I don't know if it's the right section,
but I thought I would share how I'm feeling.

Basically, I love AutoX and I find it a great way to enjoy the car, and so forth.
I'm also OK at it and kick ass on some fast cars in my category as well.

There are a few things that makes me not enjoy it as much.
1. it's very political... full of BS
2. seat time is very minimal
3. can't be much more competitive unless I trailor another set of wheels w/ Hoosier dady.
4. I'd like to use more than just 1-2 gear.

I'm just thinking on focusing more on driving and seat time.
Am I the only one that thinks this or going through this kind of feelings ?

...that's how I ended up where I am.

First autocross. Got a little bored with the driving aspects but liked the people. Tried lapping days. Then a mix of autocross and lapping days. Then a mix of autocross, lapping days and time trials. Then finally, road racing with autocrosses as time permits. That is where I am today.

The reaility is that there are advantages and disadvantages to road racing versus autocross. Comparison:

Pros for Autocross:
Little or no prep work
Easy on the car (relatively)
Inexpensive (relatively)

Cons of Autocross:
Seat time
If you are serious, you are out almost every Sunday throughout the season
Mature ruleset encourages weenie protests. There is no other way.

Pros for Road Racing (or even lapping days):
Seat time
Real time comparison against other drivers since you share the track
Probably only racing one weekend a month. More Sundays at home

Cons of Road Racing:
Cost committment
Time committment
Distances to events

Once the "thrill is gone", I suppose you either need to completely change car types to get motivated again or you start the progression above. My $0.02 CDN

I do pull a tire trailer. All-in-all, I think it was a mistake to allow race tires in Stock and/or ESP, but they are here and we're stuck with them.

I simply stay out of the politics as much as possible.

If changing tires on autocross day is too much hassle, taking it up a notch with some sort of open tracking certainly isn't going to help. You'll have to throw a brake swap into the mix (at least at the front).

If you aren't a very competitive person, or lack competition in your area, I can see getting bored. I don't get bored @ National events, but can be a little bit bored at local events unless someone shows up who can push me.

However, I get bored at lapping days too. Why? Because I'm not competing there either. 100 laps around a the same track can be tedious to me. One of the things I like about Solo2 is the different courses, and that you have to nail them in a just a few runs. Now some places reset the same courses all the time, and that'd suck because you don't get any challenge (and much like a racetrack it's the same all the time).

As for the lack of seat time. Sure you get less autoxing if you just go to an event here and there. I don't lack seat time. I just did a test session that was 3 full days (if I wanted), I only ran 2 of them. the days were 8 hours long, and I had to work 1 hour each day. Basically, 14 hours of course time available (you had to share with other cars too, but NOBODY ran close to continually) over two days, and a 3rd was available. Also travel around. The local SCCA region gives 5 runs for your $20, and the option of 5 more non-comp runs for an addition $10. That's 10 approx. 1-minute runs for $30.........

The value is all about what you like. I like going fast, but the sheer speed of the car isn't what does it for me. It's how fast I have to think and react. I lose interest more easily with tracking than autoxing because it's more different and offer competition. Road racing would be different than OTing, but you also shot your costs up even more than not-so-cheap lapping days. MHO. Both are fun, but I think the more you do anything, it will become less exciting to some degree, regardless of what it is.

I got bored with it. I like the people a whole lot, and will intermittently autox for the social aspect and to keep my knowledge reasonbly current, but spending 12 hours for 3-6 minutes of seat time is too much for me.

Eugenio, that's exactly how I've been feeling lately. Esp # 2 It's just so hard to drag myself to an event and be gone all day for less than 6 minutes of seat time.

I'm currently setting the car up to tow a tire trailer. I'm hoping this will make it more comfortable and relieve some of the burden of having all the gear inside my car.

Our local region usually gives 5 runs or so or 4 runs at our larger 60 second site. There are usually to many people to allow for any funruns. It's not our region's fault either-IMO KYR is one of the most organized regions there is as far as local events go.

Recently they did a test and tune day limited to 40 people for $40. I wish we would have more autocrosses where attendence was limited so we could get more runs. To be honest I have more fun at my local F-body club's private autocross than an any other. I'd gladly pay 40 or 60 dollars to autocross if we limited entries and provided more runs.

