[AdW14]

tips for a newbie trying to autocross

understand the tall, 5400 pound, 118 inch wheel base is a bit enormous for autocross..We were put inn the n-stx class because we are novice and the car has20 inch wheels. We hope to get stock wheels and run in the street catagory when we find them.

Thanks

 

[windycityvdub]

You should be able to run in street class as long as the car had 19'' wheels from factory. You can go up or down 1'' this year without it kicking you out of stock.

As far as tips...make sure you dial your tire pressure in correctly, and completely disable traction and stability control. I'd use manual mode to start in 1st and then leave it in second.

Here are also some good tips. Check out the whole site. http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets.html

 

[AdW14]

Thanks. I will go check that link out. I think they only had 18 inch wheels from factory but I am not sure. Where would I find out if they offered a 19? Thanks for the pointers.

 

[windycityvdub]

It looks like they offered 19'' wheels at some point (according to this thread).

I don't think many people would contest you trying to run in stock/street because of wheel size. They could argue that your specific car didn't come with 19s, but they probably can't prove it.

And about the gears....you can wind out first, but try to minimize shifting after that, if you can help it. The V8 (is that what you have?) should have enough torque down low for slower sections.

 

[AdW14]

Interesting. I will ask the guy who told us what class we had to run. Our phaeton is a 2004. I think he said the 19s would have had to have been offered for that year. Also not sure if the ones on it are wider than stock. We will b in novice a while...so we would just buy the correct width tires when we move into a class, though. Our p is a v8.

The p seems so much higher and bigger.

I appreciate all the help I get here and the track. I want to know how to do it right. Criticism allowsthat. So be sure to point it out if u see sommething I am doing wrong.

What class would you say it goes in? They say if we had stock +/-1 inch wheels we would be in f street. I think we will do much better there than stx.

Thanks again. I read that link a few hours last night. Great info there....but boy is there a lot of it.

 

[Belcher]

As you are starting out don't worry too much about what class you're in. Closest to the cone is fastest. In any course with that sea of cones there are only a handful that matter. These are the key cones. Find the fast guys and ask to walk the course with them. Ask to ride along. Auto-x is a car control event. Slipping and sliding is slow. The hardest thing to learn is when to give up some speed on an element to make better speed on the quicker element. Have fun.

 

[Claff]

Having never driven a Phaeton my advice might be all wet. But I say that even if 1st gear can take you all the way to. 6800 RPM, running in 2nd gear will probably result in a less herky-jerky ride.

Got video?