TIPS for TACKLING TRAP ELEMENTS: Autocross Results

[@alhopkins185]

Good to see new content from you this late in the year. Congrats on the class win. I heard you mention both back siding the cone and trail breaking. I also hear the autocross novice instructors mention back siding the cone. I understand it means for your rear wheel to run over/touch the outer side of the cone without putting it out of the box. What is the key or vehicle reference for back siding instead of knocking over the cone? I seem to use my side mirrors but that doesn't seem quite right.

[@warhorseracing]

Thanks! I'm running a little behind on my videos this season, but I will post at least one more results video before my 2024 Season Review. I have the last event of the season this weekend, and a CAM-T championship is on the line! I always explain backsiding like this: "Putting the rear quarter panel on the cone you are turning past." I'm not actually trying to brush the cone (and I'm not skilled enough to run over the edge of the base without punting it), but I want to be very close to the cone & have the car at the correct angle. Lots of people will put the rear quarter panel on the cone but be driving straight past the cone, instead of putting the car at an angle. The cone is going to drop out of sight as you approach it. And you don't want to be looking down the hood at the cone immediately in front of the car (you want to be looking ahead). You'll be starting your turn early (well ahead of the cone) and arcing toward the cone. It's hard to give a specific reference point that works for every car. One thing you can do (only when it is 100% safe and legal to do so), is move over to the outer edges of a lane on the highway and feel when your tires hit the reflectors. You'll be able to see the line of reflectors relative to the hood of the car and get a sense of how wide the car is. Keep in mind that veering in a lane of traffic can lead to being pulled over. And it's not something you should do if there are any cars in the other lanes. If you do this, you will have to assess and accept the level of risk involved. The best option is something I was told many times as a novice, "You have to hit the cones to learn how to miss the cones." Sometimes, the best way to learn how close you can get is to clip a few cones in a controlled autocross environment. I thought I was doing great because I didn't hit many cones as a novice, until an instructor told me that the reason I wasn't hitting cones was because I was nowhere near them! She had me drive into several cones on the course, which helped me figure out exactly how wide my car is.

[@alhopkins185]

@@warhorseracing I really appreciate your response. It gives me something of a reference to experiment with next year, especially since my Genny Coupe is about the same length, width and weight as my Mustang but has a longer wheelbase. I, like many others, hope your next video is about winning a championship!!

[@warhorseracing]

@@alhopkins185 It takes a little time to figure out car placement relative to the cones. But, once you do, you'll feel really comfortable backsiding the cones. And that will help you find a lot of speed. Thanks! I'm looking forward to the event tomorrow!