When you guys say AutoX do you really mean autotest?
08-10-2005, 02:27 PM
#1
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When you guys say AutoX do you really mean autotest? If its not drag racing autoX (I assume autocross) seems pretty popular, just been looking in the handling section and see it mentioned a few times, as well as on other sites. BUT its all wrong. This is what an autocross event looks like:
very much like rallying, click here for more http://www.aswmc.org.uk/autox.htm
This is autotesting:
Driving round a coned course using forward and reverse gears.
One of the best in the business is Paul Swift he uses a slightly modded Mini:
There is of course Rally Cross as well, this is where is gets extreme with cars weighing less than 1000kg (2200lb) with 700+bhp.
very much like rallying, click here for more http://www.aswmc.org.uk/autox.htm
This is autotesting:
Driving round a coned course using forward and reverse gears.
One of the best in the business is Paul Swift he uses a slightly modded Mini:
Originally Posted by Paul Swift
Autotesting is one of the cheapest and most enjoyable forms of motor sport, where you can use a standard road car, but driving ability is vital.
Cars compete alone and against the clock. The aim of autotesting is to drive around a set of markers/pylons/posts adhering to a set route in as short a time as possible. The route is set out in a test diagram and involves competitors using both forward and reverse gears. They are required to cross lines, stop astride lines, park in "garages", pass and circle around pylons, perform spin turns, handbrake turns and reverse flick turns.
Penalties are given for striking marker pylons or incorrect manoeuvres. The competitor with the fastest time and the least penalties is the winner. The surface is normally smooth, often asphalt with the entry divided into classes, according to the physical size of the car and/or its technical specification (front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, for example).
The minimum requirements are any roadworthy car and you must be at least 14 years old to drive in a Production Car Autotest or 16 years old to drive in a "normal" autotest; you must hold either a valid motor club membership card, or an MSA Clubman Competition Licence
This diagram shows what might be expected of the driver at a simple autotest. The finish is located in the same place as the start, and the only section requiring reverse is indicated with a dotted line.
Not all tests require reverse, while others do not finish at the same place as they start. It is not uncommon for the finish line of one test to become the start line for the next. Some event organisers can be quite devious, so it is worth being totally familiar with the test before attempting it.
Cars compete alone and against the clock. The aim of autotesting is to drive around a set of markers/pylons/posts adhering to a set route in as short a time as possible. The route is set out in a test diagram and involves competitors using both forward and reverse gears. They are required to cross lines, stop astride lines, park in "garages", pass and circle around pylons, perform spin turns, handbrake turns and reverse flick turns.
Penalties are given for striking marker pylons or incorrect manoeuvres. The competitor with the fastest time and the least penalties is the winner. The surface is normally smooth, often asphalt with the entry divided into classes, according to the physical size of the car and/or its technical specification (front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, for example).
The minimum requirements are any roadworthy car and you must be at least 14 years old to drive in a Production Car Autotest or 16 years old to drive in a "normal" autotest; you must hold either a valid motor club membership card, or an MSA Clubman Competition Licence
This diagram shows what might be expected of the driver at a simple autotest. The finish is located in the same place as the start, and the only section requiring reverse is indicated with a dotted line.
Not all tests require reverse, while others do not finish at the same place as they start. It is not uncommon for the finish line of one test to become the start line for the next. Some event organisers can be quite devious, so it is worth being totally familiar with the test before attempting it.
but a better word would be road racing 
08-10-2005, 03:03 PM
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It's not so much autotest because not many autox courses do circles and reverses (that's what we'd call Gymkhana events here in the states)
Auto X in America is here because we don't have many road courses (yet we have much more square footage of land than the Isles... irony?)
Auto X is going out into a parking lot, designing a TIGHT close ended course made out of cones and then racing from beginning to end as quickly as possible against a stop watch.
It differs from Autotest because autotest not a really close ended course design. You can design an autotest course with about 10 cones... It provides you with much more breathing room and you can drift most autotest courses. You guys can put one cone out there and say 'do a 360 around this cone...' AutoX doesn't do that. Most autox courses are basically 1.5 car wide race courses in parking lots made with hundreds of cones
I hope I'm explaining this correctly... I can see that I'm being a little wordy.
Auto X in America is here because we don't have many road courses (yet we have much more square footage of land than the Isles... irony?)
Auto X is going out into a parking lot, designing a TIGHT close ended course made out of cones and then racing from beginning to end as quickly as possible against a stop watch.
It differs from Autotest because autotest not a really close ended course design. You can design an autotest course with about 10 cones... It provides you with much more breathing room and you can drift most autotest courses. You guys can put one cone out there and say 'do a 360 around this cone...' AutoX doesn't do that. Most autox courses are basically 1.5 car wide race courses in parking lots made with hundreds of cones
I hope I'm explaining this correctly... I can see that I'm being a little wordy.
08-10-2005, 03:07 PM
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http://www.windycitymiataclub.com/au...utox3_2003.gif
Here's an example of an autox course
Note, this one uses much less pylons than I described though
The idea is the same though. You are always moving forward and you never do 360s, hand brake spin turns, etc...
It's FAR less cool than what we call 'Gymkhana' and you call Autotest.
Gymkhana gives you the opportunity to drift, do donuts, etc...
Autocross is all about being very tight and VERY fast
Here's an example of an autox course
Note, this one uses much less pylons than I described though
The idea is the same though. You are always moving forward and you never do 360s, hand brake spin turns, etc...
It's FAR less cool than what we call 'Gymkhana' and you call Autotest.
Gymkhana gives you the opportunity to drift, do donuts, etc...
Autocross is all about being very tight and VERY fast
08-11-2005, 10:16 AM
#7
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Originally Posted by Chapel
It's not so much autotest because not many autox courses do circles and reverses (that's what we'd call Gymkhana events here in the states)
Auto X in America is here because we don't have many road courses (yet we have much more square footage of land than the Isles... irony?)
Auto X is going out into a parking lot, designing a TIGHT close ended course made out of cones and then racing from beginning to end as quickly as possible against a stop watch.
It differs from Autotest because autotest not a really close ended course design. You can design an autotest course with about 10 cones... It provides you with much more breathing room and you can drift most autotest courses. You guys can put one cone out there and say 'do a 360 around this cone...' AutoX doesn't do that. Most autox courses are basically 1.5 car wide race courses in parking lots made with hundreds of cones
I hope I'm explaining this correctly... I can see that I'm being a little wordy.
Auto X in America is here because we don't have many road courses (yet we have much more square footage of land than the Isles... irony?)
Auto X is going out into a parking lot, designing a TIGHT close ended course made out of cones and then racing from beginning to end as quickly as possible against a stop watch.
It differs from Autotest because autotest not a really close ended course design. You can design an autotest course with about 10 cones... It provides you with much more breathing room and you can drift most autotest courses. You guys can put one cone out there and say 'do a 360 around this cone...' AutoX doesn't do that. Most autox courses are basically 1.5 car wide race courses in parking lots made with hundreds of cones
I hope I'm explaining this correctly... I can see that I'm being a little wordy.
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08-11-2005, 11:29 AM
#8
What you call autocross is what we call ralleycross. As stated above, our autocross courses are really mini-road race courses set up in parking lots and other areas like airports. It depends on the lot it is set up in. Here in the west part of the US, we have some pretty large, open areas. My club uses an old Air Force Base, and sometimes I get into 3rd gear there; so around 80 mph.
08-26-2005, 08:37 AM
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