I'm thinking of entering my 93 90s in some autocross events next year, any pointers. My only consern is that my car is an automatic. I can drive stick, but I got the car for $500 and it runs great. The car is currently bone stock, I'm thinking of puting H&R springs and diffrent rims.

Any one want to trade for a manual trany?

 

I doubt anyone would "trade" a manual tranny for your auto...

 

Lots of people run automatics because it's what they have. It's certainly not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either. Most courses are run almost entirely in 2nd gear, so if you can find a way to lock your automatic in 2nd gear once it upshifts out if 1st, you'll be set.

I have no experience with Audi automatics, so I don't know how they work. The borrowed Pontiac automatic I drove to a win in our SCCA region's championship would upshift at redline if left in "1" to keep from destroying itself. Other cars you have to manually shift into 2nd. In that case, you can either put it in "2" and floor it off the line to make it start in 1st, or start in "1" and then manually move the selector to "2" when you need it.

The Pontiac hot-rod!!

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Your best bet is NOT to put on H&amp;R springs unless you are very serious about building a track car, or unless you don't care about winning at all. Do whatever you can to keep your car in a stock class. It currently falls in H-Stock, the slowest of the slow, which is where it belongs. If you add springs, you go to a Street Touring or Street Prepared class where you will be soundly destroyed, even if you are an awesome driver.

Instead of buying springs, spend that money on tires. Stock class allows R-compound tires, which will knock your time down by 5% or so. Even going with an "intermediate" tire like a Falken Azenis RT-615 or similar will take maybe 2-4% off your time. Good track tires will last way longer than street tires, if not abused, so they are a good investment. I'd recommend a treaded intermediate tire to start with, that way you can safely drive to and from the track on your racing tires, and you'll have good traction rain or shine.

Before you do anything, maybe just run a couple events with what you've got to decide if you like it. Then start spending money as suggested.<ul><li><a href="http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/d/r/drk150/autox/">http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/d/r/drk150/autox/</a></li></ul>

 

I know, I ment it as a joke. I thought about writing "dumb enough to trade"

 

I've driven both my a4 (tiptronic) and my 90 (manual) in autocrosses. I also drove an automatic Miata and a Manual Miata at a Mazda event last year and an Automatic Cobalt SS at a Chevy event. Frankly, I don't think the difference is really that substantial. I just throw the a4 in "2", and go. If you can shift it into "2", you should be golden.

I think autocross is more about picking lines and being the right speed at appropriate times (and having good tires) than anything else. If you can deal with people making fun of you here and there for having an automatic... you should be able to go out and compete.