Autocross at the MATS

[Paul G]

I wrote this piece for our clubs monthly news letter. Just thought I would share it here. Needless to say running the Autocross was a blast in my 72 Charger. Right up until I lost second gear!



Autocross
You are inside a closed course waiting for your turn to start, only 100' away straight in front of you is the concrete barrier wall, engine idling, pulse pounding, barely breathing, you are waiting and anticipating the go signal from the flagman. Watching as the car before you rounds the second turn you stand on the brake and bring up the rev's, the flagman waves you off. You smash the gas pedal hard trying to build as much speed as you can before you cross the light beam at the starting line, you are headed full pedal straight for the wall. On the gas hard you make a quick cut to the left to get around a cone and the rear end starts to slide, then off the gas and cut back to the right to set up for the first turn. As the rear continues to slide you cut hard left around the sweeping turn, the concrete wall only a few feet away, give it a little gas but not too much, just enough to keep the nose going in the right direction. Just out of the first turn you give it a little more gas then hard to the right through a quick right turn and mash the gas again while trying to keep the rear end behind you, zig-zag around two more cones and let off to enter the next turn, now you cut it hard right, as the rear starts to slide you enter a tight right turn giving it just enough gas to keep the rear end where you need it to be. Coming out of the turn you get on the gas hard to get through a short straight as quickly as you can, back off in just enough time to get in to another hard left turn, cut really hard steering more with the gas pedal than the wheel. Exiting the turn and hard on the gas again, getting around the last zig-zag you cut left and then right, now hard to the left and power through the last turn, the finish line light beam is only a few feet further. Getting on the gas hard the tires are screeching and the rear end is sliding sideways as you break the beam for the finish line. Hard, hard braking now as you stop in just enough time to see your ET on the monitor before they wave you off the course.

That is Autocross. It all takes place in 40 seconds or less. It is a huge thrill to drive through a course where you can slide, make noise, squeal the tires and it's all legal. It is a "run what you brung" type of event. All are welcome to try their skills at the Autocross.  It becomes addicting. The more you do it, the more you want to improve. Thinking about every turn, how you enter each turn trying to exit correctly to set yourself up for the next turn, using more power, or less. What will make you faster? Better tires, suspension, alignment?

At the MATS event the Autocross course was sponsored by Hotchkiss Suspension. Hotchkiss had some of their fully built team cars running the course. And they were fast. Petty had cars there running the course as well. And then there were guys like us, normal guys in normal cars. Some new, some 40+ years old like mine.  Some built for competition, some stock. Every one having fun whether driving the course or as a spectator just watching. If you were lucky you could get to ride along in the really fast Hotchkiss and Petty cars, If not too lucky you got to ride with me.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnoeuOnmZ5A&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms9l2Tz_iFg

[WHITE AND RED 69]

And no pictures or video!    Sounds fun though. One of these days I'm going to get my charger out on the course.

[VegasCharger]

Glad you had a great experience at the MATS. I was there vending, man did that wind on Fri & Sat suck 

Bryan

[Paul G]

Pics and vids are coming. Will post them when I get them.

[tommymac]

Id like to try that ,what have you done to your car to improve 'The 40 year car'.TM

[TexasStroker]

Looking forward to seeing the video Paul.  Wish I could have made it again...We had 4-5 from Amarillo trek over.

[Chryco Psycho]

Too bad the weather was rough again this year 

[AKcharger]

That wasn't u in that yellow challenger was it?

[Paul G]

Id like to try that ,what have you done to your car to improve 'The 40 year car'.TM

I put a large front sway bar last year. It already had super stock leafs in the back. Other than that just air up the tires to 35 psi and go have some fun.

That wasn't u in that yellow challenger was it?

Nope, I was in the green 72, flying the flags in both back windows. I had the dumps open for a little more excitement. Kind of "fast & loud" except mostly loud. 

[AKcharger]

Ah, the flags! that's right I saw ya' running around

[Paul G]

I got a couple of videos. Attached them to the bottom of the first post. Cant figure out how to have the video in a window instead of just the url link.

[472 R/T SE]

I got a couple of videos. Attached them to the bottom of the first post. Cant figure out how to have the video in a window instead of just the url link.

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And you never will on this forum.