New Racer

Artorias
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New Racer

Post by Artorias »

Hi guys, I am a brand new member but I've seen the Okemo Hillclimb 2 years in a row as I have a house in Ludlow, the town which the Okemo Hillclimb is held in. I've wanted to race in it but the first year I wasn't 18 and the second time (last year) I was too late.

I was just wondering how exactly I would go about registering. The site said something about sending in the application, just wondering if that was mail or if there was an online version I could email. I'm new to racing so I'm sorry if these are terrible questions.

I also was wondering about my car. I have an 02 WRX and its all street legal and everything, I was just wondering if all I needed was the helmet and fire extinguisher in it to pass tech and be able to race.

Thanks for the help and hopefully I'll see you there in 2015!
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walterclark
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Re: New Racer

Post by walterclark »

Welcome!

The dates for the events arent set yet so keep checking in on this forum, here http://www.hillclimb.org/schedule.html or on Facebook with the https://www.facebook.com/groups/neha1/.

Normally, the events run by the Killington club (Okemo 1 and 2 and Burke 1 and 2) will have entry forms available and registration open a month before an event. The forms for Okemo will be found here: http://www.hillclimb.org/events/event_okemo.html. It is a paper entry with snailmail submission. Lately, the events have filled up but it seldom happens immediately, however filling out and getting your entry form soon after they are up on the web site is a good idea.

The safety rules for the car and driver are here: http://www.hillclimb.org/rules_regs/hil ... 14tech.pdf. They are not too complicated so I suggest you read them and not just count on us to summarize them for you. If you have questions feel free to ask on here.

But to summarize. A helmet, suitable clothing and a fire extinguisher in addition to a normal car capable of passing a state safety inspection is what we require.

The helmet must carry the correct certification per our rules. The most common mistake first timers at a hillclimb make here is assuming that a motorcycle helmet (that is accepted at many autocross events) is OK. Its not. This is what we permit: "...Snell SA2005 or newer, b. FIA 8860-20XX with manufacture date less than 10 years, or c. BS 6658-85 type A/FR with manufacture date less than 10 years". You probably wont have "b." or "c." unless you race internationally or participate in rally racing. So the helmet to bring is going to be one with a Snell SA2005, SA2010 and sometime next year - SA2015 certification label. The SAH20XX certified helmet is accepted as well (these are SA helmets that come from the manufacturer configured with head and neck restraint tether attachment points). Note if buying a helmet. Snell should be publishing the SA2015 standard sometime during the 2015 season. We (and most racing bodies) normally accept current and one back certifications, but during a transition year such as 2015 we will allow SA2005, SA2010 and SA2015. Further, this means that for 2016 we will probably only accept SA2010 and SA2015. So it would be wise to not purchase an SA2005 certified helmet to use during the 2015 race season unless it is a really good deal and you accept that it will only be permitted for one season.

Clothing needs to be of a low flammability material with long sleeve and long pant leg outerwear such as combed cotton. Shoes should be leather uppers. Most synthetic fabrics are not permitted, the obvious exception is Nomex. The reason is simple. With the exception of Nomex and Carbon-X, synthetic fibers exposed to high temps melt then burn, both of which direct heat toward the skin. Cotton, and Nomex/Carbon-X do not melt. When they reach the temps where they burn, they form an ash, which at least temporarily reflects heat away from the body.

The fire extinguisher we require is: "...at least one portable 2.5-lb net minimum A-B-C type, 1.25-lb net Halon or approved substitute. It must be fully charged and must have a gauge". We require an extinguisher with a class A rating because of the risk that a car going off the road can set fire to accumulated dry leaves and weeds, and extinguishing agents like CO2 do nothing for that type fire in the open. Most dry chem types of agents are effective on A B and C fires, but can damage (from its corrosive residue) metal and electrical components, so we accept Halon and its derivatives as well (more expensive but with no corrosive residue). Note from the rules that the extinguisher must be securely mounted using an all metal bracket, must be quickly and easily accessible by the driver and NOT be located in the drivers footwell (cars with floor mounted foot pedals excepted).
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sachilles
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Re: New Racer

Post by sachilles »

Walter summed it up pretty good.

A couple of things to add if you haven't done this sort of thing before.

Relative to the WRX, the easy way to mount the fire bottle is to get some flat bar stock from the hardware store. The passenger seat front mounting points on that subie line up perfectly to use flat stock. Undo the front seat bolts, drill two holes in the flat stock to put those bolts through and bolt it in. You can then mount the fire bottle bracket to the flat stock. Saves you from drilling holes in a car, assuming this is a daily driver.
Next make double sure at the event that your oil is full. Running the hills in a subie that isn't absolutely full is a recipe for starving the engine of oil, and all the bad things that can happen as a result.
If it isn't bolted down, don't leave it in your car. Seriously. No radar detector, no loose change in the cup holder or ash tray. No half assed subwoofer mount loose in the trunk. If it's loose enough to move with one hand, than it's too loose to stay in the car.

