2021/2022 Autocross Season

AUTOCROSS SEASON IS BACK!

STORY BY KENNETH MITCHELL PHOTOS BY JAN NYQUIST

The 2021/2022 AZPCA Region Autocross season is under way. The autocross schedule is published every month in Going Places and also can be found on the Motorsportsreg websites. Events are held on Saturdays at Arizona Motorsports Park (AMP) in Litchfield Park. You will need to register via your MotorsportReg account just like you do with any AZPCA Driving Event or Dinner Meeting.

You should register quickly because these events tend to fill up quickly. Do not forget to complete the Speedwaiver, this is important and required for you to participate. If you do not complete this portion of your registration, your registration will be incomplete and not permitted to remain at the site.

Just prior to the event, the autocross co-chairs will send you an email with a couple of .pdf files attached. One of the attached files is a Release and Waiver of Liability Form for you to print out and complete, prior to arriving on site so, do not forget to print, sign, and bring it with you. This release and waiver of liability is required for the AMP Facility and this form is in addition to the PCA release and waiver form you signed, via the Speedwaiver process.

You will also receive a copy of the Course Map, your work and driving/run groups, and the grid position assignments, for the event. The email will also explain the procedures regarding when to place your car in your grid position. Please print a copy of the course map for yourself and bring it with you. As sometimes emails from Motorsportreg may be mis-identified as spam or junk, please check those. The key is that the email will be sent and if you don’t get them as outlined contact Kim or Rick.

AMP is located on Camelback Road approximately 1 ½ mile east of Arizona Loop 303. The entrance to AMP will be on your left. You will likely see a lot of road and site construction in progress in front of the entrance to the autocross site. Please use caution when entering the site. As you turn into the entrance to AMP, stay to the left entrance and drive straight through the double gate, and turn left at your first opportunity, and then drive straight ahead.

The site will open at 7AM. You should arrive early. Find a place to park your car and unload all loose items and place them in a safe place near your parking space. After, you unload your car, take your completed AMP Release and Waiver form to the Timing Table, there will be a wire basket for you to put your form in. After you place your AMP form in the basket, feel free to walk the course to get familiar with the design of the course. If you would like to have some help with the course walk, feel free to ask Kim K. or Rick A. for help and they will have someone walk with you and explain the course to you.

If this is your first autocross event, please contact Kim or Rick and let them know this is your first time. You will need to have your car sound tested by the AMP Officials. If there is an event scheduled for the Road Course Track, Kim and/or Rick may inspect your car and issue a Provisional Sound Check to allow you to participate for this event. If your car is essentially stock, you should not have a problem. You may need to have your car sound tested at the next event until you receive an AMP Sound Certification Sticker.

Just prior to the start of the event, approximately 8:15 AM or 8:30AM, Kim and Rick will conduct a driver’s safety meeting. This is a mandatory meeting for everyone on-site. Safety is the upmost important factor. In addition to the safety factors of the event, they will also explain the event’s format, Tech Inspection, and anything else related to the event operation.

Any 2010, 2015, and 2020 Snell Certified “M” rated or “SA” rated helmet can be used for all AZPCA Autocross events during 2021. If you don’t have a helmet or have an outdated one, the club does have a limited number of rental helmets that can be reserved when you register on line.

The AZPCA Region Website is a great source of information for you to prepare for your first event. The link to the website is: az.pca.org/autocross Please review this information prior to your first event. The National PCA website is also a wealth of information on various elements of autocrossing. You can view the details at www.pca.org/autocross-defined

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the AZPCA Autocross Co-Chairs, Kim or Rick, via email at autocross@ az.pca.org.

Consider joining us for a day of fun and sharpening your driving skills. We hope to see you at the event.