Autox event #3, SMARTT and NCCAR

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:08 pm

As many of you know, we’ve had a long history supporting the electric SMARTT car program. We’ve been asked once again by Eric Ryan, head of SMARTT, to support this effort by providing an autocross event for the student drivers as we have done in the past. The major problem here is their date and our 3rd autox event are both on 5/22. So, what to do.... Well, we will once again be supporting the SMARTT program and their drivers. SMARTT is holding their event up at NCCAR, so why not take advantage of the situation and have our autox up at NCCAR as well? So, we are! The request for a new venue will be met and we have the blessing of Simon Cobb, the site manager, to hold the first ever THSCC/SMARTT autox event up at NCCAR.

James Short, Les Davis, Ray Metts, Kourosh Neshat and I spend most of the morning this past Saturday (3/26) up at NCCAR looking at the site and were also able to get onto a conference call w/ the SMARTT organizers. Needless to say everyone was very excited to have us host the autox part of this event and very much liked the idea of an interactive autox between SMARTT and THSCC.

Now, there are some concessions here as we head into this autox. Here’s what the autox VP’s, SMARTT and Simon think will work best.

> We have access to both part of the track and the VDA, so we can setup a great autox course. There is plenty of runoff room except for the track side of the VDA, that gets a little close to a steel Armco and we need to adjust accordingly.
> We’ll have access to setup the autox course by 3p on Saturday
> We will co-run the SMARTT autox and our autox on Sunday.
> We’ll have a slightly modified/shortened course to run the SMARTT drivers on.
> Only 1 SMARTT driver on course, so we’re looking for a ~40 second course. Right now I understand there are 10-12 SMARTT drivers attending this national event.
> SMARTT drivers will be on course from 9-11a on Sunday.
> there is a mandatory quiet time from 11-12 on Sunday’s at NCCAR
> from 11-12, we’ll modify the course and extend for THSCC
> THSCC autox will start at noon, so we are looking to cap this inaugural event at either 100 or 120, haven’t decided yet.
> If there are a few SMARTT drivers that want to drive the THSCC course, then we let them drive.

So…. I think this will work well for both clubs as this allows us to support the SMARTT program and it gives NCCAR a chance to see how we run events. What I envision is the following. We’ll have all of our drivers on site, so the SMARTT drivers will be MORE than happy to go over how they build/design/construct their cars. Conversely, I’d think that when we start our event, that the lure of burning rubber and gas will get some of the SMARTT drivers to come over and talk w/ us, so we have a complimentary captive audience if you will.

I’d also like to have 10-12 volunteers to be instructors for the SMARTT drivers. Eric was very excited about this prospect and wants the students to be immersed into the whole autox experience. This will be a change from the past where we had limited interaction w/ the SMARTT drivers. I’ll give the volunteers a free pass to the autox for that day. Eric also wants us to provide a certificate of participation for the SMARTT drivers. If I get a list of drivers, would someone be willing to take this on?

If all this works out, we can possibly run our September L-burg event back up at NCCAR. Simon Cobb really wants us to start running events up there. With the advent of NCCAR planning to extend the VDA from its current 170’x700’ to its planned 600’x700’ in the next 12-18 months, we’ll have local access to autox nirvana. No light polls, no drains, no curbs, nothing but a sea of asphalt. Bliss….

As a side note to this, Ray and Koruosh spoke to Simon about possibly using some of the open space for a rallyx. Simon was open to the idea and showed us a potential spot. Koruosh is working w/ Simon on pricing and a date.

To all of this, I’d like to say that Simon and his site assistant Sam have been nothing but cordial and are more than willing for us to come up and run events at NCCAR. I was there w/ the track days during setup of the timing loop and Simon has nothing but kind words for our club.

I’m hoping that the club will sign off on this inaugural co-SMARTT/THSCC event and support the proposal presented here. If not, well, I’ll try to do better next year when this pops back up.

JohnByers · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:30 pm

I would love to help in any way possible Rodney.

EDIT: scratch that, Jeremy and I will be at the NJ Prosolo

JasonWatts · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:57 pm

so, for us normal people, we dont get to even think of starting until noon and we still have to be there the same time as always to get registered and do our course walks? or am I trying to imply to much of our regularly setup events into a differnet type of setup?

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:08 am

JasonWatts wrote:

so, for us normal people, we dont get to even think of starting until noon and we still have to be there the same time as always to get registered and do our course walks? or am I trying to imply to much of our regularly setup events into a differnet type of setup?

We will adjust accordingly. I'll need a subset of folks on site a little early to help w/ the SMARTT part of this in regard to helping work the course and being instructors. As for the THSCC part of this, we'll change the course from 11-12, but that is only going to be added a few extra elements to increase the length of the course. We'll allow course walks and we'll have our drivers meeting at so we can get rolling right at noon. We will still have the novice meeting and walk.

So, to answer your question, no you don't have to be there as early as you normally are. We can run the following modified schedule....

> be on site by 9:30 to prep the car and have it teched
> registration from 10-10:30
> drivers meeting at 10:30
> course prep from 11:00-11:15
> course walks from 11:15 to 11:55
> novice meeting and walk from 11:30-11:50
> everyone off course by 11:55 and staged
> first car off at noon.

