NorCal UFO AutoX FAQs

UFO AutoX FAQs

WHAT IS AUTOX?Autocross (AutoX) is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe, low-cost competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a temporary course marked by traffic cones. Autocross places more emphasis on car handling and driver skill than on sheer horsepower. There are many car classes which allow almost any vehicle, from economy sedans to purpose-built vehicles, to compete. Speeds are slower when compared to other forms of motorsports, usually not exceeding highway speeds, but the activity level (measured in discrete turns per minute) can be high due to the large number of elements packed into each course. Autocross courses are typically 40 to 70 seconds in length. In addition to being a national-level motorsport in its own right, autocrossing is a good way to learn skills that transfer to road racing and everyday street driving, as drivers learn vehicle control.

Autocross events are usually held in large paved areas like parking lots or airfields. Typically, new courses are created for each event so drivers must learn a new course each time they compete. Prior to driving, a competitor will walk the course, taking mental notes, and developing a strategy to be refined upon subsequent runs.

COST: ENTRY is $35.00 per person; $60.00 a couple driving the same car. CASH Only for Non-members, UFO Members may write a check.  

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS: All drivers must have a valid driver’s license to drive an automobile in the event and sign the insurance liability waiver at registration.  Your car must pass a basic technical inspection. SUV vehicles (Jeeps) or vehicles with a high center of gravity are not allowed. You do not need to be a member of UFO to run in our events however UFO Members are guaranteed entry into UFO events. Drivers under 18 must have a signed parental waiver and license or permit. Children may participate in the Kart or Jr. Kart classes with the permission of their parents or legal guardians and the signed minor participant waiver. People watching must remain on the asphalt off the concrete behind the trailer /cone line and away from impact zones.

TIME: Gate is open from 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Gate is locked at 6:00 PM.  The autocross will run rain or shine. 

REGISTRATION: Registration will be open at 7:30 AM & close for the AM Drivers meeting, scheduled for 8:40 AM. Registration will re-open for the afternoon groups during the 4^th run group and remain open until the PM Drivers Meeting after the afternoon walk through between the 4^th and 5^th run groups.  Please plan to arrive early enough to get registered, walk the course and get on grid to get your car teched prior to your run time.

Registration personnel will help you determine your car class if you do not already know.  Based on the car classification you will be directed to run with a specific RUN GROUP and WORK a specific Work Group.  Everyone who Runs also Works. This keeps the entry cost down as there are no paid professional workers and it affords you the best place to watch the event, right on course, while you are working. You will sign up for your work duty at Registration. Remember we know who has worked by comparing the Run Cards with the signed off Worker Sign Up Sheets. Always sign the sheet that has your class designation on it.

RUN GROUPS AND WORK GROUPS: UFO rotates its schedule for each AutoX event. Cars are bunched in groups based on the car classification for the purpose of running together and working together.  The run group schedule for a given group of classes rotates up one level at each event. For Example: If your car class ran in the 4^th group at the current event, it will run in the 3^rd run group at the next UFO event, rotating up the schedule. Once a group runs 1^st, at the next event it will run in the last group, dropping to the bottom of the schedule.  UFO currently uses a 6 run group rotation. 4 run groups run in the morning and 2 run groups run after the afternoon walk through.  At Registration you will be asked to sign up for work based upon you car classification.

The Work Group is determined by which Run Group you are in as follows: 

Run Group 1 works for Run Group 3; 

Run Group 2 works for Run Group 4; 

Run Group 3 works for Run Group 1; 

Run Group 4 works for Run Group 2; 

Run Group 5 works for Run Group 6; 

Run Group 6 works for Run Group 5.

WORKING: One of the best features of an AutoX in that everyone who Runs (drives in the event) also Works. Everyone is involved in making the event happen! At your first AutoX event you will sign up to work with your Work Group at Registration, based upon your car classification. Usually you will work course as your work duty.

Basic Course Worker Rules

Report to work promptly when it is time. After the first Run Group is started, the second Work Group will be called up during the 1^st Run Groups 4^th set of runs. Someone will call on the PA system for workers to report to the timing trailer. You can tell it is time to report to work when you see cars start to disappear from the grid. After signing off with the run group coordinator at the timing trailer make sure you immediately go to your work station. Be prepared for exposure to sun/rain, wind, heat/cold while on station.

