I'm not intending to scare off any prospective racers, but the first thing I usually discuss when someone asks me about going racing is "what is your annual budget?".

Racing is expensive, and it costs even more if you try to skimp and cut expenses in the wrong place.  I've made all the mistakes already, so I can help you avoid some of them.  One example - I spent every dime I had to build my first real race engine, after a couple years of using  a slightly modified street motor.  I had the super cylinder head, the best carburetors, the forged pistons, and no money left for a high-performance fuel pump, so I bought a cheap one.  Why did I need the $100 one when I could buy one for $20?  Well, the pistons melted,  within about three laps, due to running too lean which was due to fuel starvation which was due to inadequate fuel supply, due to a $20 fuel pump!  Trying to save $80 cost me at least another $500 before I could put the engine back together.

Sit down with a pencil and paper and consider all the costs:

A race car - do you need something worth $20,000, or will some $4000 racer do?  And regardless of which you choose, don't believe "race ready" until you (or someone more experienced) check everything carefully.  Is the cage legal?  The seat and mounting?  The fire system, the fuel cell/system, even the seat belts?  Any of those could cost you an unexpected chunk if you aren't sure.

What about a trailer?  How are the trailer tires, wheel bearings, wiring and lights?  What are you going to tow with?  It needs the proper license, insurance, decent tires... It all adds up!

Drivers suit and helmet - you can find deals if you search.  Don't cut corners on safety, but you can get last year's helmet model at a discount, and there are always left-over drivers suits available pretty cheap!

Entry fees? It was only $45 for my first race! I was a Board member when we raised it to $60 and then $75 a year later.  One of my mentors quit racing when the entry fee reached $100 - said he couldn't justify the expense.  Do you know what the entry fees are up to now??

Race gas, oil, brake pads, tires, filters... they all add up.   This is racing.  Clutches wear out, transmissions break, fenders get dented.  Can you afford to fix the car, or will it sit in your garage because you can't afford to fix it?

Travel expenses - I remember when gas first went above $1.00 and I had to reduce my race travel.  At $1.65 it altered which races I could attend.  Now it's $3.30 and race gas is about $8.00/gallon at the track!  Your tow vehicle will probably get 10mpg, and your race car will get less!

Hotels are expensive - most tracks have showers, and you can sleep in your tow vehicle pretty comfortably - at least you won't have trouble falling asleep at the wheel on the way home from the track!  Seriously, besides the "be careful" message - I carried an air mattress and slept great in the trailer, and saved a couple hundred per weekend by not going to a hotel.

Okay, enough of the scare tactics! I want to help you go racing as much as you want to go racing.  I'm simply suggesting you make sure you are aware of all the costs first, so you can plan, budget, and get to the races with a couple bucks left in your pocket for the trip home.  You don't want to count on winning the prize money to cover you expenses...

There are a lot of us who can help you to plan your racing career to include less surprises.  Find a race driver you trust to help you step into racing with proper planning, and you'll have a lot more fun!!

This season registration will be handled through Motorsportsreg.com.  Log on, look for the date/event you'd like to attend and fill everything in.  Once you arrive at the track you will need your current credentials and payment (if you haven't already paid).  If you are a novice you will need to bring along your novice permit.

Registration is always looking for volunteers to work Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday morning.  It's a great way to get to know everyone, and a fun and friendly group.  E-mail our Registrar Sheila Burkett (saburkett@yahoo.com) with questions or suggestions you may have.

Okay...you've succumbed to the bite of the SCCA Club Racing bug.

 

You have your copy of the current GCR and your Novice Permit.

 

One way or another you have a car (bought, built, or rented) that's ready to race, and have made sure it's ready for competition.

 

You have all the necessary safety gear for both the car and for you, and have arrived at the race track for your first event.

 

You've met with the helpful people at the registration table/building/tent, verified that you've entered and paid, and received your entry packet from them with all sorts of information to help you through the weekend.

 

Next, you'll go to the tech area.

 

Gulp.

 

What do I do?  What do the tech people want from me?  What am I supposed to know when I get there?  Here's a little guide that will help you through that part of your first Club Racing weekend and all the ones that will follow.

 

First of all, DON'T PANIC.  Everyone that has taken part in SCCA Club Racing events has been at this point: at the track for their first event, amped up at the prospect of getting to drive a real race car on a real race track, and just a little unsure of what's supposed to happen next at each step of the way.  It's just another step-no biggie.  The tech inspectors will help you get through this with as little muss or fuss as they can.  The pre-race inspections and checks are all about your safety on the race track, and that's all that we're going to talk about here.  Things like post-race impounds and inspections, protests, and on-track safety issues all deserve their own, separate discussions.

