AutoXing the ST on Sunday

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
10/09/2015 at 14:39 • Filed to: FoSTLyfe Returns

There, we will find out if it really was the car for me, and whether or not I’m about the cornering or straight line lyfe.

Since this will be the first time I’ll ever do any kinda sporting event with a car. It should be fun. And it’s perfect timing because I have little to no tire tread left on the F1s(they really don’t last) and colder weather is approaching so I’ll have some fun wrecking them and swapping in the winters in a week or two.

Any fun tidbits or tips? Or can I just mash the go pedal and cut the wheel and hope for the best?

DISCUSSION (38)

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 14:47

Don’t crash.

Have fun.

Drive fast.

Future next gen S2000 owner > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 14:51

I’m about the cornering or straight line lyfe.

Kinja'd!!!

Tip:

When in doubt, go faster.

Bump up your tires by about 5 lbs to start.

Have fun.

Spin at least once. This is a safe place to loop a car to know the exact edge of adhesion.

Needmoargarage > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 14:52

See if you can get an instructor/experienced driver to ride along and give you some pointers. Also, at the end of the day sometimes they offer fun runs. Take as many as you possibly can! It’s hard to get a decent amount of seat time at most AutoX events.

BREADwagon > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:03

The eagle F1s blow chunks as an autox/track tire. Keep TCS on for the first couple of runs. If the car really bogs, turn TCS off (short press), but don’t turn off stability control (the long hold of the sport button). I found that with stability on/TCS off, the car still rotates beautifully, while not bogging down (when powering out of a corner causing some wheel spin). The only issue is that with TCS off, if you just mash the throttle, the wheel spin causes ALOT of understeer.

The cold is good because the brakes BOIL, and the heat from the turbo makes the front right tire even hotter.

All the instructors I have start off with one thing: smoother is faster.

Gripevo1 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:04

Youll have fun. Just take it slow at first... Try to walk the course as much as possible and ask one of the organizers if one of the more experienced guys can either ride with you, or catch a ride with them.

Bring sunscreen (youll be standing around alot during work duty), water, a big Tupperware container( for all the stuff you will be taking out of the car-floormats etc) , painters tape for numbers,and a good tire pressure gauge.

Have fun!

Kanaric > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:12

In the street (stock) class at my local autocross a guy with a Focus ST won pax 3 months in a row (5 events) so it’s possible to do really well with this.

Since you are new I should probably explain what PAX is lol. It’s time adjusted with your class in mind. He wasn’t the fastest car there he was within the top 4 of 100-170 cars (depending on event) each time.

yitznewton > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:13

Do anything you can to get an idea of the course before driving: maps, walkthrough... Look ahead. Go smooth and speed up run by run.

jjhats > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:23

don’t launch above 3000 rpm. your better off taking an easier launch at a lower rpm than flooring it and standing still for a second wondering why your tires are spinning but your not going anywhere. now for driving. you can run with tc on but I don’t recommend it. keep both hands on the wheel at all times and constantly be looking forward at the next target

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:57

Have fun. Auto-X is so much fun. Bring a tire gauge and some chalk. You will want to up the tire pressure based on how much the tire is rolling over. There shoukd be a little arrow or marker. If you are scrubbing off the chalk in the sidewall add more air. If you aren't rolling over to the marker then you have too much pressure.

miadaman? yes please > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 15:59

Fall autox is best autox!

Have fun and remember the smoother you are the faster you are.

uofime-2 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 16:13

Here’s what I learned from my first AutoX:

Once you start to push the car, you’re going to overdrive the car and use the front tires as breaks (understeer), remember to actually use your breaks.

Figuring out the track/line and actual breaking points is really hard.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 16:31

Mind the kerbs.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > jjhats
10/09/2015 at 16:45

Why run without tc? I imagine a launch at 2000rpm should be enough.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
10/09/2015 at 16:46

I think I can manage two of those.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
10/09/2015 at 16:47

That’s interesting.

CKeffer > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 16:47

You’ll have a great time. The ST is a hoot on track, and is surprisingly tail happy. And remember, it’s FWD so to induce said tail happy behavior you lift the throttle rather than give it more gas.

Other than that, you may want to bump the pressure in the tires up a couple psi, and yank out anything that’s not bolted down last thing you want is crap flying around the cabin on course.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > uofime-2
10/09/2015 at 16:47

What are track lines and braking points?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/09/2015 at 16:49

So I should actually try to spin out? That sounds doable.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
10/09/2015 at 16:49

Hopefully there are none close enough to mind..Same goes for poles and dumpsters.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > miadaman? yes please
10/09/2015 at 16:49

Define “smoother”.