As a course worker your job is to: 1.) put cones back in place when cars hit them and report to the timing trailer with hand signals or radios how many cones were hit by a specific car; 2.) Red flag cars on course if a car further down stream has spun and stalled OR if the car looks like it has a safety issue, like a flat tire or gas coming out. Always Think Safety First! Never turn your back on a car on course, if it goes out of control, it may take less than a second to slide into you, you need to be prepared to run. Never sit down while working the course. again you need to be able to run if necessary. Red flags are to be held bunched up in the hand, not flapping in the breeze, so that they can be quickly displayed to stop the NEXT car when there is a problem. Put cones back ONLY when it is safe by holding the cone up in the air for 1 second then placing it back in the center of the chalked box or yellow painted circle. If a car is approaching too rapidly for you to put the cone back in the box safely, just wait until after the car goes by. We'll give the car a rerun if necessary. Always use your best judgment, when in doubt, don't do it!

All drivers must work the event!!! You will not qualify for trophies or year end points if you do not work AND we may choose to not sell you a run card in the future!  

Worker Signals

The worker signal from the course are:

No cone  is crossed arm wave done at the knees, just like a base ball umpire does meaning "safe". Call in to Timing trailer if radios are in use.

Cone penalty to be assessed, hold cone up for 1 to 2 seconds then place back in box. Call into Timing Trailer if radios are in use. Pointer cones do not count if hit. Each cone adds 1 second to the driver’s time.

DNF: Did Not Finish the course as it was intended to be driven. This means the driver went outside the bounds of the course with all 4 wheels and did not correct it by re-entering either at the point where they went out (between the same two cones) or upstream from the point where they went out.  Signify this by crossed arms above the head.

A penalty is given to the driver if:

• If the cone is knocked over and is out of the box or circle. 
• If the cone is knocked over and is in the box or circle. 
• If the cone remains standing but is out of the box or circle. 

A penalty is NOT given if :

• The cone remains standing is touching the box 
• The cone remains standing and is partially in the box. 
• And of course, if the cone remains standing within the box. 

FLAGS:  Autocross uses three flags.

Green: Course is ready for you to start your run. Start your run promptly after you are given the green flag. If for some reason you can not immediately start your run, if you stall the car for instance, wait until the flagger has given you the green flag again before you go. There is usually an overlap in autocross, meaning another car is on course at the same time as you are but in a different location on the course. Getting the cars sent out at a particular moment is necessary to avoid a dangerous situation. Always watch the Flag person to make sure it is safe to proceed before you go.

Red: Used to stop cars on course. Come to a complete and controlled stop. A course worker will tell you when to proceed. Usually another car on course in front of you has spun out or your car has a mechanical problem, spilling gas or a flat tire that is deemed a safety hazard. When you are Red flagged, come to a controlled stop and look to the course workers to signal when it is safe to proceed.  Please take the rest of the course at ¾ your race speed, taking care not to hit pylons along the way. If you have been Red flagged due to another drive’s spin, you will be given a Re-Run. After you come off the course come to the center and pause for the grid person to put you in line for your re-run. If you were red flagged because of safety issues with your car, you will NOT get a re-run.

 Checker: Signifies your run is done and you need to pull off into the exit lane.  Always stop at the end of the exit to pick up your timing slip and remember the speed limit while not on course is 5 MPH.

CAR CLASSIFICATIONS: UFO uses the scca classification system however we are intentionally at least 1 year behind as the classification system is constantly changing. For 2010 we are still using the classifications and Index for 2007. Classes are from the nationally recognized list, we do not use region only classes. UFO does have some unique classes in addition to the above: OSP – Open Street Prepared must be street “register-able”. VS - Vintage Stock, car must be 25 years old or older with stock level preparation. VSP – Vintage Street Prepared car must be 25 years old but may be prepared in the spirit of street prepared. Parallel women's classes run with each open class, please put an L after the class designation on your run card if you intend to run in the Ladies class. There is a book at the registration table to help you determine the class your car runs in.

TECHNICAL INSPECTION: All cars must pass a tech (safety) inspection with no leaks, tight wheel bearings, secure battery mounts, good brakes and tires and no loose objects inside the car. No SUV vehicles (Jeeps). Seat belts & helmets are required. Loaner helmets are available, to check one out, come to the timing trailer just prior to your Run Groups run time. 95dba @100ft sound limit. All tech inspection will be done on grid. 

