This past Sunday there was a event where a very excellent course opened up with a quick tight left into a short shute followed quickly by a more open right turn which lead to a fast slalom (i.e. which you needed to accelerate into and though) SS/AS cars could carry first gear long enough into slalom to shift (i.e. most other cars ran out of first gear midway around 2nd/left corner), leaving many others attempting a difficult short shift to second in the shute when car was transitioning side to side and you wanted to be accelerating.

So...many experienced drivers went to launching in 2nd gear which worked out well and was easier on the driver. But I found launching an D stock 04 330 6 speed in 2nd a mystery. It seemed impossible to find a clutch 'catch' point to modulate between bogging the car vs. overslipping the clutch.

It may very well be that I just sucked doing this and then talked myself into even worse performances. But before I beat myself up too bad I have two questions for our forum:

1. Have any competitors out there had success lauching e46's in 2nd gear?
2. Could that infamous clutch delay valve be a factor?

I would just launch in first, shift quickly to 2nd as soon as you get moving


This past Sunday there was a event where a very excellent course opened up with a quick tight left into a short shute followed quickly by a more open right turn which lead to a fast slalom (i.e. which you needed to accelerate into and though) SS/AS cars could carry first gear long enough into slalom to shift (i.e. most other cars ran out of first gear midway around 2nd/left corner), leaving many others attempting a difficult short shift to second in the shute when car was transitioning side to side and you wanted to be accelerating.

So...many experienced drivers went to launching in 2nd gear which worked out well and was easier on the driver. But I found launching an D stock 04 330 6 speed in 2nd a mystery. It seemed impossible to find a clutch 'catch' point to modulate between bogging the car vs. overslipping the clutch.

It may very well be that I just sucked doing this and then talked myself into even worse performances. But before I beat myself up too bad I have two questions for our forum:

1. Have any competitors out there had success lauching e46's in 2nd gear?
2. Could that infamous clutch delay valve be a factor?

I would just launch in first, shift quickly to 2nd as soon as you get moving

:werd:

that's clutch abuse

I would just launch in first, shift quickly to 2nd as soon as you get movingI agree. What advantage would you get from launching in second?

I agree. What advantage would you get from launching in second?
...let me try again. Because the course started with two tight turns...the first about 40 feet after the lights...quick acceleration from the start was not important. However, because the start was so 'crimpy' it was hard to find a place (car always loaded in a turn) and time (driver always working the wheel) to make the shift to second. Many experienced autoxers were launching in 2nd. I had difficulty with this, and was trying to get feedback to understand if I was deal with a car or driver issue. Launching in 2nd in rare...out of maybe 150 events I've done it's come up maybe a handful of times...but not before for me in this car.

Many experienced autocrosses do really silly stuff. Just start in first and shift 20ft later if you must, or learn to shift while turning. Otherwise you are just hurting the clutch and losing a wee bit of time (every hundreth counts!). If the turn is really that close to the start you wont be at the limit of adhesion anyway so shifting should be doable without losing time.


...let me try again. Because the course started with two tight turns...the first about 40 feet after the lights...quick acceleration from the start was not important. However, because the start was so 'crimpy' it was hard to find a place (car always loaded in a turn) and time (driver always working the wheel) to make the shift to second. Many experienced autoxers were launching in 2nd. I had difficulty with this, and was trying to get feedback to understand if I was deal with a car or driver issue. Launching in 2nd in rare...out of maybe 150 events I've done it's come up maybe a handful of times...but not before for me in this car.

We got you the first time. From your description, there was still a small time advantage to be had from launching in first, and plenty of places to make that shift. Shifting in those places may have been slightly uncomfortable, but less uncomfortable than starting in second, in my opinion.

Were your "experienced autoxers" national-level trophy caliber drivers? If not, at the risk of sounding harsh, there's no guarantee that they knew what they were doing.

I launch in second on a lot of courses but I have a 6 speed with a 3.73 rear gear and I am turbocharged. I rev to 4000 and let the clutch out fairly swiftly. Depending on grip, sometimes I get some wheel spin and sometimes a slight bog! My nornal gear for most courses is 3rd.

taking the cdv off will help alot when shifting from 1st to 2nd. Deleting it will make it much smoother and give you a more defined 'catch' point

taking the cdv off will help alot when shifting from 1st to 2nd. Deleting it will make it much smoother and give you a more defined 'catch' point

It's still a 3200 lb car with not a lot of hp trying to launch in 2nd. And it's not DS legal.

Just drive off in 1st. Don't worry about "launching" if its only 40'. Just get off to a brisk start, and shift to 2nd right before the first turn.

The only cars that can pull off the launching in 2nd are cars that are lightweight and have a ton of power, and typically those cars' owners have selected gear ratios which aren't your typical long 2nd gears... IE, they use 2nd and 3rd gear on most courses.

Depending on where it's at and who sets it up the Evo challenge school course sounds VERY similar. And I think all the instructors I ever had would think you lost it launching in 2nd....I'm with everyone else, launch in 1st, hit second right away........Even cars with TONS of torque drivin' by multi national champs were doing the same things.....


The EVO schools still operating????I've been out of autoxing a couple years..............can't wait to get back.