Autox (Solo) rules help.

I am planning on running my first autox completion next month but one thing has me stumped. I have after market spring air bags installed. In the rules for street class, I can find nothing mentioning the spring air bags only that it appears that shocks can be used to increase ride height

13.5 A 2. "Suspension geometry and alignment capability, not including ride height, may not be altered by the substitution of alternate shock absorbers. Aftermarket strut housings are allowed provided that they meet the Street category shock requirements defined herein (i.e., that no suspension geometry changes result). This includes the position of the steering arm attachment point in the case of struts with integrated steering arms.").

13.8 A and B Says I can't modify the springs but helper springs are not mentioned. 13.8 SUSPENSION "A. Standard, as defined herein, suspension springs must be used. They may not be cut, shortened, or collapsed. Spring perches may not vary from the OE shape within the working part of the perch. B. Both the front and rear suspension may be adjusted through their designed range of adjustment by use of factory adjustment arrange- ments or by taking advantage of inherent manufacturing toleranc- es. This encompasses both alignment and ride height parameters if such adjustments are provided by the standard components and specified by the factory as normal methods of adjustment. However, no suspension part may be modified for the purpose of adjustment unless such modification is specifically authorized by the factory shop manual."

I was planning on pumping up the air bags to max but it looks like I may get through with street if I run them at the lowest pressure. I am planning on removing my belly pans and reinstalling the stock rear wing.

Of course I have no idea if anyone will be running in street as it is a small group.

The rules for Street are generally of the "if it's not explicitly allowed then it's forbidden" kind, and I'm pretty sure air bag helper springs would not be legal.

That said, if it's your first autox, odds are that you're not going to be anywhere close to the front of the class. Most autox clubs are low-key enough that they're going to cut you some slack and not worry about stuff like that unless and until you start getting close to the front. So I'd say go, run it in street, tell people up front about it, and you should be fine. In the interests of maximum fairness, I would suggest running them at the minimum pressure so that they're having minimal effect on the spring rate.

Later you can decide if you want to take them out or move the car to a class where they're legal.

Don't sweat the car classing. Just go and have fun! . You can deal with the classing and mods later. Ask questions and your local club will be more than happy to help. Seriously, just go have a ball!

+1 to the comments above.

Newbies get all kinds of slack. Nobodies gonna look cross-eyed at your ride unless you beat a local hero.

Go and have fun! Talk to the veterans to get driving and setup tips.

Rog

A lot of clubs have a Novice class where all the rookies can run together regardless of prep, anyway.

When you get there, find the guy with the biggest hat, tell him you've never autocrossed before, and then do what he says. Have fun!

Duke wrote: When you get there, find the guy with the biggest hat, tell him you've never autocrossed before, and then do what he says. Have fun!

Thanks all, My goal is to not come in last which won't happen if I am in the next class up. If I have problems with the air bags I will look into getting some new springs to swap in as the air bags won't be coming out. The groups website has a guild for newbies, so I know what to expect.

Duke wrote: A lot of clubs have a Novice class where all the rookies can run together regardless of prep, anyway. When you get there, find the guy with the biggest hat, tell him you've never autocrossed before, and then do what he says. Have fun!

That's good advice.

wbjones wrote:

Duke wrote: When you get there, find the guy with the biggest hat, tell him you've never autocrossed before, and then do what he says. Have fun!

Damn, that is so true!

Maybe we need an autocross hat thread. That way we can figure out who's the fastest.

This is mine: http://www.sundayafternoons.com/derma-safe-hat.html

With my Maui Jims:

and spf100 sunblock applied every hour on the hour.

Air bags (replacement springs; adjustable perches/ride height) will put the car in one of the Street Touring classes. Which one will depend on what car you have. Other mods may change things.

One day of standing out in the sun with a baseball cap on will make the reason for those silly hats obvious. I have a few. I like ones you can scrunch up and stuff down next to the driver's seat while running.

In reply to Ian F:

Mine has the strap that I hang off my back when running.

Duke wrote: When you get there, find the guy with biggest hat, tell him you've never autocrossed before, and then do what he says. Have fun!

Trucke? I need to find mine, the ball cap isn't working as well anymore. We got a bunch of shirts made with "Joe" written on the pocket for the officers and refer those with questions to Joe in the blue shirt. Its worked well so far.

You could also take the opportunity to chat with the local guys to find what class you'd be in(airbags would most likely count as changed springs/dampers)

Just go enjoy it, and then figure out where you should be.

Wow, how did we degrade to a hat discussion?

Like everyone else has said, don't worry about legality at your first event, just go have fun. And don't bother making any modifications to the car, just run it as is and figure out classing later. If your club has a novice class, you'll be all grouped together regardless of class. You're not out to win, just to learn the ropes and get addicted to adrenaline like the rest of us are.

And be sure to ride along with an instructor. Here's what happened when a novice rode along with me at my last event:

video

I wanted to email someone in charge but I couldn't find any links on their web site. I assume the group is small, as they had trouble finding enough people to hold an awards ceremony.

I asked for general information from SCCA but they never sent anything.

I just rechecked the regional site and now I see contacts. It is too late to do anything so I will just show up and have fun. If I am in the Street touring I will use the air bags to my advantage. I just have to remember to bring an air tank.

Here's some links to some helpful info from my club, Central Florida Region:

http://www.cfrsolo2.com/Flyers2014/gettingstarted.html

http://www.cfrsolo2.com/Information/Solo%20II%20Novice%20Handbook.htm

You've probably seen this from the national website already:

http://www.scca.com/solo/content.cfm?cid=44509

Thanks again all.

I forgot to add this is my hat, it is faded and doesn't hold it's shape but it works well.

Not me, but I do have one of these.

codrus wrote:

He must be one of last year's national champions

These guys look fast.

irish44j wrote:

codrus wrote:

He must be one of last year's national champions

This had me rolling on the floor in pain from the laughter. I wish I had this hat at my last rallyx season.