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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Has anyone setup/attended a "private" autocross? « 1 2 »
  • Keith

    Feb. 20, 2011 7:58 p.m. Keith SuperDork

    The "shiny side down" scenario is why you have the insurance. There's no other reason, really.

    We used to rent a lot at a ski resort for $250. Fair chunk of change to use a disused parking lot, really, but consider that for just over $500 we could run an event. Split that $500 over a couple of dozen drivers and you're looking at $20/head. There's a local high school that will let you use their lot for free, which obviously changes the budget quite a bit. It's in high demand as you might expect, but get in line at the beginning of the season and you can use it for a few events. It's what the local Corvette club does.

    Fear of pavement damage is the usual excuse for why venues will turn us down. Then I have the venue talk to my wife, who's the head estimator at the biggest paving company in town and actually was in charge of paving most of the venues we approach. That usually shuts them up. The local fairground does more damage to their lot by having loaded pickup trucks parked on the lot in the August heat than we do by running little sports cars over it.

    We don't use axware. Our timing system actually can interface with a laptop and export results in a spreadsheet - but it was a hassle to set up, required specialized knowledge to operate, could only be viewed by one or two people and was a bit cantankerous. Now, we just have the stopwatch taped to the side of the starter's truck. When the time comes in, you write it down on an address label and stick it to the big sheet of paper with all the times on it. Everyone can walk up and see all the times for every car, anyone can play the role of starter. Works a treat.

    You can make this sort of event as complex or as simple as you like. I prefer to go for the latter. People still have a lot of fun and it's easier on everybody. I don't consider it expensive or difficult to put on an event really. But that's because I've actually done it. It might look daunting from the outside if you're looking for reasons as to why it's hard, but it's really not tough. The hardest part is probably obtaining the cones - I got lucky there.

  • SyntheticBlinkerFluid

    Feb. 21, 2011 12:37 a.m. SyntheticBlinkerFluid Reader

    In reply to Keith:

    See you make it sound easy and not too difficult. I talked to my cousin for 10 minutes and he talked me out of even trying to set one up.

    We used to set up autocrosses that weren't exactly legal back in college. One was at an abandoned air strip (that we got caught and almost arrested) and the other was a empty lot from a torn down strip mall (that we got harassed by some locals), but we were dumb college kids.

    I still am interested in your "simple" way. That's actually what I had in my mind.

    I really need to get my car out of disrepair and get my ass back to autocrossing.

  • iceracer

    Feb. 21, 2011 9:20 a.m. iceracer Dork

    The insurance you need is for liability. Everyone enters their car at their own peril.

  • alfadriver

    Feb. 21, 2011 10:00 a.m. alfadriver SuperDork

    In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

    Having organized a lot of autocrosses, they are pretty easy to do. IF you have the right people to help.

    If you can swing the lot, insurance, and basic structure, then it's the organization and help. Course design, set up, tech, worker controller, timing/scoring, workers (and shifts), clean up, and results.

    It is a lot of work that a small group of people can do, IF the participants are willing to help a lot. AROC Detroit is blessed with participants who I consider to be awesome.

    BTW, if you know where to look, there are rules you can follow, and I would bet that organizing body would have no problem with you using them.....

  • cxhb

    Feb. 21, 2011 10:18 a.m. cxhb HalfDork

    We use kart tracks for our events, both time attack and drifting. It all boils down to the owner of the property. Last years events took place at G & J kartway and the owner was a super nice guy, but he wanted some steep prices for the track and thats not abnormal or anything, its his track and hes helping us out so we have to make the deals we can. It was when we factored in NASA's insurance and stuff that it got so expensive that we had to charge a lot per driver and that definitely hurt attendance. This year were using a bigger kart track, and for less money.... Like I said, it boils down to the property owner.

  • Keith

    Feb. 21, 2011 10:52 a.m. Keith SuperDork

    iceracer, that's what I meant. Insurance is for liability in the case of an accident. Not for insuring the cars themselves.

