OK, we all admit that autocrossing can be pretty fun … figuring out how your car handles at the limit in relatively safe surroundings … that is some good stuff! Even the Concours buffs hold a secret desire to thrash around the course and see what it will do. For those novices among us, an autocross is a mini racecourse that is created by setting up orange pylons.
Digital timers note start and finish times, and any contact with a pylon costs you an extra two seconds which is added to the time for your “lap,” thus removing any advantage that might be gained by “altering” the course. There are typically three timed runs, which follow a prescribed set of activities such as a course walk, driver’s meeting and safety inspection of your vehicle. Depending on registration numbers, additional timed laps may be offered, which gives you that much more opportunity to best your competition. Of course, basic safety equipment is required, such as helmets (loaner helmets will be available), but no major modifications are needed to your Porsche. After all, Porsches are built for performance! Of course, if the bug bites, you may find yourself modifying your car, progressing both through the upper classes and your pocketbook.
Compared to most regional events, Parade Autocross events are huge affairs, with so many classes and cars that it takes a couple of days to complete. There is a place for every car that Porsche makes, or has made for the past 60 years! Being a course worker offers a really great view of the cars on course, giving you a chance to see how others do things (yet another advantage), so don’t forget to volunteer to help out. As with a regional event, we need volunteers to make this happen!
A Parade autocross can be anything but “routine,” and with this month’s installment of interesting Parade tidbits I will point out a few key differences of a Parade event. Autocross junkies have a pretty set pattern, ingrained from years of the same old arrangement. The typical autocross day begins with a little anxiety as the event is finally here, which quickly fades into a sense of purpose. Get up and get dressed, maybe have a minute for a Pop-Tart because the early bird gets the worm (or does the second mouse get the cheese?), and then off to load the car and/or trailer with extra sets of wheels, air pressure gauge and tank, some miscellaneous tools and cleaners, snacks, cooler with drinks and whatever else we can be convinced will add some “extra” advantage.
Next up is a 30-40 minute ride from civilization to the autocross site, both large and vacant enough to house the field of cars as well as the course itself. Once there, the first task is a parking space and a tactical decision: How close to park to the porta-potties. Too far away is a long walk and too close … well, you know. Lots of friends to meet, old and new, and a quick fingernail check of that new rubber that had better pay off in lower laptimes. After that, it’s unload and set up in time to be ready for the course walk and tech inspection, knowing that at the end of the day you have to load it all up again.
Sound familiar? If not, you are probably preparing for your first autocross at this Parade. Either way, it is still important to point out a few things. First of all, at the Parade, tech inspection is NOT offered on the morning of the autocross. You must tech your car in advance of your driving day. So check the schedule, know when you will drive and know when the tech inspection station is open. Don’t forget to get your inspection before your driving day arrives! Additionally, while track walks are offered each morning of the event, you can also walk the track each preceding afternoon. This is a great advantage to having a multi-day event. Take benefit of this to learn as much about the track as you can before you get there in your car. It’s your unfair advantage. Another helpful activity would be to attend the “chalk talk” lecture to pick up the tips and tricks of the successful autocross driver. Hosted by Parade Autocross chair Henry Hoeh, this session promises to be very informative. The Parade autocross is a Novice friendly event so please don’t choose sit on the sidelines and watch just because you’re not an experienced cone chaser.
This year we also have the luxury of an event that is mere minutes from your room. That’s right … on Hutchinson Island and only three quarters of a mile from the convention center! That means not getting up before daybreak to load the car and drive to the site (unless you want to, of course!). Sound too good to be true? Not really, it’s just the location for the 2011 Parade Autocross in Savannah in the paddock of the Hutchinson Island race course, adjacent to the Parade headquarters at the convention center. Hutchinson Island was created to run Champ Car type events around a commercial park, and the racetrack infield will be used to create the Autocross for this year’s event. There is even a possibility that some special ride opportunities may crop up around the race course itself—stay tuned to the Parade website or Facebook page for more information! The proximity of the event to Parade headquarters is something that doesn’t happen very often, and the Parade staff has responded by providing a fantastic location. This year even spectators will be afforded a great opportunity to see the cars in action, so remember to come on down and check it out!
There are a lot of first time Parade entrants this year, and I am sure that many have experienced a local region’s autocross, perhaps only as a spectator. If you have the opportunity, it would be worth your while to get a little experience at a local event before you head down to Savannah. And if you haven’t registered for the Parade, give it some serious thought; there is still time to register and plenty of things to do there. If you have never tried a Parade Autocross before, this one might be just the ticket to find out more about your Porsche’s unique handling in a low speed, controlled environment. You don’t have to be a hero, just give it a try and see how it goes. You might discover something about your Porsche, and yourself!
Always great fun and full of excitement, the autocross is one of the pinnacle events of the Parade; this is your chance to compete with the club members from around the country and to put a national trophy on your mantel! Registrations are coming in quickly, so load up and join all your friends at the biggest PCA party of the year, Parade 2011! More information is available at http://parade2011.pca.org/ and you can also join our Parade Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PorscheParade. Here you can connect with all your Parade friends and plan your week and your travel plans. Don’t miss out, register today!
