Hey just got back from California Speedway, autocrossed my 240 and I sucked. This was my first autocross with this car so I didn't do too well. I never got to familiarize myself with my car since all the good places I know of now either have security guards or security camera (almost got my car taken away one time, caught by security camera. I was layin bricks).
This is not my first autocross, but it is with this car. I have gone to autocross and similar events with my M3 which is of course different from 240's. These events are a good experience to learn about your car and know how they behave or react. I would highly recommend these types of events for all you guys that are on this board. Cost was $35 for championship, 3 laps on a really fun but really I mean really confusing course.
I wasn't that thrilled like my brother who also went since I've had done this before, but the thing that really concerned was my brakeing technique. Since the M3 is a good track car from the factory it can turn alright drivers into good drivers. I didn't have to struggle as much as I do with the 240.
For my M3 I can use late brake technique, to acheive higher speeds. You can do this because it is equipped with ABS. On the 240sx you won't be able to get away with it, you'd be locking up and having bald patches on your tires. I ran the entire course in 2nd gear (lots of turns) I even had a tailslide on a J turn @40mph I think it is cause I have good tires on front and sucky tires on the rears (on purpose to help counter the understeer I've heard so much about)
First lap - I was lost, and was getting a feel for my car. Second lap - more better feel but still lost (locked up brakes right before goal) Third lap - best lap but still was missing cones.
The main thing that I think really messed up my lap times was not familiarizing myself with the car and that I didn't give enough credit to the 240sx. I gave it a much lower bar then it is at, the 240s deserve more credit then I gave it.
Go out an try this at your local SCCA. My biggest complaint 1. please have example race line so I don't miss any cones. 2. people who have roadrage also do autocross and b$%@h about your driving if you suck.
autocross + 240sx =
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SHIFTrl240
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actually, i autocross regularly, and i must say the 240 is very nice imo. definitely not the fastest, but i have fun in it.
they called me "driftmaster rob" over the speakers
i also drove off the side of the road into the dirt/grass... thought i busted some suspension but i didnt.
all that matters is that you have fun
they called me "driftmaster rob" over the speakers
i also drove off the side of the road into the dirt/grass... thought i busted some suspension but i didnt.
all that matters is that you have fun
i'm with shiftrl240....i autox regularly too and i have to say that my baby is hella fun to drive :asmile love rear wheel drive!! just came in 1st place in stx today at california speedway, my second 1st place finish this year.
just trying to say the 240's can compete...
as for kim, dude your just going to have to walk the course with someone who knows how to read the lines of the track. or have an instructor with you when you go out to drive. cause when you hit the cones, we got to pick that she-it up. its bad enough that's its 100 degrees outside with no shade and running after your cones!!!! lol
you might also want to consider going to a practice event, its $45 and you get about 12 laps. the next practice event is in sept, tho. no practice event in august, only a championship race held at night.
so dont give up......
just trying to say the 240's can compete...
as for kim, dude your just going to have to walk the course with someone who knows how to read the lines of the track. or have an instructor with you when you go out to drive. cause when you hit the cones, we got to pick that she-it up. its bad enough that's its 100 degrees outside with no shade and running after your cones!!!! lol
you might also want to consider going to a practice event, its $45 and you get about 12 laps. the next practice event is in sept, tho. no practice event in august, only a championship race held at night.
so dont give up......
sr20power Was that you out there? I didn't know anybody here went there I would have said hi or something. Your car looked really cool. I like your exhaust. BTW are you SCCA member?
I'm not saying that the 240sx can't compete, I'm saying I placed the 240 at a lower position and didn't use it to the limit. I was really scared because this is my first autocross without the assist of ABS, smaller swaybars, etc. The 240s are a good car to autocross with, and I had hella fun time. I have more respect for my car as for track use is all I'm saying.
I'm not giving up on autocrossing with the 240 I really should go to the practice runs its more worth it then the championship runs. On the last lap I was so frustrated that I was still missing cones so I tried getting an insturctor to tell me where all the cones where but they were all too busy.
I'm not saying that the 240sx can't compete, I'm saying I placed the 240 at a lower position and didn't use it to the limit. I was really scared because this is my first autocross without the assist of ABS, smaller swaybars, etc. The 240s are a good car to autocross with, and I had hella fun time. I have more respect for my car as for track use is all I'm saying.
I'm not giving up on autocrossing with the 240 I really should go to the practice runs its more worth it then the championship runs. On the last lap I was so frustrated that I was still missing cones so I tried getting an insturctor to tell me where all the cones where but they were all too busy.
kim: thanks for the compliments. yes i'm a scca member.
i pretty much go to all the practices and championship races (well the practices that i can get into) but i think i saw your car in the parking lot today, that's your car in the sig, right? friend of mine said that you painted your car by yourself in your garage? if so, nice freakin job, looked clean....
if i see you next time i'll definitely holla at you.....by the way is your name kim?
-]stm[- : i agree if they were on a road racing track, but in a parking lot it's all game..... :asmile
i pretty much go to all the practices and championship races (well the practices that i can get into) but i think i saw your car in the parking lot today, that's your car in the sig, right? friend of mine said that you painted your car by yourself in your garage? if so, nice freakin job, looked clean....
if i see you next time i'll definitely holla at you.....by the way is your name kim?
