[The HACK]

I'm not an avid auto-crosser like some but I do instruct occasionally with the local BMW CCA chapter. So this is just my personal observation.

If you've never auto-crossed before, the harder you try to go fast sooner, the slower you will go. Try and wrap that around your head.

If the organization offers you a walk-through in the morning before you get in a car, make sure you walk it. The perspective you gain from walking it will help tremendously in driving it, and I don't mean by just memorizing the course layout. That higher up perspective you gain from walking it will allow you to spot the various turn-in and apexes easier.

Lastly, take the opportunity to ride with more experienced, faster drivers if you could. My experience with this isn't related to AX, but when I first started High Performance Driving long, LONG time ago, I used to grab a ton of ride-alongs with instructors. Literally every session I'm not driving or on track, I'm out riding passenger seat with an instructor. Doesn't matter if I know the instructor or not. The fastest way to learn high performance driving, is by observing. I have a feeling that it's the same for AX.