fall into Street Touring soon enough and just run time against myself.

But once again congrats, I can't wait to pop my autox cherry...I feel dirty...

KrayzieFox

08-25-2008, 10:44 PM

So I guess my friend took a short video of my last run (I missed a gate :'( ) but there's no sound. Here it is anyway..

YouTube - AutoX at Iowa Speedway (no sound)

Judman13

08-25-2008, 10:48 PM

Very Very nice!!!!!

JC-MP5

08-25-2008, 10:52 PM

ZOMG Nosedive!

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg212/JC-MP5/fox.jpg

You were haulin butt it looks like!

KrayzieFox

08-25-2008, 11:30 PM

Yea that's where I missed the gate.. I slammed on my brakes to try and make it but it was too late. There's another one on my way back right before the slalom, didn't miss a gate but you can see the back lift up quite a bit.

I'm actually impressed by how fast it looks like I'm going. It felt fast, but I'm glad to see it looked fast too :)

Judman13

08-25-2008, 11:43 PM

lol what was the actual speed?? I bet its alot easier in a auto. Not as much focus on the speed.

aMaff

08-25-2008, 11:45 PM

I bet its alot easier in a auto

how hard is it to shift to 2nd?

Judman13

08-25-2008, 11:50 PM

how hard is it to shift to 2nd?

ok well i really dont know how much the speed changes in a actual run so i wouldnt know but i figured the slalom might be rough with the right gear selection. Just guessing

aMaff

08-26-2008, 12:43 AM

ok well i really dont know how much the speed changes in a actual run so i wouldnt know but i figured the slalom might be rough with the right gear selection. Just guessing

fair enough, but no, not really.

Here's a pretty typical autocross run. Note topping out 2nd gear @ the rev limiter @ the end of the section right before the turnaround. Shifting up to 3rd then back into 2nd would have been more time than I would have picked up by the shifting. 99% of the time in a protege or miata, it's totally not worth it. The S2000 is about the only car I've seen it actually be pretty necessary on consistently

YouTube - Atlanta National Tour - Sunday Run 3

Judman13

08-26-2008, 12:52 AM

well that is more then i have seen i guess i should go watch alot of videos. And the only time i have ever pegged a rev limiter was in my friends honda after he installed his new pistion, rods, cams and whatever else he did. and that was at 75 around a turn. in 3rd.

I guess you have to get a helment too??

condor888000

08-26-2008, 01:09 AM

You may be able to rent one. All depends on the club.

SATimko

08-26-2008, 08:24 AM

Cant wait to put on my AWR.... mmmmm 323F Dreeeeft!

WTH are you waiting for?

SATimko

08-26-2008, 08:32 AM

The club that I ran with have loaners.

One thing I found is that watching the videos was intimidating for me. When I actually got out there, it felt natural, and a piece of cake (all things considered).

kansei

08-26-2008, 09:05 AM

there are a few cars with flimsily mounted fog lights that routinely suffer damage. i've never heard of a 3rd gen protege do it. I know a bunch of them that have taken direct hits (MP3s, P5s, MP3s) without any damage. The E36 M3 is one of the most common. The ford ZX2 is another one that does it.

my old front bumper (my original msp bumper) got all scuffed up from cones. Not just something that buffs out, seriously deep scratches. hence why I tape the leading edge of the sideskirts (one of them has a nice scuff as well) and tape the whole lip of the front bumper

I have a feeling that the amount of dust on course (was it a rally cross!?!?!) may have had something to do with it haha. Awesome pic tho!
ya rly I was going to say this was an autocross thread not rallycross, but then I could make out that there was actually pavement under all that ha. awesome pics!

KrayzieFox

08-26-2008, 09:27 AM

lol what was the actual speed?? I bet its alot easier in a auto. Not as much focus on the speed.
I stayed in 2nd the entire run, so auto or manual doesn't really make much difference cuz there isn't any shifting going on. Max speed was probably 60-65.. it was a pretty open course. I never looked down at the speedo, cuz then I would miss a gate or nail some cones lol!
I guess you have to get a helment too??

You may be able to rent one. All depends on the club.
Yep, that's what I did. I don't have my own helmet, I just used one of theirs.

MazdaTom

08-26-2008, 09:36 AM

95% of autox courses I've been on you stay in 2nd gear once you shift into it out of the start gate. RARELY do you ever have to go back to 1st. Depending on the site, I would hit 3rd gear. Salina, KS uses an old WWII bomber runway as their site. They always set up some pretty high speed courses and 3rd gear was used frequently. It's a pretty cool feeling to max out 2nd, shove it into 3rd, slam your foot back into the floor and negotiate a few gates. It's amazing how much the course changes when you grab another gear. And the runway was some pretty grippy concrete too. I always had fun going to their site.

And yes, nearly all clubs will have loaner helmets. I went through my first 2 seasons using loaner helmets. When it's hot, the loaners get kinda nasty. Nothing like putting on a sweaty helmet when it's not YOUR sweat.

SATimko

08-26-2008, 09:51 AM

Heh... I run STS... aka the street sweepers. We go first, so sweaty helmets do not apply to me.

aMaff

08-26-2008, 10:03 AM

You can get an SCCA legal helmet for less than $100... doesn't make sense not to.

MazdaTom

08-26-2008, 10:05 AM

Ah, the regions I ran with didn't group classes like that. They just grouped cars into 15-20 car heats, let them run, next heat...... So the classes were mixed up all throughout the day.

