Getting Started- Speed Events- Part 4
Step by step guide to race day
You are already signed up in the Championship so notification of an event was sent to you early. You read the regulations, filled in your form and sent off your cheque. About a week before the event you received confirmation of your entry and were assigned a competition number. You were also told what order the competition would run in and what time it starts.
Events are widely scattered and usually you are told of the nearest big
town. Most organisers help you by providing a map or putting up signs
to direct you to the event. You should get there with plenty of time of
course! The event regulations should have contained instructions as to
where to park. Some venues allocate numbered spaces for each competitor
corresponding to their competition number, others allocate certain areas
for each class while some just tell you which field to park in. Try to
follow the rules and if in doubt, ask.
Signing on: Usually the first thing to do when you've arrived and parked is to go and sign on. For this you will need: Race license, Club membership card and anything else the regulations specifically ask for.
Walking the Course: If allowed (it is at all hill climbs) you should definitely walk the course. There is usually a set time by which the course must be cleared so if you are running a little late you might want to skip signing on until after you've walked the course. If you've never been to a venue before, walking the course should help you avoid any really silly mistakes on the first practice. It should also enable you to push just a little bit from the very first run. I won't pretend that it is easy to judge braking zones or traction when you are on foot, but I'm told that if you do it often enough, you get a good feel for these things.
The other reason for walking (and the reason why all the most experienced competitors do it no matter how many times they've been to a particular venue) is that you can find out the track conditions for the day.
Scrutineering: Before you can be scrutinised, you will need to spend some time putting on your timing strut. Race numbers should also be applied and any other signage you are running with should be in place. Before you have your car scrutinised, you may have to remove unnecessary items from the boot and passenger compartment. You won't need your mobile phone on the run! Many competitors also remove their spare wheel and jack for weight saving reasons. You can usually find a small pile of bric-a-brac behind each car in the paddock. A small tarpaulin or ground sheet to cover your stuff might also be a good investment.
Scrutineering is the check that must be performed on your car before it is declared fit to run. At your first event your helmet may have to have an MSA sticker applied to it which will be checked at subsequent events. Your overalls will be inspected as well. Then your car will be checked: timing strut, fire extinguisher, numbers, throttle linkage, tyres, wheel nuts and brakes. This is all done visually and if your car is road legal you shouldn't have much to worry about. Some venues will check noise levels, but again most MOT worthy cars shouldn't have any trouble. When the scrutineer is satisfied he will give you a sticker or card which will be checked at the start of your run.
Convoy run: If the event is a sprint at a race circuit there may be a convoy lap in lieu of a walk round. This will consist of everybody snaking slowly round the circuit and back along the return road (if there is one). The idea is not only to get an idea of where the track goes, but also to familiarise yourself with marshal's posts and other features.
Practice runs: Most events run in class order. Some events are very strict and require all of the competitors to run strictly in numerical order too. When it is getting close to your turn you should start your engine and listen out for announcements. When called you should line up for the start.
At the start line: Once you've got to the front of the queue you will be lined up for the start. The exact procedure differs from venue to venue so listen to what the marshals tell you. Sometimes you will be held on the line by marshals or with a wheel chock. Most of the time marshals will want to roll your car up to the line by hand to get the positioning right. There will usually be a red light and when that changes to green a marshal will tell you to go in your own time. Don't spend too long waiting after the light goes green but remember that the timing is from the moment when you move, not when the light changes.
The first run: Suffice to say that if your car is precious and uninsured (your road policy will not cover this use) then the old maxim: "to finish first, first you have to finish" should apply. I also like to abide by the "brake early to avoid disappointment" rule, especially on the first practice run!
Back in the paddock: Once you get back to the paddock you will be interested in your time. This will be displayed usually near the place where you signed on. It is a very good idea to look at other times in your class and get a feel for how well you are doing. Once you've done that you basically have all the time 'till your next run for socialising and chatting. It's really quite a sociable sport and there is a very good camaraderie amongst the WMC drivers who take part.
At the end of the day: If you do well you can sometimes win a prize! It is worth checking and not running off home if you have a hope of taking away something for the mantle piece! A few days or weeks after the event, the organisers usually send out a complete list of the results. The time this takes to happen varies widely from event to event. Some events don't send out results, however, so you may want to ask the organisers and see if you can take some home at the end of the day. WMC usually provide results at the end of the event.
The season progresses
As you do more events your confidence will grow and your knowledge of the car's limits will do as well but always tread carefully on venues that are new to you or if it is wet. The great thing when you start off is that you get quicker each time you return to a venue - often by several seconds. Once you have been around for a bit the odd hundredth is often hard to find ! Don't be tempted to rush off and uprate your car during the season. Concentrate on your abilities and limits first. Perhaps you might wish to get some new tyres (Yokohama 032Rs are a good bet) and some better brake pads but that should be the end in the first season. Talking of brake pads, don't go for the very hard racing ones and they will take a while to heat up to operating temperature on a sprint and you may well arrive at the first bend quicker than you might wish!
All the WMC drivers will give you advice and welcome you and while the officials may well be busy running the event they will help as well. Most of the committee are regular competitors and it's well worth giving them a ring - if they don't know the answer they will know someone who does!
What ever happens you will have a lot of fun and remember taking part is more important than winning!