SCCA Autocross - Devens, MA - July 3rd
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SCCA Autocross - Devens, MA - July 3rd
Join Ocean State MINI Club for a day of Autocross! 
When: Saturday July 3rd, 7:00 AM
Where: Meet locally, ride to Devens, MA (Exit 30 off 495)
Price: $25 (paid at the event)
• Registration is open from 7:30am to 9:00am*
• Tech inspection is open from 7:15am to 9:15am*
• Course open for walking at 8:00am
• Mandatory Driver's meeting at 9:30am
• Novice Course walkthrough at 9:45am
• First car off at 10:00am
So what is autocross? An autocross is a skill driving event in which one car at a time negotiates a prescribed course, using traffic cones to define a variety of turns. The site is on section of an old airport runway. The course is set up so that you are operating in lower gears, with a top speed of no more than 60 mph or so, depending on the car. The average time of a run on the course is approximately one minute, plus a penalty of two seconds for each rubber cone (pylon) hit. During each run you operate your car at it's limit of acceleration, turning, and braking...and yours. You maintain complete control of your car while maneuvering through the course in the lowest possible time.
It’s always a good idea to get there early. The first reason is so you can get registered and inspect your car before it gets too crowded. The second is that the course is open for walking at 8:00. The course always changes between events, so the more times that you walk around the course, the better you’ll get to know it, and the better time you’ll have. It can be tricky to follow the course if you don’t walk it a couple of times. The course is about a mile, so it can take 20-25 minutes to walk it. As I told you earlier, the course is run through construction cones. Obviously, you don’t want to knock any of them over because it adds a penalty to your time. And you need to stay on course for your time to count. That is why I walk the course as much as possible.
You should know that in order to run you do have to work the event. All the cars get split up into four groups; there are a ton of different classes of cars, however this grouping is just for work assignment purposes. If we are in group A, obviously we race with group A, but we work the track when group C races and we have free time when group B and D are doing their thing. So what does it mean to work the track? We get positioned along the track and we act as the eyes and ears for the guys running the event. If someone knocks over a cone or goes off course, we radio the timekeeper. If it is really necessary we have red flags to stop the race (if a car stalled and can’t get out of the way…). It is very safe to work the track, we are kept well out of harms way.
There are a few things to do to prep your car. First, clean it out. No soda cans rolling around on the floor or papers that are going to go flying around and no floor mats. Second, increase you tire pressure to somewhere around 40 psi, and yes this does make a difference. Third, you don’t want a full tank of gas. No need for the extra weight. The cars are brand new so they will have no problem passing inspection. If you have any mods to your car though, let me know, so we can be sure that you still fit into the “stock” class.
You are going to want to bring a few things to make you day a little easier. Bring a lunch and plenty of cold water; we are racing on an old airport runway it can get pretty hot out there. Depending on how sunny it is, a hat and some sunscreen are definitely in order. Second a folding chair to sit on will make you a lot more comfortable during you off time, especially if you want to take a nap.
Helmets are provided if you are without one.
For more info on SCCA Autocross: www.ner.org
or go to www.oceanstatemini.com
When: Saturday July 3rd, 7:00 AM
Where: Meet locally, ride to Devens, MA (Exit 30 off 495)
Price: $25 (paid at the event)
• Registration is open from 7:30am to 9:00am*
• Tech inspection is open from 7:15am to 9:15am*
• Course open for walking at 8:00am
• Mandatory Driver's meeting at 9:30am
• Novice Course walkthrough at 9:45am
• First car off at 10:00am
So what is autocross? An autocross is a skill driving event in which one car at a time negotiates a prescribed course, using traffic cones to define a variety of turns. The site is on section of an old airport runway. The course is set up so that you are operating in lower gears, with a top speed of no more than 60 mph or so, depending on the car. The average time of a run on the course is approximately one minute, plus a penalty of two seconds for each rubber cone (pylon) hit. During each run you operate your car at it's limit of acceleration, turning, and braking...and yours. You maintain complete control of your car while maneuvering through the course in the lowest possible time.
It’s always a good idea to get there early. The first reason is so you can get registered and inspect your car before it gets too crowded. The second is that the course is open for walking at 8:00. The course always changes between events, so the more times that you walk around the course, the better you’ll get to know it, and the better time you’ll have. It can be tricky to follow the course if you don’t walk it a couple of times. The course is about a mile, so it can take 20-25 minutes to walk it. As I told you earlier, the course is run through construction cones. Obviously, you don’t want to knock any of them over because it adds a penalty to your time. And you need to stay on course for your time to count. That is why I walk the course as much as possible.
You should know that in order to run you do have to work the event. All the cars get split up into four groups; there are a ton of different classes of cars, however this grouping is just for work assignment purposes. If we are in group A, obviously we race with group A, but we work the track when group C races and we have free time when group B and D are doing their thing. So what does it mean to work the track? We get positioned along the track and we act as the eyes and ears for the guys running the event. If someone knocks over a cone or goes off course, we radio the timekeeper. If it is really necessary we have red flags to stop the race (if a car stalled and can’t get out of the way…). It is very safe to work the track, we are kept well out of harms way.
There are a few things to do to prep your car. First, clean it out. No soda cans rolling around on the floor or papers that are going to go flying around and no floor mats. Second, increase you tire pressure to somewhere around 40 psi, and yes this does make a difference. Third, you don’t want a full tank of gas. No need for the extra weight. The cars are brand new so they will have no problem passing inspection. If you have any mods to your car though, let me know, so we can be sure that you still fit into the “stock” class.
You are going to want to bring a few things to make you day a little easier. Bring a lunch and plenty of cold water; we are racing on an old airport runway it can get pretty hot out there. Depending on how sunny it is, a hat and some sunscreen are definitely in order. Second a folding chair to sit on will make you a lot more comfortable during you off time, especially if you want to take a nap.
Helmets are provided if you are without one.
For more info on SCCA Autocross: www.ner.org
or go to www.oceanstatemini.com
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