I really want to do open tracking but I know I'll fall into another rut-no competition. Although I would like faster events where I could open the car up.

Recently we had an event that mistakenly allowed competitors to get up to 70 80 and almost 90. At the time hey got up to speed in a safe area. Afterwards a local complained and his comments were heard, BUT he then felt the need to go complain to the national office about our region. Our region just has too many drama queens all over that want to fight, whine, and bicker over petty things. I just want to get out and race. I have enough politics going on in the rest of my life.

...your feelings are NOT uncommon...I know a TON of people who have made the progression Keith is talking of.....pretty much a "course of nature" kind of thing...

....now there are also people who, like Sam, live and thrive on the sport....but my guess is a large number either move on to some type of track events, or just get out altogether...it would be interesting to see turnover numbers if they were available...

But basically, do what is right FOR YOU!

I certainly couldn't imagine running regularly with those regions who get 3-4 runs per event. We strive for 6, and usually get at least 5. That's enough to make it worth it for me. However, as mentioned, it'd be nice if I could run in stock without having to shell out hundreds in tires per season. I know that's its own argument though.

As far as the politics, at least at our region, it's pretty minimal. Being on the board probably helps keep it that way in my own perspective anyhow. Probably another function of being in a smaller region.

We're not the most competitive group in terms of talent, and we don't have many cars per class, but on the other hand, everyone pays more attention to the pax'd standings anyway.

I could see how in many other regions the cost-benefit ratio would get pretty crummy, but the risk-reward ratio can't be forgotten either. I love hpde's, but the potential cost/risk with open tracking versus autocross is never far from the front of my mind.

In the end, I'd probably concern myself less with auto-x and get more ramped up for hpde's if not for my region, including the 6 runs, the relative proximity, and the people. I've met some great people autocrossing and found myself fitting right in with the old regulars.

My AXing career didn't last but about 12 months (2 half seasons) I did get a nice "crystal" goblet, or something (not sure what it is) for a 4th place season finish.

Standing in the hot Texas sun for 2 or 3 hours while working the course and sitting in grid for another 2 or 3 hours waiting to get 90 seconds of seat time in no way off set any fun factor of "competition".

Now, before anyone jumps up and proclaims "get there early to get one of the "good" jobs, the coveted ones were a part of the politics. Couldn't get one if I wanted one.

So, the also rans stood out and shagged cones so the hot shoes could get in their runs and hoof it back to the Winnebego.

I tagged along to a BMW club's track day at a local road course and that was it. CYA AX ...

I OTed for several years, meeting a LOT of really great people who didn't have an agenda. Setting FTD for a single lap had it's merits, but stringing them back to back takes a lot of mental focus. I think it prepared me for the jump to CMC ...

I'm not in CMC to set the world on fire. I don't have the ego that drives that kind of mentality. But I do enjoy the lapping, the adrenaline and the group of people that make up the series.

well... we get 4 runs... and we are usually around 100 ppl.
It's a very competitive niche and most of the ppl from here that goes to Topeka bring a trophee... so that should put some perspective on the competition level.
I like competition, but healthy competition... I don't mind not being on the top, as long as everyone is having fun.
I'm getting fed up of the bitching for every single little details, and some people take it WAY too seriously as if life depended on it.
Might be just me... but I rather associate myself with different group... but I like the people.
Having said that, for competitiveness, there is no way I can get better without some grip, like Hoosiers.
I still managed to be within 2 secs of the fastest guy in SM, while he had Hoosiers... and I was closer to the other guys on Hoosiers, but not faster.
Anyways... I've never been there to win championships, but more for the learning/fun factor of it.
and that is fading away.

Yesterday evening, it really struck me when a guy was talking about his 15 years of Solo2 experience, and bla-bla-bla... and then I was trying to put some perspective on things and where I see myself in this.
It just didn't fit.

As for lapping time, RoadRacing, it might be a bit more $... but I think it'll also be more rewarding.
Once has much better chances on improving by passing more times @ a given place and have WAY more lee-way (sp?) for trying different lines to see how one does.
In AutoX... well 4 runs aren't enough to try things out... my approach is get a clean run as fast as possible and hope you don't screw up from remembering the course.

