AUTOCROSS RULES (From Chesapeake area Porsche club)

Scott "Elder" Harrison

"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional"
Staff member
Contributing Member
Safety

General
The addition of safety equipment including but not limited to roll bars, roll cages, fire extinguisher (2.5 lb min. ABC or BC type) with metal bracket mounted to a metal surface and accessible from belted seating position, seat belts/safety harnesses, harness guide bars, steering wheels, aftermarket seat is permitted and recommended.

Roll bars are recommended for cabriolets.

No drugs or alcoholic beverages are permitted at the event.

No Passengers are allowed.

An adult must accompany children at all times.

Dogs must be leashed, where permitted.

Helmets
All drivers and instructors must wear helmets. Helmets must be Snell ’95 approved or newer (M or SA rated). SA rating is recommended. DOT helmets are not permitted. A limited number of loaner helmets are available for the day. All drivers should invest in their own helmet.

Clothing
Long sleeve shirts and long pants are suggested. Acceptable fabrics are natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk.) Open toed shoes, sandals and bare feet are not permitted. Rubber soled shoes (sneakers, etc.) are recommended. Driving shoes and gloves as well as fire resistant clothing is recommended but not required.

Seat belts
All cars must have metal-to-metal seat belts, securely anchored. All drivers must wear belts.

Windows
The drivers side windows shall remain fully down during a run, passenger windows may be fully up or fully down.

Cleaning out your car, glove box and trunk

Loose objects inside the trunk, passenger compartment and glove box must be removed from the car. Loose objects include cell phones, change, paper, garbage, cups, floor mats, etc. In other words everything must be removed from your car.

The spare tire need not be removed if it is securely fastened. The battery must be securely fastened as well.

Pit & Paddock Area
All cars are to be parked within the designated pit & paddock area, except for vehicles used by timing, safety, and the Autocross Committee.

There is no speeding in the pit & paddock area. Any driver speeding in the pit or paddock area may be disqualified from the event at the discretion of the Chairman or Committee. Please no speeding in the general vicinity of the event.

Tire warming is not permitted.

Inclement Weather
An event may be postponed, delayed or ‘called’ due to inclement weather based upon the judgment of the Chesapeake PCA Officers, Board, Autocross Chairman or Committee. Once an event is underway, if all cars have competed a run, placing will be awarded on best score based upon completed run groups. (If two runs have been competed by all cars and the low evens have started their third run, the placing shall be determined based upon the first two runs only.)

Events may be cancelled prior to the commencement of an event due to inclement weather. If you are in doubt of the status of an event, please check the Chesapeake web site for up to the minute details.



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Procedures

Entrants
A participant may only enter (1) one car per event; with a maximum of (2) drivers per car. Participants can only compete in (1) one car per event. Swapping or switching of cars or drivers is not permitted.

Instructors

The instructors for the day will be announced at the drivers meeting. If you require an instructor please notify the grid worker. Timing will assign an instructor to you for your next run. Instructors are permitted as passengers only.

Work Assignments
Mandatory work assignments are allotted at registration to each driver. Work assignments include flagging, tech and registration. If you are unsure of your work assignment – please ask. You must complete your work assignments to run. If you do not complete your work assignments you will be disqualified, (your runs will not count and no points will be awarded.) You will also be disqualified from entering the next autocross event.

Timing, Radios and Flagging

Each flagging station will have a radio and red flag; a fire extinguisher will, at minimum, be located at Timing. Chairs, cameras and other distractions (to the course workers and drivers) are not permitted at flagging stations for safety reasons. Do not stand with your back to any car on the course.

It is the responsibility of the flaggers to maintain safe conditions on the course as well as the location and status of the cones for the purposes of scoring. We cannot have a good event without precise flagging. Please pay attention and be accurate with your calls.

All communications shall be addressed through Timing. No cross communication between flagging stations. Please speak slowly and clearly into the ‘mic’ If a car hits a cone please notify Timing, "Timing, this is station 3, one cone, car 43" timing will acknowledge. If you do not know the car number describe the car "black 914."

The red flag indicates an emergency or an unsafe condition. If there is a dangerous situation on the course or you are if directed by timing to use the red flag, the red flag should be waived immediately. Do not put yourself in harms way when waiving the red flag at a car.

Any driver that continues to run the course at speed, after the red flag has been waived, will be disqualified from the event.

Car Numbers

Each car shall have its official number clearly marked on at least both sides of the car. The number on the tech inspection form from registration will determine the official number of the car for that event. Drivers should attempt to preregister to use the same number during the season, however no guarantee is made that ‘that’ number will be available at the time of registration. The number(s) shall be at minimum 5" tall, clearly visible, and legible. Two driver cars require two numbers; numbers from different heats will need to be selected.

Course Map

A course map, when provided shall indicate entrance and exit area, the general course layout and course boundaries. The map is not drawn to scale.

