Planning your local
Z Club's Autocross
Contributed
By Pete Sanders There are several
ways for your club to put on an autocross (AX) event. Before going into
There are several ways for
your club to put on an autocross (AX) event. Before going into an
in-depth presentation of all the different issues and work involved in
putting on such an event, we have prepared a brief over-view that
presents the pros and cons starting with the simplest and working up to
the most complex and costly approach.
Option I
The easiest way to
organize and run an AX event is not to do it at all. That’s right.
Instead you let someone else do it for you.
Find a local AX club
through www.autocross.com and contact them regarding how you and your
fellow club members can join in the fun. There is a club listing
section by geographical area. While some AX clubs will restrict
participants to their own membership, many are more than happy to see
new faces and new cars. Even the members-only clubs may offer a
“one-time” visit. The good news is that AX’ers are car people and will
most likely be very interested in seeing Zs at their event. This also
means you get to see some neat cars yourself. Some clubs are very large
and you will only get 3-4 runs in a whole day and some will let you do
6-8 runs and then a few “fun” runs at the end.
Pros
• No up front costs
• No large organizational effort
• No equipment required
• No AX knowledge or experience needed
• No track to get
• No insurance to obtain
• Experienced drivers to assist you in learning
• No costs due to cancellation
Cons
• No control on the
types of drivers and cars
• No control on the number of runs
• No control over date, time, and rules
• Novices might be intimidated by more experienced drivers
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Option II
You can have a club
let you bring in a group of Zs as a “special” event in conjunction with
their event. How you work out the details of payment, etc. is up to you.
Pros
• You help set the
tone with novices being made more comfortable
• You help set the track conditions for your cars
• You might have some say in setting the number of runs
• You know the people running the event
Cons
• Depending on prior
agreements you might need to assist in the organization
• You would be on the hook for any costs incurred due to cancellation
or should not enough people show up
• You might be limited on the number of cars/drivers that will be
allowed to take part
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Option III
By hosting your own
event you are in complete control of the event. This can be both good
and bad. You can subcontract a portion of this effort to an experienced
set of people who have the necessary equipment or you can either rent
or buy it.
Pros
• You set the date,
time, and location
• You set the course lay-out
• You set the tone for the day (serious, learning event, laid-back)
• Only club members and invited guests will be running
• The number of runs will increase
Cons
• You’ll need to make
all the arrangements for a location
• You’ll need to obtain an insurance waiver
• You’ll need AX equipment (cones, timing system, fire ext., radios,
loaner helmets, awning, etc.)
• You’ll need a crew of people to plan, design a layout, set-up, do
tech inspections, run, prepare results, and break-down
• If you cancel all costs will be your responsibility
• You’ll need a place to store the equipment
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Managing your own Autocross
Event
If you have decided to
manage your own event, there are a number of important issues that need
to be addressed.
Experience – perhaps the
most overlooked aspect of putting on any event is the experience level
of the people involved. If you plan on doing some or all of this
yourself, you should at the very least volunteer to assist another AX
club’s events to get real hands-on knowledge of how things get done and
what to expect before you put one on yourself.
Site – you will need to find
a site that is both physically suitable for this event and has dates
that match your club’s schedule. The site must be large enough to
accommodate the course layout, and have ample room for safety
considerations, staging, parking and equipment, and a control station.
You will need to determine how you will control the flow of traffic and
any spectators. Some trade offs will occur. Most locations will require
you to sign a contract for the rental of the site. It would be best if
a knowledgeable member of the club look the document over before a club
official signs it. Prepare a list of all the requirements spelled out
in the contract (times, safety, insurance, etc.) and make up a
checklist to ensure you have everything covered. Assign individuals
specific areas to complete.
Insurance – coverage can be
obtained through the ZCCA by contacting XXXXXXXXXX at XXXXXXXXXXX. You
must have the following information available and you will need to
contact XXXXXX at least XX weeks before the event takes place. This
coverage is only available for clubs with paid up dues.
Safety – some locations will
require you to have an EMT crew and vehicle on-site during the event.
To avoid overtime costs arrange for them to be there 15 minutes prior
to the first run and not earlier. This way you might be able to arrange
for more fun runs at the end of the day without having to worry about
cost over-runs. You will also need to make arrangements for the safety
crew’s lunch break. You will need fire extinguishers, red flags,
radios, and a first aid kit at a minimum.
Course Layout – how you set
up the course up will determine the type of day you plan on having. You
can do a tight, technical course that will require more driver control
and will be slower, or you can do a more open course where the speeds
will be higher. You can make it easier for beginners or as complex as
you like. Go to www.autocross.com and use the guidelines provided there
and in the links at that site. Or you can get someone with course
layout experience to assist you. The site location will have a lot to
say in how wide open you can plan your course. Remember the SCCA (and
most sites) only allow a top speed of 65mph. It is not unusual to see a
police radar gun being used to verify maximum speeds. A few clubs have
lost their usage rights because of cars exceeding this limit. Sound
limits for mufflers will also be a consideration.
