My 1st Auto-x



Date: Lap #1 Lap #2 Lap #3
12/6/98 49.765 39.037 38.269

This was quite the experience. My very first time out was rather disappointing. Not because I did not do well but because it rained so I really was not able to test my skills at speed. The best time of the day I saw was a 32.xxx time by a little blue CRX and it did that run before it started raining and the track was dry. Even a 1997 $100K+ AWD Porsche 911 turbo couldn't top that time and came in second with a 33.xxx second time. The majority of the dry times were around 36-39seconds. When it started raining and things got slick, times dropped to the 39-41 second range. The fastest wet time I saw on the board was a 37.049 with a close second of 37.160 done by Victor Malchesky I believe. My first run out was terrible. I knew it was slick but I still pushed the car WAY too hard and ended up spinning out twice and not tripping the lights until 49.765 seconds later. But hey, I never hit a cone! It was embarassing as all hell but there was actually plenty of other cars doing the same thing as me once it started raining. The starting guy made a comment before I went for my second run to keep the car pointing forward. I smilled and told him, "I got it this time!". I felt like I was going mach slow, but I made sure I was smooth and kept control of the car. I pulled a 39.037, right up to par with the other EXPERIENCED autocross drivers. I remember pulling into the staging lanes looking at my time thinking, "Wow! That was the time that some cars were pulling when it was dry out!". My third run I took a little quicker which made me slide a little but I was able to recover and pulled a 38.269. If I could have gotten one more run I think I could have gotten a 37.xxx second time which would have been right up there with the best in my class (CSP). Out of 26 cars in CSP I placed 6th. The majority of novices ran in CSP with me as well and I beat all of them. Unfortunately there were 3 others that ran in different classes that did their runs before it starting raining and they all did better so I took 4th. If I could have done my runs when it was dry, I obviously would have done a lot better. The majority of Cameros, Vettes, and a whole other slew of supposedly much faster cars were only pulling 37-39. I think I would have been up there with the majority of them.

I highly recommend Autocrossing to everyone and anyone. It definitely lets you know the limits of your vehicle and your own driving skill. Whether you're a mini-van mom, V8 hotroder, or even a rice boy you gotta try autocrossing! It is so true that the vehicle really does not matter unless you know how to drive it. Case in point, how does a 86 FWD CRX beat a 97 AWD turbo Porsche??? And how does the driver of that red NSX explain how TurboTage beat him his his non-Turbo GSR? Someday I am going to have to turbocharge my car so I can live up to my name!