Tried several different searches, but still couldn't find quite what I was wondering about.

I'm hoping to get into Autocross this summer in the NE Ohio area. First, I was curious as to what events are in this area. I was told there is an autocross event on Sunday's put on by the Porsche Club of America and a few at Nelson's Ledges. Are there any others in the area?

Also, what will I need to run an autocross? I'm not necessarily looking into SCCA (heard they have many, many restrictions and can class you in with cars that are much faster/modded than my own), but just any group.

Aside from the things I NEED (assuming I need a helmet, etc.), what would be a helpful thing to have? (driving gloves, driving shoes, etc.)


Thanks.

 

Same here, only in SE PA. *Sticks around for responses.*

 

here's a link to the SCCA New England Region "crib notes" - hopefully there will be something here that can assist you.

http://ner.org/solo/whatis.htm

I run with the SCCA, although I've enjoyed the hospitality of the BMWCCA and the PCA as well, and do believe they have as much fun as we do.

If you've any concern or questions regarding classing, please PM me. Quite honestly classing does not matter for the first few years though, for two reasons:
1. the driver matters most
2. there is usually another car/driver than can serve as a benchmark - even though the classes are dissimiliar

For the first two years of AutoX in my Works Cooper I was classed in A Street Prepared (with ZR1, Porsche 993, Viper, etc) which was terrifying until I realized that a new driver in an ASP car is as slow as a new driver in any other car!

In SCCA the Minis are classed as follows:

Stock (these classes run R compound tires at the national level):
JustaCooper H Stock (versus Mazda 3, some Hondas, other Minis)
Cooper S G Stock (versus Neon, other Hondas, but MOSTLY Minis)

With Chassis Mods (e.g. coil overs and such) running STREET tires (140+):
JustaCooper STS
Cooper S STX (this class includes Works Coopers since 2006)

With Chassis Mods (e.g. coil overs and such) running R Compounds:
Cooper S DSP (versus BMWs, Acuras and other such beasties)
Cooper S Works BSP (don't even try it!)

With aftermarket pulleys and other drivetrain mods:
Cooper S SM

A lot of folks that do the pulley first and read the classing rules second wind up in Street Mod, which may be the basis of the murmurings you've heard about the SCCA rules. Street Mod is kinda sporty for my blood, and I would not expect a Mini to be Nationally competitive in that class, which is normally dominated by RWD or AWD cars with 300+ HP and 10" wide slicks.

The bottom line is simply that I wish you good luck finding several groups that run in your areas. Regardless of class or prep level I hope you find AutoX as humbling, exciting, and addictive as I have.

Minis were made for autocross - as their nimbleness and overall handling make them darned good at it. When Minis appeared the result was an absolute domination in G Stock at the National level within only a few years.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

SCCA does a lot of autocross, or Solo II events as they're called in SCCA.
With this link, click on your region, and from there, the closest chapter. Eventually you'll find calendars and schedules.

http://scca.com/divisions.aspx

This page has links to the rules, classifications, and FAQ's.

http://scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=61

We have our own helmets (must be to current spec), and we bring a large cooler of water on ice, a garden sprayer full of water to cool down the intercooler, and sometimes the tires between runs. Bring sunblock and a wide brimmed hat, because if you run, you will also be required to work (flags, radio, cones, etc). Newbies are usually chasing cones while they learn how it all works.

Food is a good idea. There might be someplace close at hand to buy food, but often there isn't.

Don't worry about your class and being competitive. You will have a ways to go before you get competitive. Many SCCA chapters have a novice class.

 

I am no expert, but I am hoping you can learn from my forgetfulness. The guides out there will prepare you pretty well, (bring a tire gauge, food, etc.) but they don't strees one thing enough.

Every time I go, I forget one piece of equipment, and I regret it for days. It's been mentioned even here, but I am gonna echo Gromit, so maybe I'll remember it next time. Bring a hat. You can't put sunblock in your hair. Well, if you do, you're gonna want a liner for your helmet.

 

I'm a greenhorn this year myself, but find you can end up bringing more than you really need, but may not have what you want

Here's a FAQ I had seen before I started this season:

What should I bring to an AutoX event?

