x2percentmilk wrote:Thanks so much for the tips. I suppose I'll be well within the 'breakout' times as a novice with a stock miata, and the roll bar will suffice? I like being safe and don't want to skimp. I like the hard dog bar a lot - i suppose I could always sell it and upgrade if things get more serious.
Oh thanks for mentioning leaks - I've got a couple minor drips I've noted and will be taking care of, but no major leaks to speak of.
It's a lot to take in, so here's a complete list of the minimum requirements for you to participate:
- Registration (submit as soon as possible!)
- $170 for anyone, $160 for members of one of the sponsoring clubs (KSCC, SCCNH, SCCV, etc)
- Medical release form (sign at the event)
- Tow release form (sign at the event)
- Driver's license (show at the event)
- Roll bar (rear bracing isn't explicitly required in the rules, but if the safety techs aren't comfortable, you'll fail) -must be built to the same spec as a roll cage, meaning 1.5" OD x 0.095" wall steel DOM tubing
- 2.5lb or larger ABC fire extinguisher with a metal strap (no plastic), if it's larger it needs two straps
- SA2005 or SA2010 (preferred) helmet - I bought mine through SafeRacer and was very pleased with their prices and service, but order it at least a week in advance!
- Numbers - You can get away with tape/marker on your windows or vinyl magnets/stickers on your door, just make sure it's at least 3" tall (double-check that number, I'm not 100% confident in it) and won't go away because of wind or rain.
- Enough gas for the weekend - I used less than 1/4 tank during Ascutney, but the last thing you want is to miss a run because you were a bit too low
- A complete lack of ego
If you're running a soft top, you'll ALSO need arm restraints and an appropriately strong belt. Ideally, you'll have an SFI-approved or recent FIA 5-6 point harness with a camlock that you can attach the arm restraints to. Whatever you do for arm restraints, it needs to keep your hands from flopping against the ground if you roll over and the cloth top tears away, and is at the final discretion of safety tech. If you can't afford a hard top (they're expensive!) put some thought into what would happen in a rollover, and how you can keep that from being catastrophic.
Make SURE you're there Friday evening (before 4, ideally) so you can go through rookie orientation That's a pretty simple process where you hop in the back of a pickup with someone who knows what they're talking about, and go on a scenic tour of the hill so you can get a rough familiarity with it. You may want to view some Youtube videos from past seasons to have an idea of what the hill layout looks like, but they really don't give any indication of how much grade there really is (they're STEEP hills).
Sometime around rookie orientation, you'll want to pass your car through tech. The first time through tech, you'll want to get it done as soon as possible in case you missed something that could still be fixed that night. You'll want to make sure you have plenty of meat left on your brake pads as well. We bring all the cars down from the top of the hill together, and while we aren't racing, the pace is brisk and coming down a mountain can be hard on brakes. I ran fresh stock pads on Ascutney and didn't have any issues, but I wouldn't feel as comfortable with less meaty pads.
Finally, I'd recommend bringing along a video camera that you can safety attach to the car. You'll remember the first few runs as a blur of excitement and adrenaline, and you're going to want to review what you did right and wrong after-the-fact. Video footage is really helpful for that.
Maintenance
Hillclimbs can be rough on cars, and when you treat them roughly minor drips can develop into major leaks pretty quickly. Interpret that how you will, and do what you can within your budget. I had a minor valve cover gasket leak that smelled like burning oil inside the car and I rolled the dice on it, and got lucky in that it never got worse. Another car came in with a very minor transmission leak that ended one of his runs and halted everyone else's runs for 15 minutes. I was waiting on the start line for 15 minutes while our heroic volunteer safety worker crew cleaned up the mess enough that we could continue. Be aware of things that could plausibly break or cause problems, and fix anything that's likely to break or cause problems.
Breakout and Goal-setting
I haven't run Okemo personally, but I think it's the least likely hill to break out in with an underpowered car. Breakout is 2:47 I believe, and ChiefGeek, who also runs an NB Miata, had a best time of 3:04.00 last year (respectable). He's far from a slow driver, but don't expect to approach breakout your first time on a hill. For now, don't worry about times. If you REALLY want to set a goal for yourself, try to get comfortable enough with the hill that you can keep up with the slowest person who drives the Woo (you'll understand what I mean when you see it).
Roll Bar
Those 4point roll bars are a GREAT start for a cage, if that's what you're referring to as 'serious'. I started with a 'lol bar' (a single main hoop, with no bracing) and added a couple braces to it before this past event. It gave me a frame of reference to build off of, and I already knew exactly what spec the steel was I was starting with. That's also the most difficult area of the car to fabricate in, the forward sections are much more accessible than the trunk area so it saves a lot of work. It's also a good investment for a daily driver (accidents happen, after all).
Here's the result of my bar with added bracing, as I raced it. It's not pretty, but it's safe.
Don't get overwhelmed
It's ok to be nervous or anxious, but if you feel completely overwhelmed, sit a run out. If you're already feeling overwhelmed, just volunteer to work for an event and see how things run. Working safety is surprisingly fun, and there's no chance (ok, very little chance) of damaging your vehicle that way.
I need to go fire up my server and get it accessible so everyone has somewhere to put all their video footage from Ascutney, but I'm happy to answer any questions you have in
way too much detail.
) my fiance along to these events?