    We've got a good culture in our group. Everyone tries to think of ways to help. Usually, we'd have two or three primaries who took care of course design/setup and tech. We'd split the run groups into two, and if you weren't running you were working. I rarely had to ask for more workers - it helps that our venue was really easy to monitor. Timing/scoring could be handled by anyone as described previously. Cleanup takes 5-10 minutes - everyone just stacks cones on the course, and I drive around with the truck and toss 'em in the back. Voila. Again, we've got a good culture. No prima donnas, no egos. Just a bunch of guys who enjoy this sort of stuff and want to make it happen. I'm the sort of person who prefers to say "how can I make this happen?" instead of saying "here are all the problems", and that seems to be contagious.

    I haven't actually run an autox for two or three years now. We've moved to a cart track. Means no setup time and they take care of timing/scoring. All we need to do is registration, tech and starting. It costs more money, but everyone seems to enjoy it.

    alfadriver said:

    BTW, if you know where to look, there are rules you can follow, and I would bet that organizing body would have no problem with you using them.....

    I can assure you that NASA has a very particular problem with you using their rules, even if you're running small events hundreds of miles away from the nearest sanctioned event. NASA might be a lot of things, but I feel their support of true grassroots motorsports is lacking.

  • GameboyRMH

    Feb. 21, 2011 11:46 a.m. GameboyRMH SuperDork

    Private autocross? Me and some friends used to do something like that in empty parking lots, until the cops showed up

  • kazoospec

    Feb. 21, 2011 5:57 p.m. kazoospec New Reader

    BTW - if you "within range" of the Windy City Miata club, your problem is solved. I drove down from Michigan to run with them once at the Tirerack. They ran a great event, started on time and finished on time, which, unfortunately, is a rarity with clubs in my area. Their numbers were down slightly, so we got 18 runs in, which was about all my tires could take. With more typical attendance, they seem to average 6-10 runs. They were also a very nice group of people. Since it was only my 2nd or 3rd event, they assigned me an instructor (not mandatory, but I wanted the help). Although still primarily a Miata club, only about 50% of them were driving Miatas for the autocross. Their classing system for non-Miatas is extremely simple, yet seemed to yield competitive classes. I'd highly recommend that you try out one of their events.

  • fastmiata

    Feb. 21, 2011 9:07 p.m. fastmiata Reader

    We conducted a real "outlaw" event in an unfinished subdivision several years ago. It had the shallow "Z" shaped curbing. Essentially you assume the risks of participating. It was fun and we attracted an audience of locals. There were no incidents although I do recall spinning my EGT as I bounced off the curbing at the apex. A one-time deal, never to be repeated. I doubt that you could get insurance for such an event.

  • mtn

    Feb. 21, 2011 9:17 p.m. mtn SuperDork

    kazoospec wrote:

    BTW - if you "within range" of the Windy City Miata club, your problem is solved. I drove down from Michigan to run with them once at the Tirerack. They ran a great event, started on time and finished on time, which, unfortunately, is a rarity with clubs in my area. Their numbers were down slightly, so we got 18 runs in, which was about all my tires could take. With more typical attendance, they seem to average 6-10 runs. They were also a very nice group of people. Since it was only my 2nd or 3rd event, they assigned me an instructor (not mandatory, but I wanted the help). Although still primarily a Miata club, only about 50% of them were driving Miatas for the autocross. Their classing system for non-Miatas is extremely simple, yet seemed to yield competitive classes. I'd highly recommend that you try out one of their events.

    Their South Bend event has low attendance because it is relatively far away, and for some (like me, where it takes 3 hours to get there) means a hotel room.

    I've never been to one, but I hope to go someday.

  • alfadriver

    Feb. 22, 2011 7:08 a.m. alfadriver SuperDork

    Keith wrote:

    I can assure you that NASA has a very particular problem with you using their rules, even if you're running small events hundreds of miles away from the nearest sanctioned event. NASA might be a lot of things, but I feel their support of true grassroots motorsports is lacking.

    I can assure you that I'm NOT talking about NASA. Or SCCA for that matter.

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