Autocross Tech Inspections, How does you club do them??? Options

[URY914]

Seems there has been alot of autox events that everyone is attending lately. I was wondering how the different regions and clubs conduct the tech inspections and what gets inspected.

My region makes everyone line up in two lines and several guys check tire pressures, torque the wheels to 85 psi, check the Snell label on your helmet and check that there is nothing loose to roll and around in the trunk(s). Then we have a driver's meeting and then we line up again to grid. I personally think this is a little silly and a big waste of time.

I would rather have the tech guys come to you and look over the cars where they are parked. I think checking the helmet and the overall condition of the car is all that needs to be done.

So my questions are:
How and when is the tech inspection done?
What gets checked?

I know there is no set rules for this but I want to start my club thinking about another procedure.

Thanks,
Paul

[seanery]

Not an autocross but at the PCA DE this weekend this is how it worked:

Tech inspection form emailed to participant
Participant or mechanic checks off items, tires, brakes, window cracks, no leaks, etc...
Arrive at track Friday (day before DE) Inspectors check:
Lug Torque
Snell Cert on Helmet
Brake Fluid
Brake Lights
Leaks
Battery Terminal + covered
Wheel Bearings

Sticker on window then participant can complete registration and get their number & packet.

[DuckRyder]

Most atlanta region events tech on grid.

they check helmets and saftey items like battery hold downs, blowby not vented to the track, car cleaned out and thats about it except for obvious stuff like cords hanging out of tires.

Torquing wheels is a bit over the top, infact if they tried it after I drove there I'd break his arm for trying................................................

And what are they doing f-ing with tire pressures, th'd get ya shot at most of ours.......................

[SirAndy]

you park and head over to registration, get your card, fill it out and stick it under yer wiper. the tech guy walks down the parking lot and whenever he sees a card under the wiper, he inspects the car.

looks for loose wheels etc., stuff that could fling around, massive oil leaks, helmets, battery tie downs etc etc etc.
if you pass, he takes the card to the timing guys.

if they don't have your card, the grid guy won't let you on the track.

seems to work fine,
Andy

[Bleyseng]

If you know the tech guy he lets you though, if you don't its a looong wait while he techs your car looking for the bottle of Crown Royal.


Geoff

[airsix]

Our local (no national affiliation) sports-car club really got it's crap together this year.

1) Stop at gate and sign insurance wiavers
2) Pull into the paddock (Tri-City Raceway, W. Richland, WA)
3) Go to registration table and complete entry form/inspection sheet, rungroup and course assignment
4) Pull car into one of two paralel inspection lines in the paved infield
5) Tech inspectors check battery hold-down, throttle return spring, bearing/balljoint play, etc.
6) Inspector marks car, and signs off inspection sheet.
7) Rungroup A cars now pull into grid, Rungroup B cars pull into paddock parking
8) Turn in inspection/registration sheet
9) Walk course
10) Driver meeting
11) Go time.

This all works VERY well. They set up the "flow" correctly. You pull in, you do your paperwork, you pull into inspection lines, you pull into grid or padock based on rungroup. It works well because the layout is perfect. There is a flow and all the cars end up where they need to go without any congestion. And it's fast. No wasted time.

-Ben M.

[Part Pricer]

It varies depending on the club. Here are my experiences.

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I run AX Tech Inspection for one of our local clubs. This club is not marque-specific, so we deal with all makes of cars.

After participants unload their cars and register, they come over to the tech area and form two parallel lines. When their cars reaches the front of the line they are told to "Open the engine compartment, trunks(s), leave the driver's door open, and leave the car running." Then, three or four inspectors go over the car. We check:

1. Wheel bearings
2. Nothing loose in the car or trunk(s)
3. Throttle return
4. Pedal response/return (not sticking)
5. Battery hold down
6. Visors (it's amazing the stuff people leave up there. CD collections, garage door openers, etc.)
7. Numbers. All cars must have their number and class prominently displayed on both sides of the car.
8. Noise. We have a "good neighbor" policy. Cars cannot be too loud.

If you pass, you get a sticker on your windshield.

You would be amazed at some of the things we find wrong with cars. Every event we have four of five cars that flunk inspection. Most of the time the problems can be fixed in the paddock. That's why I bring a full set of tools with me. However, it seems that we have one car each event that we do not allow to run.

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With the CVR-PCA, it is similar to the above but there are some differences. Again, cars line up in two rows. However, this time the drivers stay in the cars. The inspectors check:

1. Wheel bearings
2. Nothing loose in the car or trunk(s)
3. Throttle return
4. Battery hold down
5. Lug nut/bolt torque
6. Brake fluid level
7. Brakes. This is different from other clubs. After your car has passed the other inspections, the driver is told to drive forward a few feet then stand on the brakes. This is done while holding both hands up in the air to prove that you are not holding onto the steerg wheel. This is a quick check to make sure the brakes are in a reasonable working order.

If you pass, you get a sticker on your windshield.

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Another group that I compete with comes around to your spot in the paddock and performs a tech inspection. They check:

1. Wheel bearings
2. Nothing loose in the car or trunk(s)
3. Throttle return
4. Battery hold down

If you pass, you get a sticker on your windshield.

[Don Wohlfarth]

At PCA Potomac we do a tech similar to Paul Heery. We also look at the engine to see if there are any visible oil or fuel leaks. Also look for cracked wheels, rotors, or old dry rotted tires.
The entire inspection is more of a safety issue that technical. We pay a little more attention to new drivers with older cars. We run a series where all the cars are Porsches, usually with 50-70 cars.
I agree with URY914 that the drivers meetings seem like a waste of time. The other side of the coin is we usually have 4 or 5 new drivers at every event. It's also a PCA insurance regulation that we go over safety issues with a drivers meeting at every event.

[URY914]

Don,
It is not that the driver's meeting is a waste of time, its the having to move your car to the tech line, back to park it than back to the grid.

Driver's meetings are good to have and important. Of course no one does anything that is said but that is a local problem.

I've been a member of several clubs where the tech guy or guys come to you where you are parked or even tech the car on the grid.

I'll be talking to our new autox chairman and want pass on some other ideas for speeding the process up. Where I am in central FL, during the summer months you can set your watch by the afternoon showers at 3:00pm. And of course it is hot as hell in the summer. My intent is to get us completed and out of there before the rain starts or we die from the heat.

Thanks,
Paul