What is a tech inspection?
A mandatory pre-race safety inspection of your car.What can I expect at a tech inspection?
Cars are checked for safety at each event before your first run. Generally, this task falls to an experienced autocross driver and the inspection is friendly. Your car must have a working seat belt, a good return spring on your throttle linkage, working brakes, a securely fastened battery, tight lug nuts, well-packed bearings, no excessive play in your suspension, and an interior free of loose articles. Street tires must have measurable tread depth and no cord showing. Any street car in reasonably good condition should pass this quick inspection without any trouble.Often, cars are inspected ("tech'ed") at a specific tech area before being allowed on the starting grid, but occasionally cars are tech'ed on grid. Very often cars in the first run group of the day are tech'ed on grid for efficiency.
SCCA is experimenting with a program allowing experienced drivers to have their cars tech'ed annually, with re-inspection after any accident or major change to the car.
back to content...Where can I learn more about autocrossing?
Nationwide, the SCCA host the largest number of autocrosses. Here in Atlanta you have the ( of couse...) the Atlanta Region of the SCCA. The Solo site has all of the lastest information about upcoming events and point standings along with lots of pictures. There are a few nationwide publications which cater to autocrossing. A very good one is North American Pylon, a newspaper-style monthly. For subscriptions to Pylon, go the Pylon Web Page.Grassroots Motorsports (GRM) covers most forms of low-cost motorsports. This bi-monthly publication is available at most places that carry a wide selection of specialty magazines. Subscriptions can be obtained on the Grassroots Motorsports Web Page.
There are also a few books and videotapes available about autocrossing, especially at the introductory and instructional level.
Many local organizations
sponsor autocross school-events where novice drivers can receive instruction
and tips on how to become a better driver. Contact your Local or Regional
Club to see if such programs exist in your area.
Books on Performance Driving
- Roger Johnson's Course Design Guide
- "Secrets of Solo Racing", Henry A. Watts, Loki Publishing, 1989, ISBN 0-9620573-1-2
- "How to Make Your Car Handle", Fred Puhn, HPBooks, 1981, ISBN 0-912656-46-8
- "Going Faster", Skip Barber Racing School
- "Driving in Competition", Alan Johnson, Norton
- "Bob Bondurant on High Performance Driving". Bob Bondurant
- "The Front-Wheel Drive High-Performance Advantage", Jack Doo, Motorbooks International, 1988, ISBN 0-87938-298-8
Where and when can I find an autocross?
Check with your Local or Regional Club for locations and schedules.