About this event
Please join Tar Heel Sports Car Club as we host a Novice School at the “Little Rock” in Rockingham, NC. “Little Rock" has quickly become one of our favorite sites. A small oval track with banking and a cross-over allows for many creative course configurations. There’s a lot of grip and a lot of pavement to play with!
This is the rescheduled Novice School from March 9. Priority will first be given to students registered and waitlisted for that event.
- Saturday June 8 - Novice School
Priority Order Explained
In order to ensure that all previously registered and waitlisted participants are given priority, all entries will go straight to the waitlist. We will move participants to confirmed status as they become eligible. All participants who were previously registered or waitlisted will have until 10 PM on May 28th to re-register. After that point, we will start pulling new participants off the waitlist to fill out the event. Instructors should sign up as an instructor and will be moved to confirmed status as their entries come in. If you were not previously registered or waitlisted as a novice student, please go ahead and register. We will confirm you as spots become available.
Novice School
ONLY DRIVERS WITH LESS THAN TEN (10) EVENTS OF AUTOCROSS EXPERIENCE AND THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED IN A THSCC NOVICE SCHOOL BEFORE ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND THE NOVICE SCHOOL. If you are an experienced autocrosser who’s just looking for seat time, please DON’T sign up!
Enrollment for Novice School is capped at 30 students. If you are put on the wait list, please pay attention to your email for if and when we ask to confirm you're still able to attend.
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 15 runs at our schools; that equates to about 3 events worth of experience. Our goal is to maximize seat time to maximize learning.
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 at axnovices@thscc.com.
COVID Notice: In light of the COVID-19 situation, every attempt will be made to minimize the risks of exposure to the virus. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to assess the risk to you, both on-track and off, and to make the decision on whether or not to participate. If you are feeling unwell or are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath please stay home. If you have been in contact with someone who has been experiencing these symptoms in the last two weeks, please stay home.
While on site please take the health and safety of your fellow participants, volunteers and staff into consideration and practice physical distancing, wear a mask, and wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer frequently.
THSCC EVENT REQUIREMENTS:
- These rules will be enforced and we will be re-stating them frequently during the event. If you feel you cannot comply, please do not sign up for the event.
- There will be standard AX Tech at this event so please leave your hood open and helmet ready for inspection
- We will provide water
- There are a limited supply of loaner helmets which will be single use. If you have a helmet please bring it.
- We will be running with classes and numbers
We take the health and safety of both our staff and our attendees very seriously! Please, if you are unable or unwilling to follow these event guidelines, we ask that you do not sign up to participate.
Our web site, THSCC.COM will be very helpful at getting you ready for this event. Select the “autocross” tab to find everything that you need to know for an autocross event: what to do, which class you should sign up for, and directions to the site. You will find classes and numbers that you can print by selecting “forms”. Novices only need to print the “NOV” class, not the actual car's class. Remember to bring tape to post your class and number on the side of your car. A mandatory instructional couse walk for all Novices is requrired; see the event schedule below. Please have your car ready and be there on time. The Novice guide and checklist will help you prepare for a fun day of autocross.
Check out some videos of the previous events to get an idea what this event will be all about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-lAK6tbyys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzkXG8W81rU
If you have never autocrossed before, please check out the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_QdqbbIhco
Registration
Novice School: $98
This includes a voucher for a free one-day event entry that can be used at any THSCC autocross event for the remainder of 2024.
(We urge novices to take advantage of this and continue to hone your skills at another event. The registrars (registrar@thscc.com) will email you a free voucher after the school has concluded.
Instructing for the Novice School on Saturday earns a free one-day entry that can be used at any THSCC autocross event for the remainder of 2024. The registrars (registrar@thscc.com) will email you a free voucher after the school has concluded. Please only register as an instructor if you have been approved by THSCC as an instructor. Otherwise, if you are interested in instructing please reach out to us at axnovices@thscc.com. All instructors must be vetted by our staff.
Registration closes at 11:59pm on June 5th. Registering ahead of time helps plan the event so it runs smoothly. There is no penalty for canceling.
Pre-registration is mandatory for our Novice School; late registration is NOT available
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 register at the event, you will be charged the late registration fee.
Navigation
The "Little Rock" is located behind the main Rockingham Speedway. You will need to enter through Gate D. If you're coming south on US-1 from the Triangle area, you'll make a left onto state route NC-177 towards Hamlet just before arriving at the main track. You'll see an abandoned gas station on the corner where you want to turn left. The entrance will be just down the road on the right. We will have signage and/or "pointer" cones to direct you which way to go. https://maps.app.goo.gl/E1W5nnZTixhWf5e69 Exact GPS coordinates are: 34.9720798, -79.6081302
Novice School - Event Schedule
| Gates Open | 7:15 AM |
| STUDENT ARRIVAL TIME | Please arrive between 7:30 and 7:45 AM |
| INSTRUCTOR ARRIVAL TIME | 8:00 AM |
| Unguided Course Walks | 8:00 - 8:15 AM |
| Tech Inspection | 8:00 - 9:00 AM |
| Drivers Meeting | 8:20 - 8:30 AM |
| CONE RULES SEMINAR and (Q&A) | 8:35 - 8:45 AM |
| GUIDED NOVICE COURSE WALK | 8:50 - 9:15 AM |
| Morning Session | 9:25 AM |
| Lunch | 1:25 - 1:55 PM |
| Afternoon Session | 2:00 PM |
| Wrap Up | 5:00 PM |
Lunch will be provided at the Novice School. There will also be time for students to ride along as instructors drive the course.
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.