Equipment – you will need in
addition to traffic safety cones, a timing system (start and end), a
means of recording each run time (paper or computer), a power source
(generator and spare gas can), extension cords, clip boards, pens,
paper, caulk to mark the cone locations, a weather enclosure (awing or
tent), tables, chairs, fire extinguishers, radios, umbrellas, safety
flags, buckets (to put corner worker equipment in), first aid kit,
loaner helmets (in different sizes), car number/class markers (white
liquid shoe polish or masking tape), coolers for water, drinking water,
forms (tech inspection, registration, insurance waivers, site waiver,
etc.), garage cans or bags, and if needed port-a-johns. Optional
equipment can include an audio announcing system, software to allow
multiple cars to run at the same time, rain protection, brooms to clean
the course or remove water, stickers (after tech inspection), and
sun-block. Remember to bring a camera and a camcorder too. Pack extra
batteries.
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Now that you have gimmick Ralley questions, directions, a map, and poke card stops, it’s time to
fine-tune the Ralley. I suggest that the Ralley coordinator run the Ralley for real first. Make any corrections
to questions, answers, mile markers, etc. Then let at least two other Ralley teams run the Ralley with the
questions and answers at their convenience. They should submit their changes or suggestions to the
Ralley coordinator. The more times the Ralley is test run, the more accurate the question sheets will be.
Please note that any teams that are part of the Ralley planning cannot compete in the actually convention
Ralley.
Assembling a Team to Run Ralley Day
OK, so you have the Ralley route and gimmick questions cast in stone. Now it’s time to pick a team for
the day of the Ralley. Below is a list of th team positions you need to successfully execute the Ralley:
Coordinator: Oversees the entire process. Usually stationed at the convention hotel Mid Point Contact:
Someone positioned half way through the Ralley to answer questions, and give directions. Should be
familiar with the area. The person can be at one of the poker stops handing out cards. Answer Sheet
Scorers: At least two people who will be correcting all of the questions sheets.
The coordinator and mid point contact should have cell phones, and their cell numbers should be on
the question sheets. An additional club representative can be placed at one of the recommended lunch
stops to provide help with directions back to the hotel, site seeing, et
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Planning the Event
The major items here
are:
Where – what
location/site will you use? You will need to get either permission (in
writing) or a rental contract agreement signed. The size of the site
will determine the number of vehicles and the type of course you can
use. Can people go off-site to get lunch, fuel, etc.? Are restrooms
available? If not a port-a-john rental company needs to be contracted.
When – the
availability of the site and your club’s open dates will determine this
issue. Rain dates should be considered. Also what time can you come in
to set up and what time must you be packed up and off site.
What – The type of
event you have planned is up to you. A driver’s school, an informal fun
run, or a full out competition event are all options. Remember that
each will require you to pre-plan differently. In the case of a
driver’s school, you will need to have more instructors available, more
loaner helmets, and a course lay out set up to aid in the learning
process. For an informal event, you can set the course up so it’s fun
and provides some learning opportunities as well. For a competitive
event you will have a mixture of experienced and perhaps beginners who
must make their way around the course.
Who – The type of
drivers that you expect to attend will also affect the type of event
and course lay out. You will also need to determine who will be
responsible for making sure each action item is being taken care.
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Activities Conducted Prior to the Event
You will need to
complete all of these items prior to the day of the event:
1) Completed contract
for location or written permission
2) Arrangements for all equipment to be used on-site
3) Course lay out plan
4) Worker assignments (tech inspection, timer, etc.)
5) All safety issues addressed
6) Site lay out traffic plan completed
7) Lunch/break schedule
8) Run group schedule
9) Alternate plan in case of bad weather
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Activities Conducted the Day of the Event
Assuming you have
completed the outreach effort to let members know the specific date,
times and rules of the event we will know discuss activities that will
take place on the actual day of the event.
1) Equipment set-up
and course lay out
2) Coordinating parking and car prep
3) Registration/Car Classification/Tech Inspection
4) Course walk-thru
5) Driver’s meeting
6) Safety and rule discussions
7) Run group and worker schedules
8) Auto crossing and results
9) Breakdown and clean-up
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| Equipment/Course set-up – based on
your earlier planning you will arrive at the site with enough helpers
to set up all the equipment and begin placing the cones on the course
you designed. You will need to complete all of this work at least one
(1) hour prior to your scheduled “first car off” time. Not only will
you need to make sure that the timing equipment is operating correctly,
you will also need to ensure that the course design flows right. To do
this you will need an experienced driver to run the course a few times
and make changes as needed.
Parking and Car Prep – as part of the set-up
efforts you will have blocked off an area for parking (both event and
spectator) and car preparation. People will need a space behind their
vehicles to unload all loose items and personal effects.