I feel that I did learn a lot, don't get me wrong... things happen pretty fast, and I've been able to adapt myself well.
fwiw, yesterday, I was faster than all the 3 S2000 in place in race rubber, and 1 of the guys is really good... I used to not be able to be faster awhile back.

There was 1 z28 in place, who had a good line, but was 4-5 seconds slower than me on a 50 seconds track.
I know I have a bit more power and better brakes and suspension, but still... I'm not a newbie... and the learning/fun factor doesn't seem to be there anymore.

As for the RR/OT approach... I think I'll be OK with the A032-H tires... which once warm are pretty good... but then again, it will allow me to experiment way more stuff than I can now, and be able to learn even more.
Even in that sense, I'm not a newbie, since I done several schools and lapping days, and solo1 guys are asking me to have fun... the only thing I don't push much is when walls are involved... call me a chicken shit !
imho, it'll allow me to gather way much more data, and know where to improve the driver, and maybe the car.
As for the pads... I'll probably start by getting more aggressive than the present Portterfield RS4 pads I have... maybe the Ferrodo 2500... but I'll do some events like this to see exactly what I want.

anyways... sorry for the blabering... keep the comments/ideas coming... greatly appreciated.
And I'm happy to see I'm not alone in the boat.

ironically, I tend to enjoy more helping people and being an instructor than actually doing the events.
If anything, I'd love to practice sections more often to really know what's the best line.

As for prep... I'd really just like to go to track on R-compounds, same tires used on the street... and same for pads.
Enjoy the day, take data and analyse the data (note not anal-ize)... and go from there.
Hopefully, I'll be able to start more interesting threads... become more knowledgeable, be able to share more information with a bigger bagage, and learn more since I'll have more to learn.

imho, the more you learn, the more you see there still is to learn... otherwise, ignorance is a bliss

The hassle factor makes a big difference to me. My trailer is big enough to carry everything, so I don't have to load and unload the car each time. Most of the tools in the trailer are duplicates, so I can just leave the trailer loaded except for the tires.

There isn't a road course close enough to me to make open tracking an option, and National/Divisional/ProSolo autocrosses are also too far away and/or too big of a time commitment. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to quit this nonsense altogether.

For now, local autocross is what I can do, so that's what I do. I can even enjoy the 1st gear courses, as long as I get to use WOT a lot. First is a lot of fun with an LS1

I seriously thought about quitting last year (AutoX)...

95% of the people are friendly (except for one particular region which well I never really got along with people in that city to begin with and I'm sure the flag I hung in my trailer doesn't exactly help).

The reason why I felt like quitting was because I wasn't doing well in PAX, though I wasn't as motivated as I am now. Of course a FS Camaro in AS or ESP doesn't do too well in PAX - especially when you run on 4 year old Hoosiers. Now that I have the soft SS PAX and fresher tires (1 year old) I am doing much better to say the least. It's quite enjoyable when you beat everyone else, especially in a bigger region.

I used to not like the R tire allowed in stock, but I do like running on R's. And even the darned street tires nowadays are fast.

I like AutoX b/c it allows me to drive to the limit & beyond without worrying about trashing my car (hitting a wall). I'm honestly thinking about club racing or running modifieds.

I just did that and highly recommend it to anyone. I can give you some insight into wiring the lights. I found a pretty good way to do it (I think). PM me and I'll give you my number when you get that far.

We used to get 8 runs, but it was down to 4 over the last few years. All day for four runs was no fun. This is why I've only run 7 events in my 2002 Camaro, I ran that in the first year in my GTI (when we got 8 runs). I never missed events that year. I'm going for the championship this year (so far) and am in 2nd place (by 3 points, behind an LT4 C4 Corvette on 315's) with a 1st and a 3rd place in my first two events. I thought I'd give it a shot. If I can stay "close" I'll keep going. If I fall to 8th place or something, I may get lazy towards the end of the season and skip some events. I hate to stand out there all day for 5 runs (the recent average).

For reference, I went to look at new trucks today at the Chevy dealer. I'm thinking of buying a new 2500HD or 3500 and getting a track car. Oddly, my cell phone just rang (as I typed this) to tell me of a mid 80's Camaro (unknown V8 and automatic) for sale about 3 miles from my house for under a grand. I'm really thinking that a truck/3rd gen is the way to go. I need a beater track car and a truck. I'd hate to wreck the 2002, but I kind of hate to get rid of it. If I buy a truck/track beater, I'll be CMC/AV8SS or HPDE very soon. Thus the dilemma contiunes.

