As what has been the most difficult year of my life comes to a close, I want to get back into autocrossing, (something I've done since 1975), next year. My car will need some love, but the first thing that needs help is me. Some of my friends go to a local indoor kart track once a week. I've been a couple of times, and have improved my times, but will that translate into usable autocross skills? My friends compete in open wheel cars, so I can see how this helps them, but a Camaro takes a different line than an A/M car. Your thoughts, please.

I would think that seat time is seat time. If you have the time, I'd certainly do it, especially in any off season from the autocross season. That is, unless it'll dip into the 'car love' budget. Then, I'd spend those funds getting the car back up to snuff in the off season.

Yes, it is different, but it's still driving. You have to tune your inputs to match those of the vehicle you're driving, which can help, as well as practicing your autocross skills, chiefly, the looking ahead one. That's one of the hardest skills to remember in once-a-month events.

It helped me! But I have a really good track near me. All outdoor, so it’s like being on a real race track. Indoor, not so much. But it’s karting, the worst that can happen is you’re going to have a blast!

What has really helped me, and what continues to help is iRacing. And now that I have a VR headset (Oculus Rift), it truely feels like I’m in the car.

^^^ This. Unequivocally.

Especially the looking ahead bit... As an Evo School instructor, that's a thing. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

It's a pretty fast indoor track. They have 6hp engines, and some with 12 hp engines that you have to "qualify" for. You have to turn 5 laps in the slower karts of 27.4 seconds within an 8 minute race, in order to qualify. At 235 pounds, this is no easy task. I've watched people at half my weight with the worse lines imaginable, run within tenths of me because the kart pulls them off the corners much quicker. All of the guys I know have qualified in the faster karts. I've gotten into the high 27's, but a lot depends on the kart. While getting into the "supers" would be nice, I'm going to concentrate more on looking ahead, choosing my line, and having fun.

Commercial 'racing' karts are momentum machines. They all usually lack power, so you have to maintain as much speed in the corners as possible and plan your corner so you can get on the gas as soon as possible. Too much steering input will KILL your time, and you won't even feel it. Slipping and sliding the back around will kill your time, too. You have to practice being smooth, and working the brake and wheel as little as possible to get the job done. Looking ahead also contributes to being able to reduce the inputs to negotiate the track. You also learn the 'short' way around the circuit. All these skills apply to autocross, especially if your autocross car is a H Street or some other momentum class. But you can still learn things even if your regular car is a C Prepared car.

This post has been edited by CrashTestDummy: Dec 12 2017, 01:58 PM

what he said..any seat time helps imho.
that said motorcycle riding has helped me tremendously with my driving

I've also realized that with the seat too far back, they'll understeer, too far forward, and they oversteer. They have a sweet spot that so far has evaded me.