Many people have asked me how they could get into racing. Here are a few steps of racing:
Autocross (Solo II): If you have no experience then I suggest you
start with autocrossing. It's a great way to learn car control in a safe enviorment. Speeds are relatively low (no more than
60 MPH), but the action is fast. Traffic pylons are the only thing that you could hit.
Time Trials (Solo I): If you're ready to step up, there are clubs
that do time trials on actual race tracks. The speeds are higher, and most tracks do have things that could be hit (like
a wall or 2), so the risk is higher to your vehicle.
COM, EMRA, and NASA are 3 clubs I know of. I have never run with any of these clubs, but know people who have.
Club Racing: Here's where you are fender to fender with other cars.
Full cages, driver's suits are required. The car you race should be dedicated to racing. Which means the amount of
things you'll need is greater. The is a high risk to the car. Speeds do get up over 100 MPH on the track.
Course working: Not everyone can race. Clubs at tracks need people
to work the saftey stations. They do many things to make a racer's race safer and easier. Registration, tech, grid, and course
are just a few of the things.
The SCCA will train during a race and give you a 90 day membership free to get you started. To find an event near you,
go to their web site listed below.
Here are some sites to help you on your way:
http://www.scca.com - The SCCA's main site. Find rules and suggestions. Link to a region near you.
For NASA go to Google and do a search for "National Auto Sport Association". There are many sites to choose from.
The one common factor in all of these clubs is that you should have
fun. Thi
Going to your 1st autocross:
So you've decided that you want to try that 'autocross thing'. You saw one as you were driving
by the event, a friend told you about it, or you read about it. It doesn't matter how you heard about it, now you want
to try it. But you don't know what you need to do. Hopefully most of your initial questions will be answered here.
The hardest part of autocrossing is finding out about it. Now that you've found out, you need
to find when and where the next event is. If you didn't stop to watch the event, then it's doubtful you had any access to
info about the next one. One site to try is www.autocross.com . There you can click on your region and find clubs in your state. They will have schedules with locations
and times.
First of all, you do NOT need any special modifications or equiptment on your car to autocross.
People will tell you to put your tire pressures at ** PSI. Don't worry about such things yet. Get an event or 2 done
before you start playing with pressures.
All you'll need is:
1) a car that will pass a 'safety inspection' (they make sure your car isn't going to fall apart
on the course)
2) a driver's license (except the Jr Karts)
3) a motorcycle helmet (not all clubs will have loaner helmets)
4) an entry fee
5) the want to learn and have fun
See, not a huge list.
I do suggest the following things also:
a) weather gear (jacket, raincoat, sunscreen, ....) watch the weather the day before. Be prepared
for anything. They autocross in the rain.
b) plastic tarp (see A)i
c) small cooler with a snack, lunch, drinks (NO ALCOHOL!). There isn't always a place to get food
nearby.
d) a chair
* During the week before the event, clean out the car of items not needed. Load what you can into
the car. Get directions to the event site. Find out what time registration opens. If possible, find out what class your
car is in. www.scca.com has autocross (solo II) rules.
* The day/night before, double check you list. Put a copy of the directions (if you printed
them up) in the car. Get to bed early (chances are you'll have trouble falling asleep).
* Give yourself extra time to get to the event site (in case you get lost). You'll want to try
to get to the site as early as possible. It'll give you more time to get things done.
* When you arrive at the site, find a place to 'paddock'. This is where you will empty your car out
of all loose items. Spare tire, jack, floormats, anything loose in the car must be removed. Place on/under tarp. (Unloading
doesn't have to be the 1st thing you do)
* Find registration and register for the event as early as possible. Let them know that it's your
1st event and ask if there is anyone that can teach/ help you during the day. You will be assigned a 'worker assignment'.
Choose a station out on the course. There you'll be able to see other drivers going through and see their lines.
* Once the course is set up, walk it. The only way to know where the course goes is walking.
Autocross is a memory exercise as well as a motorsport/time trial. If you can, find someone to walk with. Don't be afraid
to ask questions.
* There is a driver's meeting before the event starts. Pay attention.
* First run: just find the course. This is where your brain decides it's going to take a break.
You are not expected to fly through the course. Go what speed you feel comfortable and try to find the way around. At the
end of the run, listen to hear if you were 'off course'. If you were, try to figure out where.
* Don't judge your times against the other drivers. YOU are your competition.
Try to improve on your previous runs. Speed comes with experience. Don't get discouraged, just have fun.
