First time autocrossing. Considering my car is bone stock, and I was 6% off the time of the fastest lap of the day (heavily modified Z06 on r tires) I think I did fairly well??

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Sy0MHy81U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRom7WVr5dw

And a couple pics:

http://home.cinci.rr.com/davidstaco/autox1sm.jpg

http://home.cinci.rr.com/davidstaco/autox2sm.jpg

awesome!

Very nice!

Great pcitures! I bet now you have caught the autoX bug and will be attending them on the regular.

How cute, your helmet and car match. :)

Hope you like constructive criticism...

Overall, if you tell me this is your first time ever autocrossing, I probably wouldn't believe it. Looked like you've had a few events under your belt if you ask me. But there are a few things I picked out in the video that could probably use some fine-tuning...

Listen to when you throttle in for the turns. Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels to me like you're adding throttle too late, almost after you past the apex. At least it feels like it to me for the first half of the course, you're off of throttle going through the turns, then once you go past the apex you tip the throttle all the way in. You would gain time if you can actually start easing in the throttle slightly before the apex. In order to do that, you'll need to make a wider, smoother arc through your turns. In order to make a wider, smoother arc, you'll need to be not so abrupt with the hands.

For the longer, sweeping turns (I mean, that's all relative...), start your first third of the turn on the outside of the turn, the second third of the turn dialing in to the middle of the "track," then for the last third nail the apex. I noticed that you start your turn-in and are immediately to the inside half of the track, cutting the turn unnecessarily tight. Maybe that's just the angle of the camera lens, I dunno.

I did notice that you look where you need to go. Good fundamentals. Thanks for sharing the video...Now you've got me jonesing to go to the track again.

Hope you like constructive criticism...

Overall, if you tell me this is your first time ever autocrossing, I probably wouldn't believe it. Looked like you've had a few events under your belt if you ask me. But there are a few things I picked out in the video that could probably use some fine-tuning...

Listen to when you throttle in for the turns. Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels to me like you're adding throttle too late, almost after you past the apex. At least it feels like it to me for the first half of the course, you're off of throttle going through the turns, then once you go past the apex you tip the throttle all the way in. You would gain time if you can actually start easing in the throttle slightly before the apex. In order to do that, you'll need to make a wider, smoother arc through your turns. In order to make a wider, smoother arc, you'll need to be not so abrupt with the hands.

For the longer, sweeping turns (I mean, that's all relative...), start your first third of the turn on the outside of the turn, the second third of the turn dialing in to the middle of the "track," then for the last third nail the apex. I noticed that you start your turn-in and are immediately to the inside half of the track, cutting the turn unnecessarily tight. Maybe that's just the angle of the camera lens, I dunno.

I did notice that you look where you need to go. Good fundamentals. Thanks for sharing the video...Now you've got me jonesing to go to the track again.

Constructive criticism VERY much welcome! But yeah, it was my first time, so thanks for the compliments!

In response, I do very much agree with what you were saying, and noticed this myself in the videos. It is most apparent in the in car video after I go through the loop, take the sharp right hander, then dart left. I was WAY late getting on the gas.

As for my lines and apexes, you'd have to see video's from my other runs to believe me when i say that through those sweeping s-curves, I took a pretty good line. The problem was gearing. For example, coming around the very first right hander setting up for the long swooping left, if I cut it right enough to take what would appear like the better line, I hit second gear way to late and lost a ton of revs down the straight leading up to the right hander at the end of the S.

But I definitely agree with your throttle statements. I kept telling myself before each run "there's a rope on your steering wheel that's pulling up on the throttle when the wheel turns" but the excitement of the first event just got to my head.

Thanks again for the compliments and criticism!

looked really good. the z4 is one of very few cars that looks great in red

Hehe nice fist shake at the end of the in car vid :) Good job esp since its your first event.

Man, what a tight course. It does seem like you get on the gas a little late, but its you're first event. Hand postion needs to be worked on as well. All of that will come to you later on. Be glad you were able to finish without hitting too many cones or DNF'ing.