I was sort of transitioning to driving the truck more and the Camaro less. However, with gas prices going up that was just taking too big of a bite out of the mod budget. The Camaro gets MUCH better gas mileage than the Dodge.

I started autocrossing in '97 and did my first track event that year. Kept autocrossing and doing open tracking until '01 when I got my SCCA competition license. I figured I would "move up" to road racing and totally forget about autocrossing. Did a few roadraces until my raSEcaR sustained some heavy body damage (pretty much NOT my fault ... honest! ). Since I didn't have a car to "race," I went back to autocrossing and recognized all the plusses that I overlooked before: 1) Great friends 2) low bucks (I don't want to EVER post on a public forum how much I spent on my road-race car ... and it was a back marker) 3) Great competition.

Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE the triple-digit speeds and mid-double-digits going through turns on a roadcourse. In fact, I'm probably going to drive at the HypeRFest next month at Summit Point. But I prefer the real competition that autocrossing offers.

If you enjoy the competition of autocross but feel your car is uncompetitive, find somebody with a "competitive" car who wants a co-driver. Share costs on tires, etc. Which brings up another "plus" of autocrossing -- people actually letting you "race" their cars.

Pat

I hear ... fear ... you Pat.

The damage factor had (has) me very worried.

But it's also the reason I chose CMC over SCCA or COMA ...

I saw first hand how those boys don't cotton to rubbin' ... it was ugly ...

So how is the paint swapping in CMC going so far?

I think ya'all have me convinced to stick with open track, open road, texas mile, and the occasional autox.

Rubbin' is racin'

Wish I could afford to build an AI car. That's what I originally bought my car with hopes of doing.

I 'might' consider moving up. But only if I'm at the top of my autox game.

I would really like to be able to compete with Sam, and Mark Jorgensen. I'm not there yet so there is no reason to give up now.

Honestly I wouldn't ever do anything but autoxing because of costs.

I have however been contemplating my autox future. And because of costs, not just initial but throughout each season, I've been contemplating a Mod car or a shifter Kart.

An FM F500 would be my first choice.

....actually a BIG reason I still stick with the SCCA...granted I have limited experience with NASA, but from my infrequent visits to their races, and hearing second hand....I would say SCCA in NorCal is the "less messy" choice....this EXCLUDES Spec Miata of course, which BY THEMSELVES tip the scale towards the SCCA....but stay away from those critters and you are usually OK....

you gotta learn Lonnie... The trick is to find someone to let you drive their car....
I wish I didn't leave my phone at work, I really wanted to make a phone call.....

I keep daydreamin' about getting a FF1600 for autocross in CM. I don't know if there's such a thing as open-tracking per se for an open wheel car, or just schools and racing.

it's not about the competition... I won't drive others cars.... for that, might as well get a Kart.
It's not as fun and rewarding as it used to be.
The damage factor is something I have in mind... and some day, when $ permits, I'll build a track car that will make my SS look like it's stopped... have a few ideas in mind... some of which might come reality this winter.
hint: less weight, more power(including power-mods on SS), better platform and better handling.

There is one thing that I really like about my car is that it has become a beast and most people aren't able to drive it on a course and be consistent.
All my freakin inputs are egg-shells... but I like it... it trains me to become a better pilote.

to get more excitement, maybe I should try the Kevin approach: off-roading/drifting @ events. :leaving:

speaking of which... I did so this weekend, but remained on the road... the asphalt is the size of 18 football fields so impossible to get offroad.
Whoever was smart to design the course put a bus stop just before the end, timing cell.
Well it went flying as well as 10 cones, and the reflector... I broke the bloody jack holding the deflector in half... that thing is rated for 2tons only car had no damage.
car =1, timing cell =0

Hauling butt through the grass at 70+ mph during an autocross is a little surreal. I'm used to staying on the hard surfaces (like Eugenio said), being in the grass with both feet in and going for quite a distance farther than the slides where you don't leave the surface is a different experience.

