Autocross

Note: COVID-19 Guidelines are in effect.

Autocross is a low speed event held on an open paved lot. The intent is to familiarize the driver with his limits and the limits of his car. The course is laid out using highway cones in a road course fashion. Runs are timed. Safety is a primary concern. Cars on course are separated by sufficient distance so as to provide ample time in case of a spin. Corner workers are placed at strategic positions around the course and are in radio contact with the event coordinator at all times. All corner workers have a fire extinguisher and red flag.

The typical event day starts out with registration and a tech inspection. At registration, the cars are classified so that similar performance cars compete against each other. The tech inspection is to confirm the safety of the car. Items checked include fluid levels, brakes, wheel bearings, steering and tires. Ultimately, the mechanical condition of your car is your responsibility. Do you really want to be heading into a corner at 60 MPH with those squeaky 2 year old brake pads?

During this time, contestants are encouraged to walk the track. This is to familiarize them with the course layout, which changes from month to month. This time is utilized to determine braking points, corner entry and exit points.

After registration is closed, a drivers meeting is held to go over event rules, announce the division of classes into run groups, and an overall safety briefing. Attendance at the drivers meeting is MANDATORY.

At the completion of the drivers meeting, a lead/follow session at low speed may be conducted around the course to give all competitors the opportunity to see the course from behind the steering wheel and to see exactly how tight that hairpin corner really is.

Once the event starts, the run groups are either competing, working corners or resting. Working a corner can be a good thing, giving you the opportunity to see how other drivers are handling that section of the course. Of course you will get some exercise, resetting downed cones, but that is a good thing too.

Cones knocked down, or out of box constitute a time penalty for the run. LSC BMW CCA Autocross currently assigns a 1 second penalty per cone “down and out”. Each driver will usually receive 10 laps on the course. The best timed run, including penalties, is the drivers time for the day. Results are tallied and reviewed. After completion of review, they are posted to this website. Season points are awarded to all who complete. Trophies are presented at the end of the year to the top three positions in each class. Drivers must complete 5 events in the same class to be eligible for a trophy. No trophies are awarded on the weekends.