THSCC Autocross - Novice School & Points Event #1
Danville Regional AirportAbout this event
THSCC NOVICE SCHOOL & POINTS EVENT #1
Information
Tar Heel Sports Car Club is hosting a Novice School at Danville Regional Airport, Saturday, March 19th 2022. The school will kick off a great weekend that includes THSCC Points Event #1 on Sunday, March 20th.
NOVICE SCHOOL
Priority for the Novice School will be given to DRIVERS WITH LESS THAN ONE SEASON OF AUTOCROSS EXPERIENCE, AND THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED IN A THSCC NOVICE SCHOOL BEFORE. If you are an experienced autocrosser who’s just looking for seat time, please DON’T sign up!
*Enrollment is capped at 34 students. (This is subject to change with State and Local Covid-19 protocols)
If we don’t meet our cap with true novices, we will open registration up to more experienced drivers 2 weeks prior to the school. Our schools tend to fill up early, so please register soon. If you end up not being able to attend, please cancel your registration so we can let someone else have your spot.
We’ll have many great instructors at the school to help you, some of whom are nationally competitive autocrossers. Your instructors will evaluate your skill level and teach you the basics of autocrossing. We average 10-14 runs at our schools; that equates to about 3 events worth of experience. Our goal is to maximize seat time to maximize learning.
Lunch will be provided at the Novice School. There will also be time for students to ride along as instructors drive the course.
If your car is in good general condition, it will hold up just fine at an autocross. There are plenty of cars that have been autocrossing for a decade or more. Damage from hitting cones is very rare. But, you will notice greater than average tire wear. You can find out a lot more about autocrossing by reading the Novice Guide on our website Novice Guide.
Novice School participants will receive a notice from us prior to the school. If you have any questions about the school, please contact the THSCC Novice Coordinators (Rob, George and Bart) at axnovices@thscc.com.
*Please note that preregistration is mandatory for our Novice School; late registration is NOT available.
GATES OPEN: 7:15 AM
STUDENT ARRIVAL TIME: 7:30 (arrive no earlier than 7:30 and no later than 7:45, please)
INSTRUCTOR ARRIVAL TIME: 8:00
TECH: 7:45-8:45
UNGUIDED COURSE WALKS: 7:45-8:15
DRIVERS MEETING: 8:20-8:30
CONE RULES SEMINAR and (Q&A): 8:35-8:45
GUIDED NOVICE COURSE WALK: 8:50-9:15
MORNING SESSIONS BEGIN: 9:25
LUNCH: 1:25-1:55
AFTERNOON SESSIONS BEGIN: 1:55
WRAP UP: 5:00
*A more detailed schedule will be emailed prior to the event.
POINTS EVENT #1
Now that you've been to school it's time to test your newly acquired skills against experienced autocrossers at THSCC Points Event #1 on Sunday, March 20th.
We want to see all of our members, new and old, at this event! Danville Airport is one of our favorite sites. A retired runway and taxiway allow for many creative course configurations. We usually use the big high-thrills sweeper to go from the taxiway into a variety of elements up one side of the runway, then use a 180-degree turn-around to send you down the other side of the runway through an even longer stretch of challenging elements. Our typical courses are 45 to 55 seconds long.
Our website, THSCC.COM, will help you get ready. Select the “autocross” tab to find everything you need to know for an autocross event: what to do, which class you should sign up for, and directions to the site. You’ll find classes and numbers that you can print by selecting “forms”. Novices only need to print the “NOV” class and their #, not the actual car's class. Remember to bring tape to post your class and number on each side of your car. At the Points Event, a mandatory instructional novice course walk will start promptly at 8:45AM. Please have your car ready and be there on time.
Check out some videos of the previous events:
Registration
Novice School (Saturday only): $50 (Novices who preregister for both days get a discount on Sunday's entry fee)
Novice School and Points Event: $75
Points event Members (Sunday only): $35
Note: You may register on site at the Sunday Points Event for an additional $10 fee. Remember, NOVICE SCHOOL on Saturday is preregistration only.
We encourage you to prepay online through the secure MotorsportReg website. Payment is deferred and accounts will not be charged until registration closes, so if you register and find out that you can't make it please cancel your registration prior to registration closing and you will not get charged. If you prefer to register at the event, you will be charged the increased day-of registration fee.
If you would like to redeem an event voucher (i.e. Season Passes or Event Passes) please register normally online and then email the registrar registrar@thscc.com and your registration will be modified accordingly.
Event Schedule (Sunday)
|
Gates Open |
7:30 AM |
|
Tech Inspection |
8:00 - 9:00 AM |
|
Registration Check-In |
8:00 - 8:45 AM |
|
Novice Walk |
8:45 AM |
|
Drivers' Meeting |
9:30 AM |
|
First Car Off |
10:00 AM |
If you have any questions please contact us at autocross@thscc.com .
Event requirements
Your car should be tech'd BEFORE the drivers meeting. To pass tech, you must:
- Clean out any loose items in the car, this includes cell phones cables, garage door openers, loose change and such.
- The battery has to be properly secured.
- If your floor mats are not physically attached to carpet, they will have to be removed. We don’t want the floor mat to bunch up under the brake or gas.
- Hubcaps and center caps on wheels should be removed. If your hubcaps mount to the wheel and are held in place by the lug nuts, then they can stay on, otherwise they should be removed.
- Have a SNELL approved helmet, 2010 or newer (M-rated or SA-rated). We do not accept DOT-only approved helmets any longer.
It is your responsibility to:
- Check basic fluids such as oil, coolant, and brake.
- Make sure you torque the lug nuts to manufacturer's recommended tightness.
- Make sure you have no active leaks on the motor, transmission or diff. Oil on the track is a bad thing.
- Check tire pressure. If you don’t know what to set it to, ask ASAP.
- You WILL experience greater than normal tire wear. Your tires MUST be serviceable, meaning they have appropriate tread, no chords showing, etc.
In addition, TO ANYONE ATTENDING THEIR FIRST AUTOCROSS:
- In regards to displaying your class and numbers, please keep in mind that you should use tape or printed letters and numbers that contrast to your car's color, i.e. no blue tape on blue cars.