If Absolute speed had just left his camera on.....

I guess I am lucky as far as auto x goes. I can auto x with 5 different groups all within a hour and half drive from where I live. My favorite group is American Auto x Series. The courses are designed with bigger powerful American cars in mind. I have seen speeds hitting triple digits on some courses. The competition is good with many national champs running this series. The people are very laid back and friendly. We always get 5 runs, sometimes 6. Plus we run at an awesome site in Atwater Ca. The next event is the first weekend in July and I have heard the track will use the whole site. The place is huge.

I guess if you have a group that really, um, enforces "no rubbin'" then it's a whole lot better. In my incident, I spun (my bad) in a qualifying session without a car around me and the car died. I couldn't get it to re-start, couldn't get it to re-start. At this point, every body panel was still straight. Then some guy in a BMW -- despite a waving yellow flag -- got squirrely and thumped my rear quarter panel. I always figured any rubbin' would be during a race with cars fighting for position not as I sat dead in the water during qualifying.

The best thing was the chief steward felt no need to talk to the driver who hit me. Waving yellow flag = drive at 10/10ths????

No I'm not bitter.

Pat

Pat, I can't comment on your specific situation and what the other guy was thinking. I CAN say that the incident would have been taken up with the marshals in our NASA region and a penalty would have been assessed.

I have run 16 road races and I am only aware of 4 incidents of contact in my run group (Big Bore - Vettes, Vipers, Camaros, Mustangs, Firebird, ex-Winston Cup cars, etc.). Two of the incidents were "racing incidents" and I know that one was caused by a failed part, the car losing control and getting into the other guy. In on of the other incidents, the two drivers were called in, one driver was penalized for the points for the race and no permitted to have this event as one of his "drops". I think after 3 visits to the "shed", you are not allowed to run for a season or something aggressive like that.

If it weren't that way, I wouldn't be running.

It all seems to be localized to a single participant <knock on wood>

:leaving:

Randy, I guess it's a regional thing ...

I've done the high speed sideways slide through the grass and clay at an autocross. It was kind of fun, and I didn't hit anything. However, it took me at least an hour to get all the clay, rocks, and grass out of the tire bead so I could get it seated on the rim again Somehow the tire never lost pressure.

Of course, that means the edge of my rim had dug into the hard clay, so a rollover wasn't far off ....

I started autocrossing in 1978 and was instantly hooked. I used to run every weekend and during that time formed many friendships. I consider myself very competitive and usually have a tendency to take things to an extreme. The only problem with that is the burnout factor that comes into play.
In 84 I ran F/S in an 84 Z28. I made a full out effort that year and came up short. I'm a good driver but far from great. That year I won pretty much everything in CenDiv, including divisionals. At Nationals I got killed. Ended up 12th out of about 60 plus cars, but gave it my best shot.

After you run Nationals pretty much everything else was just another event. After my son was born in 86 I ran a few years longer then pretty much gave up the sport, running maybe an event a year at the most. When my son started driving we both became interested again.

I now like to run the local events where you get 6 to 8 runs and there is not alot of standing out on the pavement for hours at a time. I'm no where near as serious as I used to be, but probably having more fun. I'm still competitive and hate to get beat, but it's not that big a deal to me anymore.
There are a few things that still piss me off. The people that brag how good they are or the ones that have a million excuses why they got beat. I also feel that DOT race tires are a negative. I also like to drive on them but am not thrilled with the expense or the process of changing them over all the time. At Nationals I drove my Goodyear street tires to Kansas, competed, and drove back home on them. Those were simpler times I guess.

This was a WDCR-SCCA race at Summit Point. I know Chris Cobetto, the NASA-Virginia director, has booted people for jackassery in the HPDE's so I'm guessing he does the same to people in the race groups (haven't heard of any race-specific incidents, though).

Pat

I started in 1975, and ran all over VA, and DC. Married in '77, and son's appeared in '81 and '83, so I slowed the pace a bit. Little League, association football, high school wrestling, football, band, track, cross country, and working shift work hurt it too. Both sons in college darn near killed it. One graduated in 2003, works in DC, for the moment, the other should graduate in 2006. He's had a rough time "finding" himself.
I think for me, the "big I, little you", theory I see around here has hurt the fun factor. These days, I enjoy the friends I still have that autocross, and I try to get better with the Camaro. My favorite automotive outlet will always be a fast set of offset gates, but I like doing the swap meet, car show thing as well. An AACA show is in Richmond this weekend, and the NSRA will be here in August.

