My Novice Autocross Experience

[Lonny Doyle]

I'm sure some of you out there are nervous about jumping in your ZL1 and racing around cones at your first autocross event. I am new to autocross and figured that I could give you my perspective of my first autocross to let you know what to expect.

Early in the morning the drivers lined up to register and then to get their cars inspected. Your ZL1 will pass tech inspection but remember you have to have all loose objects taken out of your car.

During all of this, you will see drivers walking the track. This is when they learn the track and think about their driving line. The novice drivers got a guided walk through led by an experienced driver. He gave tips and pointed out driving lines and techniques that would work best.

Tip #1:
Pay attention to the experienced drivers. Ask questions and absorb all the information you can.

The event I attended was broken into 3 heats with several classes per heat. Cones will get knocked over so during one of the heats that you aren't racing you have to work the track. This means you watch for cones getting clipped or cars driving off track.

I had to work the track second heat and race third heat, so in the first heat I was just a spectator. One of the experienced racers let me ride with him in one of his runs. He's been racing autocross for 11 years and was driving a suped-up BMW. The run was super fast and I couldn't possibly pay attention to the track as we blew through it. I learned later that it was a mistake for me to just ride for one run. Riding for a single run left me feeling like I wouldn't be able to keep up with where the track was going and that I wouldn't be fast.

Tip #2:
Ride with an experienced driver. More specifically, ride at least twice with the experienced driver. The first time you will be astonished by the speed and forces out on the track. In this astonished state you will not be able to pay attention to the track. On your next ride you will be able to keep up and actually learn the track.

In each heat, every driver gets 5 runs. In my heat, I had about 10 minutes between each of my runs. During this time I planned out the adjustments I would make to my driving line. In my first run I drove at a moderate pace so that I could get a feel for how the track was laid out and the traction available on the track surface. In each run after, I tried to push the car a little harder.

Tip #3:
Go easy on your first run. In my case, I was allowed 4 more runs (I don't know if this is the norm at all events). I used the first run to get acquainted with the track.

My first run was 58.712 seconds. I pushed the car more each run and got down to a 48.798 on my last run. I was grouped in the Novice class but based on my time I would have come 4th out of 8 in the Super Stock class beating 3 Corvettes and a Porsche GT3. I was told this was really good as a Novice because the stock ZL1 tire is a harder compound than what most of the Super Stock class was running and the ZL1 weighs a good 800 pounds more than the other cars.

The car felt really good and I felt confident pushing it harder and harder. I've included a video below but it doesn't do it justice. You have to hit the track to feel how fast the ZL1 is.

[sammyv]

Nice camera work! Look like fun!

[Brad02SS]

Great video. The ZL1 is a lot of car for a little autocross course, very easy to overdrive with all that power but looks like you did a pretty good job.

[tpower]

Very cool, I cant wait to try the autocross. I have never done this either do the pylons laying on the side represent different things?

[Lonny Doyle]

When a cone is laying on its side you think of it as an arrow. It points to the side you are suppose to be on.

Don't worry if you knock down a cone or two or get on the wrong side, people did this all day long. The guy I rode with knocked down a cone while I was riding with him and he ended up winning his division.

His car was a BMW with racing tires and lots of suspension mods. His run with me in it took 46 seconds and his best run was around 43.5.

A couple of guys advised me to run 38-40 psi in the tires to prevent the tires from rolling under, this was before seeing my car. After a few runs the tire pressure had increased to 43 PSI.

This was too much air pressure. I believe the pressure should have started at 30-32.

Later they mentioned after seeing it that they did not realized how little sidewall I have.

Softer compound tires with the correct pressure and a little more experience could easily shave off a few seconds which would have put me in second or third in my division.

[Nightspore68]

Nice run, great video.
For tire pressure, there's an easy way to determine optimum numbers. Put a chalk line on each tire including some on the tread continuing to some on the sidewall. Then you do a run and check for where the chalk was "erased" by the asphalt. Adjust your pressure so that you're not running on any of your sidewall, but still using as much tread as possible.

[Lonny Doyle]

That is very good advice, thanks!

[b_williams_82]

Looked like tons of fun!! What cars beat you, and what were there times?

[woodside783]

welcome there is a addicts meating on the 4th saturday of the month

[Lonny Doyle]

'Super Stock'
1T SS 52 Jones, David 2006 Chevrolet Z06 Blk
47.175
46.333
45.839
44.526
43.656


2T SS 4 Cram, Charles 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 black
46.386
45.329
44.194
44.227
44.249


3T SS 26 Jones, Clement 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Blue
51.660
48.825
47.105
46.722
46.442


4 SS 59 Gross, Brad 2012 Chevrolet Corvette GS Metallic Black
52.323
49.459
50.911
48.831+DNF
47.912+1


5 SS 7 kuykendall, dusty 2007 Porsche GT3 black
53.966
53.079
53.579
51.271
50.280


6 SS 3 Robertson, Josh Chevrolet Corvette Maroon
53.829
52.803
50.872
50.802
50.478


7 SS 84 Wilson, Les 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Electron Blue
53.113
50.016+DNF
51.350
51.979
51.270



8 SS 67 Doyle, Lonny 2012 Chevrolet ZL1
58.712
51.794
50.126
50.205
48.798

The Porsche weighs 3031 lbs and the Corvettes are around 3200 lbs. So the ZL1 is lugging around ~1000 pounds more and still lays down competitive laps. On top of that, my wife, son and I would have been really uncomfortable squeezing into any of the two seater cars for the hour drive to the event.

[Silverguardrail]

Wow that was great, well done and well said. I loved it. Thanks for sharing, it gave me PERMAGRIN and I wasn't even in my car, LOL.

[b_williams_82]

Wow!! Super nice!! I agree with Silver!!! Not my car and gave me a PERMAGRIN too!!

[PYROLYSIS]

Gotta make you feel good that your times kept getting better. Hangin with modded vettes? I'd be proud. I hope to try autocrossing when I get my 1LE.

[PistonsFan]

Nice work.

Videos never seem to catch the true excitement and speed of autocross. It's intense - it will get your adrenaline pumping fast. When the g-forces are tossing you from side to side, it's difficult to be focused and that next cone and what line you want to take. Those cones come at you awfully fast.

You'll find that autocross is a great tool for learning the limits and handling behaviour of your car.

For fun, try switching off the PTM all together for a run or two and see what you get. Just be 100% sure it is a safe course design before doing so. (no chance of sliding into a lightpole, curb, or grass/dirt)