I was told that the average racing speeds are ~70mph and autocrossing speeds run around 35. Does that mean autoX tracks are curvier?

It all depends on what you are comparing....<p>SCCA Solo II - sometimes called Autocross or AutoX is whereby cars of similar performance compete against each other for time on a short asphalt or concrete parking lot or abandoned airfield. Times usually run from 35 seconds to about 120 seconds, depending upon where you are, the number of cars entered, etc. The course is usually mapped out with orange cones and chalk, showing you the way to go. When competing, if you hit a cone you are penalized one or two seconds on your time. Most cars stay get up to second gear and stay there...usually not exceeding about 60 mph at the most (some exceptions are found...but generally speaking you might hit 60 mph). From time to time smaller cars, Austin mini-Coopers, Miatas, Datsun 510s, may get into third gear. Usually you get 4 runs of 45 seconds each per event (not very much)<p>SCCA Solo I - is where you take your car on a track for time against other cars for in a race scenario. 99.9% of Audi A4 owners do not do this. Some owners participate in track events (Driver Safety Seminars put on by various clubs - Quattro Club, Porsche Club, Miata Club, Alfa Romeo Club, Shelby Club...you get the idea) where cars usually are on a bonafide track...usually 1.4 - 3.0 miles in length (at least the ones I have been on) whereby you usually spend alot of time in third gear. Speeds range from a low of 20 mph...to a high of 115 mph (depending upon car and track configuration). At these events you are usually on the track for runs of 20-30 minutes in length...usually 4-5 times per day.<p>I hope this helps.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM

I haven't really done it yet in the A4, and here in SoCal they do have Solo I which has a lot of regulations. But back home in Chicago I did what could have been called Solo I, but were not as restrictive and open to anyone - and WITHOUT PYLONS, YEAH!!!!!!!!<p>The Alfa Club and Midwest Council had events at Blackhawk Farms and Road America, and boy what an experience! I never lost an event there in my old Lotus Europa and thenlater a 79 RX7. And you can ask anyone that was around back then, and they can tell you that was a fact, and what a car my old RX7 was. Also, Tri-State (which Chi Region of SCCA was a member Club) held events at large go-kart racing tracks, and many ovals that had road courses in the middle (Milwauke, Rockford, Lake Geneva, etc). But another fun event were the street Grand Prix - Portage, Indiana was the first. Imagine doing an AutoX in the city streets, TV coverage and thousands watching you! AWESOME!<p>I THRIVE for track events. At least there you can concentrate on driving the car, not memorizing where to go in a sea of pylons (and in a Lotus, most of them were taller than my car, so looked like the Redwood Forest to me <G>). And then imagine the 4+ miles of Road America - so long you forget the other half of the track you just left, and with straights so long, I ran out of juice in 5th gear going to Turn 5. What a RUSH! And I did get to do 2 events at the old Riverside with the Alfa Club before it was torn down :(<p>But once you do a track event, it will stay with you a lifetime!

Autocross is still racing, in that you're competing for the best time over a defined course, but you're generally on the course by yourself, so there's no head-to-head racing risk. So it's different from what you see on TV in that regard.<p>And the turns come at you much, much more frequently in autocross than in road racing. In road racing, there's often quite a bit of time between corners, so you get a chance to think about what's coming up. In autocross, corners are often so numerous that even the old hands get confused in the middle of a run. Toss in a little skid, and suddenly you're looking at the course from a whole new angle, and it's not too hard to get lost in a sea of cones. Autocross (and road racing too, of course) is much more mental than most non-participants would believe.