Guys, I went to another AX today at Ohio Valley Region and I am still miserable. Fast time of the day was 40.x Most faster cars were 44.x My personal best was a 51.0. I wasn't the slowest car of the day... someone ran a 60. I asked about double entry at registration and I was told no. 5 runs = $30 & a 2 week wait for more runs (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I'm taking almost 3 weeks off and hopefully I will get a few events in during that time, including an EVO school at BeaveRun. I'll keep you updated.

Thanks for all the support.

One thing you gotta correct is putting yourself down so much! At this point your goal should be to not be last, you were not, so pat yourself on the back! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) One step at a time. Set REALISTIC goals and be glad when you achieve them!

When you're driving, do you notice mistakes? Things like "oh crap! I should've braked earlier, now I'm pushing through this corner, and don't have a chance to jump on the throttle early for the straight?", or does every run feel perfect until you see your time? Try running at 80%, and don't turn up the speed until you get it perfect. Only 5 runs makes it hard, but at least start slow. It's much easier to go a little faster for the next run where you've noticed there is room on the table, but if you've gone too fast and screwed up a corner, it's hard to know where to slow down more.

I always make a little map when I walk the course, with every cone. I memorize it, then run the course in my head while in staging. If you don't have to think about where to go next, you can focus on improving the driving, rather than reacting to the course. After your run, you can add notes on where your brake point is (or needs to be), turn-in, apex, where to go slow, etc... With so many corners on an autox course, it's tough to remember the corners that are critical, and messed up your last lap. This way you won't make the same mistakes twice.

Looking ahead. Your car is going where it's going, so no point focusing on the hood. Look past the current corner to the next one, so you can think on how to handle it, where to brake, etc... Videotape yourself driving, so you can see your helmet, and if you're looking ahead.

Has an instructor ridden with you? When just starting out on a complicated course, having someone there to yell - "left, left, right, BRAKE!" help offload some of the thinking so I could drive, rather than get overloaded. Have you ridden with anyone else? Get as much time in a seat as possible, even if it's as a passenger. It'll help you get more familiar with the course, and see where you need to do things.

Forget about messing with your car. Get the tire pressures so they don't roll over, and then focus on the driving. When working the course, watch how other folks go. The fastest guys usually look slow, since they're smooth. Don't toss the car around, slide it, etc... Slow in, and fast out. You don't make up time solo racing in a brake zone.

Get some used rims and some used race tires whenever you can. But don't compare times just yet. Are the other cars you are going up against prepared fully to the rules?

Seating position is a big thing that I believe gets overlooked to often. In the ax book it has has some good info about it. On every occasion that I have riden with a newbie, I have had to correct their seating position. Sit up straight, arms bent, 9 and 3 o clock grip, hand on shifter only when shifting, and shuffle steer!!

You were over three seconds faster than me. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I'm right there with you, aiming for that "Most Improved" award. Of course, that means improving.

I've made out a calendar of events within a two hour drive of Columbus for the summer. If you want, you can run every single weekend between now and September, at least. There are events in Cincy, Dayton, Columbus (obviously), Toledo, Akron and Cleveland. BeaveRun does occasional weeknight events, and there are a few weekends that you can double dip and hit both Saturday and Sunday.

Miami Valley Sports Car Club is running this Saturday night at the Nutter Center. I'm probably heading down there with a friend/co-driver. You're welcome to caravan along, if you like. There are also events in Toledo and Cleveland on Sunday.

Thanks to all of the experienced guys with their comments, particularly the part about resisting the urge to get on faster tires. I have a used set of Azenis asymmetricals sitting in my garage looking for a set of rims (they were free). At what point should I ditch my off-brand all seasons (treadwear 480 (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif) ) and graduate into those? I won't even think about running Hoosiers this season, as I'd rather spend the money on entry fees and gas.

This post has been edited by TrackAddict: May 15 2007, 06:33 PM

were you at the last OVR AX? Are you in Columbus?
I'll be at Ft. Lewis, Washington without my car for 2 months courtesy of the U.S. Army
Ugh... and I read this Saturday night...

sure bet local driver's school or take a chance at EVO?

Both NW OH SCCA and BeaveRun are having schools on the 26th... BeaveRun is a 3.5 hour drive, a phase 1 Evolution School which I am not locked in to but at the top of the waiting list and the fee is $250, I think. The NW OH SCCA school is locally run, a 3 hour drive and only $26 I think.

Is the EVO school worth the extra cash, and drive?

If I don't run on R-compounds, should I run in STU instead of ESP?

I'd go ahead and use the Azenis now, hard all seasons have to be terrible

Personally, I think the Evo schools are worth every penny. Have you registered for either site's Evo School? They're pre-register only, as class sizes are limited. If you haven't just keep getting seat time. If possible, get some passenger rides from other people, that can open your eyes to what they're doing different. If your region allows it, get some experienced folks to ride with you during your runs. That will help a ton.

Yes, and yes. My f-body is in pieces right now, so I am running a Nissan NX in G Stock.

Sorry that you missed the event -- running at night was interesting, though it just made the learning curve that much more steep. There was a black 'vert running in ESP, too. You guys would have had a good battle going, I think.

When will you be able to run again?



Oh, they are. My co-driver won our class last night on them, though, beating several cars on Hoosiers. Don't ask me how he did it.