 

Second, gather up the following items (at minimum) to bring to the tech area:

               --Your helmet, driver's suit, gloves, shoes, head restraint, and arm restraints (if you're driving an open-cockpit car).  Eventually you only need to bring the helmet to tech (I'll explain that later), but it's not a bad idea to bring all the safety gear to tech anyway.

               --The SCCA Vehicle Log Book for your race car, all properly filled out, with a current Annual Tech inspection filled out in the book(if you need an annual inspection, don't fret-we'll cover that in a bit)

               --Your tech inspection form, if it's provided to you as part of your registration packet.  Different SCCA regions do this differently, so if you don't have it in your packet, don't worry.  If you do have it, please fill it out as much as you can before you go to tech.

 

Third, head on over to the tech area.

 

Once you get there, give your kindly tech inspector your vehicle log and inspection form to make sure it all  meets current GCR specifications.  If you didn't get the form in your registration packet, your name, car class, and the car number- the forms will be with them.  The tech inspector will double-check the tech form with you and then go through your vehicle log book to see if the car's new, been involved in any incidents, and has a current annual inspection.  If all is well, he'll ask to see your safety gear if it's your first time (or if it's the first race of the year).  Once he's verified that, he'll affix a special sticker to the side of your helmet that indicates that your personal safety gear has been inspected and is OK.  For future race weekends that year, the only safety gear you need to bring to tech is the helmet, so you can show the tech inspector the sticker (although I still recommend bringing all the safety gear to tech, just in case).

 

If all your paperwork is in order and your safety gear passes, your vehicle log will be signed by the chief tech inspector or his designee(s), and you'll be issued a tech sticker, along with instructions on where to affix it to your race car.  The whole process shouldn't take more than a few minutes, leaving you time to get situated in the paddock, meet with old friends or make new ones, and get a good start to your race weekend.

 

If you don't have a current annual inspection for your car and couldn't get one before coming to the track, it's best to call ahead and make arrangements to have one performed at the track.  Annual inspections are best done before the car leaves the garage to head to the track, since they are more involved and take more time than is normally available at the track during a race weekend.  If you just show up and expect an annual to be performed at the track as a matter of due course, you might be in for a long wait before you can get out on course with your race group-especially if the at-track annual turns up problems with your car that must be taken care of before it can be approved for competition.

 

If your tech inspector finds that something's amiss during the pre-race checks, he'll bring it to your attention and then try to help you rectify the situation if possible.  For example, if your log book indicates that your car was in an incident in its last race that requires reinspection before it can take to the track again, he'll ask that you bring the car to the tech area so it can be checked and reapproved for competition.  If your helmet doesn't meet GCR spec, he might ask that you obtain a helmet that does meet spec and use it for the weekend.  Depending on the kind or severity of problem the tech inspector finds, the Chief Steward (or his designee) might be called in to adjudicate the situation and provide additional input.  

 

Whether it's your first weekend as an SCCA club racer or you're a long-time competitor, remember that your pre-race tech inspection is all about safety.  We want you to have a good weekend at the track and we'll do all that we can to help you follow your racing dreams, but we won't do it at the expense of your safety,  the safety of your fellow competitors, or the volunteers who help you to race.

 

 

 

Timing and Scoring

Timing and Scoring (T&S) has evolved quite a bit from the days of people standing on a flatbed trailer with stopwatches.  With the use of computers and now transponders in T&S, we have gotten to the point where it is not unheard of to get live timing for a race anywhere in the country or the world.  With all of this technology though, it still takes a human element to make everything work.  There are many different types of people with different skill sets who excel in working in T&S. T&S is a good place for some people to work because it is indoors and most of the work can be done sitting down so it's not physically demanding.  Other people work in T&S because they are good with computers or numbers.

 

In the St. Louis Region we have an exceptional group of workers.  They are not only successful at getting results out in a timely manner (most of the time results are available at the track within minutes after a group has come off the track), but they do all of this while having a good time.  It is always one of the most pleasant rooms to work in across the country.  If you ever have a problem or question, please feel free to come up and visit between sessions or at lunch.  Just make sure to remember that we are still working and sometimes you will be asked to come back at a later time, especially if there are cars on track.

