# Anyone here autocross? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2001, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333 "2001-12-01T17:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mandicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Mandicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mandicus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/1 "2001-12-01T17:26:12Z")
Can’t really elaborate on that one… ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/2 "2001-12-01T19:11:08Z")
Once. I thought it was awful hard on my little car. It was also waiting around all day for very little course time. Just not an all-the-time thing for me. I might do it again just before I get new tires. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/3 "2001-12-01T19:19:25Z")
No, but I cross others often. ---
**Author:** ![Mandicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Mandicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mandicus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/4 "2001-12-01T21:17:44Z")
Yeah, it’s extremely tough on the tires. And how much time you actually get depends on which races you go to. The ones my boyfriend and I usually attend are rather, um, disorganized, so we don’t get as much time on the course as we could. But at other places I’ve heard about you can get a remarkable amount of time on-course. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/5 "2001-12-01T22:02:14Z")
I’ve autocrossed in my Miata several times, as well as run on race tracks. It’s a blast! It will wear out your tires a lot faster than normal street driving, but that’s not too much of a problem if you only do it once in a while. If you get into it more seriously, you’ll probably want to get a second set of wheels with tires so you can easily swap them onto your car when you autocross. If you **really** get into it, you may want to get a dedicated car just to race, and trailer it to the events. 🙂 Chris, other than wearing out your tires, it’s really not hard on your car at all. That’s the kind of driving the Miata was built for. Most of the mechanicals are designed to withstand a lot more stress than they’ll get autocrossing. This has been discussed recently on the [Miata Forum](http://www.miataforum.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=001438). Eric ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/6 "2001-12-01T22:32:30Z")
Yeah, I know. When I did it a few years ago, (my M2 was brand-new!) the guy who was putting it on asked me nicely if he could drive it through once, since an M2 had won “national” last year. Wow. That guy could drive. I’ll stick to Deals Gap, where I know what I’m doing. I haven’t been on MF for quite awhile-- I was one of the ones that left when Banter did. miatachris RAGS 35 ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/7 "2001-12-02T00:52:36Z")
I’ve been to a few, and participated in some “fun runs” at one of them. It was really a lot of fun, even though I wasn’t too good. It gave me a chance to drive like I always wanted, but without the fear of getting arrested or maiming pedestrians. It also made me realize why my car was called The World’s Best Handling Car when it came out by Car and Driver (I think). I’ve promised myself to actually do the competition next season, despite the certain embarassment as a guy who knows how to drive will beat me in his 84 Civic. But it’s all about beating your own time, anyway, so I look forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![miatachris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@miatachris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miatachris)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-autocross/96333/8 "2001-12-02T01:12:48Z")
The guy who was running the show was using as his autocrosser, get this-- a Ford Fiesta. No joke. A Fiesta. The thing would come up off one wheel in the really tight curves and the sight is one I won’t forget. I have it on video. He beat my time, too. He’s supposedly some SCCA big wheel, but I don’t remember his name.