I had a Big Wheel in 1977

I started in 1973 (yea.. really old), ran the Nationals in 1980. Ran until 1991 win I sold my car, sold my trailer and gave it up for a house and two kids. 12 years later I couldn't stand it any longer and started back and will never quit again.

I make 8 runs here in Atlanta, 4 class runs and 4 time only runs. This year it's in two very different vehicles, the F500, and whatever else I can. Sometimes it's my car, maybe someone else's, or now the MR2 we bought for Matthew.

I only care how I PAX, the rest doesn't matter. We have lots of good competition around here (+200 at most events) and it's a pretty good way to judge how well you're doing.

I'd say drive something different, very different and much faster. It'll put the excitement back into it!!

damm... I started breathing in 1975... when you guys were already @ track.
I wish I could get to meet you guys... so much to learn from you guys.

Our events have 4 runs, and our work schedule is odd, We usually have 100-125 cars, and run 4-25 car heats, with anything over 100 being absorbed into the other 4 heats. The work schedule is run 1st work 3rd, run 2nd work 4th, run 3rd work 1st, and run 4th work 2nd. So you'll be there for a good while. I love our competition, Rod McGeorge, Courney Courmier, Richard West, occasionally Mike and Diane Johnson, Tim Aro, even Karen, and Patrick from time to time. Eugenio_SS, I probably couldn't teach you anything you don't already know, except maybe how to autocross an H/S Vega. But I'm fun to goof off with!

Rpo, that's exactly how our work schedule is setup. It allows us to do worker change on the fly without a break in the action.

We do worker changes on the fly with 6 run groups.

so true... maybe that's why it's so funny.

The first "speed" events I ever got involved in was drag racing. I thought: "Man, what a blast! I can't imagine anything more fun." Then someone invited me to an autox (back in 97), and I thought it was even more fun, but not enough to make me give up drag racing. Then, I went to the national f-body event in 98 and got to do drag racing, autox, and open track. Once I got done with my first open track session I was hooked. I knew it was all over for me doing much more drag racing or autox. 13 seconds of straight line, or even 60 seconds of dodging cones just can't compete with 15-20 minute open track sessions. Plus by the time you really add it all up, for each open track day (usually costing $100) I get a total of 1 to 1.5 hours of track time. Even if an autox has 8 runs at 60 seconds a run, that's only 8 minutes of run time for at least $25. Plus, it may just be me, but I feel one of the reason open track events are much more fun is you can't always drive that perfect line. Yes, it's a blast to have a clear track and be able to focus on being perfect, but it's also a lot of fun when there are people in front or behine you, and you have to deal with passing and being passed, and then finding the best line when you may be out of position. Then you add in the political BS, and classification issues, and autox just makes absolutely no sense to me.

Anyway, while I still drag race a few times a year just to keep those skills fresh, I don't think I've been to an autox in at least 3 or 4 years. If I ever do decide to go to an autox again it will be a Porsche club event, where the courses are usually a little more high speed and where there isn't as much political/classification BS.