Walking the Course

It is strongly recommended that all drivers familiarize themselves with the course by walking it prior to the drivers meeting. No wheeled or motorized devices are permitted on the course; this includes bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, ‘go-peds’ and the like.

Cones, Pylons and Penalties

Each autocross event is run on a unique course laid out by cones and is designed with the safety of course workers, participants and their cars in mind.

Each cone and gate must be properly executed, to avoid penalty points. Each downed or standing out-of-the-box pylon (cone) shall count as a two second penalty. All chalked cones count, including those before and after the timing equipment. Helper cones are not subject to penalty. If you hit a cone in a gate you cannot be declared off course at that gate.

Official Runs

The Autocross Chairman and Committee will determine the official number of timed runs for an event. The quantity of runs will vary depending upon number of cars, length, difficulty and complexity of the course, weather conditions, etc.

Each run taken will count towards the total number of runs for the day. Runs not taken within your assigned run group will not be scored; they will be entered as DNF, but will count towards the total number of runs for the day. Please take your runs with your run group unless you are directed otherwise by timing.

No passengers are allowed at any time (due to our insurance regulations) ö except for pre-approved instructors as passengers only. Runs taken with an instructor will not be scored, but will count towards the total number of runs for the day and will be scored as a DNS.

All cone penalties for each run and its associated reruns) will be recorded. The final cone penalty assigned to a "run/rerun(s)" will be the larger of the cone penalties accrued during the run and the final rerun.

If the driver observes a cone out of the box, missing or knocked over by someone else, or if the driver was not at fault in hitting the cones, e.g., swerving to avoid collision with something/someone on the course, the driver should come to a safe, immediate and complete stop and indicate the problem to the course worker so as not to be charged with the penalty. Cones prior to the unsafe condition; however, will carry over. Follow the instructions of the course worker/timing. You may be instructed to exit the course via the timing lights or to return directly to staging. The return to staging should be completed off course.

Re-runs

Re-runs may be granted by timing for a variety of reasons including but not limited to a timing malfunction, unsafe condition, misplaced cone, etc. If the Red Flag is waved while running, immediately come to a safe and complete stop.

Reruns should be taken as soon as practical, but no later than the end of the run group. To avoid ‘hot laps’ (5) five cars must run prior to a re-run. If there are less than (5) five cars remaining in the run group the driver may be held at the start line for the equivalent of (5) five runs or held for the next run group, at the discretion of the Chairman/timing. A driver may elect not to go to the front of the line for a re-run.

Run Groups

The cars are generally split into two or three run groups, each group will have upto 30 cars. The run group shall determine your work assignment or driving time.

In the interest of fairness to all drivers, hot laps are not permitted. All drivers are to follow the directions of the grid workers. All attempts should be made to follow the grid. No car should start its next numerical run before the entire run group has completed its run.

Off Course/DNF

An off course or DNF (did not finish) will be entered as a score if a gate/cone is missed or if all four wheels (and the car) leave the course. A spin on course does not constitute a DNF if no gates have been missed and the car has not left the course boundaries.

DNS

A DNS (did not start) will be entered for any run not started. A driver may elect not to take all of the runs for the day.

Penalties

Each cone and gate must be properly executed, to avoid penalty points. Each downed or standing out-of-the-box pylon (cone) shall count as an one second penalty. All chalked cones count, including those before and after the timing equipment. Helper cones are not subject to penalty. If you hit a cone in a gate you cannot be declared off course at that gate.

Timing

The timing device will be automatically started and stopped by a competing vehicle. All recorded times will be considered official unless protested. In the event of a timing problem, the competing car will be waived off course (red flagged) and given a re-run.

Official Times

Times will be recorded per the timing equipment and will be considered as official time. Penalties for cones will be noted on the timing slip (if used) and will be added to the official time for a total score. The offical results will be posted to the autocross section of the Chesapeake web site. If there are issues with your time's, please contact the autocross chair. Tim can be reached 7x24 at 410-xxx-xxxx (Tim, we need your number), or email at autocross@pcachs.org.

Protests

All protests must be presented in writing to the Chairman within 20 minutes of the last run. Decision of the Chairman is final. The decision need not be made at the event.

Pre-runs, fun runs and exhibition runs

Any driver that previews the course either as a passenger or driver on the day of an event will be disqualified; no score or points will be given. A driver at the direction of the Chairman, Autocross Committee or Timing for the purpose of addressing course layout and safety may preview the course.

Exhibition or fun runs will not be permitted until the official completion of an event and will only be permitted at the discretion of the Chairman.

The Chairman and/or Autocross Committee reserve the right to charge an additional fee per run for fun runs.


IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF ANY RULE OR PROCEDURE, DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK THE CHAIRMAN FOR EXPLANATION OR CLARIFICATION.
 
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