Re: K&N filter

[philip.ethier@stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)]

Benjawan Kuecharoenwong asks >
>** what is auto-cross ? ***


Autocross:  Noun.  A sport engaged in by automobile enthusiasts in the USA.
Called "gymkhana" in much of the USA during the sixties.  Now the term
"gymkhana" as used in the USA usually connotes a gimmick event wherein
drivers have to do odd things.  Since the seventies, the Sports Car Club of
America (SCCA) has used the trademark "Solo II" for this type of event, and
holds a national-championship event once a year.  The term "autoslalom" is
used in Canada.  Similar things exist in some other countries.  I have no
solid knowledge of them.  I believe in Japan "gymkhana" as used to describe
generally autocross-like events.  One Japanese national gymkhana champion
came to the USA on a visit and stated that the main difference was the
course was bigger in the USA.

(In British motor-sporting english it's similar to sprinting, but seems to
be on cone-marked courses rather than "road" tracks.  Judging by comments
made in the past the courses seem to be tighter than sprint courses, and so
speeds are slower. -Mike Causer, in the UK)

Autocross, as done in the USA now, generally works like this:

A sports car club procures a site, generally a large parking lot.
Airstrips and actual racetracks are often used.

A course is set up using plastic or rubber traffic markers.  These are
referred to as "cones" or "pylons".  This course can be of almost unlimited
design.  The participants are expected to argue about the design, generally
half proclaiming great satisfaction and the other half complaining
bitterly.

Timing equipment is required, preferably an electronic timer capable of
accurate timing to one-thousandth of a second.

Cars are arranged in classes.  There are generally discussions about this,
also.  The classes used by the SCCA are the most common in the USA.  Since
classing cars fairly is so difficult, the SCCA folks who do this have a
thankless job.

Each driver negotiates the course and is timed.  A penalty is assigned for
each pylon which is struck.  This penalty is usually the addition of 2
seconds to the driver's time.  A more severe penalty is applied if the
driver goes the wrong side of any pylon.  This is called "going off
course".  The penalty generally is that this "run" will not count in the
scoring.  This is indicated by the acronym "DNF" (did not finish).

Generally, there are several runs at an event.  Each driver is awarded the
best time of all runs taken, so a driver may improve the score with each
run, and does not lose a previous good score if (s)he makes a poor run.

Costs vary widely around the country.  Typical cost for a single day event
is probably ten or twenty dollars.  The sponsoring club has expenses like
site rental and insurance.  Costs for insurance are not insignificant in
lawsuit-happy America.  Keeping safe courses and speeds is important to the
survival of the sport.

Advantages to participants include:  You are competing against other
drivers, but only via the clock.  No one is going to try to pass you.  In
events where more than one car is on the course at a time, they are spaced
so as not to interfere with each other.  If a driver does start to catch
another, (s)he simply leaves the course and is awarded another run.

This sport meets one of the basic criteria for success, in my opinion.  It
is easy to do, and difficult to master.  Beginning, it is easier than
bowling or golf.  Being able to dominate the sport is a talent few have.
But it is very enjoyable no matter what your equipment or skill level.
Warning:  for some people, autocross has been shown to be extremely
addictive.

Autocrosses do not typically charge for spectators.  Just go.  You may be
asked to sign an insurance waiver.

There is an autocross mailing list.  To sign up, send a message to
autox-request@autox.team.net
send the following in the body (not the subject line)

        subscribe autox
or
        subscribe ax-digest

depending on your preferred mailing list format.

Although most of the list members are from the USA and Canada, there are
some Europeans aboard, and people from all countries are welcome.

You asked for the time, and I told you how to make a watch.

philip.ethier@stpaul.gov
"The workingman's GT-40" - Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman