How do I get involved?
Before the event
You'll want to make sure you and your car are ready so that you can have a safe and fun race. Make sure your car is in good working order, check to make sure your lug-nuts are tight, battery is held down tight, no loose objects in engine bay, tires are in good shape, trunk is cleaned out, make sure your spare tire and jack is secured or you can remove them. Clean everything out of your car. Everything! There should be nothing in your car that is not solidly tied down, any cd's, Mcdonald's wrappers, floor-mats, and other junk should be removed.
Further prepping of the car is optional, however you probably want to adjust your tire pressure. Racing puts much more stress on your tires, and at normal pressures the sidewall will begin to roll thus giving you a decreased contact area. Getting the right pressure takes time and experience. In general, go 5-6 PSI over the recommended pressure.
Read the rules and try to figure out what class you are in, know the mods on your car to see where it classes. If you can't figure it out don't worry stop by the registration tent so we can properly class you.
What to bring
You want to be prepared so that you can have a good time without worrying about stuff you forgot. Here's our list of stuff the first timer should take.
Arriving at the Event
The site opens at 7am — get there on time so you’re not rushed! At our events, check-in happens during tech inspection between 8-9am. This is your first time, you don't want to be rushed. If you don't know what class your car is in, someone will help you pick the right one. Park in the paddock lot and unload your car. Put your number on the car with the painters tape (someone will have some if you forgot), and drive over to the tech inspection. Pop your hood and trunk, shut the car off, and wait for the tech. They'll just do a basic run down to make sure you're signed up for the right class and that your car is not going to fall apart. After your car is inspected, you will be ushered to grid where your car will stay for the day. Get ready to walk the course!
Walking the course is a very important thing. As this is your first autocross, your goal is to not get lost on course. Cones mark the track, but there are intersections and other areas where it's not obvious when you’re at speed which way you should go. Walk the course several times on your own. Walk the lines you want to drive, and try to form a good mental image of the course. Being prepared for what is next is the most important thing you can do to improve your course times. You might also want to draw a map so you can study it back at your car. There is a Novice Class drivers meeting and guided course walk at 9am — take advantage of it!
After walking the course, you can head back to your car and relax a bit. Chat with some of the other folks, check out some cars, but make sure you're not late for the driver's meeting at 9:30am. During this meeting, the organizers will go over some things such as work assignments and the schedule.
Working
Thought it was all fun, eh? Nope, you have to work too. You're not going to be sitting around doing nothing unless you're waiting in line to race. Generally there are several types of jobs. You can record times, announce, record penalties, direct traffic if needed, start cars, line up cars to the start, or work on the course. Most of these will be explained by the organizers, we'll just go over working out on the course as this is where most of the jobs are. On the course, your job is to check for penalties and to reset the course. The course is marked out with cones. Each cone will have a chalk outline around the base. There are also two types of cones. Pointer cones are used to point which way the car should go on the track. Course cones mark the boundaries of the course. A penalty occurs if a course cone is either 1) knocked over or 2) nudged out of the chalk outline. Note the difference here, a cone can be nudged without penalty as long as any part of it is still inside the chalk outline and it is upright. Direction cones are never penalized. Communicate if the cone is a penalty or safe to your corner marshal, who will report it on the radio to Timing + Scoring.
The most important thing about working the course is to stay alert. Keep track of where the cars are at all times. You will have a designated safe area to stand, make sure you watch out for out of control cars coming your way. When a car hits a cone, run over quickly (after making sure there are no cars coming your way) and reset them, and notify the appropriate person of the penalty.
Driving
Okay, you've reached the moment. You will have multiple runs, so it's important to pace yourself. On your first run, go slow! I know you won't… but try. In reality, you'll probably go out there, get pumped up on adrenaline, go way too fast, take out a bunch of cones, and possibly go off course. Don't do that! Remember, your goal is to not get lost. Take it nice and easy the first run, you'll have several more runs to go faster. Think ahead, look ahead, be prepared for the next turn, and get around clean, not quick. When you pull up to the starting line, don't get to carried away. Wait for the starter to signal you to go, and take off. This is not a drag race, so don't do a smoky burnout... But, you do want to get on it a bit so you can get up to speed. The fastest launch is one with very slight wheel spin. How to accomplish this depends on your car, so you'll just have to practice.
Now you're going, just keep it calm and smooth. The key to a fast run is keeping it smooth. Shifting weight around on your car and forcefully braking and accelerating is not good. Smooth is the key to speed. Watch the other cars out there, you'll notice the fastest cars out there look slow. They don't squeal their tires or look like they're going fast because they are driving smooth and under control. Start out easy, and pick it up a bit more each time. After the first couple of runs you should know the course well enough to start driving faster.
The end of the day
At the end of the day, you'll probably be hooked. After the racing is complete, they'll hand out trophies. You may not have won one, but stay anyway — it’s a great way to support friends. Stick around and help clean up the course if needed. Hopefully you had a good time and you're ready to plan for your next event.
After the event
Whatever you do, don't run out and start modifying your car! You'll be tempted. I know, you'll be thinking that if you just had some stiffer shocks you could beat that guy ahead of you. Forget it. Leave your car alone and work on making yourself a better driver. You can shave several seconds off of your time just by improving your driving, and that's part of what makes this a great sport. You can always challenge yourself to get better and better. After you've improved you can worry about making your car more competitive. Have fun!
You'll want to make sure you and your car are ready so that you can have a safe and fun race. Make sure your car is in good working order, check to make sure your lug-nuts are tight, battery is held down tight, no loose objects in engine bay, tires are in good shape, trunk is cleaned out, make sure your spare tire and jack is secured or you can remove them. Clean everything out of your car. Everything! There should be nothing in your car that is not solidly tied down, any cd's, Mcdonald's wrappers, floor-mats, and other junk should be removed.
Further prepping of the car is optional, however you probably want to adjust your tire pressure. Racing puts much more stress on your tires, and at normal pressures the sidewall will begin to roll thus giving you a decreased contact area. Getting the right pressure takes time and experience. In general, go 5-6 PSI over the recommended pressure.
Read the rules and try to figure out what class you are in, know the mods on your car to see where it classes. If you can't figure it out don't worry stop by the registration tent so we can properly class you.
What to bring
You want to be prepared so that you can have a good time without worrying about stuff you forgot. Here's our list of stuff the first timer should take.
- Sunscreen - You will be standing in the sun all day long except for brief stints driving
- Sunglasses - Again, standing in the sun all day...
- Cooler - Depending on the schedule and your club, you might not get much of a lunch break. Most competitors take a cooler with bottled water, ice, and a couple of energy bars. The water is most important, you'll want to drink a lot to avoid dehydration.
- Tire Pressure Gauge - so you can adjust if needed. Several people there will have air tanks and most people won't mind letting you use it, but if you have a compressor, bring it along too.
- Painters tape - You will need this to make up some numbers on the side of the car so the timing and scoring can identify you on course. Please make sure it is contrasting tape and not blue tape on a blue car.
- If you're the type who likes their car to look good, bring some rags and quick detailing spray
- Helmet - If you've got one. Your club will have helmets you can borrow, so no biggie if you don't have one. However, the helmets tend to get rather sweaty as the day goes on and don't always fit great, so if you do this for any period of time you want to get a helmet (They run anywhere from $100 to $300). Make sure it is a SA rated helmet no older than 10 years.
- Always prepare for the weather, we do race in the rain!
Arriving at the Event
The site opens at 7am — get there on time so you’re not rushed! At our events, check-in happens during tech inspection between 8-9am. This is your first time, you don't want to be rushed. If you don't know what class your car is in, someone will help you pick the right one. Park in the paddock lot and unload your car. Put your number on the car with the painters tape (someone will have some if you forgot), and drive over to the tech inspection. Pop your hood and trunk, shut the car off, and wait for the tech. They'll just do a basic run down to make sure you're signed up for the right class and that your car is not going to fall apart. After your car is inspected, you will be ushered to grid where your car will stay for the day. Get ready to walk the course!
Walking the course is a very important thing. As this is your first autocross, your goal is to not get lost on course. Cones mark the track, but there are intersections and other areas where it's not obvious when you’re at speed which way you should go. Walk the course several times on your own. Walk the lines you want to drive, and try to form a good mental image of the course. Being prepared for what is next is the most important thing you can do to improve your course times. You might also want to draw a map so you can study it back at your car. There is a Novice Class drivers meeting and guided course walk at 9am — take advantage of it!
After walking the course, you can head back to your car and relax a bit. Chat with some of the other folks, check out some cars, but make sure you're not late for the driver's meeting at 9:30am. During this meeting, the organizers will go over some things such as work assignments and the schedule.
Working
Thought it was all fun, eh? Nope, you have to work too. You're not going to be sitting around doing nothing unless you're waiting in line to race. Generally there are several types of jobs. You can record times, announce, record penalties, direct traffic if needed, start cars, line up cars to the start, or work on the course. Most of these will be explained by the organizers, we'll just go over working out on the course as this is where most of the jobs are. On the course, your job is to check for penalties and to reset the course. The course is marked out with cones. Each cone will have a chalk outline around the base. There are also two types of cones. Pointer cones are used to point which way the car should go on the track. Course cones mark the boundaries of the course. A penalty occurs if a course cone is either 1) knocked over or 2) nudged out of the chalk outline. Note the difference here, a cone can be nudged without penalty as long as any part of it is still inside the chalk outline and it is upright. Direction cones are never penalized. Communicate if the cone is a penalty or safe to your corner marshal, who will report it on the radio to Timing + Scoring.
The most important thing about working the course is to stay alert. Keep track of where the cars are at all times. You will have a designated safe area to stand, make sure you watch out for out of control cars coming your way. When a car hits a cone, run over quickly (after making sure there are no cars coming your way) and reset them, and notify the appropriate person of the penalty.
Driving
Okay, you've reached the moment. You will have multiple runs, so it's important to pace yourself. On your first run, go slow! I know you won't… but try. In reality, you'll probably go out there, get pumped up on adrenaline, go way too fast, take out a bunch of cones, and possibly go off course. Don't do that! Remember, your goal is to not get lost. Take it nice and easy the first run, you'll have several more runs to go faster. Think ahead, look ahead, be prepared for the next turn, and get around clean, not quick. When you pull up to the starting line, don't get to carried away. Wait for the starter to signal you to go, and take off. This is not a drag race, so don't do a smoky burnout... But, you do want to get on it a bit so you can get up to speed. The fastest launch is one with very slight wheel spin. How to accomplish this depends on your car, so you'll just have to practice.
Now you're going, just keep it calm and smooth. The key to a fast run is keeping it smooth. Shifting weight around on your car and forcefully braking and accelerating is not good. Smooth is the key to speed. Watch the other cars out there, you'll notice the fastest cars out there look slow. They don't squeal their tires or look like they're going fast because they are driving smooth and under control. Start out easy, and pick it up a bit more each time. After the first couple of runs you should know the course well enough to start driving faster.
The end of the day
At the end of the day, you'll probably be hooked. After the racing is complete, they'll hand out trophies. You may not have won one, but stay anyway — it’s a great way to support friends. Stick around and help clean up the course if needed. Hopefully you had a good time and you're ready to plan for your next event.
After the event
Whatever you do, don't run out and start modifying your car! You'll be tempted. I know, you'll be thinking that if you just had some stiffer shocks you could beat that guy ahead of you. Forget it. Leave your car alone and work on making yourself a better driver. You can shave several seconds off of your time just by improving your driving, and that's part of what makes this a great sport. You can always challenge yourself to get better and better. After you've improved you can worry about making your car more competitive. Have fun!
|