looks like there's going to be rain though. I still have yet to run cuz i've been laggin in sending my membership to SCCA. I'll prolly just watch on Sunday. I think frKENm3 is goin too. But yah.. come and check it out.. its free!:buttrock

I've also been always putting off joining SCCA for the autox action. One day if I have some free time I'll stop by one of their autox's just to see what happens at them.

Last year I've been doing autox's with the GGC BMWCCA, but this year they dropped the ball on getting it going. Can't wait to do some autox's. So I'm volunteering to help get some autox's going this year for our chapter. Hopefully we'll get some in the actual SF area and not all the way down in monterey.

Last year I've been doing autox's with the GGC BMWCCA, but this year they dropped the ball on getting it going. Can't wait to do some autox's.

From what i understand the management of the site the GGC always used no longer allows autocrossing on their property, something about someone speeding on the restricted areas leading to the autocross area. Many many autocross sites have been lost across the country because of one or two stupid people who think it's cool to blast down an access road at 30 mph despite the rules saying to keep it down to like 5 to 15 mph. I'm on the L.A. Chapter's Autocross committee and everybody lost the use of a great site because the Porsche Club couldn't control their members and it pissed off the site owners. The Porsche club also caused the SCCA to lose the use of the excellent Sheriff Training Facility site by screwing around. The SCCA almost lost the use of another airport site when a group of disrespectful Honda race-boys thought the rules didn't apply to them and blasted down several miles of 25 mph access roads at like 50 mph despite explicit warnings on our website and on all the event flyers. We were allowed to finish our season after much negotiation but this year we can't use the site. Goddam idiots. Our biggest fear is losing the use of our site so anybody caught screwing around is banned for life !

Oops, went on a little rant there. Hopefully the GGC can find a solution quickly :95

No, the situation at the Marina site is just weird. Too many people playing strange power games with each other. Anyway, Marina hasn't been closed off to autocrossing - SFR SCCA has several events scheduled there this year.

The big problem with the GGC is that no one stepped up this year to coordinate, schedule, and run the autocross program. And, as far as I can tell, there wasn't a real push to find a replacement, so the program kind of disappeared. Maybe they'll be able to put together a new team to do this, maybe not....

About site abuse - at Marina, the BMW Club always says that someone at a Porsche Club event abused the site and almost ran into an airplane. Porsche Club says that it was a BMW driver. NASA used to say that it was some marque club, either BMW or Porsche, maybe the Shelby club. SFR SCCA blamed it all on NASA, BMW, or Porsche. I've never been able to chase down the specifics of the incident - it's always been either vague, or someone heard it from someone else.

But whatever the true story is, site abuse does happen. At an SFR SCCA event earlier this year, we had complaints that some idiot went off site, into an apartment complex, and did some donuts to try to warm up their tires. I had to throw some people out of another event for doing launches next to the paddock area. At Marina, we've had to chase down cars that decided to drive down an active taxiway. Even with the GGC, we've had problems with people blasting around the site, ignoring the speed limits or the out-of-bounds areas. As Randy said, Goddam idiots.

Anyway, it's up to ALL of us who attend these events to help police the sites. If you invite friends to an event, be sure that they know the rules of the site, and keep it under control. If you see someone abusing the site, let the guys in charge know, so they can take the appropriate action. If you are tempted to do launches, burn-outs, donuts, etc., either stay at home, or prepare to be thrown out of the event. Also, if you're one of those idiots who can't be bothered to clean up after yourself and throw your trash in the trash can, stay at home - I'm tired at having to pick up other people's litter at the end of the day, just to keep the site owners from getting pissed off at us.

Oh, and ruffytdog - it's a lot more difficult to get sites in the SF area. All the sites have their own drawbacks. Oakland is difficult to schedule because they reserve the right to cancel up until a week or two before the event. Candlestick is bumpy enough to break cars, and the pavement is getting worse and worse. Both Oakland and Candlestick are much more expensive than Marina, too - last prices I heard were in the 2K-3K range per day. Since GGC only allows 75 cars or so per event, that, along with the rest of the costs of running the event (insurance, supplies, food, equipment, etc.) means that you need to charge quite a bit for entry fees... Also, since the GGC season is starting so late, a lot of dates have already been snatched up by the rest of the clubs that autocross in the Bay Area.

Jim

I also need to start registering for SCCA (Speed Freakz) predominantly because I want to attend the Duel at De Anza this year (5/18/03), and SCCA made a new regulation that only SCCA members can attend their autocrosses.

Seriously, someone needs to take charge and organize autoX events for the GGC BMWCCA. Last year they started very late (June, I believe). Looks like it's gonna be the same, later, or not at all this year. I attended every autoX event last year, and everyone was very respectful in following the rules. The Marina airport is like the last place GGC has for autoXes because the rest are not allowed anymore.

Hi guys.

Thanks Jim on the autox site tips.

Like Dinan325IC said, last year the BMW club was very good at the site. I think only once I saw someone being told to slow down. Year before was kinda bad.

This weekend I'm meeting with Scott Miller and committee to discuss how we're going to get things going. So far what Scott said was that we will have events at Marina, but we're also going to try up in the actual bay area. We're kinda pushing to have some at Alameda point.

I'll let you guys know more if we decide anything at the meeting.

come on out....its free, its fun..and ummm. ya. what s9am_me said.

Originally posted by Dinan325ic
I also need to start registering for SCCA (Speed Freakz) predominantly because I want to attend the Duel at De Anza this year (5/18/03), and SCCA made a new regulation that only SCCA members can attend their autocrosses.

Duel At DeAnza is not an SCCA event, it's an inpendent event put on by the DeAnza auto program and run by NASA rules.

So, no membership to any club required. Just make sure to show up early!

Originally posted by Dinan325ic
I also need to start registering for SCCA (Speed Freakz) predominantly because I want to attend the Duel at De Anza this year (5/18/03), and SCCA made a new regulation that only SCCA members can attend their autocrosses.
Besides what JoshS said, a few comments. First of all, I think the Speed Freakz program is either no longer offered, or is being discontinued really soon. There's a new program called "First Gear", but I think you have to be under 21 to participate. So, if you're over 21 but under 25, and want to join the SCCA, contact your local SCCA region right now to see if you can get a Speed Freakz membership - you'll save probably enough money to pay for your first autox if you can. Otherwise, if you wait, you will have to pay the full regular membership price.

Second, about the SCCA membership requirement - that's ONLY for events held by the San Francisco Region of the SCCA. Other chapters and regions have different rules. SFR had to put that requirement in place because they regularly have over 300 drivers show up at each event. If I remember correctly, Sacramento and Fresno do not require SCCA membership, but I think they charge non-members a higher entry fee.

Third, if you want to do the Duel at DeAnza, prepare to get up early. Last year, some of my friends got in line around 6am, and didn't get in...

Jim

I joined SCCA Speed Freakz (Competition License) in January...it's only $10 for me to run a SCCA AutoX...so it looks like I barely made it under the cutoff. Now, with FirstGear, you can no longer hold Club Racing, Pro Rally or Solo I competition license...whereas with Speed Freakz Competition, if I wish to, I can hold these licenses...very interesting. Looks like a lot of younger (possibly inexperienced) people hit the track and they're concerned about safety and liability issues.

~Matt Segal

How much to get a Speed Freaks pass?

stjobs

You can't anymore. That was my point.

~Matt Segal