Day of A/X at Bondurant

[Porsche9]

Just took the Boxster auto crossing for the first time. What a blast. Just wished I got more track time. I guess I will have to do a DE at the same track in two weeks.

[kcpaz]

Should have done DE1 with NASA at the East track. You still can tomorrow.

[pharaohjb]

Yeah... autocrossing is fun, but nothing compared to a DE. Apart from the speeds involved, at an A/X you stand or sit around for an entire day in exchange for five, maybe 6 minutes of track time.

At a DE, over the course of 2 days, I get something on the order of four or five HOURS of track time - all in blocks of 20 to 30 minutes each.

Every time I've come home from a DE, I'm *exhausted*. Every time I've come home from an A/X, I'm exhausted, too. However, I think it's more from boredom than from physical or mental exertion.

[j.fro]

Congrats on your first AX. I'm an avid autocrosser, and the AX mindset is certainly different than the DE mindset. In an AX, the goal is surgical precision within that 60 second run. Can you get every apex within an inch of the cone, can you perfect your brake zone, can you apply enough power to be right on the edge without going over...and can you beat the next racer? AX is to DE as 200m hurdles are to a 10K run.
No trophies or championships in DE

[Porsche9]

Originally Posted by kcpaz

Should have done DE1 with NASA at the East track. You still can tomorrow.

Had no idea until I was at the track. Next time.

[Porsche9]

Originally Posted by pharaohjb

Yeah... autocrossing is fun, but nothing compared to a DE. Apart from the speeds involved, at an A/X you stand or sit around for an entire day in exchange for five, maybe 6 minutes of track time.

At a DE, over the course of 2 days, I get something on the order of four or five HOURS of track time - all in blocks of 20 to 30 minutes each.

Every time I've come home from a DE, I'm *exhausted*. Every time I've come home from an A/X, I'm exhausted, too. However, I think it's more from boredom than from physical or mental exertion.

Agreed a lot of sitting around. I got eight laps adding up to about 8 minutes. The part the was frustrating was just as you were learning the track and for me also the car's limits it was over. I did a couple of DEs with my 944S2 at Willow Springs and that is definitely the way to go. PCA has one in two weeks some I signing up for it. Good thing is it's at the same track and will loose the darn cones.

[Porsche9]

Originally Posted by j.fro

Congrats on your first AX. I'm an avid autocrosser, and the AX mindset is certainly different than the DE mindset. In an AX, the goal is surgical precision within that 60 second run. Can you get every apex within an inch of the cone, can you perfect your brake zone, can you apply enough power to be right on the edge without going over...and can you beat the next racer? AX is to DE as 200m hurdles are to a 10K run.
No trophies or championships in DE

Don't care about trophies. Just want to have fun and learn how to be a better driver. Once I know I mad driving the car for all she's got then I would consider doing upgrades to the car. Right now it's the nut behind the wheel that needs a upgrade.

[jb92563]

I agree that Auto-X is loads of fun, except for the waiting for your turn.

However the waiting time is best spent studying others approach to the course, socializing and browsing folks cars in the lot.

I even won a medal at the end of the day for coming in 3rd out of 3 in my class with a poor time...

Its all part of the fun, and you will find a good reason to scare and adrenaline the heck out of yourself and burn up your tires at a DE soon enough.

A Balance of both these activities is probably optimal.