Autocross events are an all-forward motion-driving-skill contest. Each driver is individually timed to the thousandth of a second, over a short, miniature road-course clearly defined using traffic cones. Cars compete one at a time, in a class with similar cars. An event can be held on any flat paved surface, usually a parking lot, or airport apron or runway.
Autocross emphasizes driver skill and vehicle handling rather than just speed. The corners are tight, and there are lots of them, so the driving is exciting and challenging. Autocross speeds do not exceed those normally encountered in highway driving. The skills you learn and practice here; smooth transitions, enhanced braking, and skid correction, will have an immediate impact on improving the safety and skill of your street driving. Autocross is an excellent way to teach car-control to young drivers in a safe environment. A day of autocrossing is far safer for both car and driver than most people's daily commute to work.
Autocross is also a very social sport, filled with some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. The camaraderie of the drivers is a special part of autocrossing that is profoundly satisfying.