I hope to be done by 4:00-4:30 for our event. Again, this isn't a perfect scenario, but I hope this will turn out to be a great event.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

I love new sites. Sounds like an awesome opportunity.

Is this the part of it we're talking about using?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=NCCAR&oe= ... 06443&z=18

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:28 am

BriceJohnson wrote:

I love new sites. Sounds like an awesome opportunity.

Is this the part of it we're talking about using?

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=NCCAR&oe= ... 06443&z=18

Yup, that's it and we get to use part of the track itself, so lot's of design variants we can come up with.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:35 am

"If all this works out, we can possibly run our September L-burg event back up at NCCAR. Simon Cobb really wants us to start running events up there. With the advent of NCCAR planning to extend the VDA from its current 170’x700’ to its planned 600’x700’ in the next 12-18 months, we’ll have local access to autox nirvana. No light polls, no drains, no curbs, nothing but a sea of asphalt. Bliss…."

WONDERFUL! I've been hoping for that site since 2005/6 when I met Simon while he was still with Lotus.
I cannot be there for the first event due to minor surgery recovery but hope to run there for many years!

THANKS!

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:01 am

Nice job guys!!!! I am looking forward to it!

Since I am one of those "early riser" folks, I'll volunteer to get there early and help out however is needed.

Stephen Westerfield · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:04 am

Ryan Holton wrote:

Nice job guys!!!! I am looking forward to it!

Since I am one of those "early riser" folks, I'll volunteer to get there early and help out however is needed.

Psst....Ryan, you are going to be in South Carolina.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:44 am

Just for reference, this is one of a few ideas for courses we came up with:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4388909

Note the course would start on the run way and end halfway down the westernside of the VDA. I continued the line to show that there is a paved road to get from that corner back to grid. There is also a big lot for pitting that you can't see on the maps yet.

Easy to make a 45+ s course with very little overlap.

The 'track' is wider than Sanford's taxiway by a decent bit and the VDA is wider than Danville's runway by a good bit so having cars coming up and down the sides is no different than Danville, if not safer.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:50 am

Good stuff. Too bad it's the same weekend as the New Jersey ProSolo.

- AB

JamesShort · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:56 am

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Good stuff. Too bad it's the same weekend as the New Jersey ProSolo.

- AB

We're quite hopeful it will not be our last event at NCCAR.

Yes on the 5/22 weekend, we won't be able to start till noon, but getting in as the first autox club to run there, kicking ass with our running of the SMARTT event, showing how well organized we are, running future events there where we keep things clean and have no major issues etc are all things that will be great when VDA is a 9 acre slab of pristine asphalt and the SCCA and all major clubs in the southeast are wanting to run there. Hopefully that would mean that Simon calls us first in January of every year to ask which dates we want for that year

.

Also, I definitely think we need to have a bunch of oil-dri for NCCAR events.....last thing we want is a car wreaking havoc on that nice new surface with coolant and oil.

JasonWatts · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:12 am

JamesShort wrote:

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Good stuff. Too bad it's the same weekend as the New Jersey ProSolo.

- AB

We're quite hopeful it will not be our last event at NCCAR.

Yes on the 5/22 weekend, we won't be able to start till noon, but getting in as the first autox club to run there, kicking ass with our running of the SMARTT event, showing how well organized we are, running future events there where we keep things clean and have no major issues etc are all things that will be great when VDA is a 9 acre slab of pristine asphalt and the SCCA and all major clubs in the southeast are wanting to run there. Hopefully that would mean that Simon calls us first in January of every year to ask which dates we want for that year

.

Also, I definitely think we need to have a bunch of oil-dri for NCCAR events.....last thing we want is a car wreaking havoc on that nice new surface with coolant and oil.

yeah... I am sure they will love us until Rodney starts sliding his back end around leaving his new shoe's all over the asphalt. :thumbsup:

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:17 am

JasonWatts wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Good stuff. Too bad it's the same weekend as the New Jersey ProSolo.

- AB

We're quite hopeful it will not be our last event at NCCAR.

Yes on the 5/22 weekend, we won't be able to start till noon, but getting in as the first autox club to run there, kicking ass with our running of the SMARTT event, showing how well organized we are, running future events there where we keep things clean and have no major issues etc are all things that will be great when VDA is a 9 acre slab of pristine asphalt and the SCCA and all major clubs in the southeast are wanting to run there. Hopefully that would mean that Simon calls us first in January of every year to ask which dates we want for that year

.

Also, I definitely think we need to have a bunch of oil-dri for NCCAR events.....last thing we want is a car wreaking havoc on that nice new surface with coolant and oil.

yeah... I am sure they will love us until Rodney starts sliding his back end around leaving his new shoe's all over the asphalt. :thumbsup:

I'm not being a jackass, it's just my way of tire tread shaving....

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Mar 31, 2011 10:58 am

JamesShort wrote:

The 'track' is wider than Sanford's taxiway by a decent bit and the VDA is wider than Danville's runway by a good bit so having cars coming up and down the sides is no different than Danville, if not safer.

When I drove the track back in January, there was a long double barrier setup along the straight that isolated the VDA/lot from the track. I assume we'd have a straight shot down past that region since that barrier would be one side and some Armco on the other side...

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