Wanting To Race

[RED71Z]

I am ready to put my Z back on the road and would like to race it.The type of racing I want do is where you race thru cones set in big parking lots or small venues.If anybody is familiar with this and know where to do it in middle Georgia I would be real interested.A buddy of mine did it for years and loved it.I went to a few races with him in Jacksonville Fla and loved it.

[gogriz91]

Ronnie, check out the Middle GA chapter of the SCCA. https://www.facebook.com/MGASCCA

 

They do autocross on a monthly basis at the Henderson Stadium parking lot usually on a Sunday. 

[bacarl]

You can also use MyAutoEvents.com to search for local events. They're called autocross events, as gogriz mentioned, or Solo racing. In my area, SCCA isn't the only group/club that organizes events so the myautoevents site is helpful for more comprehensive searches. Their site is down right now but IIRC you'd go to Advanced search, pick autocross from a pulldown menu, and search for a given distance from your city/zip code.

 

Have fun!!  Autocross is an awesome way to play with your car - lots of fun, low risk, and relatively inexpensive entry fees.

[TomoHawk]

Please remember the autocross is NOT RACING. 

 

You don't even go that fast.  You compete against the clock, thereby competing against the others.  I have even  made a run where I never got past 15 MPH, as I did the entire course without using the brakes.

 

The same thing goes for Road Rally, but that's an entirely different kind of competition.

 

SCCA and NASA are the bigger organizations that run autocross events.

[Mike]

Moved this to the racing forum

[Fred Sigarto]

I've been doing Autocross events since 91, in a front wheel drive Sentra SE-R and the Z.  SCCA , Akron sports car club, Corvette clubs, BMW, & NORA events. Speeds are limited to 60+ mph, although some courses may vary, due to weather conditions. I've gotten into 3rd gear at a Corvette event, with my 218 hp. Z. You're either on the gas or the brakes. I've only done 15 mph in the pits, safety reasons. I work as a SCCA Solo Safety Steward & have a National Pit Marshal license. 

[RED71Z]

I've been doing Autocross events since 91, in a front wheel drive Sentra SE-R and the Z.  SCCA , Akron sports car club, Corvette clubs, BMW, & NORA events. Speeds are limited to 60+ mph, although some courses may vary, due to weather conditions. I've gotten into 3rd gear at a Corvette event, with my 218 hp. Z. You're either on the gas or the brakes. I've only done 15 mph in the pits, safety reasons. I work as a SCCA Solo Safety Steward & have a National Pit Marshal license. 

 

Please remember the autocross is NOT RACING. 

 

You don't even go that fast.  You compete against the clock, thereby competing against the others.  I have even  made a run where I never got past 15 MPH, as I did the entire course without using the brakes.

 

The same thing goes for Road Rally, but that's an entirely different kind of competition.

 

SCCA and NASA are the bigger organizations that run autocross events.

It might not be racing but it looks like a lot of fun without tearing up my car real bad.I would like to try it.

[Oiluj]

A weekend autocross event is a lot of fun and I recommend you try it.   Your first few times will quickly teach you what you don't know about going fast around corners... 

 

I used to auto-x all the time when I was younger.   In the early to mid 1970's we ran my buddy's TR4 in Sacramento, and even won a few prizes.   I later ran my 2L Ford Pinto in college and consistently beat the Bimmer 2002's, which really pissed them off.   Could never beat the "set-up" Opel Manta's with race-prepped engines.

 

In late 1970's autocross started becoming very competitive.   We ran my first 240Z and a friend's Alfa Romeo 2000 Spyder and did OK, but could never beat the "serious" cars .   Outside club "fun runs", to be competitive, you pretty much need to have a car specifically set-up for autocross.

 

However, even though my "street" Z can't compete with cars in her class that are "set-up" for autocross, it's still a blast to do a few runs between the cones at a weekend event.

[Jeff G 78]

I autocrossed a few times 20 years or so ago.  It wasn't for me.  While the time on course was fun, getting less than 4 minutes of seat time for a full day's effort sucked.

 

If you want to "race", I suggest going to a track day at a local track.  There is Roebling Road, Road Atlanta, and AMP in Georgia.  For about $200 you can get several hours of time on a real track with instruction.  For some people, that is enough to scratch their racing itch.  At some point you might want to go door to door racing.  There are many ways to satisfy that desire, but the costs go up very quickly.

 

Start with autocross, but don't be surprised if you tire of it quickly.  If so, take it to the next level.

[TomoHawk]

It might not be racing but it looks like a lot of fun without tearing up my car real bad.I would like to try it.

It is fun, and you might not think so, but it takes a  LOT of skill and a very good memory! Unlike long road tracks, where you get so many seconds to prepare for the next turn, you get little or no time to think of the next turn.  So you slow down a lot, "perfect" your skill for that particular course, and after a few runs you get  that "fun" feeling.