Chapter 8 - Misc Topics
This chapter will serve as a catch-all for things that didn't fit or that I forgot to include in previous chapters.
Bring List - Keep a "bring list" of things you will need at autox. I keep all my stuff in a box so I don't have to think about it anymore. Some things include hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, water, tire pressure gauge, chalk, jack, etc. We shouldn't need too much, and I should have most of it anyway.
Tire Pressure - Tire pressures are going to increase a good bit as you race the car. I usually end up letting out as much as 3-5psi from the front tires. You need to experiment with the cars and see what their "happy" place is. For the Miata, I expect the heat to be evenly spread, or maybe slightly warmer in the front. Pressures should stabilize by the 3rd or 4th run, depending on how much time there is between runs. Adjusting tire pressures is another tool you can use to adjust how the car behaves. For some FWD cars in stock class, I've seen people run as high as 50psi in the rear to get the car looser. I think starting out at 35psi all around won't be a bad idea for the Miatas.
Spraying Tires - I used to be a big tire-sprayer. I have weed sprayer that I fill with water before the event. Fairly common with FWD/AWD cars, you just get the front tires way too hot. However, I've found spraying tires tends to heat cycle them out faster than if I had just left them alone. Anyway, the Miata will be much kinder to its tires and we shouldn't need to spray them, except maybe in the dead heat of summer when you guys are codriving without much time in between runs.
Working - Pay attention when you work the course. Never turn your back to the car, and try not to be in a potential path that it could spin out to. When watching to see if a driver knocks over any cones, be sure to watch the back wheels of the car - it's surprising how many knocked over cones I miss because I'm watching the front of the car and not the rear of it. Working the course is also a great chance to see how other cars are being driven. Pay special attention to the "fast" guys, see how they drive the course and what kind of lines they are taking.
Launching - Autoxing will be a good chance to practice launching the car. How hard you want to launch is up to you. In the Evo, I actually prefer not to launch to preserve clutch and tires. With the Mini, I launch all the time. You can gain a few tenths right from the start just by launching well. It also helps get you in the 100% right from the start mindset. Try launching around 3k rpm. Between dropping the clutch and slipping it, I'd say somewhere a little closer to dropping it will do. Adjust accordingly based on how that went. There's a surprising difference between launching cold tires and hot tires, so keep that in mind as well.
10 & 2, 9 & 3 - Keep your hands on the wheel at all times except shifting. Some people say your hands should be totally glued to the wheel, others say you should use the "shuffle" method. I'm in the 'keep your hands on the wheel' camp. Typically for most cars, you shouldn't have to turn the wheel more than you would have to to keep your hands on the wheel. If you're steering more than that, you're probably steering too much.
Downshifting - There may be times where eventually you will want to downshift. It could be from 2nd to 1st, or 3rd to 2nd. Be sure to practice heel-toe-downshifting on the street if possible. As far as timing, I usually downshift a little before I have to start on the gas again, so near the end of your braking.
Understeer - If you are understeering, you've overloaded your front tires, usually from trying to brake and turn too much. The most handy tip for a beginner is that if you are understeering into oblivion, unwind the wheel back to straight. Beginners tend to crank the wheel further or brake harder, which results in even more load on the front. Unwind, and try again. For the Miatas, I think in general we shouldn't really have this problem.
Oversteer - Oversteer is a mixed bag. It can be from braking too hard, mashing the gas too hard, etc. The method of regaining control depends on how you lost control in the first place. If you braked too hard, ease up a little. If you hit the gas too hard, back off a little.
Compensate for Slip Angles - Somewhat related to understeer & oversteer, eventually you will need to be able to compensate for slip angles. This is the angle between where the tire is pointing and where the tire is traveling. In corners, if you are pushing hard enough you will have a little bit of slip angle. Consider this as compensating for the car being a little understeery or oversteery. In both cases, turning in earlier will help you drive the line a little better.
Ride alongs - Ride along with as many different people as possible - people are way more willing to give you ride-alongs when you're new - take advantage of it. If you've been at it for a while, people are less inclined. Ride along with good drivers as well as bad drivers. Sometimes a driver doing something bad can leave as much impression as a driver doing something good. Keep your eyes on what the driver is doing as well as how they drive the course.
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Beyond this there are a lot of little things you will pick up from attending events that I couldn't think of here. Overall though, I'm really optimistic for this season. We've got the right cars and we've got decent amounts of time to race. Do as much as you can before serious obligations (kids) or anything like that come in the picture. With the amount of driving and codriving you guys will be doing this season, on top of the event previews and reviews, I'm certain you guys will shoot up the ranks in no time. You almost don't need to worry too much about getting faster. It will just happen naturally as you get seat time, whether you're aware of it or not, so enjoy the process along the way. Enjoy starting out slow, learning the sport, finding time, getting faster, beating people you couldn't beat before, and eventually reaching for the top. Don't forget - in the end, it's all just for fun! Good luck!
Fin
