This was not really an autocross. Checkout SCCA.org for info on real autocrossing. Both course setup and speeds as well as safety will be covered in their intro.
This was a race through the streets of a town. More than one person screwed up. Event organizers should be shot. Driver should be beaten with a rubber hose. Severely.
Everyone lived and most injuries were minor. C'ept for a few fractures.

 

Glad to hear that the injuries weren't severe. Try to find some SCCA events or events that run under SCCA rules in your area. I've seen revisions made to the timed portion of a course as late as within 1/2 hour of first car off and revisions to pylon positioning beyond the finish line (an untimed portion leading to the lot exit) made after the first heat was already underway. All strictly in the name of safety.

I guarantee you'll want to slow down the action on that 58mm TB, particularly in the range of small throttle openings. Otherwise you won't be able to reliably get into the power as you exit each turn. When 1/16" of pedal motion is more than the difference between merely maintaining speed exiting a sweeper and spinning out it's extremely difficult to be both smooth and fast. Especially as a novice. Been there, done that, fixed that, and immediately noticed a big difference.

With that 383 you'll be running in Street Mod 2, C-Prepared, or E-Modified depending on where your other mods put you. For example, lateral connections between the SFC's will boot you out of SM2.

Norm


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'79 Malibu, way not stock (355, 5 speed, . . .)
'95 Mazda 626 V6 5 speed, not entirely stock either
'01 20th AE Maxima, 5 speed, stock (so far)

[This message has been edited by Norm Peterson (edited August 19, 2002).]

 

There's some discussion on this on the autox mailing list. Here's some links that better describe what happened and a pre-event publicity writeup in the Hastings newspaper.

http://www.hastingstribune.com/news1.html

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/77306.html

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=...6&u_sid=478165

Check out the comments by some of the people from that last newspaper article. I'd say the strongest evidence leads me to believe this event would have never passed SCCA safety criteria and the event organizers had no idea what could happen if a car got out of control at 60 MPH. It's most ironic to hear the Cobra owner talk about how he thought this event could grow like the one he organized in Cheyenne.

 

Chuck,

I suppose only you can decide if this will dissuade you from trying autocross. However, having a look at the SCCA rulebook regarding autocross course design should relax you a little. The SCCA has been doing these events for a very, very long time and have rules regarding course design to avoid situations such as the one in Hastings.

Certainly, this situation does not at all discourage me from continuing participate in autocrossing because I know that this Hastings event and my autocrosses have nothing to do with each other, except that there are cars involved.

Whatever you do, good luck.

 

This would never had happened in an SCCA event. This goes to show you the difference between a professionally run event with trained organizers and one run by locals more interested in tourism dollars and with no experience. The moron who commented that the spectators should have known better should be killed so he can no longer pollute the gene pool. I would not expect to have to watch my 2 year old daughter get plowed down by a car in an autocross. Bad organization. Bad results. Now the town organizers will pay.

 

It's very sad about what happened at the event and I hope you won't let a very bad incident dissuade you from participating in what I think is about the most (legal) fun you can have with your car.

I only run in SCCA events or events using SCCA rules. There is a reason for the voluminous SCCA rules and foremost among them is to provide fairness of competition and safety. I don't want to just sell you the SCCA but I don't know of any organization that does autocross as well.

All that said, I agree with much of the sentiment expressed before...I'd spend at least a whole season becoming a better driver - until you've established and honed your skills, no modifications to your car will be worth the money.

Good luck to you (unless you're competing against me)


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2000 black Z28 (no mods yet). Former F-body vehicles...Firebird Formula 400 (1973) and TransAm (1976 and 1979, both black/gold special editions). I still love my firebirds but decided on a Z this time around. From Ohio; now in Nashville, Tennessee USA

 

Well, they managed to undo the 50 years of good safety records for my club, I'd bet.

Our club had figured on insurance doubling next year, but I imagine that will be a huge underestimate after the lawyers are done in Nebraska and the underwriters get wind of it.

Its fun and exciting to go fast, but you don't want anyone nearby in an unprotected location.

BobC

 

Too bad about the spectators. One reason I do autocross is good safety record, nothing to hit, and speeds aren't too high.

I was all set to put a supercharger on my Camaro until I drove in a couple of autocross events! Now I realize it has plenty of power for 1st and 2nd gear.

 

I started autocrossing an 88 Civic 4 door. No power, no brakes, no tires. But hey, no weight. I moved up to the 88 Camaro a few months later. Let me say this, when you are a newbie, too much power is a bad thing in autocross. It had a 383, 3,000 stall TQ and 373 gears. It would go down the strip great but had NO traction at all coming out of turns. Eventually I have moved up to the '02 SS. But those days spent in the Civic and the stroker taught me a lot.

Don't expect to win your first time out. Not even the first 5 times. Just go for the fun of it. This is by far the most fun you can legally have behind the wheel of a street driven car. As for the 'road race' in Hastings, that wasn't an autocross. Find a club that uses the SCCA as a model and you'll never see anything like that again. Don't let poor organization of this event spoil years of fun that you would have had coming.

My parents/siblings/friends can't understand why I want to 'tear up my $35,000' car every month. But they have never been to an event either. Do it once. See what a REAL autocross is. Competitive, safe, affordable, and most of all addicting.

Screw golf!

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2002 SS Vert:
SOM - Hurst - black leather - 12 disk changer - SLP dual center exhaust & grill insert
--- Mods - K&N, Yokohama AVS Intermediates on 16" Z28 5 spokes (autocrossing tires)

88 Camaro - FOR SALE
License plate - STRKIN (STROKIN was taken of course)
383 stroker
T350 trans (just rebuilt - 4/1/02) - shifts very hard.
373 rear.
Eibach(type) springs
Stiff sway bars Front & Rear
Air shocks in rear
Edelbrock Torker II Manifold
Edelbrock Performer 600CFM carb (w/tune kit)
Mallory 4309 Fuel pressure regulator.
shorty headers into true duals into two big flowmasters under the bumper into your face

When I start my car in the morning, my neighbors DO think the world is coming to an end!

 

most autcrosses seem very safe from what I have seen, peopel are generatlly far away nad no problems.

though I did jsut recenlty see a video on Kazaa of a corvette with some oversteer, snap back and fly off the course, and nicking a cone station member not paying attention.

All the event sI have been too seem much safer then this. And autxin is very addicting, thing I hate about it is its hard to practice, you cna always practice shift points on the street, even some launching(especially if your track has bad track prep like mine)

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-Eric
1994 Medium Quaser Blue Camaro 3.4L V6 w/ 5-speed
Stock blocked, boltons only.
15.696@86.22 with a 2.214 60'!
Best R/T .507 Best 60' 2.078
Father's Stock 2000 Navy Blue Camaro 3.8L V6 w/ 5-speed
15.875@88.25 With wheel spin in 1st
3.4L F-body where 15s are fast....
www.fbodyv6.com
www.firebirdv6.com
www.camaroz28.com
AIM: MustangEater82

 

Nicking him? How about throwing him about 20 feet in the air, on cement! There is also the Mustang that went into a tree, but nobody died.

 

he only flipped once or twince, now if it was 3-4 times thats a differnet story.