I'm new to this board and I have only autocrossed for two years, but I have a little different perspective.
I decided at age 49 that I wanted to autocross. Drag racing is fun and I still do it, but going straight has it's limits. Breaking stuff happens a lot more drag racing too.
Sam really helped me set up my car and his advice has been great. I went to a couple of Evolution schools and that was a good start.
My first autocross was a disaster! It was on a relatively small piece of concrete and the course was confusing for a novice. It had double backs and looked like a sea of cones. I DNF'd every run and didn't know what I had done wrong. No one helped me and I almost quit. I hung in and got to know some people who helped me. I started to get better.
The next year, I ran with a small SCCA club near my home for a year in ESP and actually won the season long ESP championship. Honestly, there wasn't much competition. I ran a couple of events with the Tarheel Sports Car Club and got my @$$ kicked badly in ESP. But, the people were great and very helpful. I went to a couple of club novice schools and got better.
A couple of mods make my car illegal in ESP, so I'm running SM this year with the Tarheel club. I know that I wouldn't be competitive in some clubs or at a national event. But, I've won the first three events (mainly because I have a better car! Thanks Sam) and would be competitive in ESP.
Tarheel has some great sites and the events are very well run. They have just raised the entry number to 130 and we still usually get 5 runs in. This weekend we have a two day event at an old airport with old, but grippy concrete. I love to make 60 to 70 second runs with top speeds of 60 to 65 mph! Sure, we have some smaller sites that Miata guys love, but that's OK.
I think how well the events are run and how laid back the members are makes a huge difference in how much fun it is.
I get teased some about having a loud, redneck Camaro, but it is all in fun. I also have to change my exhaust tips to one's filled with steel wool to get me below 100 dbs.
I do one thing that has made autocrossing very fulfilling, but I know most won't be comfortable doing this. I always have a younger guy as a co-driver, who pays for half of the race tires. Last year I picked a guy who I thought could drive and by the end of the year, he was beating me. Youth has it's advantages! This year he and his dad are autocrossing his WS6. I have a new co-driver this year.
My daily driver is an 87 BMW 325e and yes it is really slow - 121 HP. My 22 year old daughter drives it and we try to get a novice to co-drive with her. They never win in STS, but it is a great way to learn. The only mods are Koni Sports, springs and sway bars.
We travel together, stay in hotels together when necessary and help each other a lot. It is great to help younger people get into the sport. I love watching my co driver get better in my SS and pick up a lot watching him on the course.
I've brought 5 young people into autocrossing and plan to bring 2 more in every year. I'm not 100% altruistic. I like the help unloading the car, unhooking the tire trailer and changing the tires. I like getting into the car with warmed up tires when I go second. The Tarheel club lets us ride with each other. I like getting a look at the track at speed too. My young teamates like a coach in the car.
Maybe I will get tired of autocrossing too eventually. But, I think I will always enjoy helping others get into the sport.

Welcome Houston .

Pimpmaro was a drag racer until about a month ago. He has been shown the light (maybe he's part moth..... ) and just ran his first event (which didn't go so well due to technical issues, but we put him out in my car to make a few runs after his broke). It's fun to see them climb out of a car after their first ride along (he looked like the Enzyte dude) and after the first event is even better. I still think I'm going to progress to track time/hpde or AV8SS as time goes on (maybe soon....see my "Track car" thread), but I am trying to run the season for the SM2 championship this year.

Hey Houston, come on up and run with VMSC sometime. Just wait until we're running VMP, and I'm the OD. Ocober 30, this year.

Autocrossed for about 3 seasons with the NNJR region of the SCCA. They have a core of great people and offer at least 6 runs even with more than 100 cars per event. However, the politics of SCCA National and the limited "track" time couldn't compete with the fun of Open Track events. Trackmasters ( the group I usually run with, offers 2hrs. track time for students and 5 hrs. track time for their Open Track group daily. Add the higher speeds, G-forces, and risk/reward factor and Autox just can't compare. I occasionally visit and help out at an autox, but rarely go to the trouble of prepping the car for a full event. My oldest son will take the Camaro to an autox event if his car isn't ready, but that's because his track car is still not finished with its motor upgrade. I jokingly compare autox to adolescent sex: a lot of action and sweat that's over almost before it gets good. The only thing I really miss are some of the good people I met autoxing.

I went to an autocross event once. I got ~130 SECONDS of tracktime and a sunburn.
I was only a passenger in a G-stock car, the ride was insanely fun, and I get sunburned when i do HPDE too, but 130 seconds AND you have to work? I just gone done with a track weekend which was rudly interrupted with overheating issues, huge rain, and crashes, and I still got to do about 100miles/2hrs+ of tracktime! bang per sunburn ratio just isn't there

long live opentracking!

I've also been responsible for getting a lot of younger people interested in autocrossing. Several of my son's high school friends have become involved in the sport. I've actually had a few of them co drive my car. On a few occasions some of the parents were hesitant about letting their kids compete. After convincing one of the parents to allow their son to drive, the parent then also became active in the sport.

I feel strongly that autocrossing is the best teacher of car control out there for a young driver. It's a blast for them and they actually learn something that might save their life someday.