Registration/Car Classification/Tech
Inspection – a registration and sign-in area needs to be established
for all participants (drivers and spectators) to sign insurance
waivers, fill in day of the event registration and take payment for the
event. Pre-registration and pre-payment make this a much easier thing
to control. On-site payment will necessitate a cash box and adequate
money to make change. It will also take longer to register each driver
the day of the event.
How you want to classify cars is up to you.
You can follow SCCA guidelines, make up your own or use a combination
of both approaches. One of the easiest is to do a “stock”, “modified”,
and “race” approach to classes. You can even deduce 2% of a driver’s
run time if they don’t use R-Compound tires in classes where other cars
have them. You can also set up a novice sub-group within each of these
three classes. This will take up more time during the registration
process if you haven’t already done it prior to the event.
Once drivers have completed the registration
process they should be handed a tech inspection form that will be place
on their vehicle once they have it ready to be inspected. You can do
inspection “in place” or you can have drivers move their vehicles to a
tech inspection location. Tech inspectors will look for loose items in
the car, a strong throttle return spring, that the battery is securely
attached, that the wheel bearings are in good order, and in some cases
monitoring of muffler db levels. They will also look for the correct
helmet rating and expiration date. Special rules usually apply for
T-top and convertible cars (t-tops off and convertible tops up, unless
they have a roll bar). A sticker is usually placed on the windshield of
each car that passes inspection.
Run/Worker Schedule – you will need to
develop a run/work group schedule for the day that incorporates any
dual driver cars (split them up, so one is running while the other is
working). You will need corner workers (at least 4 to 8 people), a
starter, someone in grid, a timer and at least 2 other available
people. You should not count yourself in this mix.
Course Walk-thru – once drivers have completed registration and tech
inspection they are free to walk the course and begin to get a feel for
the lay-out and what it is expected of them during a run (slow here,
stay left there, etc.). A group walk-around is also a good idea if you
have any novices. A few times around is usually enough but note taking
can help some people remember the course in better detail.
Driver’s/Worker’s Meeting – just before the
first car is sent off the starting line, a driver’s meeting should be
held to go over the schedule for the day, the site specific rules,
safety, etc. This is where you set the tone for the day and let people
know what is expected of them. You can go over site and/or club
specific rules along with issues such as radio call-in protocol, re-run
policy and stop box rules, etc. You will have developed a run group and
work group schedule and can announce who is doing what and when. The
typical set-up is to have 2 run groups and the similar number of work
groups. A normal day would be for both run groups to do 3 runs each
twice in the morning and then repeat this schedule in the afternoon
with fun runs is conditions allow. A lunch break can be taken after
both run groups have done 2 runs. Another option is to have 3 run
groups (work/run/off). In this manner no lunch break is taken and
drivers and workers can partake in lunch as their respective schedules
allow. This can make the day go quicker and with less downtime.
Running – cars and drivers of the first run
group will now begin to line up in the area you have set aside as
“grid”. You can line cars up in numerical order (car numbers) or as
they come into the grid area. Either way works as long as you
communicate to the control station the ID of each car as it enters the
“start” position. You will also need to work out how returning car will
re-enter the grid without interfering with the cars that have yet to
run. The grid person and not the starter should handle loaner helmets
and requests for instructor ride-alongs. The starter will wave each car
up and position the car in the right location. They will check to see
if the driver has their helmet and seatbelts on and will let control
know which car is at the ready line. Based upon whether you can handle
the safety and timing aspects of two cars on the course at once, the
starter will give the driver a signal that the course is now ready and
they can go. The starter will then wave the next car in line up to the
ready line.
As each car completes their run, control
will record (on paper, electronically or both) the run time and any add
on time for cones knocked over or off course issues. It is a usual
policy that a car that fails to come to a complete stop in the stop box
is given a DNF (did not finish and whatever time was run is now void).
More than one OC (off course) is a good sign that a driver may need an
instructor to do a ride-along.
Once all drivers have completed their agreed
upon number of runs, the workers now switch positions and get ready to
drive while the drivers go out to work. Moving this process along will
save more time than you think, so be ready to shepard people around the
first few times. At the end of the regulation runs and if time allows
you can do “fun” runs that don’t have any official standing. How many
you do will depend on the time available and the number of people
interested. Many clubs charge a $1 to $2. a run to offset expenses.
Another way to increase revenue is to put out a few “Kenny” cones
(think South Park). Hitting a “Kenny” cone costs a driver an extra $3.
Or you can make up pictures of a fellow club member and paste them on
some cones too.
Awards – at the end of the day, you can
announce the times for each class and sub-group and any special awards
(most cones, lowest novice times, best improved since the last event,
etc.).
Breakdown/Clean-up –
you will need a crew of people to assist in breaking down the course,
putting the control station and timing equipment away along with all
the other items you have on hand. This includes depositing of any trash
and seeing that the rented port-a-john gets picked up.
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