Drivers Meeting at Canadian National Championship 2007
What is autocross?
Autocross is a great sport for people who are thinking about entering the world of motor sports. It is an inexpensive, easy way to compete and have fun! Our autocross events take place at the BC Driving Centre, which is located at Pitt Meadow’s Airport. It large open space where we set up a series elements marked out with traffic cones. You race against the clock and try and complete the course as quickly as possible without knocking over any cones. Your race is timed and your times are compared to all the other racers in your class and overall. Check out our section on car classing and pax for more information on this.
VCMC Motorsport Club hosts competitive “autocross” events in and around the Vancouver area. Autocross (aka Solo II) is a low speed, high transition, time trial event through a course set out with cones on a large paved area. Cars run one at a time and drivers race the clock as they negotiate the course. For these competitors, wins and losses can be measured in the hundredths and sometimes thousandths of a second. Each driver gets between 4 and 8 chances to run the course. Competitors compare times with those who drive similar cars, or who have cars with similar modifications.
Can my daily driver autocross?
Yes! Make sure that your car is in good working order. All Autocross clubs do a technical inspection; they don't like to let cars out on course with loose batteries, loose wheel bearings, or bad ball joints (to name a couple of things). Cars can also be rejected that have large cracks in their windshield, or tires that have no tread.
A Video of our 2007 Topgun Driver Arthur Chan in his Stock 91 BMW 318i, who says that you have to modifly your car to be fast?
When Do I Show Up?
All events begin with a drivers meeting at 9am. This means that you have to register, get your car inspected and walk the course beforehand. It would be best to arrive before 7:30 to allow enough time. At the drivers meeting any first-timers will be asked to identify themselves so that senior drivers can assist them.
What Do I Do When I'm There?
Nearly every club that puts on Autoslalom events requires that drivers also work stints in various jobs. If you want to be a well rounded driver, you should try and learn all of them. Tasks include course setup, technical inspection, timing & scoring, starting, and course working (aka: cone shagging) and course cleanup. The majority of people are required to work on the course, so expect to become expert in this first.
We usually use a shift system where you might take 2 or 3 runs, then go work while other drivers take 2 or 3 runs. Be sure to report promptly for your work assignment to keep the event running on schedule. Working the course gives you the opportunity to watch different drivers and start to see what some are doing that makes them consistent winners; look at the lines they take through corners, look at how they brake and when they get on the gas.
How safe is autocross?
Autocross is one of the safest motor sport events because it is a “low speed” individual event. There are only one to two cars on course at one time and you never come close to each other. Our courses are designed to try and ensure driver and participant safety. This does not mean that there isn’t the possibility of damaging your car if you run over too many cones or run right off the course. It is also important to note that car insurance does not cover you during any motor sport events.
How does car classing and paxing work?
Car classing helps ensure drivers compete “in class” with similar performance cars. “Paxing” is a handicapping method to compare results between different car classes. “Paxed” or “indexed” results are posted after each event to determine who the fastest drivers are. “Pax” stands for Performance Adjusted Index. Check out the 2008 SCCA Rule book to determine what class your car will compete in and how your car will be paxed against other cars. If you have questions about how to class your car you can always read through our forum or post a question about classing there.
Club membership for first time members is $50 and this includes your first event free. Additional club events are $25 per event.
What should I do to prepare the night before?
Remove anything unnecessary from your car, like the fuzzy dice hanging from your rearview mirror. Pack some snacks and water and get a good night sleep!
