Farga

Hi all, so I just went to my first official autox event and while it wasn't all bad, I definitely have a lot of areas I need to improve. I have gone to the bscc novice school and evo phase 1 school, but now I feel that I just need more seat time. The only problem with that is the large gap between events over the upcoming months and also the ability to commit certain weekends with everything else going on in my life.

As a result, I'm looking into karting between events or possibly some pc sim stuff to supplement the autox events. Does anyone have experience with either of these and if so could you recommend a good karting place or a sim that is worth checking out?

ILoveAWD

iTrader: (17)

well i play a lot of forza, idk if that is sim enough for you but it does the job for me. lol
also the karting tracks here would be more of a road course sim instead of a autox sim, and plus your gonna have all the inexperience drivers there that will block your lines and bump the **** out of your kart because they don't how to brake properly or where to brake at on the the track!


if you want the autoX feel find you an abandon parking lot that no one ever enter into and set you up some cones and drive your car through the course to the best of your ability and just hope you dont get a trespassing ticket.


dont know if any of my advice helps but i figure i would post here since none else did.


everything above is just simply my opinion!

spdngdragon

iTrader: (3)

I would recommend that you join a few different auto clubs who do autoxing and just try to fill in your weekends.

4wd4me

yeah, if you're relatively new to the sport there's nothing that will beat or even compare to actual on-course seat-time. Like mentioned above, there are many many clubs and several venues around, you could pretty much autocross every weekend around here in the summer months.

venues:
Bremerton motorsports park
Shelton airfield
Packwood Mill
Pitt Meadows Airfield (Canada)
Tri-Cities raceways

occasionally there are events in Yakima, and a new site in Ellensburg

Clubs:
BSCC (Bremerton)
NWRSCCA (Bremerton, Packwood)
OR SCCA (PR, Packwood)
WWSCC (Shelton, Packwood)
VCMC (Canada)
SSSCC (Eastern WA)
NW PCA (Porsche, invite only, Bremerton)
Boeing (Shelton, invite only)

when I have more time I'll add links to the schedules of the clubs listed above

here's a good place to get started as well
http://www.where2race.com/

as for "simulators" .... if you're limited to console gaming you'd want the PS3 with a good wheel/pedal set. The xbox doesn't have the same level of feedback that the PS3 offers... then pick the most difficult driving game out there and turn off all the driving aids, F1 2012 is pretty good. GT5 (as long as you don't run on racing slicks) is decent as well. For the PC, I like the ones from SimBim, GTR Evolution being the least out-dated.... but then there's Richard Burns Rally, that'll grow hair on your chest.. it's the kind of "game" you can't play while having a drink, gotta be sober for that one.

http://www.rallyesim.com/accueil/accueil_en.html

Farga

Thanks, I might try and find a good place to mess around, but I haven't come across anything just yet. I am a member of bscc and nw-scca and have looked at some of the small organizations, but it just seems like everyone takes the next month and a half off. If I only knew someone with acreage that paved it!!

4wd4me

check the Canadian schedule and the Oregon schedule, between them and the local clubs there are events every weekend in July and August. Packwood, Pitt Meadows, Shelton and BMP.

the Oregon Packwood events are particularly good, not very big turnouts so lot's and lot's of runs

-Doug

Farga

Thanks, I hadn't gotten to the point of checking those, but definitely will. I'm not sure, but I think you drive the white evo with your wife? You also were safety at Evo school if you're who I'm thinking of. If so, I'm the one with the black x and had the bad spin on my fourth run sunday. Kind of my motivation because I was a little bummed afterwards even though it was my first real event.

Farga

I totally missed this post. Awesome information and where2race was extremely informative and now bookmarked! Also, I've got myself a nice gaming rig and did read several positive reviews for Richard Burns Rally. Have you tried various wheels and if so do you have a recommendation on which one offers the most realistic feedback?

Dallas J

iTrader: (1)

Kart racing helps a bunch, at least it did for my way back when I was getting started. Seat time is seat time.

That, and just figure out where events are and just go run em. Ive done about 15 events so far this year, season started way back in march for me

codgi

iTrader: (22)

Not if he runs in a full racing league like the rental kart racing league at PGP. I run novice there and even in novice you have fast folks and its not like when you just turn up at the track and run with joe schmoes. The folks that come out for those events are usually pretty serious.

You also learn a lot more about lines, car control and because everyone is in the same kart you really learn about keeping speed in the corners cause you don't have the Evo to erase your mistakes.