My First AutoX Event
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From: Boise
My First AutoX Event
I attended my first AutoX event today and thought I'd share some of the details...
My S2000 is totally stock with ~1500 miles. I prepared for the event by applying a fresh coat of wax, removing all the loose stuff from the trunk, topping off the oil, and setting my tire pressure at 36/32 cold.
It started raining around 10 minutes after I arrived at the course this morning. Given the horror stories I have read on this board about the lack of predictability some S2K drivers have seen in wet conditions, I was a little apprehensive.
Before and after registering, I walked the course 6 or 7 times to memorize the course and plan my approach. Also, I worked the course in the morning and drove in the afternoon, so I had an opportunity to observe many other drivers before I took to the course.
It rained all day, so the course was wet for all 4 of my "official" runs. Some of the more experienced drivers suggested running the course in 2nd gear, even though it was a fairly slow layout, due to the slick conditions. The idea was that the conditions just wouldn't support the application of much power.
On my first run, I took their advice and the car behaved quite well but my time was uninspiring. After the first run, another (experienced) S2K driver told me that the whole course could be run in 1st gear without hitting the rev limiter.
So, on my second run, I stayed in 1st the whole time and things got a little crazy in the backend when I got too much into the gas coming out of the corners. After a couple pretty good slides, I got things under control and had a decent run, though I killed some cones early on.
My third run was my best and I was amazed at how well the car behaved as long as I respected the throttle and applied it carefully. I was able to kick out the rear end just enough whenever I wanted.
I screwed up my line early on the 4th run and ended up killing some cones. Otherwise, it would have been even better than the 3rd.
One last thing to mention... launching the car was pretty easy on wet asphalt. I dumped the clutch at ~6000 to ~6500 RPM every time. Wheel spin gave way to forward motion and sent me straight into VTEC range every time. I've never tried a launch like this on dry asphalt, but I'm guessing it's a little bit harder to execute and harder on the drivetrain.
I had a great time and can hardly wait for the next opportunity. The S2000 is an awesome car and I look forward to learning more about it through these events.
The main thing I learned today: The S2000 does not grip in the rain like a WRX, but it holds its own with the Porsches, etc. Respect the throttle and you'll be fine.
My S2000 is totally stock with ~1500 miles. I prepared for the event by applying a fresh coat of wax, removing all the loose stuff from the trunk, topping off the oil, and setting my tire pressure at 36/32 cold.
It started raining around 10 minutes after I arrived at the course this morning. Given the horror stories I have read on this board about the lack of predictability some S2K drivers have seen in wet conditions, I was a little apprehensive.
Before and after registering, I walked the course 6 or 7 times to memorize the course and plan my approach. Also, I worked the course in the morning and drove in the afternoon, so I had an opportunity to observe many other drivers before I took to the course.
It rained all day, so the course was wet for all 4 of my "official" runs. Some of the more experienced drivers suggested running the course in 2nd gear, even though it was a fairly slow layout, due to the slick conditions. The idea was that the conditions just wouldn't support the application of much power.
On my first run, I took their advice and the car behaved quite well but my time was uninspiring. After the first run, another (experienced) S2K driver told me that the whole course could be run in 1st gear without hitting the rev limiter.
So, on my second run, I stayed in 1st the whole time and things got a little crazy in the backend when I got too much into the gas coming out of the corners. After a couple pretty good slides, I got things under control and had a decent run, though I killed some cones early on.
My third run was my best and I was amazed at how well the car behaved as long as I respected the throttle and applied it carefully. I was able to kick out the rear end just enough whenever I wanted.
I screwed up my line early on the 4th run and ended up killing some cones. Otherwise, it would have been even better than the 3rd.
One last thing to mention... launching the car was pretty easy on wet asphalt. I dumped the clutch at ~6000 to ~6500 RPM every time. Wheel spin gave way to forward motion and sent me straight into VTEC range every time. I've never tried a launch like this on dry asphalt, but I'm guessing it's a little bit harder to execute and harder on the drivetrain.
I had a great time and can hardly wait for the next opportunity. The S2000 is an awesome car and I look forward to learning more about it through these events.
The main thing I learned today: The S2000 does not grip in the rain like a WRX, but it holds its own with the Porsches, etc. Respect the throttle and you'll be fine.
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