-]stm[- : i agree if they were on a road racing track, but in a parking lot it's all game..... :asmile
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SHIFTrl240
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shiftrl240...if your talking to me, :sad i just used it as a screenname, had trouble coming up with one. i run the ka.
kim....yeah i know todd with the red 240 in sts class, kool guy. very nice job on the car. want to paint mine?!!! j/k (no really, wanna?)
scca members don't get reservations on practices, its whoevers club is setting it up, the members get reservations. then they have open slots for like 40 scca members and 20 slots for non-members. those people are decided on when the guy recieves your check, so you constantly have to check the website to see when they accept the checks.
you going to the august championship race?
kim....yeah i know todd with the red 240 in sts class, kool guy. very nice job on the car. want to paint mine?!!! j/k (no really, wanna?)
scca members don't get reservations on practices, its whoevers club is setting it up, the members get reservations. then they have open slots for like 40 scca members and 20 slots for non-members. those people are decided on when the guy recieves your check, so you constantly have to check the website to see when they accept the checks.
you going to the august championship race?
sr20power - sorry since my friends have seen the job I did on my car they want me to paint their car too! I've got my GF's EG Civic with Champion White and then I've got a friend's S13 to do.
Why do you want to paint your car? Your car is just right I'd say. It look really good.
I might go to august Championship race. Well I'll let you know.
Why do you want to paint your car? Your car is just right I'd say. It look really good.
I might go to august Championship race. Well I'll let you know.
well the car's paint is in okay condition, except the rear bumper is a bit on the yellowish side. i really want to paint the front lip, but i know that it wont come out the same as the rest of the car. so i can wait until you finish the other cars....j/k
kool maybe i'll see you there, run in the second half.
kool maybe i'll see you there, run in the second half.
brokeAs240sx - yeah, the practice runs. Acutally in the championship runs they you don't really do it with other cars at the same time. Its basiclly 1 at a time. You are just really based on time from start to finish. Give it a try really fun. So what if people are watching. This was my first event with my 240 and I sucked as$, but I really had fun. why dont' you go then we can be the 2 sorriest 240s at the autoX.
edit: if you dont' do it you'll never get better at driving.
edit: if you dont' do it you'll never get better at driving.
kim wrote:brokeAs240sx - yeah, the practice runs. Acutally in the championship runs they you don't really do it with other cars at the same time. Its basiclly 1 at a time. You are just really based on time from start to finish. Give it a try really fun. So what if people are watching. This was my first event with my 240 and I sucked as$, but I really had fun. why dont' you go then we can be the 2 sorriest 240s at the autoX.
edit: if you dont' do it you'll never get better at driving.
Cool, I'll definitely give it a try. Those balding oem tires I have left over from rim install are just asking to be driven
.For sure I will start going once all my other personal stuff has settled. Spent too much time on the car (possible for too much?), so now I have to focus on things like trying to get into a full time position (currenlty probationary) so I can put more money into it
.I definitely need driving lessons, haha.
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PantherRacer
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a bit off topic but hey stm, that hamster thing has no video 
seems funny though:)
sooooo.....nybody autocrossing in florida? or washington? cuz when I go to college I'm gonna try have fun wit it lol....if I can take my 240 over there, or I'll buy one just for over there, mod and sell it to some other 240 desperate kid like me that way erryone's happy
seems funny though:)sooooo.....nybody autocrossing in florida? or washington? cuz when I go to college I'm gonna try have fun wit it lol....if I can take my 240 over there, or I'll buy one just for over there, mod and sell it to some other 240 desperate kid like me
that way erryone's happy -
BuudWeizErr
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Did they approach you and specifically say no drifting? I've heard that they do it to all the 240's and Corollas, especially if you have "drift mods."
Keep me posted, I'd like to go to one, I've never been to a cone dodging event, just Willow Springs and about a billion drift events.
It'd be fun though, and funny at the same time, I'd probably be over and under steering the whole course because my car is so set up for drift.
Keep me posted, I'd like to go to one, I've never been to a cone dodging event, just Willow Springs and about a billion drift events.
It'd be fun though, and funny at the same time, I'd probably be over and under steering the whole course because my car is so set up for drift.
Quote »Did they approach you and specifically say no drifting? I've heard that they do it to all the 240's and Corollas, especially if you have "drift mods."[/quote]i've been autocrossing for about a year now, and i have never been approached by anyone saying no drifting or any such sort. i know thats its frown upon. but last practice, i was brake drifting 3 runs out of 12. last one may have been alittle overboard. but no one approached me then either. but i did back it up with the quickest time in my class :ylsuper
but lets be reasonable, it isn't that type of driving. (go to drift day!! if you wanna drift)
chunkidori: next practice event is sept 25, the place has not been determined yet. there's a championship race on aug 10 at california speedway, it will be at night so you'll have to go thro a novice training course of the track. wouldn't want to hit anybody, close call on sunday and it was in the day time!!!
but championship races consist of only 3 runs for $35, $25 if you become a cscc member. practice events are about $45 for non members i think? but you get about 12 runs!!
[email protected] give me your info, i'll let you know
mike
but lets be reasonable, it isn't that type of driving. (go to drift day!! if you wanna drift)
chunkidori: next practice event is sept 25, the place has not been determined yet. there's a championship race on aug 10 at california speedway, it will be at night so you'll have to go thro a novice training course of the track. wouldn't want to hit anybody, close call on sunday and it was in the day time!!!
but championship races consist of only 3 runs for $35, $25 if you become a cscc member. practice events are about $45 for non members i think? but you get about 12 runs!!
[email protected] give me your info, i'll let you know
mike