[lewisd]

Hey guys,

I'm taking my (new to me) 2016 2SS autocrossing on Sunday. Any particular tips for someone that's never done this before?

Would you leave traction control on for something like autox or not?

Is there a way to get the A8 transmission into "sport shifting" mode before launching? I know I can shift it manually, but I kind of want to avoid the distraction of that my first time out.

Has anyone had problems with noise limits (92db here) and the dual mode performance exhaust?

[apexit53]

The car stock should meet sound limits no problem even in track mode.

Run whatever traction control setting you feel most comfortable in but I would at least put it in competition mode(two clicks of the tc button.).

The best advice I can give is go out, learn, and have fun.

[lewisd]

Two clicks of the TC button doesn't turn TC off completely?

[apexit53]

Originally Posted by lewisd

Two clicks of the TC button doesn't turn TC off completely?

It does not. Competition mode allows some slip but past a point TC will kick in. Maybe start with one click?

[trophy hunter]

Congratulations on your purchase ...... you're going to have a LOT of fun

This response is based on you already being familiar with the basics (ie water, sunscreen, helmet, small air compressor, etc)

I'm a "throw me in the deep end" kind of person (everything possible off and in track mode). If you do this just know that the events are usually very safe and worst case is that you're buffing out a few cone marks (as long as its warm up there).

Now that's me; as stated above, try what makes you comfortable - as you can always change the setting thru the event to see what works best for you.......and see if you can find a good driver/car in your class or a car similar to ride along in, to see what they do (you would be surprised what you can learn from a ride along)



Just remember to break in a straight line (break before turning) and have fun ! !

[Roostie]

The best advice for a novice has little to do with preparing the car. What will really help you have a good first autocross is: (1) Arrive early so that you have time to get through registration (there can be a long line), unpack any gear you have in your car, put numbers on your car (which can be time consuming), put your car through tech inspection (there can be a line for that too), VERY IMPORTANTLY do a course walk if that is permitted (preferably, walk the course twice or more), and have time to chat with some auto-x veterans who can tell you more about the course and the club's rules and procedures. (Perhaps the friends who talked you into coming.) Tip: if you chat while walking the course, don't let yourself get too distracted from studying the layout of the cones.

(2) When you are walking the course and when you are driving, approach the course as a VISUAL challenge, not a driving/racing competition. It is VERY hard for a novice to read the course through a sea of cones. I've done thousands of auto-x laps, and I still get lost on some courses. Once you are able to discern the path through the sea of cones, you will be able to go fast. And once you've completed one lap where you comfortably stayed on course, then you'll be able to push your car on the following lap.
[Beware: some novices go a whole day without completing the course correctly, so none of their laps get a valid time. So, just by successfully driving a lap on the course as intended, you can consider your novice experience to be successful!]

(2a) When walking the course (or when doing a low-speed parade lap if the club does that), look for visual points of reference that you can use later to tell where to brake and turn. These reference points can be taller cones, differently colored marker cones, doubled-up cones, lay-down cones, or objects in the background like a building, fence or tree.

(2b) When you are driving, look as far ahead as possible for your reference points. You should be looking at least several seconds ahead. This can be two turns ahead, or in a big sweeper you should be looking at the exit when your car is at the entrance. This requires a near-constant effort, because it is easy to get excitement/panic and fixate on what's right in front of your car ... but if you do that, your car will wind up on a bad line for the upcoming corners and you might get lost.

(3) Take a serious approach to your work assignment (unless you are doing luxury auto-x with paid courseworkers), and if there's a drivers' meeting, listen carefully to the rules for coursework that are discussed. Show up on time for your work assignment, ask to work on the course (shagging cones), and tell the check-in guy that this is your first time. Ideally you'll be paired up with a veteran auto-xer who can show you the ropes. Whenever you are replacing cones, keep an eye out for the next car coming down the course and GET OUT OF THE WAY if another car is coming - your safety is far more important than putting the cones back.
Your work assignment is the counterpart to your driving session and it takes just as much time (actually, a little more). It is much easier to be a great worker than a great driver. If you put effort into your work assignment, you'll earn respect and you will feel more connected to the whole event.

(4) Be aware of where the finish line is, and slow down as soon as you cross it. Don't be the novice who scares spectators and courseworkers by continuing at high speed past the finish line, all the way to the parking grid.

(5) Don't be too concerned with other people's lap times. If you are able to complete the course correctly, and then reduce your lap time on successive laps, you are doing great. This is your goal. Meet that goal, and you'll have a greatly increased understanding of what you and your car are capable of.

You have a great car for autocross. You don't need to do much to the car, other than make sure you unload all loose items, put a legible set of numbers on both sides, and set your tire pressures (at least to the pressures recommended on the label in the door jamb, and maybe a few pounds higher).

Good luck and have fun. Please let us know how it went!

[bpang1234]

Make sure you have an instructor at least for your first few runs. The one thing that will get people to shake their heads is if you are a novice, you refuse an instructor and your ass gets lost on the track.

Walk the course more than once if possible.

Be early so you can walk more than once.

Empty your car out the night before.

Make sure your lug nuts are tightened to factory spec.

Have fun, no pressure to compare yourself to anyone else your first time out.

[slvrsrpnt]

Great advise from the posters above. I have done one novice day and one come day. In comp day I started on course only 2 of the 5 runs. Looking forward to another novice and comp day in April

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by lewisd

Hey guys,

I'm taking my (new to me) 2016 2SS autocrossing on Sunday. Any particular tips for someone that's never done this before?

Would you leave traction control on for something like autox or not?

Is there a way to get the A8 transmission into "sport shifting" mode before launching? I know I can shift it manually, but I kind of want to avoid the distraction of that my first time out.

Unless the organization putting this event on sets up an unusually fast course I wouldn't worry very much about the shifting part. Many, maybe most, autocross courses can be driven using only 2nd gear once you make the 1-2 upshift. As a novice you'll be even less likely to be running up against a rev limit in 2nd with enough distance ahead of you to the next turn to make it worth going up to 3rd.

If you can turn TC off without completely disabling Stabilitrak, try that. Getting too greedy with the throttle is probably the easiest error to recognize and correct for on your own, and you'd have some ST help if it threatened to get out of hand.


Norm

[Roostie]

[QUOTE= If you can turn TC off without completely disabling Stabilitrak, try that. Getting too greedy with the throttle is probably the easiest error to recognize and correct for on your own, and you'd have some ST help if it threatened to get out of hand.
Norm[/QUOTE]

At auto-x or at the track, treat the gas pedal like a rheostat, not a light switch. Roll on the gas, don't just floor it.

This is particularly important at mid-corner. You should be on the gas by the apex of a corner, but because the wheel is turned sharply and most of your available traction is being used for turning, the car will only accept partial throttle. But that partial throttle is important to balance the weight front-to-rear. If you're turning and not on the gas, the car is slowing, which shifts weight to the front axle and can create understeer.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Roostie

At auto-x or at the track, treat the gas pedal like a rheostat, not a light switch. Roll on the gas, don't just floor it.

Of course.

But most people are not "corner-carvers" by nature. Perhaps having a corner-carving outlook is even less likely when the car in question is a RWD car with a powerful V8 engine.

I suspect TC off with ST on will keep any situation resulting from a little too much throttle a little too soon from going completely south. And be a better teacher than anything I might type.


Norm

[Roostie]

Norm, I agree with your concept of TC off and stability control on.

I am really impressed that in spite of horsepower having more than doubled in my time as an enthusiast, things haven't gotten too crazy at auto-x and the track. Brakes, tires, suspensions and electronic nannies have kept up.