I'm picking up a second set of wheels this week, so I'll have them mounted and available to me before the next event. I may go do some empty parking lot testing somewhere on them in the meantime.

I tried to register but the phase 1 is full at BeaveRun but the guy said I was at the top of the waiting list and there were still a few spots open for the phase 2. I asked him to put me in for both but I haven't heard back from him.



I'm going up to BeaveRun this Wednesday 4-7 PM for their open practice and going there Sat. if I can get into the phase 1 and 2, otherwise it's the NwOH school on Sat. and OVR pts 3 on Sun.

I was going to come out and meet you (I already know trackaddict), but I realized that the last event was at the drag strip and I didn't have the time to travel out that far to say hi. However, pm or e-mail me for the next event you're attending and if it's in Columbus, I'll try to come ride with you. I'm not the fastest guy out there, but I might be able to help you out a bit. If I'm lucky, I'll have a car by then (though it will be under braked and on street tires for a little while), but I'll probably come drive it until I get it sorted.

And, yes, the EVO schools are worth it (though I haven't managed to attend one, I know many people who have and I know a few of the instructors and have seen them drive). Any schools you can attend are worth it. If you can do Evo and then a $26 SCCA school and attend them both, do it. Seat time is good.

OK... it's either the EVO school at BeaveRun or OVR Pts 3 for me on Sunday. If you need a car, we could double drive mine. I bet I'd learn a lot.

Unfortunately, I'll have to pass on the co-drive for this event. I have a friend coming into town and I'll be picking him up at about 9am at the airport. He's a fellow autocrosser and maybe we can both stop by and I can take a ride or two (or three) with you. If not, I'll try for the next event.

If you can get into the EVO school, go there as your first choice.

Guys, an update from the front:

I invested in a Cruisecam mount to mount my vid camera so I could review my own races and see my flaws afterwards. (I also figured out that w/ a 7" LCD screen, I could even watch my last run in my car before my next run!) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I got an alignment yesterday. I asked for a -1.0 camber, 4.5 caster and neutral toe. The Firestone dude said it wasn't possible? I guess it would have to be lowered to get a -1.0 camber? Anyways, the end result was about -0.1 camber, 5.0 caster and neutral toe... not far from where I was to begin with, but it is nicer on the highway - not sure about AX.

Today, I made the 3.5 hour drive to BeaveRun for some AX practice. It went well... I think a few more of those and I'd be feeling pretty comfortable. I used the Cruisecam and my camera to film most of the laps. I'll watch them soon.

I'm signed up for NW OH (Toledo area) SCCA school for this Saturday. It's another 3 hour drive. I got told a big fat NO for EVO phase 1 (full) but the organizer is going to talk to the EVO guys and see if they think it would be ok to attend the Phase 2 on Sunday after the Saturday NWOH SCCA school. If not, it's a 20 minute drive to OVR pts 3 for me. 3 big things in a week... I should be making some progress.

Does anyone know if it's ok to run/rollerblade/ride a bike through the course in the morning or would that be considered cheating? I typically run a few miles in the morning so I was thinking of running through the course. Rollerblades, on the other hand might give me an even better feel for the course. Thoughts?

If the EVO school is still the same as McKamey, I'd say don't do phase 2 before phase 1. They build on each other, and you need to have the basics from phase 1 down pat before taking phase 2. The SCCA school will be fine, and running a regional the next day will be great.

I drove 3 hours today up to NwOH's driver school. I got a lot of seat time. I started getting pretty good. After progressing from skills to a course, one of the instructors said I had a great line and that it was the best ride she had all day... and that was my first lap. Then it seems like I became the go-to guy. I gave 4 different instructors rides and they said I was doing very well. One had no suggestions for improvement on one of my laps, which made me feel great. The track was fast , with larger turns and more straight than I was used to at OVR. It was also raining on and off all day, so the track was slick, but I felt like I was really learning to control being on the verge of being out of control... that's a start, right?

Well tomorrow, it's OVR Points 3 for me. Maybe I convince my wife to let me go to Miami Valley's AX on Monday. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I'll keep you updated.

Hey Andre, good meeting you this weekend. Did you check the results on OVR? You won the novice PAX this week, so I guess the seat time helped you out a little. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Did you make it to Miami Valley?

Huh? It looked to me like there were 6 novices that beat me... or am I reading it wrong? I didn't go to Miami Valley... I figured 3 all-day AX events in 5 days time was as much as my wife could handle.

I do, however feel that I'm making progress... When I looked at my performance, it's hard to judge from one event to the next, but... on Pts 1 this year, 90% of the drivers across all categories had faster times than me. At Pts 2, only 80% had faster times than me. At Pts 3, only 76% had faster times than me... So it could be inferred that I'm making progress, or it could be chalked up to a faster course for which my car is better suited or maybe there were more newbs as the season progressed... I'm not really sure. The strange thing is that I made more progress between 1 and 2 than 2 and 3 which is when I did the BeaveRun and the NwOH school.

I think I'm doing a better job of looking ahead and controlling the throttle now but I still have to do a lot more.

I don't know why but I didn't ride with anyone this time. Probably because I finished my runs early and also the last few times I asked, everyone said they wanted to drive alone.

BTW, the next AX practice at BeaveRun is this Saturday, 10-4. Are you going?

And what are the URLs for Miami Valley and your own site?