Autocross Columns

New…AutoX-U Drive-Thru!

Re-invention is on hyper-drive these days. Now CVR offers a new AutoX-U Drive-Thru service! CVR AutoX Instructors are literally “standing by” ready to offer instant helpful feedback. Simply pull into the designated spot as you exit your run and they will help you digest what went well, what your car just told you, why it did what it did, and how to turn that into a faster run next time. Novice or highly experienced, all drivers benefited from this quick conversation while the adrenaline was still pumping and each detail was very fresh in their mind. These instructor perspectives proved spot-on, leading directly to lower run times on the next run when the driver tried the new advice. Based on the results and positive comments, the AutoX-U Drive -Thru is here to stay!

Exiting the course in his red 911, Vito Stote pulls into the new AutoX-U Drive-Thru, as…
…Mike Hopins launches his next run with the enthusiastic flagging of Bill Fordyce.

Sept 12th: Lime Rock saw the debut of the AutoX-U Drive-Thru. Just in time to speed refinement of the featured driving skills, Smoothness and Aggressive Driving. Smooth doesn’t mean slow if it’s balanced with aggression. Too little aggression, too slow, not utilizing the capabilities of your car. Too much aggression, counter-productive, forcing one end of the car to complain with the corresponding loss of speed. Smoothness still requires quick inputs, but done well it upsets the car the least and allows the most speed. The course was specifically designed with high speed flicks, and transitions from sweeping turns into tighter ones, rewarding violent-smoothness and allowing speed where it initially seemed impossible. With the run-clock and instant instructor feedback, the AutoX-U Drive-Thru proved very efficient at helping everyone find that magical balance.

Leland Englebart ready to launch Mike Wittman onto Lime Rock’s fast flowing AutoX course.

On a personal note, the huge let-down of a mechanical issue, only noted at the start line on my first run, was transformed into an even larger positive experience. Our club’s motto says “It’s not just the cars, it’s the people“. This was abundantly clear as many people then offered me drives in their cars. What a special treat. I’m humbly thankful for such an outpouring of camaraderie and friendship.

…Then Leland shows how to be “violently smooth”

Sept 26th: Hartford shifted focus to refining Braking and Acceleration driving skills. The “Citco Straight” connected a fast sweeping turn on one end and a decreasing/increasing radius turn on the other. Finesse your trail braking a little deeper and you were rewarded with a faster exit and better line, enabling the gas pedal to be planted sooner and longer. The same was true for entering and exiting the 140-foot diameter skid-pad loop, where the optional direction allowed you to explore even more subtleties of these skills and how your car responded. Even the finish line provided the perfect place to explore how fast you could transition from max acceleration to max braking while in a gentle sweeping “S” turn. Very exciting, unless you happen to be one of the soft pylons defining the course.

A special shout-out to the three new women drivers: Jen Corcoran, Ashley Klancko, and Nancy Bard. All had big smiles and went home better drivers. We hope to see them all again soon and to hear the warm cheers they received for their accomplished runs. I also hope their driving inspires other women to join in and feel the extra welcoming atmosphere of CVR AutoX events.

Chief Driving Instructor Ed Bogue puts on a Master Class of car control, showing us the fine points of Accelerating and Braking skills.

Oct 10th: Join us for the final AutoX of this strange 2020 season. We won’t be able to hold the traditional Hoffman Cup Run-Off event this year, which reminds us of just how special Hoffman Porsche’s support has been over the many years and makes us all cherish its return. However, as we have re-invented so many other things this year, we will now hold a different Run-Off event format on Oct 10th in Hartford. The new format, with acknowledgement to SCCA’s annual Stirling Moss Run-Off, is that you set your own fast time in the morning AutoX and get trophies accordingly. Then, in the afternoon, you drive your own car on three runs with the goal of having the smallest standard deviation to your morning fast time. Everyone attending the event can participate in the run-off!

Sign up fast for this special AutoX event! Go to our CVR AutoX web-page for the link to sign-up and to view the course map. The course will be “very, very, similar” to the Sept 26th AutoX to make it more fun for all.

Will one of these Sept 26th drivers win the new Oct 10th Run-Off event?

Now’s your chance to win the big one!

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