Learning Ideal Autocross Line Very Challenging
On Sunday, August 8th, 2010, SASCA had their 8th Autocross Event of the year. It was good & hot, as would be expected for South Texas in the summer. There were 71 registered competitors with official times. Craig was the Eventmaster, for the 2nd month in a row. He put together a very challenging course, with good input from others.
This time, we even got the “luxury” of “painted lines of baking flour, to help delineate the course flow. It was interesting & different, sometimes helpful & at times a slight distraction. Overall, though the lines added a cool touch to the course! See the sweeper turn, before the finish, pictured below:
This course was primarily counter-clockwise with times in the 40 to 50 second range, more or less. There were some challenging sections of the course that I could not get a good line through a corner. We all had 7 runs at the course, 4 in the morning & after lunch, 3 in the afternoon. My times were not at all consistent. My best to my worst only varied within just under 3 seconds. (Click to enlarge)
Here’s a more complete graphic of the course as Craig designed it, on paper. It did vary somewhat in reality – it ALWAYS does. I know, having been an Eventmaster in the past…
The area that almost always got me was that errant cone that always seemed to be in the wrong place every time I tried to make a good, clean run. I was consistently stymied. I did do 3 course walk-throughs in the morning & even had Kevin, the Novice Orientation Chief, do a ride-along with me. This was to try to help me get a better handle on the line & technique of this course. Basically, Kevin told me that I was about right for most of the course, but that entry for that 1st tight hairpin corner needed to be taken differently, & I needed to brake earlier.
Below is how I approached it:
Below was a better way to take the corner, but I always seemed to come in too hot – too much speed & braking too late.
If just maybe I had a couple of other runs… I should have remembered the racer’s axion:
Slow in = Fast out!
Oh well, there will be time to learn more at next month’s SASCA autocross, on September 26, 2010. Racing Ready & Karlino both plan to be there.
Reserve that date – it should be cooler. Hope to see you challenge yourselves as well!
Dan
P.S. – Thanks for Oscar for the great pix!
