Is anyone out there actively Autocrossing their A4?

I have a 2002 Audi A4 1.8T 5M Quattro with Ultra-Sport Package and Michelin Pilot Primacy tires.

I plan to run G Stock or STS. I am new to Auto-X, but have raced vet motocross for years. I know that much like MX, Auto-X is mostly driver skill. I also know that trick parts are no match for proper setup.

I plan to take several schools and do ride-alongs to speed my learning curve. I am currently trying to integrate the techniques I’ve read about into my daily driving.

What should I do to prepare my car? I know the A4 is not the over-dog in either class, but a 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro won GSL in the 2002 Nationals, so there must be some potential to be competitive locally.

My All-Season tires are far from optimal. I know the popular options are Azenis Sports for dual purpose and Hoosiers or Kumhos for dedicated Solo2 tires.

Michelin’s website lists 245/45ZR17 as an alternate tire size, yet I don’t see anyone running them; are there clearance issues?

I realize 245’s would not be legal in STS, but how would 245 Azenis compare to 225 Hoosiers or Kumhos in G-Stock.

What would be a good starting point for tire pressure and wheel alignment?

What other Stock Class legal modifications would provide the greatest benefit? I’m basically looking for a proven recipe I can plug into and tweak to my needs.

I know I’m asking a lot, but I have done numerous searches and haven’t found much.

Thanks in advance,

Joe

 

Orig quote: "I realize 245’s would not be legal in STS, but how would 245 Azenis compare to 225 Hoosiers or Kumhos in G-Stock."

Definitely get the Hoosiers in the 225 size - much more traction than 245 Azenis. Also, there are autocrossing training videos that will zip you up the learning curve; just do a search - I can't remember details now. Anyway, brake late and be smooth.

Chris

 

There is an auto-x site for Audi. Unfortunately, I'm not at my computer or I'd be able to look it up in my "favorites" section and then pass it on to you. Sorry. As far as alignment and other issues... Your best bet is to leave the car's settings as is until you get used to the limits of the car. Since you are going to do ride-alongs and do a bit of schooling, that's where you will benefit most. I'd try to leave your MX mentality at home, too - it doesn't cross over to auto-x very well. The 245's may rub on hard corners. That's probably why you don't hear about that size too much. They also won't have the bite of 225's.

BTW...
Welcome to the forum Phantom347!

This is a great site. We keep the dialogue friendly and the attitude positive. The info is well received by all and we are here to help anyone with the need. I hope you find it to your liking as well.

If you're not familiar with this forum, please click the START HERE! link. There you will find a forum vocab list, an Audi forum terminology list and an Audi lexicon list. They should be very helpful to you if you're not familiar with the jargon.

Please feel free to ask any question, but double check the archives first. Many questions have been archived and, quite often, the answers are comprehensive.

 

i used to use azenis sports for auto-x and they worked really well. except for the fact that they wore out quickly. right now i use toyo proxis Ra1 and they are far better than any other tire ive driven with. i run azenis sports on the street though. keeps the look aggressive. also Ra1's are expensive and wear out even quiker than the falkens

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and helpful advice.

I appreciate you taking the time to assist a fellow enthusiast.

I plan to start with bone stock and see how it goes. The tire issue is the biggest one for me. I will wait and see which class is the best fit before buying dedicated wheels and tires.

I’m leaning towards Azenis so I don’t have to transport and change tires back and forth. However, if I run across a deal on R-compound tires from someone getting out or moving to a different class/car, that could all change.

I have run a couple Auto-X’s before, sharing a friend’s Miata and finished respectably. He used to race open wheel cars and was consistently 0.5 to 1 sec quicker than me as our times dropped on successive runs.

ImolaS4, it’s good to hear from someone with MX experience. I was wondering what would carry over and what wouldn’t.

What differences have you noticed? What techniques are similar, and which ones don’t translate well? At first glance, there are seemingly fewer driver controlled variables in Auto-X than MX.

There are many subtleties in MX invisible to the casual observer, much like there are in Auto-X. I understand that what looks faster often isn’t. Vet MXers turn the same lap times as the teenagers, but look slower.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you all much better.

Thanks again,

Joe

 

Good Luck man!! Go kick some ***!

 

I did my first Auto-X in the A4 on Saturday.

I was about 5.3 seconds off the winners pace in GS. One of the top drivers told me my car should be capable of running 3 seconds quicker the way it is. I believe him. He said R-compound tires were worth another couple seconds.

A comedy of errors prevented me from walking the course. My times improved by a little over 2 seconds as I became familiar with my car and the track layout.

It is clear to see there is as much or more room for improvement of the driver as the car. I plan to attend an Evolution or Seat-Time school as soon as possible to start working on trimming those first 3 seconds.

Sunday, I flipped through some old magazines and found Grassroots Motorsports coverage of the 2003 Nationals where a B5 A4 finished 3rd in GS and 2nd in GSL. I didn’t buy this car for autocross, but it’s good to know it has the potential to be competitive.

The main allowable mods for stock class are limited to wheels (stock size), tires, air filter, CAT-back exhaust, shocks (up to 2-way adjustable), front sway bar, brake disks (stock size and material) and brake pads.

I am still looking for more mod and setup advice. Also, is there a logical sequence to perform the mods in order of bang-for-the-buck. I’m sure in some cases it would be advantageous to group certain upgrades together. What’s been your experience?

Thanks,

Joe

PS

ChrisB, I’d be interested in the autocross training videos you mentioned. I had no luck with the search.

ImolaS4, will you please post the Audi Auto-X site you mentioned. It sounds like just what I need.

DavidK, it was my *** that got kicked. It’s been a long time since I was a beginner at something. I will learn to do this right.

 

I feel your pain bro I attended my first auto X this past weekend. I did pretty good but I didnt win anything
Its a lot of fun though
I found that even if you walk the course its deffinately not the same at speed the first run is usually at a cautious pace as you learn the course.
I would deffinatly do the suspension first if you can drop the car enough that will really help in the corners of course youll need new tires to cope with the stiffer suspension

 

ImolaS4,

Did you find the Audi Autocross site you mentioned?

I’m very interested in finding out the best methods for improving both the cars performance and mine.

Thanks,

Joe