New to Autocross - Type R questions

[FifStreet]

i'm going to be running in my first autocross event driving my Type R. I plan on just driving it stock (Street class). no mods. Its more for fun and to lean the cars limits than to be competitive. I've looked around the internet and actually went to an event to just watch. but I have some questions that are specific to the type R

1. What class is the car as stock? the 3/02/18 listing by the SCCA has it as "D Street". Is this correct? Its not in the same class as an STI?

2. I'm running the stock tires. I see a lot about increasing your tire pressure. Is this helpful on the type R? Do I need to wet my tires down in between laps?

3. I'm assuming I want to drive it in R+ mode, but doesn't that change the traction control settings? Do I want to run it in sport at first? Turn the traction control off completely?

4. I've seen some mention that it (and many other cars) runs hot after a number of laps, how should I monitor that? Is the coolant temp gauge reliable? at what level should I give the car a break to cool down?

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[willimo]

1. DS is correct. There are some rumblings about reclassing it, but I think it's unlikely.

2. It's going to matter how you like it. Most folks running FWD (me included) tend to like to run the fronts lower than the rears. I honestly would say just go stock pressures and get a feel for it. If you go back, start changing the pressure incrementally and see if it makes a difference to you. Autocross is very driver specific, so people can give you an idea, and you have to decide what works for you. A couple brings out an R at the events here, and they use a bug/pesticide sprayer to cool their tires and intake between heats, but it's a two driver car and it was 105 degrees. They also don't normally use the stock tires. I don't think the stock tires go off with temperature as much as some autocross intended tires do, like Azenis or whatever. But it will help with consistency.

3. R+. Turn the AC off. Turn the traction control all the way off (there is a thread around here about it). If you want to baseline with it on during your first lap, go for it. If it's your first time ever out there, you're going to be learning how to find your way around the course as much as anything so it won't make that big of a difference.

4. Unfortunately, the temp gauge is just a cold, warm, warmer, hot indicator as far as I know, just like most mass market cars. Autocross is usually 30 seconds hard driving followed by several minutes of sitting, so it's usually pretty ok. Just keep an eye on it and leave the car running between heats so the coolant circulates and the fans blow.

Have fun. Ask everyone any question you have. Autocross folks are the most laid back in motorsport, I've found, and always want to help new drivers.

 

[bouford]

concur with the above. good DS info here: https://www.civicx.com/threads/d-street-type-r-autox-info-sharing.23556/

 

[remc86007]

Coolant temps should not be a problem as others have stated, but the intercooler is going to heatsoak which will mean reduced power...but with the power of this car, the reduction might actually make it easier to handle--especially at your first event--rather than spinning the tires every time you get on it. I haven't yet, but I'm going to experiment with spraying water on the intercooler between runs to see if the intake temps are affected.

As for tire pressures, I'd start with stock and see if there is evidence of them rolling over onto the sidewall. If there is, bump up the pressure a bit.

 

[Z06_Pilot]

Coolant temps should not be a problem as others have stated, but the intercooler is going to heatsoak which will mean reduced power...but with the power of this car, the reduction might actually make it easier to handle--especially at your first event--rather than spinning the tires every time you get on it. I haven't yet, but I'm going to experiment with spraying water on the intercooler between runs to see if the intake temps are affected.

As for tire pressures, I'd start with stock and see if there is evidence of them rolling over onto the sidewall. If there is, bump up the pressure a bit.

wow, so this car will heat-soak during a 50 second auto-x run? I was thinking that only happened on a track after a few laps.....that's bothersome.....since there is a good deal of time between your runs it would seem the car would have more than enough time to cool down?

 

[bouford]

wow, so this car will heat-soak during a 50 second auto-x run? I was thinking that only happened on a track after a few laps.....that's bothersome.....since there is a good deal of time between your runs it would seem the car would have more than enough time to cool down?

happens a lot to my freind in hilo (big island) as he is dsp prep'd (ktuner, dp, fp, ic, etc). he runs the heater on the passenger side to get it to cool in between runs but once the car's moving it's better.

for me (in my last two events), no heat soak but the courses were around 35-40 secs and i am stuck running with the rookies this season so more than 5 minute in between runs.

 

[Apex Carver]

I wouldnt worry about heatsoak too much. Granted what I do is spray the inter cooler with my tire/garden sprayer since i already have it in the grid to cool my tires.

 

[remc86007]

Just idling a car with an intercooler will heatsoak it. I've seen IATs in the 170s from idling. The ecu is going to pull a ton of timing at that air temp.

 

[bouford]

more incentive to get up to speed to get those iats down

 

[RedFK8]

happens a lot to my freind in hilo (big island) as he is bsp prep'd (ktuner, dp, fp, ic, etc). he runs the heater on the passenger side to get it to cool in between runs but once the car's moving it's better.

for me (in my last two events), no heat soak but the courses were around 35-40 secs and i am stuck running with the rookies this season so more than 5 minute in between runs.

Heat soak does suck when it’s 90+ degrees and 93%+ humidity at the track.. Hilo for you..

 

[bouford]

haha opps *DSP for now

 

[remc86007]

You'd get a friendly warning for that here - that's not even allowed in Prepared IIRC.

I've seen guys doing it at every autocross. Controlling tire temps doesn't seem that unfair, especially if a car has multiple drivers.

 

[bouford]

depends on the region. us hawaii guys are pretty chill so we've seen this done before without any protest (yet).

 

[racer]

While I admit to not running an SCCA Solo event in a while, or with a Turbo car, but how is cooling the intercooler as mentioned above any different than spraying cool water on your tires? Both are yielding a performance advantage (presumably) but why would one be ok, and one not be ok?

 

[RacingManiac]

Might be a Canadian thing, people spray the crap out of their intercoolers here pretty much any events. I sprayed mine at Picton too....

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