What struck me as weird yesterday at the "noon" track walk was that nobody was using the whole track. The inside edge was generally clean, but the outside parts, where I might normally drive to setup a good line for the next corner, were just full of crud. By the final run group (all the S4s in CSP) the track must have been treacherous.

1. Was I just nuts on the line there?
2. What should you do - drive your line, or drive where it is clean?

I was driving my old CRX Si for the first time, didn't really know where any of it's limits were so got lousy times, but man was it a hoot as variety from the heavy A4! (especially on that curvy course)

It was actually quite frustrating. The car was understeering pretty badly through those sweepers at the far end of the course. And those boxes on the way to the back were pretty darn slippery. Yup, rocks all over the place.

Anyway, to address you question. I think you have a good idea of where the "classic" line should be, based on your track/autox experience. BUT, the line doesn't always "follow the rules" in autox, especially when the surface is being torn up. A lot of the well-setup autox cars tend to take a tight line through the course (I think) because it is a shorter path. A shorter path should take less time, right? Well, depends on the car, I guess...

Especially when the course is dirty, it is vital to stay on the clean part, gotta maintain traction. Getting out into those marbles WILL cost you seconds.<p>Corey S
00 Nogaro S4

<img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/CSNogaroSig.jpg">

My times were 60.5? 59.5? 59.3?. My first run usually being the crappy one because I'm trying to figure out the track. But on the second run, I was trying the shortest line, tighter turns and my car would end up pretty much boggin down - well, around 3000 rpm at least but the run was clean. I was tempted a few times to get down to 1st, but by the time I think about doing so, the car is back in the powerband (4k) so I just wait. 3rd run, I tried a wider line to give the car a chance to unwind after a tight turn and it was indeed a bit faster - in fact I got squiggly on the first back left hander with my GF screaming as she thought I would end up sideways, but I played with the throttle, had fun drifting and got the car in control with almost no braking. I think the squiggly part cam about because I was riding on gravel, as the line was barely used. Anyway, on the first hairpin, got the car to drift again, as I took a wider exit turn, honk the horn twice (waved at the worker in ridicule :) didn't bog the engine down, got it much faster at the last left turn, again, using some lift throttle oversteer, smiling at my GF as I show off doing it, and finished going through the last slalom at what felt like a much faster time - but lo and behold, only 0.2 seconds improvement. So I would say, most of the time "wasted" was taking the longer line. Indeed it is better, but all I can say is 181lb-ft doesn't cut it for a 3300lb sedan. Nevertheless, I never had so much fun in an AutoX "oversteering" my car. Can't wait to do it again. My tires - BFG KD's. Luv them. C you in 3 weeks