Cal Club Autocross Forums

It appears that there are some guidelines for learning a new course but I can't find them written down. Are still or video cameras allowed on a course walk? I know that camera drones are not allowed during the event but are they legal during a course walk. Can a competitor ride a bike or other small device during a course walk? Are diagrams of the course available to competitors from the course designer. Can anyone shed some light on how to memorize a course before timed runs on a Sunday.

Jeffear wrote:It appears that there are some guidelines for learning a new course but I can't find them written down. Are still or video cameras allowed on a course walk? I know that camera drones are not allowed during the event but are they legal during a course walk. Can a competitor ride a bike or other small device during a course walk? Are diagrams of the course available to competitors from the course designer. Can anyone shed some light on how to memorize a course before timed runs on a Sunday.

I've seen people film their course walk. I don't believe you are allowed to walk/drive the course "at speed". Yom usually takes a little razer bike out, but he does it at walking speed. Course maps are usually available to the worker chief and the people setting up course.

I'd just recommend walking the course with someone who's really good at reading them, and learning to pick up on what they see. I spent the first 7 months autocrossing not having the slightest idea where I was going

No person may compete who has pre-run through all or any part of the
course, in or on any wheeled vehicle, except a competitor with a physical
disability that impairs his/her ability to walk may, with the approval
of the Chief Steward, use a wheelchair or similar aid traveling at normal
walking speed to accomplish the requirements of Section 6.3. All event officials,
whether competing in the event or not, must use caution to avoid
individual conflict of interest situations during the event.

So I'd take that to mean no bikes?

So I'd take that to mean no bikes?

The rule is you are supposed to walk course. If you have a hard time walking, you can seek an exception. As one who has to ride most of the time due to physical limitations, I prefer to walk when I can as I find it easier to focus on the course. If you do get permission to ride, speed should be kept to walking speed while on course.

Jeffear wrote:It appears that there are some guidelines for learning a new course but I can't find them written down. Are still or video cameras allowed on a course walk? I know that camera drones are not allowed during the event but are they legal during a course walk. Can a competitor ride a bike or other small device during a course walk? Are diagrams of the course available to competitors from the course designer. Can anyone shed some light on how to memorize a course before timed runs on a Sunday.

I was taught in Evo school that you don't have to memorize any course, just look farther ahead. Sometimes you may not have the luxury of a course walk. Then what are you going to do if you can't memorize? The answer is look ahead. I pretty much give everyone the same looking ahead speech (I won't go into it here since I've already given it to you) - some take to it immediately, some take more time and practice.

If you're really dead set on memorizing a course, then I would work on mentally simplifying a course. Start off with the general idea of where the course goes (clockwise/counterclockwise - or, more specifically, across the lot/up the lot/down the runway/through the crossover/etc.. Once you've done that, separate it by elements (turns/slaloms/straights). After you've figured out the general elements, there are really only 1-3 cones in any element you need to know - entry cone, apex cone, and exit cone with apex being the most important unless it's a slalom. Everything else (walls, directional cones, etc) is just noise.

On this last course, you just had to find where the pointer cones were. Pointer cones are usually placed on the inside of a corner. The very last pointer cone on course was the toughest to find because it was buried in a sea of cones just beyond a pole. Pointed that out on the Novice walk in the morning and afternoon, btw.

There's a section on what to look for on a course walk in our Novice Guide:
http://www.solo2.com/MiscDocuments/CSCC ... _Guide.pdf

What George said.

Here's the official wording in the national rule book:

4.9 CONFLICT OF INTEREST
No person may compete who has pre-run through all or any part of the
course, in or on any wheeled vehicle, except a competitor with a physical
disability that impairs his/her ability to walk may, with the approval
of the Chief Steward, use a wheelchair or similar aid traveling at normal
walking speed to accomplish the requirements of Section 6.3. All event officials,
whether competing in the event or not, must use caution to avoid
individual conflict of interest situations during the event.

I don't try to memorize. I walk and look for areas that may not be completely evident when driving. Such as a section that requires a certain setup to maximize a certain area's features. Look far ahead and have one or two "remember this" things.

I memorize. Didn't for many years until I got my Formula Ford, and then found I had restricted down-course sight. I don't know how KJ manages it, but I couldn't. I may be the only person who does this -- I verbalize my course walk into a tiny digital voice recorder. Basically describe the course to myself and note the presence of hard-to-see's and surprises. I only walk the course once, but I replay my recording enough to lock it into my brain.

I walk regional courses and national courses differently.

Regional...
I typically walk the course one or two times. If I'm in the first run group.... on my first go around I'm looking for my optimum line. If not, I'm looking for my optimum line, AND what I believe based upon 15+ years of experience will be the clean line (usually more point and shoot than I would prefer driving momentum cars). If in the afternoon group, I walk specifically looking for the edges of the clean line, and how I can best take advantage of what was left of the course.

I don't necessarily memorize the course... but i remember key braking, apex,and track out equivalents, and visual references around the course for them.

National...
I walk the course 4-5 times for each days setup. I do all of the above, but, with that many walks I can typically memorize the course, and run it mentally in more or less real time. By that I don't mean that I could time my run as I mentally drive it, and predict I will run a 54 sec. course in advance.... but I can mentally drive the course seeing the general outline of the cones pass, picturing my braking points feeling the slowing, the weight transfers, sliding, accelerating, etc.... and where on the course that is going to take me as it happens, then steering to my next point and setting up for the next corner.

