Full Version: AutoX seems to bring less and less fun-factor 2 me
Steve- I agree that autox can teach younger drivers useful car control skills, and I've encouraged both my sons to try it. On the other hand, I taught both my sons to drive using the visual skills and terminology from open track and can definitely see that they apply it to advantage driving in traffic and at highway speeds. In a sense, both sports are probably necessary training for beginning drivers who want to have the skills to be safe on public roads. We live in southern NJ and my boys have to use the tourist-laden Garden State Parkway on a daily basis. Any non-crisis-based experience they can get is of benefit. However, I harbor a secret pride that my oldest asked for track school as a high school graduation gift. Wondering if the younger one will do the same in a week or so.
QUOTE (trackbird @ Jun 9 2005, 14:11)
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).
.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).To quote the movie Rush Hour, "You Plick!"
QUOTE
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.
Amen to that! Now that I've got my "broke" unbroken, maybe I'll be in a position to actually LEARN something this season! BTW, if you get that damn track car, you better let me work on it! You can always be the Mustang Crew Chief, but if you get to be driver of this 3rd gen, I get to be Crew Chef! ("The Chef's? Who are the Chefs?!" "Great Googlymoogly!") Make that the crew chief.
QUOTE (pimpmaro @ Jun 9 2005, 04:22)
QUOTE (98_1LE @ Jun 8 2005, 16:35)
I had a Big Wheel in 1977
Yah know what's funny? I remember now that when I was playing in Big Wheels, I always got pissed that I couldn't accelerate hard and turn at the same time, as the front wheel would just spin. I guess I've always been a RWD guy.
And to add something useful to this thread...
As Aaron knows, I was rather competitive in the Glen Region. I had a lot of fun trying to beat him, even though he was on R's (blah blah old R's blah). It was a great community - I had lots of friends - and we'd get 6-9 runs at each event.
I moved out to SF, and I decided not to autocross anymore. Why? With 300 people at each event, you get 3 runs. It's more expensive. People don't seem as friendly, but that could just be a side effect of having such a large crowd. And the lot is eight times the size of anything we had near the Glen.
That last point doesn't sound so bad, until you realize that all my autocrossing experience was in first gear, sliding and dancing the car around cones. You start driving in second (and third! at AAX events) and find that the car behaves entirely differently, and you're dog slow.
I figured if I was going to have to learn a new skill set, I might as well "graduate" on to track driving. I had done one event at WGI, and it was the most fun I ever had, so I figured I'd try it again. What do you know, it still is! Thunderhill was awesome. So, while it's more per weekend, it's far less per driving time... you don't have to work the event (I know, I'm lazy)... and my car feels much more at home than it ever did in autocross.
Just my 0.03 about why I stopped autocrossing.
As Aaron knows, I was rather competitive in the Glen Region. I had a lot of fun trying to beat him, even though he was on R's (blah blah old R's blah). It was a great community - I had lots of friends - and we'd get 6-9 runs at each event.
I moved out to SF, and I decided not to autocross anymore. Why? With 300 people at each event, you get 3 runs. It's more expensive. People don't seem as friendly, but that could just be a side effect of having such a large crowd. And the lot is eight times the size of anything we had near the Glen.
That last point doesn't sound so bad, until you realize that all my autocrossing experience was in first gear, sliding and dancing the car around cones. You start driving in second (and third! at AAX events) and find that the car behaves entirely differently, and you're dog slow.
I figured if I was going to have to learn a new skill set, I might as well "graduate" on to track driving. I had done one event at WGI, and it was the most fun I ever had, so I figured I'd try it again. What do you know, it still is! Thunderhill was awesome. So, while it's more per weekend, it's far less per driving time... you don't have to work the event (I know, I'm lazy)... and my car feels much more at home than it ever did in autocross.
Just my 0.03 about why I stopped autocrossing.
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