 

What can you as a competitor do to help us do our job?  When you register for the race, make sure your information is correct and up-to-date, it is much easier if we have all of this info correct in the computer when we arrive at the track than to try to do it once we get to track.  If you have a rechargeable transponder, make sure it is fully charged (I recommend the hard-wired but this choice is yours).  Make sure your car numbers are legible.  Even in today's age of computers, it is still important that we can read your car number from 100 feet away as you zip past us at over 100mph.  If we have an issue with your number or information, we will try to inform you of the issue and recommend ways of resolving it.  Of course, you are more than welcome to discuss any issue with us face-to-face.

 

Come up to T&S some time and check out how our operation works.  Have fun and I'll see you at the races.

 

 

 

 

Over the PA system everyone in the paddock hears "Sam Driver, please report to the Chief Steward at Race Control."  Everyone goes about their business except Sam Driver. Sam probably has a lot of thoughts going through his head at this moment.  One can only imagine.

 

Drivers must also realize, Sam may have been called to the Chief Steward for dozens of reasons which have nothing to do with a violation.  It could be something very simple like approving a request made by Sam or to ask Sam if he would move to another group or change his number.  

 

Stewards are merely the officials of the meet, there to make sure the event is safe and fair.  As a steward, we encounter three types of individuals when someone like Sam answers the PA announcement.  The first is the fearful somewhat frightened driver.  The second is friendly and open-minded.  And the third is combative, and agressively defensive.   Unfortunately, all of these reactions are visible BEFORE they even know WHY they were called to the Chief Steward.  The stewards first job is to try and make all of them "driver two".

 

What should you do when called before a steward?  First, relax!  Stewards don't bite. They are human and if attacked they may respond accordingly.  

 

If the Chief Steward is notifying you of a violation or someone has protested you there are several simple steps you should follow:

1. Relax
2. Ask the Chief Steward exactly what the violation or protest is all about.
3. Ask if another steward is available who can help in the defense of the charge or protest.  Yes, stewards will help any driver go through the process of a protest or violation charge.  Unfortunately, not all events have sufficient personnel for this purpose.

At this point the Chief Steward will have done one of two things; 1) Presented you with a Chief Stewards Action (CSA) which means the Chief Steward has decided the violation and penalty.  His/her decision may be protested, without prejudice, or 2) Present you with a Request for Action (RFQ) or Protest.  RFQ's and Protests are acted upon by the Stewards of the Meet.  This body of Stewards listens to witnesses, investigates statements, and reviews all parts of the allegation before rendering a decision.

1. Review the GCR (General Competition Rules) to determine if the violation or protest applies to your situation.
2. IF you are in violation, STOP and be willing to accept penalty.  This will be the least painful for all.
3. IF you are NOT in violation you are encouraged to call witnesses who may have seen the alleged violation.  Stewards want to hear as much information as possible.
4. IF you have video offer it, in its original format, to the stewards for review.  If the video has been transfered to a different format or edited it may not be accepted. See if other drivers in the vicinity of the alleged violation have video which could be presented on your behalf.
5. IF the alleged violation is vehicle compliance, find everything you can which will indicate that your vehicle is compliant.  Download the latest GCR with updates. There may have been a rule change for which you were unaware.  The change might be in your favor.
6. Do not rely on "that's the way I've (they've) always done it."
7. If you need more time, ask the Chairman of the SOM.
8. Always be factual, honest and open.  The SOM respond more positively to a protestor/protestee who presents good information in support of their case.

Stewards do not search for violations, they are reported.  And, to correct some misconceptions, STEWARDS DO NOT WRITE RULES.  For the most part drivers do - they request rules to be created or rule changes.

 

Stewards are at each event to make sure the event is operated in accordance with the GCR and that everyone has FUN.  Rules have to be applied equally to all in order for each driver to have a FAIR but SAFE competition event and have FUN in the process.  And if you are contemplating "hanging up the helmet", the stewards program - consisting of ex-drivers - could always use a few more.

 

  

MiDiv 2012 Club Racing Calendar

MiDiv Calendar

  

 March 31 - April 1 - Double Rational/IT - Memphis

April 14-15 - Rational/National/IT - Hallett

May 5-6 - Double School/Double Regional/PDX/Vintage - Heartland Park Topeka

May 19-20 - Regional/National/IT - Gateway

June 2-3 - Double Rational/IT - MAM

July 14-15 - Rational/National/IT - Heartland Park Topeka

July 28-29 - Regional/National/IT - Gateway

August 18-19 - Double Rational/IT - Hastings