Autocross News

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Autocross 2015 - Welcome! . . . a LOT is new . . .

Autocross is, hands-down, the cheapest, safest, least time-consuming way for you to learn basic performance driving, push your car, and push your skills. It’s fun, informal and the crowd is welcoming. And if you have family members or friends, who are – horrors – Porsche-less, bring them in (more or less) whatever they have – its all good.
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One Car at a Time

Autocross is a one car at a time competitive event in which each driver negotiates his/her car through a course laid out with traffic cones. It is an exciting car handling and control competition held either in a large parking lot such as one of the newly paved MetLife Stadium lots or a road course such as the one at Englishtown’s Raceway Park. The course is electronically timed and is a race against the clock for the fastest time. Cars are penalized by two seconds for each cone knocked out of the box. Cars are grouped by class, depending on the type of car, to keep the classes competitive among themselves. Awards are given to the three fastest cars in each class and to the fastest overall time.
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The History of Autocross

Hi gang. By the time you read this we will have completed most of our events for the year with 1 or 2 left. While I was contemplating about what to write for this article, I starting thinking about where and when did Autocross start and I wonder if Autocross is the same around the world? Well, a little bit of research led to more and then some more... You get the picture. So here is a very condensed version of what I was able to find out thus far.
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Juicing it up!

Well, you decided it is time to “upgrade you car” with a few bits and pieces. While this article is not meant to cover what you can and cannot do to move from Stock to Production to Improved, etc… it will cover some relatively easy and somewhat inexpensive changes you can make to help improve your times.
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Trying Not to Make a Splash

“Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have a radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent.” - Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. '73). There I was, out there just enjoying myself during the third Black Group run on Day 2 at Lime Rock, and all of a sudden I am doing a “tank-slapper” on the uphill. Holy cr#%, what the hell is going on. The tires felt a bit greasy at turn one but now all hell was breaking loose. I decided I better head to the pits and see what is going on.
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AutoX - March 2012

Well, as you are reading this, it probably is still pretty cold out. No better time than now to begin to think about the coming Autocross (AutoX) season. You need to start getting your car ready for the season so you are ready for our 2012 season. We know that there are a number of you out there that are sitting on the sidelines, thinking about AutoXing, but are a bit apprehensive. Read this primer, come to an event or two, ask for an Instructor and give it a shot – you will have a blast.
In the most basic sense, AutoX is a test of driver skill. As you take your runs at each event, your car control skills are evolving and improving. Precision and speed are the fundamental skills being tested and developed. Scoring is based on the time it takes you to drive a defined course. Your individual time is compared to other cars in your same car class and the day’s winners are determined by whoever has the best time in their class. More on classes later, but classes are the way to ensure a level playing field; if you are driving a 944 or a Miata, you would not want your time compared to a GT3, right? Penalties are assessed for knocking over cones or knocking them out of the chalk marked box. AutoX events are held in a nice safe and controlled environment – empty parking lots. Our courses are designed to allow for a competitive event but not too tortuous so as to make it too difficult (especially in the beginning of the season). You drive at varying speeds as you navigate the course and speeds are generally below highway speeds.
So, you have decided to join us – now what?