I don't autox nearly as much as I used to. Its a big committment of time for very limited running, anything fewer than 10 laps is a bummer. But As a beginner, you can't beat it. You will learn all the basics that they teach you in those ultra expensive driving courses like Bondurant, Barber etc. But with Autox its a fraction of the cost and you will have the oppourtunity to pick up where you left off the week before. It will take you at least half a dozen events before anything "sinks in". If you have some karting or other HP driving in your resume, then you should get comfortable quick, but if you don't you will be not so comfy and will be reacting rather than "thinking". As your comfort level rises you will do more thinking and less reacting. When you can do a whole lap thinking two cones/gates ahead then you are at the ideal comfort point.
So don't worry about making mistakes because you will AND SHOULD. Really lay into the brakes to get out the nerves. You've got one of the best brake packages available to any sports car drver, do some experitmenting with braking distances. And learn to make quick transitions between throttle and brake. The key to going fast IMHO is always being on the gas or brake, with as little time on the brake as necessary. If you are hesitating between braking and throttle you are driving beyond the speed of your skill, slow down get used to the g loads and everything flashing across your field of vision. You will then heistate less and less.
here's some tips.
1-Don't buy a helmet, the club will have loaners. one you feel like you want to autox more, buy crash hat.
2-lean your head in the direction of the cone you are about to turn, it will train your body to follow what your mind is doing.
Do this religiously. So as your head is turning left (if the cone is pointing left of course) you SHOULD NOT be looking at that cone. Though your head is leaning to the left your eyes are looking right at the SECOND CONE. It's like MotoGP, those guys are leaning their bike in one direction but there helmets are turned in the opposite direction looking down the road.
3-Keep your hands at 3 an 9 on the steering wheel like someone glued your gloves to the wheel. Only take your hand off 3 and 9 if you are going through a hairpin and have to turn the wheel too far left or right.
4-let 1st gear max out before shifting to 2nd. Some people dump 1st right away but I think you are leaving some speed on the table when you do that. Once you are into 2nd gear keep your self in control, don't blast the trottle. If you train yourself to understand that you are in a racing car that only has two gears, sometimes you'll avoid the inclination to slam the throttle with the "road/drag racing" expectation that you will be going into third. There is no third.
5- this might be the most critical for a newbie: get there early and memorize the course like a downhill skier who closes his eyes and imagine doing the course in real time. So if it's a 67 second course spend 67 seconds in that virtual reality. I like to sketch the course on paper and mark an x where I plan to brake and number the braking points so that as I'm driving a make a mental note 6 of 10 coming up. The more you think ahead and look ahead the faster you will be. In any form of racing the body reacts instinctively to what the mind has just registered.
6(a)-Generally brake on the straight parts so that you are done braking when the road starts to turn left or right. Once you are at the point in the turn where you can draw a straight line from yourself to the next cone, where you can see straight ahead POUND THE THROTTLE. The more experienced you become the quicker you can identify this point where you floor it: the apex.
b)If there is slalom, brake before you enter the slalom if you are going in too hot, if you are at reassuring speed keep you foot on the throttle at the exact same rpm (listen to the sound, you'll be too busy to ever look at your rev counter) keep the speed consistent until you clear the final slalom cone. if you are braking inside the slalom you went in too fast and are losing time.
p.s.
for the cyclists, your air compressor can do double duty if you screw a schrader valve attachment from Slime onto your presta valves. I keep the attachment on wheels permanently, set the pressure on the compressor and it stops automatically. Then throw the compressor into the trunk for the autocross on Sunday.
