Can I watch for free? Can I bring a friend?
Autocrosses do not typically charge for spectators. Just go. You may be asked to sign an insurance waiver. back to content...Do I have to join some club?
Membership in the organizing club is required in some places, but not necessary at most of the local events in the country. Check with the sponsoring club. However, membership has its benefits; event fee discounts, newsletter subscriptions, etc. back to content...Do I need an SCCA license?
For autocross/Solo II events, no SCCA licence is necessary. At
the regional level, Solo II is very much a grassroots sport, but a few
large SCCA Regions (Atlanta Region doesn't) require SCCA membership to
participate. Check with your sponsoring club. At the Divisional
and National level, drivers must be SCCA
members to compete. back to content...
What kind of car do I need?
Almost any car (or truck) will do, as long as it passes the tech inspection. Certain "tippy" vehicles such as Jeep Wranglers or Suzuki Sidekicks are not allowed because of the increased risk of rollover. People autocross everything from modified Porsches to stock Toyota Tercels to Lincoln Town Cars! back to content...What are some guidelines of etiquette that I should follow?
Here are some dos and don'ts for autocrossers, rookies and veterans alike. back to content...What do I need to bring?
If your car is stock, and you intend to race it on your street tires, all you really need is your car, a helmet, a tire pressure gage, and your entry fee. (Loaner helmets are usually available, and you can probably borrow a gage.) The very first time you go, you will probably want to bring some of the stuff listed in this checklist. Some people like to be prepared for anything. ("Do you have a welder I can borrow?") Depending on your involvement in the sport, your needs will vary. Check
out this CHECKLIST compiled by Mike Cormack.
There is much advice to be gained from Team.Net! Several of these items
are hypertext links to some of that advice regarding that item. back
to content...
What kind of helmet do I need?
For Solo II, SCCA and most autocrossing organizations require any helmet with a Snell M or SA sticker from the current, and two immediately preceding standards. In 2002, that would be Snell 2000, Snell 1995, or Snell 1990. Right now (05/16/03) it must be a Snell 90 or newer. The helmet can be full face, open face, or open with a chin guard.Click here to read about the Snell standards listed below.
M = Motorcycle. These are more commonly available and less expensive. Purported to be designed for one big hit. May have more padding on top, just depends. You can buy an open-face in the USA for as little as $75. Not required by governments as a standard.
SA = Special Applications. A different, ostensibly more severe, standard than M. The helmet is supposed to be rated for multiple impacts and also must have a fireproof liner. Rumor has it that many manufacturer's helmets differ between M and SA only by having the fireproof liner, for which the price goes up at least $100. Since motorcyclists and snowmobilers are unlikely to purchase these things, they are made in smaller numbers, not as commonly available and much less likely to be seen in local shops at low prices.
The USA Department of Transportation has their own, less severe, standard called, not surprisingly, DOT. I think the standard is called Z.90.1.B. SCCA Solo II does not permit helmets with only the government standard Z.90.1.B. Snell tests for the effects of non-standard coatings like stickers and new paint on the helmet material, but the Z.91.B standard does not include these tests.
Pay special attention
to fit. The helmet should not be so tight it brings on headache, but it
should not rattle, either. Put it on and shake your head. Your skin should
travel with the helmet. The idea is that your head does not get a running
start before hitting the padding.
back to content...
Who will I be competing against?
Your car will be grouped in a class of comparably equipped cars to make for relatively fair competition. If you are a novice, some events will report handicapped times so you can see how you fared against other novices no matter what they drove. back to content...What are the different classes of competition?
Stock (S)
These cars are fairly close to cars that are driven on the street, and are usually dual purpose automobiles. Permitted modifications include any DOT-approved tire, any shock that attaches to the stock mounting points, any exhaust from the catalytic converter back (subject potentially to local sound control), any brake pads, any front sway bar, any wheels of stock dimensions and offset, and addition of a race harness.Cars prepared to Road Racing Showroom Stock rules are permitted to run in Stock, but are not permitted to "mix" rules between the two classes.
The stock class is split up into sub-classes organized by performance. They are lettered A thru H, in an approximate order of descending (but not necessarily) performance. There is also a class called Super Stock (SS). Examples of cars in A-Stock (AS) include: Porsche 911's, Turbo MR2's, etc. The most populated class appears to be C-Stock (CS), which includes Miata's and many BMW's. At other end of the spectrum, H-Stock (HS) includes cars with relatively low power-to-weight ratios like the Toyota Tercel and Honda Accord. F-stock is a class that is generally populated with the "pony cars" such as Camaro's, Firebirds, and Mustangs.