Hi, I am pretty new to autoX. I shot a video of my run at Ripken Stadium last weekend. Video is here (http://www.ece.udel.edu/~xuan/auto/bimmerforums/ripken03192005.avi)

The video is about 10 MBytes large.

Can you folks offer me some advice to my driving?

I think my movement was very abrupt. Although I have walked the course 3 times and think of a line that I should stick to . But I found it very hard to stay on the line. You got thrown out of your imagine line easily. Everything happens so fast. You don't have time to respond. It's so overwhelming.

This may not apply as much to autocross as track days, but here is some advice I heard one time.

If you are driving so hard that you can't look at your speedometer at the exit of the corners, then you are driving too hard.

Try to relax out there. I know a clock is on you and that can be intemidating, but don't push so hard. Also, you should be looking through the next corner and at the 2nd corner. It is very easy to focus on one cone and when you get there, you have to react to where the course goes next.

If you are doing it right, you should hardly ever drop your eyes lower than half way down your windshield. A good friend suggested putting a piece of tape there to remind you to look up. You will also be looking out of your side windows much more than you think.

(I couldn't watch your movie so this is just general advice)

Can you folks offer me some advice to my driving?

Not bad. You just need more practice. Focus on looking ahead more (looks like you weren't sure where to be in a couple areas) and trying to carry more speed through the slaloms.

Go faster in the fast stuff and keep going slow in the slow stuff :dunno

Not bad. You just need more practice. Focus on looking ahead more (looks like you weren't sure where to be in a couple areas) and trying to carry more speed through the slaloms.

Go faster in the fast stuff and keep going slow in the slow stuff :dunno

Couldn't agree more with this.

Though quite frankly it is difficult to tell exactly what's going on in the video, it looks like practice will help quite a bit. ry catching a ride with some fast drivers in your region. That is what helped me the most when I was starting out.

Not bad. You just need more practice. Focus on looking ahead more (looks like you weren't sure where to be in a couple areas) and trying to carry more speed through the slaloms.

Go faster in the fast stuff and keep going slow in the slow stuff :dunno

Kinda like driving with a "purpose." You didn't seem to know where to go, or were unsure of your driving.

Kinda like driving with a "purpose." You didn't seem to know where to go, or were unsure of your driving.
I know people who have been doing this for many years who still don't seem to know where they're going. :D

To the original poster, if you go to the next Ripken event (4/3 I believe) let me know. I may be going up there and I wouldn't mind taking a passenger on a run.

Or like Rich said, find someone fast.

I wouldn't mind taking a passenger on a run.

Or like Rich said, find someone fast.

:confused

I may be up there too, John, let me know if you go.

Hi, I am pretty new to autoX. I shot a video of my run at Ripken Stadium last weekend. Video is here (http://www.ece.udel.edu/~xuan/auto/bimmerforums/ripken03192005.avi)

The video is about 10 MBytes large.

Can you folks offer me some advice to my driving?

I think my movement was very abrupt. Although I have walked the course 3 times and think of a line that I should stick to . But I found it very hard to stay on the line. You got thrown out of your imagine line easily. Everything happens so fast. You don't have time to respond. It's so overwhelming.
Take it with a grain of salt... rather than rev your motor up and down at the start, anticipate the start, rev and hold. Find the sweet spot when launching and adjust as needed through the day. You should have an aggressive launch with a bit of wheel spin. I didn't think you launched hard enough and I thought you quick shifted to 2nd a little early.

Stay early on the slaloms, it's easy to fall behind and once you do it's a pita to recover so turn in EARLIER and don't get caught behind. Try to get your inside rear tire as close to the backside of the slalom cone as you can as you pass by it.

Look ahead. There are times where it appears you're reacting to the course (we all do it from time to time) and it's best to keep your head up and look as far ahead as possible. Having tunnel vision is a bad habit and you should try your best to look ahead.

Don't coast. You're either on the gas or on the brakes, coasting is not a good thing and I caught you coasting a few times.

Other than that.. pretty good run :) If I were you I would pay attention to being smooth, not carrying too much entry speed, looking ahead, staying early on the slaloms and the launch, not in that particular order. Left foot braking is another good idea but don't try it while racing until you get used to the feel. If you have an automatic daily driver do it on the street, it's the best way to learn.

Have fun with it. I hope some of this was helpful. I am by no means an expert but I play one on tv :D

I think others have already hit the big points. But my $0.02 to contribute is on relaxation. More specifically your hands. You seem to be gripping the steering wheel too hard for one. Your hand movement is also not as smooth as it could be, and some of that may be related to your hands crossing over each other. The grip on the wheel should be relaxed and not with the palm of your hands. Hands should never cross over each other. There should be an even transition from one hand to the other in the movement of the wheel, with each hand always staying on its "side" of the wheel. (that *side* rule is ok to break on formula cars or karts where lock to lock is ~1 turn, but on street cars if you have to go the other way and both hands are in inopportune places, you're screwed.)

As mentioned above, you also seem to be reacting to corners coming up. Perhaps some of that is not being comfortable with the course or it being an early run, but you should try to look far enough ahead to know what is coming up, and thus not be suprised by a turn being where it is.

Sorry can't see the video.
Slow in fast out.
No that doesn't mean literaly slow in. The worst thing you can do is over cook your braking and have the car exactly where you don't want it to be and fight it back on line.
Don't worry so much about walking the course and not staying on the line you expected to....its always going to different than you thought. What will make you a good autocross driver is being able to adapt to the course not being what you thought and changing your line ending with a very good time. Within your first 3 runs.
Just the fact that your asking is a very good start. Anytime I go to an autocross I try to juice the more experianced guys and learn from what they have to say.
As they say, "seat time"!
You don't have to take off as soon as the guy flags you to go. Take your time.
There are some really good points in this thread already. As a couple of members have already mentioned, the single most eye opening experiance I've had is riding with people that have alot of experiance and that are fast.
You'll have to get to know the sound of your car. Corners come and go so fast you don't have time to look elsewhere.
Good luck.

Although I have walked the course 3 times and think of a line that I should stick to . But I found it very hard to stay on the line. You got thrown out of your imagine line easily. Everything happens so fast. You don't have time to respond. It's so overwhelming.
Slow down to go faster.

What I mean by that is this… if you are going so fast that it causes you to go off line, dial it down in those areas, so you can keep the car on line. Just keep this in mind… Going slower on “the line” will result in a faster time then if you were to be going faster off “the line”.

Having the course memorized, knowing the right line and looking ahead will help a lot.

Keep having fun!!

Thank you all for your tips!!! I will keep these in mind. Tomorrow I am going to the Norther Jersey SCCA's old bridge AutoX, and I'll try to apply those tips there, like sticking a tape half way in my front winshield to force myself looking FAR ahead.