An open letter:
To anyone who wants to Autocross (Solo) in Huntsville

Visitors are always welcome to our events, the only thing you will need to do to watch, is sign an insurance waiver.

To run, your car will need to pass a technical inspection for safety. Basically your car will need:

·  Tires with tread across the entire width of the tire and no cord showing. At least 32 lbs of air pressure
(With a heavy car like a Camaro you will need about 45 lbs in front and 40 in the rear as a starting point, but you do not want to drive more than 10 miles like that on the road.)

·  Rims must have no cracks and all lug nuts and studs must be present.

·  Seatbelts must be functioning and in good condition.

·  Tire rods and front wheel bearings must be good (not too much play).

·  Battery must be securely tied down (it can not move at all)

·  Brakes must have good pressure and not leak down.

·  Loose objects must be removed. (Clean the car out)

There are actually two clubs in Huntsville that run a combined series of slaloms/Solos. Tennessee Valley Region of the SCCA (TVR) and Twickenham Auto Club (TAC) run joint series for Year-End championships. We run the SCCA class structure and preparation rules.

To be in stock class your car must be fairly unaltered. Basically you are allowed to change:

·  Shocks: As long as they use the stock mounting points.

·  Front Sway-bar: Again using the stock mounting points (Rear bar must remain stock). (Note: This rule has changed slightly over the years, so check the rule book.)

·  Rims: Must be stock diameter and width and within 1/4" of stock offset.

·  Tires: Any DOT legal tire that will fit on the rims.

·  Air Cleaner: Must be stock, but the filter element is free and can be removed or replaced.

If you are modified beyond stock, the next step is Street Prepared where you are allowed a great deal of mods, as long as you stay out of the inside of the motor.

If you are just starting out, we are usually tolerant of mods that are not too obvious. The unwritten rule is, "You are legal until you beat somebody who cares". 

You may want to consider going to a TAC meeting (www.TeamTAC.org) as well as a TVR meeting. TAC is oriented to beginners and the meetings are mostly about autocross. TAC meets the 3rd Thursday of each month, at El Camino Real on University Drive. AT TVR meetings we spend more time talking about Time Trials, Club Racing and Road Racing, since SCCA does more than just Solo.

TAC has a beginner (Novice) class that is unique to Huntsville that you might be interested in:

·  Novice: For people who are just getting started. This class is scored on indexed times and is intended for real beginners.

 

Welcome,

John Clarke

TAC Slalom School, Class of 1980

(Last full edit 2007)

(Last minor revision, 2013)