I recommend joining the facebook group for the "new england hillclimb association", that will push registration info to you. Ascutney and philo have electronic registration available. Okemo and Burke need to be snail mailed in. When registration is announced as open, send it in asap.
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Super1303
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Re: New Racer

Post by Super1303 »

Whats up!

Like Walter said, it's best to read and understand the rules then have questions.
If you have a question ask it. I should know this one.... Lot of people willing to help, really, an awesome crowed.
Anyway, another good read if you haven't read it yet is under the Good Stuff tab on Hill Climbs web site. Understanding how it all works helps everyone.
Epicially, "Another View of Hillclimbing (Young Grasshopper)"

Cheers, Evan
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drummingpariah
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Re: New Racer

Post by drummingpariah »

The most affordable helmet I've come across so far is the (SA2010) Zamp FSA-2. I've raced with it all season, and can't complain at all. I would recommend it in white, as black tends to get pretty toasty (especially at Okemo).

Next you'll need an ABC extinguisher, metal mounting bracket, and suitable non-flammable/combustible clothes, and you should be good to go as long as your times stay under breakout.
Artorias
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Re: New Racer

Post by Artorias »

Thanks for all the help guys! Hopefully I can get everything and sign up and hopefully see you at least at Okemo. And I joined the Facebook group too and I never even thought about the rally races held around here, I might even do some of those too.

Also I was just wondering what are the best parts to have for a hillclimb? I already have a few power mods but I was guessing some good coilovers, sway bars, and struts/braces would do wonders and possibly an oil cooler and bigger radiator. Thanks for all the help!
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drummingpariah
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Re: New Racer

Post by drummingpariah »

Seat time.

After lots and lots of that, tires. Unless you've already raced that car quite a bit, it's significantly faster than you will be. Learning the hills takes time (I like Sherman's rule of thumb that after 30 runs up a hill you're getting familiar with it) as well, so even if you already know the car you can't push it 'till you know the course.

If you're really looking for somewhere good to spend money, get a decent racing seat.
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walterclark
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Re: New Racer

Post by walterclark »

If the struts arent worn out, I would stay with the stock for now. Most of our hills have roads that are pretty rough in places so there a limit as to how stiff and how low is practical. When I began hillclimbing in 2003 I used what was considered a medium road race spring and strut in my GTI and it worked OK at our hills at the time. Over the years the roads have gotten rougher and I have softened up the springs to what used to be my medium gravel setup, which is pretty close to stock GTI spring rates except the F/R balance is different. And even that is too stiff for the upper part of the short Ascutney.

The hillclimbs are short enough that just about any stock cooling system in good condition is plenty unless the engine is highly modified (in other words producing lots of extra heat) and added oil coolers are generally unnecessary for the same reason. I run a stock cooling system in my GTI and despite it producing almost twice the power as it did stock, engine temperature is not an issue at hillclimbs.

I would not jump in and get a race seat and harness. There are maybe a hundred way to get that wrong and make your car unable to pass a hillclimb safety tech. Best to see some and ask question on seats and harness/installation before you take the plunge. Assuming you plan to run with a stock seat and belt setup initially, one of those widgets that lets you lock in the lap belt length can be a good thing as it can then be cinched up tight enough to keep your butt planted in one place. I got one to use in the "Daewoo Challenge" car at Philo last fall and found it immensely helpful. Got it (them) here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... k%20of%202
Last edited by walterclark on Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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drummingpariah
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Re: New Racer

Post by drummingpariah »

walterclark wrote:There are maybe a hundred way to get that wrong and make you car unable to pass a hillclimb safety tech.
I take my previous recommendation back, that's a really really good point. If you're going to spend money, just get good tires.
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walterclark
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Re: New Racer

Post by walterclark »

Artorias wrote:... and I never even thought about the rally races held around here, I might even do some of those too.
Do you mean rallyx events? I assume so because full on rally such as New England Forest Rally (NEFR) requires a LOT of car prep. Whereas rallyx can be run in a regular street vehicle. In that case, you REALLY dont want stiffer springs on your car and swaybars would be something that would be better when disconnected. In rallyx as well as hillclimbs the right tire is a key to success. We have a number of hillclimbers that also rallyx, but that type car prep is really a subject for a different forum.
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