Autocross

This year’s AutoCross events are held at the Metropolitan Community Colleges – Blue River Campus’ Precision Driving Academy. Learn more about our venues here.

Cones are counted as a two-second penalty added to the run time for each cone hit. A penalty is applied only if the cone is knocked down or displaced from its marking on the pavement. If the cone is hit and any part of the base of the cone is touching the marking box on the pavement, no penalty is applied.

The cones are constructed of soft plastic, and they deform when hit. They will occasionally leave slight marks on the paint and wheels which can be removed easily with car polishes.

No. Most local events are open to the general public, and only a current state-issued driver’s license is required. Some specific clubs will limit entrance only to current club members. Most SCCA events are open to the public, and many of them offer a discount to current SCCA members.

Yes. Insurance regulations require that all autocross participants wear seatbelts and Snell-approved helmets during all runs. Helmets must either meet the current or two previous Snell standards. These standards change every five years. As a result, helmets with the 2020, 2015, and 2010 Snell standards are currently acceptable. Loaner helmets are available at the local Kansas City Region events.

Most vehicles are acceptable for autocross. The exceptions are vehicles with a high center of gravity, such as SUVs and tall pickup trucks. Virtually all types of vehicles, from station wagons to open-wheeled racecars, are welcome to participate in SCCA AutoCross events. Vehicles competing in each event must pass a general safe inspection and must be emptied of all loose items.

At the very minimum, the vehicle needs to be in good running shape. No leaking fluids are allowed, the suspension and steering should be tight, the tires should be in good shape, and the brakes should be solid. Before competition, all loose items (including the driver’s side floor mat) need to be removed from the interior, and the tires should be inflated to about 5-10 PSI over the usual street inflation pressure. Some clubs (including the Kansas City Region SCCA) have an air compressor available on site. Many competitors bring their own portable air tanks to adjust tire pressures on site.

All the better. Modifying your car will often place you in a more challenging class. Autocross is primarily about driving, not about modifications. Modifications can make your vehicle perform better, but it is ultimately the driver that will make the car faster. Knowing which modifications are legal for which classes is beyond the scope of the average person entering the sport, but you can find all the details in the SCCA AutoCross rulebook or on the National SCCA website if you’re interested.

Entrance fees for running most local events range from about $45 to $50, depending upon the club, the number of runs, the quality of the venue, and the format of the event. Entrance fees can cover the cost of insurance, lot rental, trophies, and the cost of the equipment for running the event. For Kansas City Region events, the entry fee is $40 for SCCA members, and $50 for non members for registrations up to and including Wednesday before an event.

No refunds will be issued. If your entry is properly cancelled online 24 hours prior to the start of the event, the pre-paid entry fee will be converted into a credit that you can use for a future event registration with the KCRSCCA on MSR. No-shows and late cancellations are non-refundable. 

Most AutoCrosses are full-day events. The majority of the competitors are present for about half the day, but some choose to stay at the event to watch or work. 

Bring gear appropriate for weather conditions. If rain is predicted, be prepared with umbrellas, tarps, etc. If it is sunny, bring sunscreen and drinks. Bringing food is always a good idea, although some clubs offer on-site food sales. Folding chairs are always useful. Cameras are allowed at most venues.

Virtually all AutoCrosses require easily visible identifying numbers for each vehicle. At KC Region SCCA events, large visible numbers and class letters on each side are mandatory. Bigger is better, and good contrast is important for visibility. Most competitors use magnetic numbers and letters applied on the sides of the vehicle. If you don’t have magnetics or have a non-metallic vehicle, be creative. As long as the numbers and class letters are visible during the runs, you’re fine.

Absolutely! It is highly recommended that you attend at least one event to learn the basics before participating. You can see how the event flows, watch some runs, walk the course, and talk to the competitors. Depending upon the club managing the event, you may even be able to take rides with the competitors!

Most clubs now offer an online pre-registration system. Some have online payment available. Online registration for KC Region SCCA  autocross events is available at www.motorsportsreg.com or from our Solo Racing Schedule and Results page.

This is where attending an event beforehand can be helpful. Regions differ in the format of their events, although most are relatively similar. In the Kansas City Region, you begin by signing a liability waiver at the entrance. After that, you go to a registration area to sign in, show your driver’s license, and receive your worker assignment for the day. Next, you should get your car ready and go through the vehicle safety inspection (often called “Tech Inspection”) and move your vehicle to a gridding area. 

