So who does? What’s your setup and what do you do, and where? Would be cool if a few members happened to be in driving distance of each other and had a few Fit’s show up to the same AutoX events.

 

My region has 5 Honda Fits in it, 4 GE8s and 1 GD3. Most of us are in EST but one is in XB (Gutted interior). It's a fun group of people and the Fit is relatively competitive in EST for the most part hanging with the Miatas.

Progress rear sway
Honed Strut Tops
Riaction Coilovers (8k front, 6k rear)
Falken Rt660+ tires staggered 225 in front and 205 in rear with 15x7 superspeed wheels
.

 

When I was looking at classes for solo the other day, I noticed there was a light and heavy class but I don't recall what EST would be? (I think 2800lb and below was light, and above that was considered heavy)


Curious what offset your wheels are? And what state you're in?

 

Don't know what light and heavy classes are, we just run standard SOLO classes I believe. Wheels are +35 offset, In missouri

 

+35 on all four corners? I ask as I have seen a couple staggered setups that run different offsets front and rear. Not exactly sure what’s the upper limit of what fits without rubbing and what doesn’t on either the front or rear which is why I’m asking.

I know one fast fellow I was paying attention to was running 225/45R15’s on 15x8 with +28 offset up front with 205/50R15 15x7 +42 offset rear. I have to look at one of those diagrams with remember how offset works I have never been able to really memorize it in my head other than 0 is dead nuts middle of the wheel but I forget which way is plus and which is negative offset lol.

As far as state, I’m hoping to find a few guys in the south east specifically SC or GA area participating in events.

 

Not really going to sweat over a 1/2" wheel width....some people will claim it makes a difference but I doubt it at our level and I've had faster times than a lot of people with much more expensive cars and setups. 15x8 is not eligible for EST. 15x7.5 is the max. I wasn't going to spend a ton of money, the whole car is a budget setup and my Superspeed wheels were 132 each instead of 200 each for Konig Hypergrams. I'm also running cheaper Falken RT660+ tires instead of the Bridgestone tires everyone else likes to run which are about 400 more for a set.

 

Good information, thank you for sharing. I'm looking to get into autoX this summer. Got some better tires on the car a few weeks ago, just changed brake pads as well, nothing all that impressive just better than cheap off brand stuff. DFC pads and Toyo Extensa HP II tires...nothing impressive just not cheap "junk" off brand stuff. Car's stock, so having never done autoX or anything like it, just drag racing and screwing around on mountains, next task is flush the brake fluid and sign up for an event and get a helmet. I figure I'll go to the next event in a couple weeks just to watch and learn a bit of where and how things are done. Part of the reason for not going for grippier tires is, 1. I'm on the stock wheels, which for some stupid reason there's not a lot of good choices for 16's which is weird to me since in the 90's 16" wheels were considered the sportier option... And 2. I want to start from a stock car and move from there to see how different things change the car's behavior and how much.

I'm going to keep my eye's out for some 15" wheels for the front, and get some better tires on them, as I'm thinking anyway that, that way I could just drive to the event, and then swap on the "track wheels/tires" do the event, and then swap them back to the 16's up front and drive home. I'll try to do some digging to confirm the maxium width for the class my car will be in. I thought it was going to be more standardized than it sounds like it might be.

 

Spend some money on a high performance driving school or SCCA starting line. As I found out it's easy to develop bad habits, create some good ones right off the bat. Driver mod is the best mod you can do for your vehicle.

 

Next Starting Line event for my area is in August... which I guess is fine, gives me the summer to get everything in tip top shape and cosmetically better than it is now lol. Thanks for the mention of that as while I'd like to fancy myself as a decent driver, and understand the traction circle, shifting weight, racing lines etc. etc. my only track experience is drag racing lol, otherwise just back road stupidity in my 400hp AWD Talon when I was younger. You're right It probably is worth the $270 to get a full day of coaching and what not.

Gotta get a helmet between now and then as well...Thanks for the tips, this is the sort of stuff I was looking for when starting the thread. (that and car setup) Are you the only GE8 AutoX guy around the forum still? I notice there's plenty of track activity on FB after finding a few groups... I hate FB though, harder to find the information you're looking for than a good ol forum.

 

you don't even need a helmet for starting line, they'll provide loaners if needed. When I went to starting line school I tried having an open mind even though I had been successful in the novice class of my local chapter, I couldn't believe what a better driver I was after the course, they really help you figure out what you can improve on and instruct in a way that makes it easy to take the theory and put it to work with your car. I see a lot of guys at autocross who probably think they are the best drivers, they have the GR Corollas, the Mustangs, the Golf R, etc and they wind up slower times than a bunch of good drivers in Honda Fits. On top of the cost you get free entry into an autocross event, a free track night in america event, and a bunch of other free stuff but the instruction alone is well worth it.