TSSCC is now part of SCCA, therefore, SCCA membership is required for this event. If you are not a member already, use the event for non-SCCA members, which includes the $15 weekend membership fee. This $15 can be applied toward an annual SCCA membership. Non-members will need to fill out the weekend membership form on-site. Members will need to show your membership card at the event; if you do not, you will need to pay for a weekend membership on-site.
Welcome to TSSCC TrackSprint! The following is a guide to day-of-event operations. This should give you a rough idea of what to expect during the event and what a participant might be expected to do.
TrackSprint Event Information
We will be utilizing 3/4 of the South course for a time attack unlike any other event. Just you and your ride against the clock. No passing allowed, no wheel to wheel. Cars will be spaced at minimum intervals to get you maximum seat time. Catch up to the car ahead, no sweat we will get you a rerun (if time allows in later sessions). No transponders or fancy equipment needed, but please have numbers on your car which are legible from the timing tower (autocross rules apply here).
This is run similar to an autocross while being nowhere near as hard on your equipment. You will leave pit lane from a standing start when directed by the starter and attack the course. After turn 10 (South) or turn 6 (North) you will be tripping the finish timer, there will be a short cool down portion of the track remaining before you enter pit lane to restage for your next run. We start with three runs for each run group and evaluate total run count based on time remaining after everyone has 3 runs in the books.
Driver check in starts at 2:00 PM with tech sheets due and helmets ready to be inspected. We do not offer vehicle technical inspection, we only verify. Loaner helmets will unfortunately not be available at this time.
No instructors are offered. Ride-alongs for other registered participants are not permitted at this time. Event spectators are not permitted on-site.
There will be a mandatory drivers meeting with a review of instructions on track etiquette at 4:30 PM SHARP. Any competitors found not in attendance will be asked to leave, no refunds, no exceptions. Information given at the meeting is crucial to EVERYONE.
Please watch for updates to the event-day schedule. Plan to arrive early enough to check in with registration and get your car ready (remove loose items, change tires, etc.) to roll so you can be on time for the drivers meeting. Concessions will not be open so plan accordingly.
- 2:00 PM – On-site registration check in opens
- 4:15 PM – On-site registration check in closes (if you are not checked in by 4:15 PM, you will not be allowed to run)
- 4:00 PM – Advance run group staging begins
- 4:30 PM – MANDATORY DRIVERS MEETING
- 5:00 PM – Published event time. Course goes HOT Advance run group first
- 8:00 PM – Course closed
- 8:10 PM (Approximately) – Trophy Presentation
Site Map
Once you have entered the facility, proceed past the roundabout and our event parking will be on the left hand side of the center road, Autobahn staff will provide exact location when you sign in at the gate.
Look for the green feather flags for event check-in, where you will…
- Sign our event waiver or display your SpeedWaiver confirmation
- Turn in your completed tech sheet
- Receive a tech sticker with run group assignment
- Show your helmet sticker (2022 helmet stickers will be honored) or show staff the SNELL sticker inside your helmet (inside under the lining in most helmets)
At this point, you can return to your car and prepare it for the event by making sure you have…
- Removed all loose items
- Properly marked your car number with magnets/vinyl (preferred), or painters tape (yuk!)
Then relax and wait for the call to the drivers meeting.
Driver’s Meeting
We will plan on holding the driver’s meeting in the South Tower classroom or outside in the winner’s circle area adjacent to the South Tower.
Event Operations (where to be and when)
Once the driver’s meeting has been completed, we will need the Advanced drivers to bring their car to grid if they have not already done so. Each run group will be called to grid as soon as the group before them has entered the pit lane to take their runs. At this point there will be at least 4 run groups:
- Advanced
- Intermediate
- Intermediate B
- Novice
Intermediate/Intermediate B will be assigned prior to check-in and will be on your tech sticker.
Run groups have been assigned and are viewable on MotorsportReg.com.
We will initially give each group 3 runs on the track after which they will exit the pit lane and return to their paddock (parking) area. Once the Novice group has entered the pit lane, we will repeat the process with the Advanced drivers being called to grid. It is our intention to give everyone as many runs as we can within the allotted time. Your second and/or third session of runs may be more or less than 3 runs depending on time remaining.
To review the process:
- Group called to grid – proceed to the yellow area on the map marked grid
- Group released to pit lane for runs – follow the yellow arrow from grid to pit lane area marked “staging in pit lane closest to track“. Return to this lane after your first and second run.
- Group exits pit lane – after you third run (or last run of a session) – follow the blue arrow and proceed down the left hand side of the pit lane and exit back to paddock
Tips for On-Track Fun!
For those who have done a track day on the South track, this should be familiar to you. Timing starts as soon as you break the start timing beam and ends just past “Patience” or turn 10. A preview of what the track looks like can be viewed on YouTube.
For those who are not familiar with track driving or who have never been on track, some helpful tips:
- Don’t be aggressive on your first run or session of runs – you’ll get plenty of runs to familiarize yourself with the track, and your tires will work better with some heat in them
- Pay attention to the red/white curbing – you should be close to curbing if you are running the proper “racing line”, BUT DO NOT DRIVE ON THE CURBING. It’s cool to see a race car jumping over curbing, but you’re not in a race car, street suspensions don’t like curbing and you can damage your car or you could loose control.
- Make sure you brake before you get into a turn. In the video preview, you’ll see numbered signs before a turn to help you gauge where to apply the brakes. If you are new, brake earlier than you think, it’s easier to adjust to a later braking point on following runs. You won’t learn anything useful from charging into a corner and overcooking corner entry – most tires don’t like to brake/turn at the same time.
- Be smooth with your inputs – both throttle/brake and steering wheel – this is not like autocross with abrupt maneuvers.
- Accelerate thru the finish beam, but slow down after. It’s recommended that you return to the pit lane at a leisurely speed (under 30 mph). Your car cools off better when it’s moving, the longer the better.
- Keep an eye out for corner workers waiving flags. In the event someone spins or leaves the racing surface, you might encounter a corner worker waving a yellow or other colored flag. Yellow means caution, red means STOP – the colors should be obvious, just like on the street.
- If you catch up the the car ahead of you – DO NOT PASS THEM! First, it’s not allowed and second it will screw up the timing and scoring order. Also make sure you maintain at least a 3 second interval when you approach the timing beam. If you follow too close, the timer will not register the second car and screw up timing. Let the pit lane worker know you caught up and we’ll try to get you another run (most likely at the end of your session).
- The map of the track below shows the sections of the track that are timed (green) and untimed (yellow-dashed). A timer display will be on driver’s left after the finish. We will also have live timing so you can see results for all competitors. The URL for live timing is http://tsscc.org/live/
- For those who know what a blend line is, it can be ignored for this event.
- If your car breaks or stops for any reason, DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR — unless it’s on fire, then get out and move away from it. Corner workers will inform us and a support vehicle(s) will be dispatched if needed.
Questions? Please ask, otherwise…
