Thread: AutoX steering and shifting in a b13?

I've been attempting the two methods of steering described in Watts book (shifty hands or Zaccone) while puttering around town for the last week or so and both of them feel pretty unnatural and I have to think about them a lot while doing it-which I assume is not a good thing to do while racing. Does anyone out there actually do either style of steering. Is it worth learning how to do?


My other question is about downshifting. So far the races I've been to have been 1st-2nd gear only courses, with the last one being a whole lot of tight turns in 1st. What I do know is that my car does not like to downshift to first while moving at anything past about 15-20mph. I know it's not that long but it seems like it takes forever. Am I quicker with car at low RPM's in 2nd, or spending the time to downshift for a moment before having to upshift again? Is there a good way to downshift quickly?

quickest way to downshift is to heel and toe. to get down into 1st you gonna have to get the revs up before it will go in

In a B13 there should be no reason to downshift to 1st at an autox.

That's what I've been trying to do it just seems like it takes a long time to actually match the revs, and then matching the revs to the speed you're actually traveling so as not to engine brake while in the middle of some crazy cornering maneuver slows the whole thing down as well. I was definately a lot faster just keeping the car in 1st at this last race. Like I said though it was really small and tight so almost no one shifted.

Is is faster just to run in 2nd, even if you're stuck accelerating in a bad part of the rpm range?

Yup. Its all about keeping your momentum in autox.

So are you staying in first or once you get out of first just stay in second?
Here's a video of the lot we just ran on. The course was set up differently so that the start and finish were in the back to the left of the concrete pillars. Sorry it features a Honda...
Tiny autox course at les schwab tires The set up was start, 90deg right turn, gate, 3 cone slalom, box gate, sweeping left turn, sharp left turn (or one big decreasing radius turn), cone wall gate with very sharp right turn 130 deg-ish, gate, box gate, 90" left turn into shallow S curve, sharp right turn in a loop around concrete pillars, back out into the S curve which is now more like a C as you are turning left rather than right, which puts you back at the first gate of the course, ending at the end of the S curve with a zig zag sharp left turn to the stop gate right next to the start. The course from the top looked like a figure 8 with a really small loop at the top.

From what I remember the course was entirely 1st gear, with close to WOT at the start, part of the slalom, sweeper corner, and exiting the small loop. Breaking was at the sharp corners after the Sweeper, and before the small loop and at the end. Spent the rest of the race basically modulating throttle and steering like crazy. I don't think I ever got to full WOT, my tires were basically brand new and pretty greasy and set to 32psi or so cold. It felt like I was understeering a lot under moderate/heavy accelearation in any of the corners (especially the sweeper). Don't remember if there were any places where oversteer was an issue.

Any good tips for dealing with understeer? Braking seemed to help a lot but is that a function of loading the front, slowing down and of course taking my foot off the gas? Could I just left foot the brake for the same effect while still having power to the car?

Is the understeer mostly at corner exit? If you have adjustables i'd stiffen up the front rebound a bit or soften the rear rebound.

I would take one look at that lot and then go home. For one, it's insanely tight and doesn't look fun and all, and number two, there's a whole lot of immovable objects you can hit.

But I guess some areas have to do what they gotta do. (Our SCCA Region runs at huge lots at FedEx Field where the Redskins play, so I guess I'm spoiled.)

Generally, I'd say just shift to 2nd and forget it, but a course like that is about the only time I would recommend 1st gear because you aren't going to get much over 20 mph. I'd just leave it in 1st, be smooth with the throttle to keep the wheel spin to a minimum, and never even shift to 2nd. Might bounce off the rev limiter a few times but nothing too painful.

Pat

No I think understeer was more a problem at corner entry especially at the start of the big sweeper as the end of the slalom and the box are parts I was trying to accelerate through.

Still running the stock suspension so it's prety much trashed. Working on a CSK/Hypercoil setup slowly but it will be summer probably before I get it installed. I was just reading something about stiffening the front rebound in order to keep the weight front loaded longer. I'm guessing that's good advice?

Well so far I've done two, the first was big, loose and wet on really old rubber and the second was small, tight and wet with brand new rubber. Have to say the small, tight, wet one was more fun... Only downside was I somehow managed to get a hammer and screwriver in my trunk past tech so that on every sharp corner there was banging that I was sure was a cone I'd just clobbered.

You're pretty lucky to have big lots to run on. The larger ones here are cost prohibitive to do more than and event or two on each year. And there are so many people that show up to run them that you get fewer runs overall.

What was surprising was how much more competetive I was in a tight slow course compared to the larger faster one...Both times I've run I've improved each run for a total improvement of 10 seconds or so, but on the slower tighter course I was twice as competitive as I was before (My best - Top time / My best) Would brand new tires (Kuhmo AST 400 treadwear) make that much of a difference? I think that may have been from trying to downshift too much the first time and it really slowed me down. It sounds like the consesus here is stay in 2nd unless I have to really slow down as I'm not going to gain much time due to the acceleration differences between 1st and 2nd.