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do you autocross your daily?

  • YES

    Votes: 68 89.5%
  • NO

    Votes: 8 10.5%

do you Autocross your daily?

16K views 45 replies 26 participants last post by  tukaniSVT 
#1 ·
Hey FF.

i've been really thinking about getting into autocross lately. they hold events pretty close to where i live and i went and watched one and was very impressed. it looks like SO much fun.

My question is, how many of you autocross your daily? is it a good or bad idea?

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
Me. I haven't had any problems with it in particular, just lots of odds and ends breaking like windows and alternators and random things so don't worry too much there lol.

Car is sitting at almost 100k now. I'd recommend some cheap rims and a set of dedicated tires, but I race on concrete which chews tires up pretty fast. I only run one set year round since we don't really have "winters" here and I can't afford or store 2 sets of wheels.
 
#6 ·
daily driver here! the only damage I end up dealing with is my tires. as far as those go, 215/45r17 seems to have a lot of choices open to them. 15s have quite a bit open to them as well, but for some reason 16's are stuck with limited options, unless you want to go to a slightly shorter tire. at least that's what it seems like to me since I have 16s. If you're looking to stay stock, but don't want to chew up your dailys, get a cheap set of 15's and some R comps, though those will be pricy up front, they're definitely worth it. another option is get a cheap set of summer performance tires (kelly, fuzion, etc) that you can drive daily, but don't mind replacing every other year or so.
 
#7 ·
I like 215/40-17s for Auto-x. They seem to be cheaper and you have a decent selection to choose from. The Azenis like that come with reinforced sidewalls also.

As far as R-comps, I dunno.
 
#8 ·
voted, yes even though It's a track only car now.

I did the autoX, Time Trials thing for 2 years as a DD. I even placed 2nd at a National Event in Devens MA, in 2007.

16" rims suck.

Only a few sizes to pick from. I ran in FSP, using Kumho 710's on slower/smaller courses or Yokohama Advans for big open fast autoX's and track days.

I now use 15" rims to lower the CG without having to slam the suspension, and there are way more options for tires.

17" probably offers more options than 16", but you probably cannot go up a rim diameter without getting classed as a modified or prepared vehicle. So only 15" or 16" rims for everything except an SVT! Make sure you study the clubs' car classification specs for allowed mods etc. Rim widths are also a big part of class rules so make sure you know before you purchase anything.
 
#9 ·
oh and before you go right out and start buying stuff, you can do a couple of events on your street tires for now. a few events won't kill them right away. that way you can see whether you want to continue, and give you time to decide on what you want to do mod/class wise in the future. I started on my stock pirellies, then worked on some performance all-seasons for another two years before I decided on having a dedicated summer performance street/autox tire and separate winter tires. Main thing, get to know your car and your abilities before you start spending money.
 
#10 ·
Main thing, get to know your car and your abilities before you start spending money.
Agreed 110%.

but when it comes time you decide to make changes etc, you have to know the rules. Start reading the club info so you have a clearer picture ahead of time.
 
#11 ·
yeah, i'll do plenty of reading before hand. just trying to get a general idea of how many people use there DD for it. it sounds like it should be fine. i think there are a couple more events around here this season so i'll probably be checking those out as well.
 
#15 ·
Autoxing doesnt do to much to your motor. At our course Im mostly in 2nd at mid range RPMs. Although Last event I did brake down on the way home. And now Im installing a new motor. WOOT. ;) The problem had more to do with my timing off then autocrossing the thing
 
#21 ·
My Focus now turned 100k not to long ago. I have not ran at all this year, damn kids. But the prior 3 years I ran it pretty religiously between 3 scca clubs (almost every weekend). I have never needed to tow, work on, or second guess the Focus while running it around the cones. We have even 2 drivered it a few times last season.

I can't encourage this enough. Please purchase a set of rims/tires to designate for autoX use. I'm pissed I didn't listen to this advice earlier. Your tires are fine for one or 2 events, but after 4 or 5 the tires are most likely no longer safe to drive on the road.
 
#24 ·
Yes, because it deletes the catalytic converter. You can run STX with a header and high flow cat, though. 14.10(E) if you want to look it up.
 
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#26 ·
I started out autocrossing 2 years ago, my DD. I made the mistake of going bolt-on happy from the start, and ended up in SM. (okay a little more than bolt-ons) But I'm competing in FSP now and enjoying it, and I've never had any problems with the car that were due to racing it. I just wish there were more Focus autocrossers in my area, I'm always the only one...so lonely
:]
 
#28 ·
I ran FSP in the NNJR SCCA for a couple of years. I would either be alone or competeing against some new odd driver every event. So I just have a big collection of first place "attendance trophies"

The only cool thing was that I ran against some guy in an original mini cooper a couple years ago. I beat him and his father. Saw him at one event, we never spoke and I never saw him again at AutoX.

Turned out that through a mutual friend, this was the guy that eventually built the roll cage in my car now that I have crossed over to road racing. Small world.....
 
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