986 Autocrossing Racing Strategies

[j.fro]

For me, the course walk is probably the most important part of race day. This is where I make decisions bout how I am going to drive the course and where I want the car to be at certain spots on the course. I always walk the course at least three times. The first is just to see the course and make sure I know how to stay on course. I try not to stop walking unless I'm not clear about where the course goes. Sometimes I'll help chalk cones on this walk. On the second walk I'll stop at each technical area to figure it out. I'm looking at braking zones, apexes, slalom set ups, and how the different sections link together. I'll talk to the other drivers to see what their opinions are. This is the longest, most social, most fun walk. By the end I've made my decisions and I know how I'm driving the course. For the last walk I try to get away from everyone else, walking the course start to finish with no interruptions. This is the memorization part where I set my mental picture.