Autotesting involves a series of tests, generally around traffic cones, to measure precision driving skill.
A car performing autotests on tarmac in the UK
The tests often include stopping with the front and rear wheels straddling a line, and always end stopping in a garage (usually marked out with cones). Sections of each test are usually completed in reverse. Cars involved can be standard road cars or ones specially built for autotest.[1][2]
A car performing autotests on grass surface in the UK
Autotests can take place on either grass or hard surface. Grass Autotests are popular for club events as they are more gentle on tires and transmissions. Many Clubs run their Grass autotests without any reversing. Championship Autotests in the UK are normally on a hard surface.[1]
Each event consists of between three and six tests, with each test completed twice with the faster of the two counting for the results. The tests are timed with a stopwatch, with penalties of 10 seconds given for each cone hit. A wrong turn in a test results in a maximum time, which is usually 30 seconds slower than the fastest time in class. The winner is the driver who completes the tests in the shortest time (including penalties). Each test usually takes around a minute to complete, and often turns into a test of memory as well as driver skill. Most of the autotest layouts are symmetrical and the drivers do get the chance to walk the course.[2]
A car performing autotests (autocross) on tarmac in the US
Autotests are conducted in the UK and Ireland and are similar to Motorkhana in Australia and New Zealand. Cars compete one at a time and speeds are low so safety is high. Autotesting is also a little similar to autocrossing in the US, but the slower speeds, frequent handbrake turns and reversing are all major points of difference.[2]
Important skills to learn for autotesting include:
The Handbrake turn
The J-turn or Reverse Flick
Reversing at speed
^ abHylton, Peter; Borme, Andrew; Kaufman, Chase; Corso, Ryan; Lucas, Paul (2012). "Academic Research and Motorsports Industry Partnerships Enhance Race Car Safety and Performance". SAE Technical Paper Series. Vol. 1. doi:10.4271/2012-01-1172.
^ abc"Autotest - Motorsport UK - the beating heart of UK motorsport".
to learn for autotesting include: The Handbrake turn The J-turn or Reverse Flick Reversing at speed Autosolo – Forwards Only Autotesting. Hylton, Peter;...
roadways where higher speeds and distances can be reached than at an autotesting course for example. Time attack are terms used by series that run sprints...
also be the name of a section of an autocross course. It is similar to autotesting in the United Kingdom, motorkhana in Australia and New Zealand, and autokhana...
slightly faster and more open than traditional autotests. Courses are usually larger than those for autotesting, and as the courses are laid out to run in...
precision manoeuvring these have more in common with what is called Autotesting or Autoslalom elsewhere. Meanwhile, the SCCA's branded RallyCross has...
form of motorsport, unique to Australia and New Zealand but similar to autotesting in the UK and Ireland and gymkhana in the US. It involves manoeuvring...
Zealand) and autotesting (the UK and Ireland) are also similar disciplines. With speeds rarely exceeding 40 mph (60 km/h), motorkhana and autotesting are slower...
API Sanity Checker is an automatic unit test generator for C/C++ shared libraries. The main feature of this tool is the ability to completely automatically...
the Tunbridge Wells area promoting grass roots motorsport organising an autotest series and several sprint races throughout the year at circuits such as...
Aston Martin. Sparkford: Haynes Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 1-84425-014-8. "Autotest: Aston Martin DBS V8". Autocar. Vol. 134, no. 3928. 8 July 1971. pp. 7–11...
thirteen. At the age of sixteen, through the Coltness Car Club, McRae found autotesting, obtained a Mini Cooper and started competing. A year later, he began...
official site – Past models. Ferrari S.p.A. Retrieved 7 February 2016. "Autotest: Ferrari 365 GTC 4,390 c.c. Classic Italian thorough-bred. Superb V12 engine...
technique is used in some forms of motorsport, for example rallying, autotesting, drifting and motorkhana. Many sports cars, especially UK makes such...
and excluding sports such as motorcycle racing, rallying and drifting. autotesting See gymkhana. B main See semi-feature. B-team See satellite team. back...
– Best Selling Cars Blog". bestsellingcarsblog.com. 26 January 1974. "Autotest Ford Cortina 1600 XL". Autocar. 138. Vol. 4004. 22 February 1973. pp. 16–21...
Retrieved on 14 August 2011 Nissan Bluebird (810) Retrieved on 14 August 2011 "Autotest: Datsun 180B Bluebird". Autocar. 147 (4217): 36–40. 3 September 1977. Completely...
range brochure Retrieved from www.volvoclub.org.uk on 16 February 2015 "Autotest Volvo 144 de luxe: Good, solid engineering: mediocre performer, but relatively...
Series Driver refer British Autotest Championship Alastair Moffatt Class A: David Goodlad Class B: Howard Everingham Class C: John Moffatt Class F: Ashley...
produced. It was replaced by the similar Panther Kallista for the 1980s. "Autotest: Panther Lima". Autocar. Vol. 146 (nbr 4207). 25 June 1977. pp. 36–40....
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