One of the most important things in autocross is to DRESS FOR THE WEATHER. Remember, not only will you be driving, but you will be working out on course. If there is a chance of showers, bring a rain jacket. If it's supposed to be bitterly cold, bring gloves. If it's going to be brutally hot, clothes that wont overheat you are important. It is much better to bring a few extra clothes and not need them than to either shiver or sweat all day. Besides bringing yourself and your car, there are a few other things you might find convenient to bring with you to an event. Some basic items that are nice to have are:

-Your helmet
-Tire pressure gauge
-A hat
-A pair of gloves
-Sunscreen
-Garbage bags (to place your items in that arent in the car while you are driving - especially useful for rainy days)

And, unless you're serious about competing for season trophies off the bat, don't worry about what class you're in. Focus on your driving skills first, and don't be afraid to ask questions and ask for advice - it's already paid off for me in 2 events.

 

PM Wellzy here on NAM, he AX's in that area with an R56.

 

In this area, you can run with NORA (www.noraracing.net)
or the NEOhio region of SCCA.

The majority of events that I run are with NORA, you'll find Wellzy at the NEOhio events. Good people anywhere you go.

You can also run with some of the marque specific clubs like the Porsche club or for example, this Sunday I'll be running with the Cleveland Corvette club guys in Lorain.

Out at Nelson Ledges they do not run autox events, but they do offer "fun days" on the road course (track days). Lots of fun, but higher speeds, cost and risk than autox. I usually do a handful of track days each year in addition to many autocrosses.

As far as classing goes, if you are super serious about being nationally competitive with your car, staying stock is probably your best bet. If you are like me and love to play with mods on your car, once you put a supercharger pulley on, run in the street mod class. With NORA we have a large SM class with a great variety of cars. None of us are preped to be full blow SM cars, we have some great competition and even better friendships within the class. One really couldn't ask for a better group of competitors.

If you are looking for any more info about the NE Ohio autox scene, feel free to ask.

Jason

 

Thank you all so much for your help- I was in touch with wellzy, and may be attending the Hartville Marketplace autocross this coming Sunday (probably as a spectator- unfortunately!).

Is there a good place to buy a helmet in the area? (as in not through the internet, which could take a long time) Do you recommend full face or open face helmets?

 

I purchased my last helmet from the Summit Racing store. If you buy it at the store, you can try it on before you leave to make sure you have the proper fit.

I went with a closed face design, I feel that adds a bit of safety over the open face design, makes me feel better for track day events.
I'd say its mostly a matter of personal preference.

Jason

 

We bought a pair of Pyrotect open face helmets on line. I't only took a week to get them. We tried on a few at a store to get a size idea. They fit great, and are not costly:

http://www.pyrotect.com/product.php?...&cat=14&page=1

I prefer an open face helmet. It's a lot cooler when you're sitting in the grid in the middle of summer. Also, you can pop the open face helmet on a little faster, with less fiddling about. That's nice on a hot day when you don't want to put on your helmet until that last second, lol. If you're in a Mini, a full face helmet offers no more protection than an open face helmet, and can be a LOT more uncomfortable.

I've had open face and closed face.

 

Cool, will look into Pyrotect.

I was thinking about an open face helmet too- wasn't sure if showing up in a full-face helmet would make me a "Stig"-wannabe. haha

How many tires do you go through?

 

If you do a full season of events, you will likely go through a full set of tires. I'd suggest rotating your tires every other event. The best thing is to get a second set of rims and a dedicated set of tires. It might last you a couple seasons that way.

There are a couple of good tires out there that aren't real expensive: Falken RT-615's and Hankook Ventus RS-2's. Good for street or course.
If you have some bucks, then you can get into Hoosier's or Kumho's.

 

What do you think about Yokohama AVS ES100's or Nitto Neo Gen's?

I need to replace my current tires (atleast 2) and am trying to do a good street tire and also good for when I run an autocross event.

 

I haven't used them, so I have no informed opinion. I am running the Hankook's I mentioned, and I like them a lot. I run in stock class.

 

Not true, other than the obvious additonal face protection offered by the full face helmet (my concern is mostly what if "the big one" happens at track day speeds, not so much autox), the full face helmet with a shield does wonders for keeping random debris out of your face and eyes, which I have first hand experience with using open face helmets. In the end, it's probably a matter of personal preference. Gromit801 likes his open face helmets, I feel better in a full faced version.