Adding to Leonard's comment, one of the things that stuck for me from the McKamey (predecessor to EVO) school instructor was not to generically walk the course looking for the line you want... but to purposefully walk the a line based upon one of two points in your car. Either the drivers seat, or your drivers side front wheel. I walk the line I expect my drivers front wheel to take. This allows me to visualize arch's from element to element better, as I can consider whether or not my tire is truly able to achieve what I'm walking, or if I need to alter what I'm walking to match what the grip my tire can achieve at the speed the course will be traveled at that point. This helps me consider both causes and results of altering braking points, acceleration points etc.

Thank you all for your really great advice. Bill Martin's method really appeals to me but all of your advice is really helpful. At my age, I have a really bad case of "CRS", Can't Remember sh#$.

I'm just curious to know why SCCA Autocross is the only motorsport I am aware of that does not allow a competitor to practice the course before competing. When I first went to a Saturday practice I thought I would be driving the course I would be timed on, on Sunday. I am not being critical, I would just like to understand. It seems to me that just driving the course fast is challenge enough. I went to a one day Porsche Club autocross last year and they allowed 8 practice runs followed by 4 timed runs on the same course. Seemed reasonable to me...

No one addressed whether it is legal or ethical to use still or video cameras, so I assume they are OK. Has anyone used a go Pro while walking the course and then dramatically speeding up the video to get an idea of the course at speed. Can I also assume a GPS tracking device is also legal?

Jeffear wrote:No one addressed whether it is legal or ethical to use still or video cameras, so I assume they are OK. Has anyone used a go Pro while walking the course and then dramatically speeding up the video to get an idea of the course at speed. Can I also assume a GPS tracking device is also legal?

There are no restrictions on any data acquisition or recording of any type. Data acquisition is a hugely powerful tool if you know how to use it. Shameless plug for my app: http://www.RaceTraceApp.com

I'm someone who has no problem memorizing the course in one walk, so I've never done this, but I've always had the idea to point a GoPro backwards on Saturday then watch the video backwards to get a good view of the Sunday course at speed.

As far as my course walking technique, I think the biggest key (as others have already mentioned) is to tune out the noise and only pay attention to the cones that matter.

Here's how I would break down what you should try and remember into priority levels, with examples of what I would try and remember given each priority (based on this course)
1st priority: Get a general flow of the course worked out so you know the broad strokes:

1. the start is here
2. then it slaloms over that way
3. into a sweepery/turnaround
4. then there's a big sweeper the other way through the middle of the lot
5. then a fast right-hander into a walloms along the back
6. then a right hand turnaround
7. etc...

2nd priority: Start filling in details about where the key cones are

1. start is here
2. then a 5 cone right entry slalom
3. then a turnaround with two key inside cones
4. then a big increasing radius sweeper where the first cone is the limiter and a gate at the end
5. etc...

3rd priority: Start making notes about line choice in each turn

1. start is here
2. then a 5 cone right entry slalom where the 4th cone is slightly offset the hard way so make sure to give up a bit there
3. then a turnaround with two key inside cones where the first one doesn't matter much and you really need to backside the second one
4. then a big increasing radius sweeper to the left where the first cone is the limiter. Really backside the first one then look ahead to find the gate at the end and try and backside the left part of it.
5. etc...

Jeff Stuart wrote:

Jeffear wrote:No one addressed whether it is legal or ethical to use still or video cameras, so I assume they are OK. Has anyone used a go Pro while walking the course and then dramatically speeding up the video to get an idea of the course at speed. Can I also assume a GPS tracking device is also legal?

There are no restrictions on any data acquisition or recording of any type. Data acquisition is a hugely powerful tool if you know how to use it. Shameless plug for my app: http://www.RaceTraceApp.com

I'm someone who has no problem memorizing the course in one walk, so I've never done this, but I've always had the idea to point a GoPro backwards on Saturday then watch the video backwards to get a good view of the Sunday course at speed.

As far as my course walking technique, I think the biggest key (as others have already mentioned) is to tune out the noise and only pay attention to the cones that matter.

Here's how I would break down what you should try and remember into priority levels, with examples of what I would try and remember given each priority (based on this course)
1st priority: Get a general flow of the course worked out so you know the broad strokes:

1. the start is here
2. then it slaloms over that way
3. into a sweepery/turnaround
4. then there's a big sweeper the other way through the middle of the lot
5. then a fast right-hander into a walloms along the back
6. then a right hand turnaround
7. etc...

2nd priority: Start filling in details about where the key cones are

1. start is here
2. then a 5 cone right entry slalom
3. then a turnaround with two key inside cones
4. then a big increasing radius sweeper where the first cone is the limiter and a gate at the end
5. etc...

3rd priority: Start making notes about line choice in each turn

1. start is here
2. then a 5 cone right entry slalom where the 4th cone is slightly offset the hard way so make sure to give up a bit there
3. then a turnaround with two key inside cones where the first one doesn't matter much and you really need to backside the second one
4. then a big increasing radius sweeper to the left where the first cone is the limiter. Really backside the first one then look ahead to find the gate at the end and try and backside the left part of it.
5. etc...

Nice summary Jeff!

Jeffear wrote:I'm just curious to know why SCCA Autocross is the only motorsport I am aware of that does not allow a competitor to practice the course before competing. When I first went to a Saturday practice I thought I would be driving the course I would be timed on, on Sunday. I am not being critical, I would just like to understand.

Because that's the whole point of our sport. To be able to do your best in 3 or 4 runs on a fresh course with at most a course walk or two. It's what makes us different (and more difficult in some ways) than other motorsports. While there are some naturals at it, most of us take some time to get good. If you practice first, then in my opinion it's not autocross.