All the rain in La has kept temperatures down, and I couldn't believe how "cool" (the humidity ruined it) it was today. Better than last month's heat warnings. It rained all morning until we started setting up and then it started shortly after I left. I'm on RE71s that I will daily drive on until the winter. I finished fourth in PAX which is a huge improvement before the tires. Good time. Just a heads up, you may want to turn your speakers down before :32 in the video, because I thought I coned away the run and had a tourettes moment.
Surprisingly Cool August Autocross
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Open and fast course. Guess the "damnit" was the sound of eating a cone?
:devil
:devil
Yes. A cone was not called, however, so the run was good. I watched previous runs, and they look like I smacked the same cone but didn't. My disappointment caused me to over drive the hard right turn soon after my "moment." The course was designed by one of our national guys. He always makes a challenging yet open course. Of course, it was our three national guys I lost to. Dang Hondas.
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In my 2004 GTO I would autocross as member of club in NC. Most courses seemed like they would fit in the living room. LOL
Camaro, Vette, and anyone with a car of size with a motor did the best we could. Of course the Subi's and Miatas and little Hondas loved the courses.
If I ran one as open as the one you show, "Cones be damned", donuts and smokey burnouts rule! Oops, missed that turn. LOL:devil
Camaro, Vette, and anyone with a car of size with a motor did the best we could. Of course the Subi's and Miatas and little Hondas loved the courses.
If I ran one as open as the one you show, "Cones be damned", donuts and smokey burnouts rule! Oops, missed that turn. LOL:devil
Agreed, the video is just okay. This is the autocross section so I don't think anyone is "wasting" their time by watching the whole video.
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Gee, I apologize - I meant no disrespect. Keep the videos coming! As a long time autocrosser (Since 1980, Triumph TR8, a couple of Ford Escort GTs, and the Impala SS) I was anxious to see more what the Chevy SS could do. Since this is the autocross section...
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Have you ever had a national level autoxer/instructor take you with them, or have them ride shotgun? I ask because you are what is called 'late' almost everywhere in the video while you're on it. 
It comes down to this - you want to a) get more than 50% of your turning done BEFORE you're at most of the cones/turns and b) you want to be on the backside of most of them too (you want your rear inside tire to be on the back of the cone almost). The trick is figuring out which ones are unnecessary to backside.
It's even more important with a bigger car like the SS, where its weight and momentum wants to keep it going away from the cone and not towards it.
Something to think about... never be too afraid to ask and take an instructor for pointers on going faster.
--kC
It comes down to this - you want to a) get more than 50% of your turning done BEFORE you're at most of the cones/turns and b) you want to be on the backside of most of them too (you want your rear inside tire to be on the back of the cone almost). The trick is figuring out which ones are unnecessary to backside.
It's even more important with a bigger car like the SS, where its weight and momentum wants to keep it going away from the cone and not towards it.
Something to think about... never be too afraid to ask and take an instructor for pointers on going faster.
--kC
I have, and they said the same thing, but I still turn late. I know I need to turn earlier, but my brain and hands don't communicate well sometimes. I'm constantly telling myself to be either faster with the wheel (getting back straight) or turn earlier. I thought about letting one of our national guys ride with me next month to critique me in the SS. He tells it like it is, and is one of those guys that hops in for the first time and embarrasses your fastest time. I appreciate the tips.Have you ever had a national level autoxer/instructor take you with them, or have them ride shotgun? I ask because you are what is called 'late' almost everywhere in the video while you're on it.
It comes down to this - you want to a) get more than 50% of your turning done BEFORE you're at most of the cones/turns and b) you want to be on the backside of most of them too (you want your rear inside tire to be on the back of the cone almost). The trick is figuring out which ones are unnecessary to backside.
It's even more important with a bigger car like the SS, where its weight and momentum wants to keep it going away from the cone and not towards it.
Something to think about... never be too afraid to ask and take an instructor for pointers on going faster.
--kC
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No prob. There's only so much one can do watching a video.
Lots of people mistakenly think that the goal of autox is to go as fast as possible. That can't be farther than the truth. The time one gets reflects who was most efficient of combining the shortest line AND the most grip that's available at any given speed through a turn.
Also, one of the BIGGEST things to keep an eye on in your course walks is the parts where the car will be going the slowest. Getting through the slow parts using shortest distance will remove time from the clock exponentially.
Look at it this way, you have a 180* turn... Your car, tire, and suspension combination (hypothetically) can only take the turn at a max of 20mph (for sake of argument, picking a number). It can do the 20mph running over the base of the cone at full lock. The farther you are away from the cone, you cannot go faster... you can only do 20mph because you're still going to be at full lock. So all you're doing is adding distance, and a result of that is time, to get from point a on the right side of the cone to point b on the left.
Decrease the turns a little form 180 to 90, and same thing applies. The farther you are off the line, the more time you're giving to your competitors because that is "distance wasted". It's about being the most efficient, not the fastest. Many times, you can give up speed and still gain time on the clock, because you had the shorter line.
--kC
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