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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