Auto-Xing

AX is fun and a great way to learn car control in a safe environment. You may find it a bit confusing at first though, since driving a course thru cones is different than driving on a visible road.

Try to walk the course with an experienced AX'er who can explain the course details to you, and also take a ride if possible with someone experienced - it will help a lot. Things happen pretty fast and furious on an AX course, so don't get frustrated if you miss/hit cones the first few times out.

First time out, I wouldn't worry a whole lot about car set-up, other than perhaps starting off with a little higher pressures in your tires . . . you can also put some white shoe polish marks on the tire shoulders, to see how much you are rolling over onto the sidewalls, and adjust your pressures accordingly.

Have fun!

Oh, and remember to look ahead . . .

Thank you Andrew, i'm sure it will be so much fun.

How competitive are the crocs in auto-X?

PDK on auto sport + should help, but should I disable traction?

Yep just pump up the tires a bit.
Walk the course as many times as possible.
Take it slow your first run (don't get lost).
Don't forget to floor it when you can and to slow down for the turns.

Here's how it's done.
YouTube - Autocross: 2007 SCCA National Championships East Course - Porsche Boxster S
YouTube - Autocross: 2007 SCCA Packwood National Tour Day 2 redux - Porsche Boxster S

Wow, just watching those videos made me dizzy.

Great skills by the driver.

Remember to clean all the cone marks from your car when you're done:hilarious:

DrKareem said:

. . . How competitive are the crocs in auto-X?

PDK on auto sport + should help, but should I disable traction?

Click to expand...

I would try it with both PSM on and off, and see what happens. I usually run with PSM off on a dry course, because there are times where you might want to get the rear-end to rotate around without PSM intervening. So what if you spin? On a properly laid-out course, the worse that will happen is that you will take out a few cones, and DNF (did not finish) the run. You should use the AX opportunity to learn the limits of the car, IMO.

The nice thing about PDK (or Tip in my case) is that it makes it much easier to downshift to 1st for a very tight hairpin, and with some practice, you can learn to left-foot brake as well.

The Caymans can do pretty well in AX (I think the PDK is probably very well-suited to AX), but driver experience/ability plays a big role, as does course design to some extent.

Ask for an instructor to ride with you for the first few times, get a tire pressure gauge because your air pressure will increase when the tires get hot and you will lose some traction and most of all have fun.:cheers:

Thanks for all the tips guys, can't wait.

I'm excited for you Doc :banana:... You shouldnt miss that. Like others said, here are my suggestions:

1. I find that the PS2 perform best at 40 psi hot, so try to be there!
2. I recommend PDK on D and Sport+ on the first run, it will make you focus on your line better.
3. Similarly, I suggest keeping PSM on at least for the first run, unless you are comforable with it off (or are feeling adventurous )
4. Try to practice left foot braking, it really makes a difference!
5. Most importantly, have fun, dont stress yourself. You're not running for 24h of Le Mans!

Dont overcook the corners. If you dont brake enough you may get understeer and loose a lot of time. Brake late and hard then power out early.

AutoX in Bahrain is probably a very different sport than here in the US. I know in some countries autocross is an off road competition. So the advice you get from us might not apply to your situation. Regardless, go have fun in your Porsche.