Jason

 

No argument when it comes to track days. However, since the OP was concerned mainly for autox, that's what I was basing my recommendation on.

 

I could see both sides- being that I'm only doing autocross (for now), I think an open-face would be more comfortable. I had one when I had a go-kart when I was younger and liked the feeling... I feel claustrophobic in a full-face helmet.

 

Forget about the ES100's for AX events. I have them for street use, and used them for an AX school and my first two events. They took quite a hit in the were department before I got my RS2's. They're much better and aren't showing any noticeable wear pattern after 4 more events. The RS2 come in 225/45-16 which gives me about biggest footprint you can get under there without trimming. Of course now I wish I'd gone for the Kuhmos 710's or Hoosiers instead.

 

Now you know what you can use your stimulus check for!

 

For your first AX, any good summer tires will do. Heck my first, second and likely my third have all been on all season tires and aside from being really slow they work just fine and don't show any adverse wear. Heck they look more beat up after on of my spirited drive through some of the back woods roads near me. Your first few times out are more about learning and less about competing. R-comps (A-comps I suppose...) like Hoosiers can hide mistakes that would normally be more obvious with regular summer tires making it harder to learn (or so I have been told). I would look at the Hankook Ventus RS-2, most of what I hear about them is pretty good and they do pretty good in the rain as well.

I have a list of things I check before each event. Depend on how long and where the event is I may edit the list a little each time. Here is what it looks like:


---Helmet

-Camera
-Camera bar
-Rubbermaid tub to put things in (anything that I would have to keep in the car and clean out at the last moment).

---Digital Pressure gauge (or something other than a pencil gauge)
---Chalk (to mark tires)
---White Tape (or...)
---blue tape

-Duct tape
-Rain Coat (probably one of those small polyester types, not great but better than nothing)
-Quart of oil

---Windex and paper [use this to clean your windscreen before you run, it makes it easier to concentrate])

-Sunscreen (a must, I got burned at my last event and wasn't even that sunny, you have to remember that you will be outside most of the time)

-GPS system (I get lost on long trips real easy)
-water
-lunch (or at least a snack)

---Air Tank (or something to adjust tire pressures)

-Torque Wrench and breaker bar combo (really only if you change wheels)
-Tools (although if you ask nice people will loan you stuff if you need it. I dropped a nut into my engine compartment and someone loaned me his parts grabber so I could fish it out, which I was really thankful for)
-Gloves (if you plan to work on your car)



Obviously things like the camera and camera bar may not apply to you, but it is good to have as a learning aid if you have the stuff on hand. This looks like a lot of stuff but most of it you probably have sitting around your house right now anyway. Things that I marked with "---" are things you absolutely should bring. Everything else you can get away without but is generally good to have. You will need either white or blue masking tape to mark numbers, something that contrasts with your paint.


I can pretty much guarantee you that you will be made to feel welcome. At the regional and local level it is mostly about going out and having fun (I find). Thanks to this people tend to keep it light and are willing to help show you the ropes. So far at both the events I have been to have met people who are willing to help me out and overall just fun to chat with. I made friends with a guy driving a Civic SI last time just cause he happened to park next to me, but we end up discussing tire pressures, driving techniques and our cars. It's fun.

 

Regarding the full vs. open face issue, I've heard people with a lot more experience than I have make arguments for and against each type. Full-face makes more sense to me, though it's hard to imagine that either type would not be fine for auto-x. Try to think ahead and ask yourself what you see yourself wanting to do in your car for this and the next few seasons. For me the answer was just auto-x for now, but perhaps next year or the year after a BMWCCA HPDE day, so an M rated full-face auto racing helmet was my choice.

I don't suggest buying a helmet online. The different brands available accomodate different shaped heads, so the liklihood of you choosing based on one head circumference measurement is small. Even if fit seems OK, you'll be left to wonder if something might have worked better for you.

I went to HMS Motorsport in Peabody, MA, and was able to try on helmets several different brands in a variety of sizes with the help of expert staff members. Hopefully someone will be able to suggest someplace local to you. Some didn't work at all, and those that did fit were in different sizes depending on the brand. The Pyrotect helmets mentioned above didn't fit my head, G-Force proved to be the best of the bunch and are similarly priced.