The WDCR SCCA Solo/autocross Level 1 school on August 18th are now open for registration and have some spots left. The school takes place at FedEx Field (Redskins Stadium) in Landover, MD.
Go here for more information and registration:
http://solo.wdcr-scca.org/noviceSchool.php

Email me at bgarfield@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Brian Garfield
WDCR SCCA Solo
Novice Coordinator

 

This is very interesting indeed. Thank you for the info.

 

I hihgly recommend doing this. Even if you never autocross, it teaches you valuable lessons in handling your car.

 

From SCCA school's website, they've mention about the Level 2 school on Aug 19th.
If I did complete the driving school with SCCA / MINI of Towson last month, am I eligible to go to Level 2 school?
Please advise. Thank you.

 

Maxi That wasn't a School. That was just a MINI only event.

 

Oh, I see.

I won't be able to join the level 1 school then, I've registered for the CDC event in Manassas, Va. on the day.

 

You'll get a lot more seat time on a MUCH larger lot at the school...

Brian

 

The September 15th Level 1 and September 16th Level 2 are open for registration and have spots left, for those that missed out on the August dates!

http://solo.wdcr-scca.org/noviceSchool.php
Email me with questions at bgarfield at gmail dot com.

Thanks,
Brian

 

kinda pricey...

 

The events may be expensive, but they are by far the best modifaction you can do to make you and your car faster! I know from experience. I have done four autocross schools with the SCCA, and I can tell you they are top notch and worth every penny! You get a lot of seat time as well, much more than at any event. They are great as well for learning how the modifications to your car affect its handling. So you can see, even if you're not into autocrossing, you can still get a lot out of the schools.

 

Okay...what I'd like to hear is how much everybody's car's were damaged due to running over cones , if at all. I know I'm going to look like a geek (which I am anyway) at my first session when I show up with my entire front bumper and sides taped up with painters tape hehehe

 

i have hit many many cones in my day. never caused any damage. they usually are harmless. and remember you arent going fast unless your hitting cones! (then back off a bit would ya lol)

 

I mashed plenty of cones at the Level 2 school a couple weekends ago. I did have a couple casualties but they were easily fixed. The stone guard over the right rear shock absorber came off (fortunately someone found it so I reattached it once I figured out what it was). The other thing that happened was the trim piece under the rear bumper came out a little but I snapped that in easily enough. Other than that, it just needs another bath. No one else who had a MINI had any problems though, so I guess it was just me driving agressively that did it. Oh, your tires will get worn down a bit around the outside edges as well but that's no big deal. Just be sure to pump up the tire pressures so that you don't wear down the sidewall (I'd put near max pressure in the tires or about 47 to 48 psi for 16" wheels).

Oh, I wouldn't bother wasting the painters tape. Perhaps just cover the fog lights if you've got them. Any scuffs from cones come off easily enough. Although now that I think about it...you could use the tape to cover up the bottom half of your windshield so you'd be forced to look far ahead along the course

Trust your MINI! It's built tough enough!

 

just let tem rock a bit but make sure they still touching a piece of the white box


I have a long history of hitting cones.. I think I took a couple of these orange devils for a ride as well .. .. but I never bother to tape the MINI

Very useful tip .. but keep it for lev. 3 and have fun

 

the best advise that I can give: take it nice ad slow your first run. If you have to crawl at a snails pace. You will benefit GREEaatly by learning the course. You will look luke a newb but it is well worth it. I always take my first run (usuallly of 3) at half speed. Remeber when you do your course walk you are about one eight the width of the car. Behind the wheel it is a whole other beast where you need to turn in.

Also you will think you are touching cones when you are really about 2 feet away. The mini iis deceptively small on an auto x course.

One last tip: just because your squeeling your tires doesn't mean your going fast. Use the handling of the car in the turns not the limit of your run flats. This is especially true of you have a rear bar.

 

So, how was the autocross school? Learn a lot?

 

I decided not to sign up. I have been working 70 hour weeks and was just not in the mood to do anything except be with my family. It's too bad really since the weather was so gorgeous. But, I will have to wait until the next one. BTW, do they have helmets for the students? or do I need to buy one?

 

normally they have a helment you can borrow

 

I attended the Solo 1 training on 9/15/07. This was a very well run event. Only 18 cars and three instructors. After walking the course got to ride with an instructor in our own cars for a feel of how someone good would drive the course. Lots of seat time was provided. Have to wait until March or so to do Solo II training. This is the session where you start to learn the finer points of autocross. I had a good time, my only issue was I was getting LOTS of wheel spin probably from the supercharger torque going through the cones

 

Rats - I'm obviously not visiting this forum anywhere near often enough if I missed out on these events. I hope attendance was good enough to convince them to do it again one of these days.

 

Those classes aren't going anywhere. They've been doing them for years and they're great! WDCR SCCA, keep it up!

P.S. There is an autocross on October 14th, but it's SCCA members only.

 

there is an autoc day w/ CDC on October 6th in Frederick - Harry Grove Stadium - Perfect opportunity to try sklls learned at the autocross school or just to see if autocross it's for you .

 

Not to hijack your thread, but I'm looking for something similar to this. More like a defensive driving type school... purposely throwing your car into a spin and practicing how to react and get out of it, etc.

I know, I know... find an empty parking lot and practice. But I'd sort of prefer something a little more formalized, with a trainer/teacher who knows exactly what you should do. It's been a long time since I've been a teenager and did donuts in a parking lot. Sometimes I wonder - if my MINI did go out of control, would I know what to do?

 

The National Capitol Chapter of the BMWCCA hold events called Street Survival which is that type of thing. They have one coming up October 6th in Sykesville, MD and another one on November 17th in Dulles, VA.

 

Exactly what I was looking for except... damn, I'm over the maximum age limit by 12 years! The FAQs say it's only for 16-21 year olds.