Reasons autocross is good:
- It makes you a better driver overall, improving spacial awarenesss and car control.
- You'll have an absolute blast if you like driving hard.
- The camraderie and competiton of an event makes it a very fun time.
- You'll get to see cool cars and meet great drivers.
- There's almost no cost to get started.
Things to consider:
- You'll possibly get hooked and want to spend money on your car - it's a motorsport and inherently expensive to be competitive. If you do get hooked and want to be somewhat competitive, you're looking at ~$5,000 for an ES MR2/Miata or STS Civic - and that's only mildly prepped.
- You could break something. You need to make sure you have safe tires and your engine is in good shape. If you run with plenty of oil, and nothing on your car is in disrepair, you'll be fine, but it does stress the car more than street driving. Failures of well-maintained cars are very, very rare, but they do happen, usually due to the driver doing something wrong. If you run street tires and don't do anything stupid, it's a very low risk level - just be aware of the risks so you can prevent problems.
- You will get some extra tire wear, and to a smaller extent, the brakes. A lot of newbies drive like mad, sliding and spinning all over the place: this will kill your tires. A fast lap doesn't push the tires all that hard, so you'll get very little extra wear if you work your way up to fast laps instead of down from too hot. Plus, you'll usually be quicker if you go that way as well.
Overall, it's something I think most people should at least try. Just take the time to read newbie guides and be prepared. If you're not ready, you might have a bad experience and never come back. Things I've seen:
- People come in high-powered cars on street tires and burn them up driving like idiots, and never come back because they used up too much rubber.
- People don't come ready for the driving, and can't figure out how to drive. Without some idea of what it's going to be like, it can be frustrating, since it's quite different front he street.
- People come unprepared for the non-driving part and have a bad time, i.e. don't bring water on a hot day, jacket on a cold one, food for lunch, etc.
