Hello...
One thing I've been surprised about on this list is although there is much
discussion of rules 'n' regs, tires, and various car parts/upgrades, there
isn't a whole lot of discussion on driving techiques. Of course all these
national champs don't want all of us getting that much better, creating more
competition for themselves... :)
Seriously, though, here's a question that's come to my mind. I started
autocrossing in my '95 Mercury Tracer automatic. In a word, ***UGH!!!***
Actually in many ways this was good - I was able to concentrate strictly
maneuvering the car and not worry about the additional factor of shifting.
That's how I got the basics down. Now I've moved on to the BMW 320i with a
5-speed. Man, what a difference! :) Shifting isn't really a problem - I
generally launch, run it up in 1st, shift to 2nd, and leave it there till
the finish. But a launch with a stick is a fairly new concept to me, and
I'm not quite sure what the best technique is. What would y'all suggest?
My 320 is RWD, so factor the beneficial weight transfer into it. I've seen
all kinds of launches from tire-smoking drops of the clutch to the same kind
of gentle launch you'd use on the street. I'm sure I'll have to experiment
to see what works best for me and my car, but I'm open to advice, opinions,
and wild speculation. :) Thanks!
- Justin
'95 Mercury Tracer, HS (retired)
'83 BMW 320i, ST
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