1st time Autocrossing tips!

[mikemounlio]

I have my 1st Autocross race coming up on the 22nd. I will be running Lucifer. B6T swapped with charlies full suspension setup. I have some Nito NT01 in 205 for the front i can run and some chepies for the rear. Or i can stick to my econo tires!

If i run my NT01's ill have to pull the front fenders off. The car is much to low for them now. They fit fine when stock ride height but no im so low i dont think they will fit without cutting the fenders and using some flares. I will run flares in the near future but just not yet. I dont want to cut the fenders until i have the flares to use as guides.


Im looking for driving tips, how to's, settings on the car.

Ill have my rear camber plates on giving me -3° in the rear and ill have my front coilovers reworked (cutting the lower hole to give me more angle) so i hope to run -3° - -3.5°. If i run my nt01 up front how much camber until it doesnt help anymore?

[mikemounlio]

Some fwd driving tips would go a long way for me. Im not looking to be 1st but i want to have fun and not be last!


will be taking lots of video to show other members what can be done in a festiva your 1st time out.

[FestYboy]

Even though you have b6t power, don't rely on it. Festivas and other light cars like ours are momentum cars. Use your gas pedal to pull you through the turn. Use both feet on the brake pedal (obviously not at the same time). Most auto-x courses are 2nd and 3rd gear only.

Walk the course!!!

[errjam]

I don't have a lot of experience, but I wouldn't get overly concern with tires,, that's tenths, if you want good times learn the course so your not getting lost, try to stay slow and smoothed, so your not burning time squeling your tires that's seconds, I've only run one auto cross in the festiva I just left it in second and stayed on the gas,, lots different than gas/brake/gas/ oh crap / gas/ brake/ brake/ tire smoke in the mustang lol you might play with tire pressure some though...

[bhearts]

I bet you'd go faster with the boost turned down.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[mikemounlio]

Boost down for sure!

On a CLOSED COURSE! this morning i had the the turn all to myself with plenty of flat runout all over. I entered the turn harder then i have before. The car pulled through the turn like it was nothing. I started to back off the gas mid way through the 180° turn (more like 90°-small straight-90°) hit it again as i entered the second apex. The car pulled harder then i had thought it would have. It did break them lose on the second apex. It was a blast. Im sure if i had more time to and practice i could get that turn down much much faster but this was a once in a while thing.

[FestYboy]

You can use the brake to help rotate the car.

[Advancedynamix]

The best advice I have is to have fun. Drive as smooth as you can, avoid shifting gears, avoid the brakes. It's going to be tail happy with R compound rubber on the front and regular street rubber out back. You won't have to put effort into rotating it. Lol

[Hatch]

I'll be a first timer too in 2 weeks, this was a pretty good read...

http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets10.html

[Advancedynamix]

The author makes many valid points, however the lighter a FWD car, the less likely it is to understeer under throttle. Also, the Festiva has a trailing link/Macpherson strut suspension. This style of front suspension actually forces the tires downward under acceleration (much like the swingarm of a motorcycle). This means that these cars turn very well under throttle. They also have a significant amount of camber gain due to the geometry of their front suspension.
I've been driving FWD track cars for decades and have never found a chassis that turns as well as the festiva.
He is correct though on the appropriate lift oversteer and throttle out technique. That is the ticket to a festiva. Hard braking is not necessary and if your having trouble rotating the car that means your driving it too slow. Lol

[Hatch]

awwesome, thanks for chiming in advanceddynamix! dig your posts/videos/festiva man. cheers ccasion5:

[Hatch]

so here's an interesting question for ya - take a passenger or no? would the extra ~200lbs make a difference?

[Advancedynamix]

A passenger will typically slow you down in a low hp car. Some tracks may be worse than others. Some tracks the passenger may be an advantage when you're not driving on the limit.

[Hatch]

gotcha, that's what I figured..

[Hatch]

1st in SMFT1!

Gotta get better tires, and much more practice..