Tech Inspection List                                                                      

_______Seat belts OK                                                                    

_______Approved helmet

_______Brakes OK                                                                         

_______Steering OK                                                                       

_______Front suspension OK                                                          

_______Battery bolted down                                                           

_______No fluid leaks                                                                     

_______Tires OK                                                                            

_______Hub caps & trim rings removed                                           

_______Wheels OK, lug nuts tight                                                    

_______Rear suspension OK                                                            

_______Adequate muffler

_______No loose objects in car   

GRID: We use a two grid system where you bring your car to grid while the group previous to your run group is running on the other grid. Once on grid, you will be teched and you are then in position and ready to run with your group. Please leave your car open, both trunk and hood, and unlocked so the tech inspector can come by and look over your car. Please put your Run Card under your windshield wiper or on the dash board for the tech inspector to collect.  You risk forfeiture of points & trophies if your car is not on grid before it closes. Grid is considered closed once the first car from that grid takes the green flag on their first run of the day. Multiple driver lines are established separately from the single driver lines. The two driver lines need to run Normally the multiple driver line is the line furthest from the course on the grid. Multiple drivers in a single car have the option of changing drivers in any sequence. 

1st grid of the day is inverted, first car to grid may line up at the back of the grid, cars after the first car park in front until line is full, then start the next line. After the 1st run, two driver and single driver lines will be established.  The other 5 grids for the day are NOT loaded in the inverted fashion. 

RUNNING OUT OF GROUP: You may run out of group for no points, please put WRG or FUN RUN on your card to indicate you have run out of group. HOWEVER you must also work. Everyone who runs also must work for another run group.

DRIVER’S MEETING: UFO holds two Driver and Worker’s Safety Meetings per event day. The purpose of the Driver’s Meeting is to ensure everyone’s safety while running the event. This meeting is Mandatory for all Driver’s in the event.  The morning meeting starts at approximately 8:40 AM, prior to starting to run the first run group. The second meeting is just after the afternoon walk through prior to the start of the 5^th run group.

WALKING THE COURSE: At each UFO event you are given a chance to walk the course prior to driving. The course walk is you way to practice and plan how you will drive the course. Prior to the morning Driver’s Meeting there will be a Rookie Walk led by an experienced autoXer at approximately 8:20 AM.

GENERAL RULES FOR EVERYONE ON SITE: No drugs or alcohol allowed on site. No photographers on course, no drugs or alcohol on site, pick up your own trash, no burn outs, no BBQ fires & EVERYONE must sign the insurance waiver at registration. Speed limit in the pits and to & from the gate inside the AutoX site from is 5 MPH.  Any display of Speed, scrubbing of tires, burn outs, doughnuts or drifts coming in or leaving will cause the event to be SHUT DOWN, everyone will have to leave immediately and we will NOT be able to return to this site again!!!  Drivers are responsible for the other people they bring to the event. Please inform them of the rules!

THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING TO AN EVENT:

• A safety helmet, if you have one, a motorcycle helmet is fine. 
• Extra air in your tires. Stop at a gas station and fill your tires to approximately the maximum stated on the sidewalls. The reason for this is to keep your tires from rolling under during hard cornering.
• Suitable shoes for driving. The best are light-soled, with a narrow sole which does not stick out past the side of the shoe.
• Sunglasses 
• Sunscreen 
• Clothes appropriate for the weather forecast, plus a change for when the forecast is wrong. 
• Rain gear / umbrella 
• A hat and a jacket
• A folding chair 
• Thermos of water or other non alcoholic beverage 
• Cooler for lunch or snacks 
• Windex and paper towels 
• A pad and pencil to write down all the advice you'll get 
• A good tire pressure gauge 
• A portable air tank or compressor 

Course Clean-up: Once all the timed runs and fun runs, if any, are complete, everyone helps clean up the course. This involves bringing in the fire extinguishers and flags, cones, radios and timing equipment, and storing them in the trailer. The pit area needs to be checked for trash. We do have garbage cans in the pit area and extra garbage sacks! When everyone helps, this can be completed in fifteen to twenty minutes.

YEAR END POINTS AND TROPHIES: You must run with your class to qualify for trophies. Points will be awarded to all finishers in each class.  To qualify for Season Trophies in Class or Index awards, you must have attended more than 50% of the season events. UFO A/X 2010 Series awards will be presented at a UFO A/X party in Dec. 2010!

CLASS POINTS: Class points are awarded to each driver who runs with their class in the appointed Run Group. Points are accumulated for each event attended. If a driver attends more than 50% of the seasons’ events in the same class, they will be eligible for a year end trophy. 

Index: The Index calculated each year by the "Professional Autocross" people (whoever they are) and is a commonly used handicapping system for comparing times of cars which are not in the same class. The index is composed of data from across the country, and tries to take the driver out of the equation and compare only the cars. These indices are based on cars prepared to the limit of the rules and driven by top drivers. The index is multiplied against your run time to provide the time you would have had if you had been in an A-Modified car.