WALK THE COURSE
Your first walk will be to get the general layout, and is often a social walk. Now get away from friends and walk the course alone, concentrating on memorizing the layout. Think of it in sections, with key cones marking the turns, such as: start straight slalom (enter on right) decreasing sweeper to the left “little snake” then “big snake” right-hand curve (look for three pointers) “thread the needle section” tight right, then tight left finish.

Stop every now and then and run through the course in your head, from the beginning to where you are. Get down – the course looks different from a seated position. This will give you a better picture of what the course will look like at speed.

Pace off the distance between cones in a slalom. Some course designers vary the distance, and it’s good to know before you arrive whether you will have to vary your speed in a slalom. Take a note-pad if you like, and make notes such as pavement changes, camber change, bumps, sand, etc.

Make a mental note to yourself (or write it down) how far ahead you will be looking. When I walk the course, I say to myself, “OK, when I am here I will be looking there” This will help you to remember to look ahead while you are driving.

“Repeat this step over and over until the picture is perfect.” Andy Hollis – Four-time Pro Solo and SOLO National Champ

How do you know if the picture is perfect? Sit down by your car and try to draw the course on a blank piece of paper. Include the key cones you want to recognize while you drive. If you can’t draw the course, you will want to walk it again. Once you leave the start line in your car, you should not be spending any time figuring out where the course is.

PLAN THE COURSE
Do this while walking the course again. Now decide exactly how you want to drive the course. Driving the course perfectly involves two things; coming up with the correct plan, and executing the plan correctly. If you don’t have a plan, you can’t possibly know where you didn’t execute it correctly. It’s hard to know if you did this step correctly, but step 4 is something you can work on.

The plan involves the line you will take through the cones – the quickest way through. Note, I didn’t say shortest. Think about the characteristics of your car; does it corner better than it accelerates, or the other way around? That will tell you whether to slow down so you can get through the corner in control and get on the throttle as soon as possible, or try to carry speed through to keep up the revs.

Don’t forget to plan where you will be looking. There is no need to memorize every cone on the course, only the ones you plan to be near, the “important” ones. Look from one important cone to the next in your plan. 

IN GRID
Before you run, while you are in grid, go over the course again several times in your head, executing the plan you made before.

AFTER THE RUN
Sit in your car and go over your run. Figure out where you didn’t execute the plan. If the plan was to be near a particular cone, and you were five feet from it, then you didn’t execute the plan correctly, and a red light should have gone off in your head. Maybe you need to adjust the plan because you were going too fast in the slow parts. Decide at this point whether your next run needs to be a better execution of the plan, or a modification of the plan.

Basically, don’t use the car as an excuse; you will see a big difference in your times when you drive a course that never surprised you.

Autocross is a true “grassroots motorsport”, meaning that the entry fees are intentionally kept low to make it accessible to everybody. Much of the cost savings are realized by employing the competitors as workers. If paid workers were required for every position at an autocross, the entry fees would skyrocket. At most events, the competitors are only required to work for an hour or two, and many different types of work assignments are available to suit individual abilities.

Pets are not appropriate at autocrosses. If you absolutely must bring your pet, make sure they are comfortable and either fully supervised or secured well away from the action of the event. Young children should obviously be supervised at all times, and older children should be instructed about safety at the event. Insurance regulations require all minors to have a parent or legal guardian sign a minor waiver at the entrance. Safety is always a paramount concern at all autocrosses. If in doubt, please make alternate plans for caring for the kids and pets for the day.

Most local autocrosses offer some form of trophy (plaques, engraved mugs, T-shirts, etc.) to the top drivers in each class. Some even offer small cash prizes. Don’t expect to get rich by autocrossing, though! Serious prize money and awards can be obtained by finishing well at some national level events, but this is often offset by the cost of entry fees, travel expenses, and equipment purchased for the vehicle.

Practice. Then, practice more. Unless you have Mario Andretti’s DNA, you’re probably not going to be the fastest driver in your class on your first day of autocross. There’s a learning curve to every sport, and autocross is no different. But, there is a way to get tons of practice without spending years autocrossing.

There are autocross schools available where you can get an entire season’s worth of autocross runs in a single day, and skilled instructors can help you find the best way to negotiate the course and get the most out of your own car. See the current schedule here.

Like any sport or hobby, you will learn the ropes through direct experience and time. Feel free to use the wide knowledge of the competitors and committee members to learn more about Solo.