I hear the disparaging comments from racers, “Autocrossing, isn’t that for wannabe racers?” Alternatively, many hard core DE drivers groan, “Why do I want to hang around a hot, dusty parking lot all day for three or four 60 second runs when I can go to the track for four 20 minute sessions? Well class, silence your cell phones and put down your laptops because the lecture on why you should autocross is about to begin.

Autocrossing is the single most, best way to develop car control skills than any other venue. Yeah, I know that some of you will be thinking Karting is better, and that does teach control but in the very specific range of ultra light and overly stiff vehicle dynamics. If you plan to go straight into formula cars, maybe this will work, but since most of you start with 3000 pound+ cars, the high speed dynamics are just not the same. Ever see how far a Kart goes when you lose it in an average turn? Maybe about 30 feet. Ever see how far a 3000 pound 911 goes? Maybe about 300 yards, or until it hits something very hard. The principles are the same, but in practice it is very different.

What about skid pad training? Yeah, what about it? It teaches about car balance and how the throttle affects the weight distribution and therefore the grip of the front and rear tires. Anyone who has done half a dozen autocrosses knows all about this already. That is the beginning basics of the skills required to autocross. Baby steps. Take that balance, and apply it to sliding the car on the brakes going into a corner and wait for the back to come around. When it does, you pin the back with the gas and rocket off towards the next turn. It is practical application of balancing the car on the brakes and on the throttle.

But autocrossing gives you so much more. By carefully walking the course, you learn first-hand about the corners, and how to analyze the proper line. Early apex? Late apex? Which is appropriate for each turn is right in front of your face. You can plan your path, and then see if you can execute it. You learn how to get that perfect heel-toe downshift in a split second, not in the eternity that you have on the race track. You learn how to brake without upsetting the car, or use the brakes to purposely change the balance. Same goes for the throttle. Your butt will become tuned into the slightest movements of the car, and I guarantee that you will learn how to properly countersteer and catch that skid. And probably most important of all, it teaches you how to find the limit at a pace that you can learn at, without being afraid of wrecking the car.

This is car control that transfers easily to the track. Every time I get into a car with a novice driver who came from autocrossing, I know it immediately. They have that control, and are immediately comfortable with the car at higher speeds. Once they learn the line and adjust to the size of the corners, they are usually flying. If you will indulge a little self-promotion, I started autocrossing at 18 and competed regionally and very successfully for 10 years. When I took to the track, the adjustment was quick, and my progress was meteoric. I was moved to the uninstructed group after 5 events and begun winning in time trails against my instructors. I became an instructor after 11 events and was always known for having amazing car control. There is no way that I could have made that kind of progress without the sound fundamentals that I gained through autocrossing.

Finally, there is the competition. Unlike the track, every turn has to be perfect, every touch of the gas or brake has to be exactly right, because when you are running against the clock in such a little bull ring, time-wise there is no margin for error. You will not make up for a mistake somewhere down the course. You will not be able to gather it back up and run down your competition, or wait for his tires to go off. It is a pressure packed 60 seconds right on the edge that you have to get right. I know of more than a few drivers that go to DE’s to play, but go to autocrosses to race and win. Motivation, concentration, aggression and smoothness all in a compressed, intensive package. To me, that is worth waiting around a hot, dusty parking lot for.