STS was a fun class in the regions I ran in. I had some very tight events- there was me and 2 other drivers that would be contenders for 1st place at each event. You had to be perfect because any screw up could cost you. Then I did a few things to my car that took it out of STS and put it in the region's Street Open class. This class was completely open as far as mods and engine size and drivetrain layout- you just had to run on SCCA approved street tires. I went from battling with an SVT Contour and a GS-R Integra in STS to a C4 Vette in Street Open. And I drove a Saturn SC. I came away with a few wins- but it was hard work! Fun though.

kansei

08-26-2008, 10:16 AM

You can get an SCCA legal helmet for less than $100... doesn't make sense not to.

werd got mine for like $55.. legal for another couple seasons

condor888000

08-26-2008, 02:51 PM

Yeah I did one event with a loaner then went and bought my own. I hate sharing helmets. Plus now when I go go-karting I can use my own helmet there too.

KrayzieFox

08-26-2008, 03:46 PM

You need a helmet for go-karting? What kind of karts do you guys have..?

MazdaTom

08-26-2008, 04:05 PM

Good ones.

08-26-2008, 04:09 PM

helmet and a neck brace for the good karting tracks =D

DemonIAm

08-26-2008, 04:28 PM

I like the video!

aMaff

08-26-2008, 04:47 PM

I like the video!

which? Mine? Thanks. Full of damn mistakes, but it was fun :D

JC-MP5

08-26-2008, 04:50 PM

WTH are you waiting for?

My struts and springs....

DemonIAm

08-26-2008, 05:17 PM

which? Mine? Thanks. Full of damn mistakes, but it was fun :D

Both!

I can not wait to get out there!

aMaff

08-26-2008, 05:26 PM

what's stopping you?

DemonIAm

08-26-2008, 05:32 PM

time... money... married life.. and events being 2ish hours away...

Judman13

08-26-2008, 05:38 PM

Well i would go do one in a heart beat if i could fine one nearby.

aMaff

08-26-2008, 05:41 PM

time... money... married life.. and events being 2ish hours away...
They cost $25 in most places. But I could see married life getting in the way :zzwhip:
Well i would go do one in a heart beat if i could fine one nearby.
Where in 'central al' do you live? Because the alabama region uses the lots outside the Birmingham Race track (dog-track) for their events. Pretty good lot, fun courses usually

khaosman

08-26-2008, 06:35 PM

I forgot to check in this forum for your post! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

This course was very fast... hitting the rev limiter in 2nd a lot (much more than in muffs video). I used 3rd gear on the last long straight leading into the slalom and just kept there. Plenty of torque to get through.

One of the good B-Stock RX8 drivers posted his GPS stuff... I'll find it and post it here. But he was hitting 71mph and one of the SuperStock Z06 drivers was doing over 75mph! As far as times go, the RX8 ran a 33.5 and the Z06 had FTD with a 32.7. I had 6th fastest time with a 34.3.

Oggie you can see the results here if you are curious
http://www.dmvrscca.org/s_0808r.htm

Some of the pictures have been posted, but not the ones of our heat.

Shasta

08-26-2008, 09:33 PM

So I guess my friend took a short video of my last run (I missed a gate :'( ) but there's no sound. Here it is anyway..

Holy crap your flying...car looks awesome, man you ever see a wagon handle so nice, P5's rock.

Judman13

08-26-2008, 09:47 PM

Where in 'central al' do you live? Because the alabama region uses the lots outside the Birmingham Race track (dog-track) for their events. Pretty good lot, fun courses usually

well im in south alabama now. Mobile to be more exact. college.

aMaff

08-26-2008, 09:49 PM

well im in south alabama now. Mobile to be more exact. college.

Ah, gotcha. Well.. your thing says central, so I was just wondering. I guess mobile is a bit out of the way huh? I'm sure there's a club around there though, SCCA or other. Check BMWCCA, PCA, NASA as well

Judman13

08-26-2008, 09:52 PM

Ah, gotcha. Well.. your thing says central, so I was just wondering. I guess mobile is a bit out of the way huh? I'm sure there's a club around there though, SCCA or other. Check BMWCCA, PCA, NASA as well

Made the change. Didnt even think about it when i moved into my dorm. Thanks for all the acronym...ill be sure to look them up. I really want to find one

KrayzieFox

08-26-2008, 10:00 PM

Oggie you can see the results here if you are curious
http://www.dmvrscca.org/s_0808r.htm

Some of the pictures have been posted, but not the ones of our heat.

SWEET!! I got 1st place in the Novice category :D

Love this photo..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2795292800_1f4b342221.jpg?v=0

JC-MP5

08-26-2008, 10:01 PM

Congrats and a half!

aMaff

08-26-2008, 10:02 PM

Thanks for all the acronym...

hahahaha no worries

Judman13

08-26-2008, 10:18 PM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2795292800_1f4b342221.jpg?v=0

Thats some crazy braking!!!!!!!!!!! you rear right wheel is just about off the ground!!! Very awesome

condor888000

08-26-2008, 10:31 PM

You need a helmet for go-karting? What kind of karts do you guys have..?
Yup, nice and fast karts, can't remember exactly but I remember hearing 40-50mph from the staff. Lots of fun. If you hit at full speed you can break the karts, I broke the steering rack when someone I was passing swerved unexpected into my path. Just got into another kart and kept going. It's great.