Future next gen S2000 owner > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 16:50

If you never spin, how do you know where the edge is? I try to loop my once or twice a year, just to make sure I am pushing hard enough.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Gripevo1
10/09/2015 at 16:50

I will try to do my best.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > BREADwagon
10/09/2015 at 16:50

Well I don’t think it’ll be that cold. I’m guessing mid 50s at least.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Kanaric
10/09/2015 at 16:51

Well I’m definitely not expecting to win anything, that’s for sure.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > CKeffer
10/09/2015 at 16:55

So drive it like a 911? That’s easy.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/09/2015 at 16:56

I wonder how hard I’ll have to push.

MustangSally06GT > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 17:02

If you have a chance to walk the track before you drive it do so. Where ever you are looking you will drive. Don’t wreck and have fun. I was into drag racing for years until I experienced the Boss track attack at Miller Motorsports and now its all about road racing tracks for me. Good luck.

nafsucof > BREADwagon
10/09/2015 at 17:06

I disagree with most of this. Sorry, my experience the last two years autocrossing the fost over 25 times, and winning stx and dsp several times, if not taking second suggests other techniques work better for me. I turned off everything to learn how the car

Kinja'd!!!

handles, the understeer is present if you floor it too much but finesse with the gas pedal and not treating it like a light switch helps the traction issues. If you air up to around 42f and only 35r it rotates nicely and you have good front axle grip. Jab the brakes before turning to plant the front end and smoothly apply the power. Never once had brake issues autocrossing either. After each run hit max Ac and get the cooling fans blowing to help heat soak. I’m not trying to bash I just seems I’ve chosen a different path with my settings and technique. Variety is the slice of life!

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 17:10

I’m hoping you can do all 3.

the most important is the 2nd one. Ask for a lot of ridealongs... look for the experienced ones and ask questions. Most should be nice enough to take you under their wing. I would (and I do) do so

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
10/09/2015 at 17:34

Thanks pal. :)

Gripevo1 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/09/2015 at 17:46

What? You can find the limit of adhesion without completely loossing control. Yes, spinning at an autocross course is generally safer than a trackday (and of course the street), but many corner workers have been hit by spinning cars(theres an old video of a blue c5 vette losing it and hitting a few people at a tight autocross course. Maybe you should get some in car instruction to learn to be fast while being smooth(they usually go hand in hand), and not put people in danger by spinning “once or twice a year”.

Gripevo1 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/09/2015 at 17:52

Not trying to be a dick, but thats not good advice for someone just starting out in auto x.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Gripevo1
10/09/2015 at 18:01

Corner workers getting hit by a spinning car is not the fault of the car or the driver. Driver meetings go over the explicitly - at least mine do. The corner worker is at fault and possibly in combination of safety and the course designer. There should be absolutely zero risk of danger from a spinning car if all safety precautions have been followed correctly.

In car instruction is great and it can make you faster but you never know where the line is until you cross it. In most cars, you will find the front end limits through understeer but in a quick transition, the car will probably spin.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Gripevo1
10/09/2015 at 18:03

Why? What is wrong with spinning and going over the edge in an environment specifically designed to be safe when going over the edge?

miadaman? yes please > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 18:03

Certainly, when I say smooth I’m mostly referring to your steering. When your car “rolls” during cornering your tire will gain and lose normal force acting on it (i.e. gets lighter on one side and heavier on the other). When this happens, the side that gains weight will not gain enough traction to compensate the amount you lost on the side that lost weight. This may seem trivial but the faster you are and the jerkier you are, the most abrupt and more drastic this becomes.

Less traction = less available grip, means you will have to slow down to make the corner due to understeer/oversteer. Don’t forget your front does both steering and accelerating (because FWD), so more grip you can get the better.

In terms of throttle and braking, I’ve always been taught you should always be on either one or the other (not necessarily 100%). The transition should also be smooth (not the same as slow) for similar reasons. Keep the car behaved and settled and you’ll be the top of your class in no time.

Hope this helps and have fun out there!

MM54 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 20:21

The ST should be a great time and do very well, but I’ve got to ask - why not run the 944?

Dusty Ventures > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/09/2015 at 21:21

I autocrossed one of these when they were just coming out, they rotate really well with a little (LITTLE) left foot braking. Not something to try whipping out if you’ve never done LFB, but potentially useful information for down the road.

uofime-2 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
10/10/2015 at 23:12

Figuring out which turns you need to break for, when to start breaking and how much to slow down.