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Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:16 am
by thrdeye
Here's a good post by Duckworth if this is your first National Tour. ETR paddock will be whereever JY's rig ends up. Although, I do encourage you to wander over to the Carolina area to check out Trasharita. :)
I know I've heard a few people at events say they're doing their first National Tour this weekend at Dixie, so I wanted to throw together a quick guide for everyone who is a first timer.

A lot of the Carolinas people paddock in the red area near Tim's "Dirty White Trailer". You're more than welcome to come hang out over there with all of us. The main restrooms and the area for the Friday Welcome Party are in the building shaded with purple. There's a small restroom in the building shaded with green. The site is somewhat "middle of nowhere" and the only nearby food is a Blimpie in a gas station, so bringing some snacks in a cooler with you is a plus

Tech is a bit different for National Events. Tech takes place at the "Lincoln Driver's Center" which is the trailer with awnings that SHOULD be in the blue area. Tech will be on the north side of it, nearest course. Go by, get your car teched, know your class and number, and if you're in a Mod/Prep class, know your minimum weight and wheelbase (especially wheelbase). Get any decals you need for the event or contingency there, and make sure they get applied to your car before you run. If you haven't yet signed up for contingency, DO IT NOW! https://www.scca.com/contingency
Driver check-in will be at the timing trailer in the green shaded area. Have your SCCA card and license ready when you go up. You'll get your work assignment and heat there, and they'll ask if you need a barcode. You do. If you're sharing a helmet with someone, make sure you cover up the other barcode with painters tape so that only yours shows while you run. IF YOU NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO REG, DO IT BEFORE 7PM FRIDAY!!!

There are 2 grids for the event. Odd numbered heats will use Grid 1, and even numbered heats use grid 2. In the morning, they will post grid spots in the Lincoln Driver's Center (blue) on the fence side. Find your grid spot, and when it comes time to bring your car to grid, find and park at that numbered cone in the respective grid. All drivers will get a 5 car warning as the grid "puller" comes around, so make sure you're ready before they point at you to go. Marko the grid chief is very German and likes his grid to run like a well oiled German made machine. Don't be the cog that messes up Marko's machine! When you pull to the line, point the scanner at the correct barcode for them to scan. On your first run each day, you will also have to stop to have Car Chex photos taken. After you're done with your 3 runs, National events are subject to impound. If you're in a Mod/Prep class, you need to be weighed, so after your 3rd run head down to the Lincoln Driver's Center to go across the scales. After that, or if you're not weighed, head back to your grid spot and pop your hood/trunk and don't leave until they've brought the results, everyone in your class has approved them, and you've been released from impound. It's highly unusual but not TOTALLY unheard of at a Tour to have to jack up a car and possibly remove a wheel in impound, so it's not a bad idea to bring a jack and jackstands to grid with you.

And finally work assignment check-in is done at the Lincoln Driver's Center on the fence side. They don't hot-swap workers like we do at locals, so after you check in, just hang out and watch the action until that heat is done running.

Hopefully that hits all the big points of what's different between a tour and what you're used to at locals. If anyone has questions or needs help figuring out where to go or what to do, you can find one of us and we'll be glad to help, or basically just ask anyone.... almost everyone there is polite and willing to lend a hand.

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Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:26 am
by John Brown
hmmm next ETR purchase.. a small drone. So JY can take some overhead shots, then post up, to show us where ETRville is located.
:lol:

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:48 am
by Buck05Sti
John Brown wrote:hmmm next ETR purchase.. a small drone. So JY can take some overhead shots, then post up, to show us where ETRville is located.
:lol:
Ive got a small one. not sure how good of pics it takes though

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:58 am
by thrdeye
Can't use them at SCCA events, so it doesn't matter anyway.

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:11 am
by TedV
thrdeye wrote:Can't use them at SCCA events, so it doesn't matter anyway.
How bout a tethered blimp? Helium, not hydrogen. We don't need no stinking Hindenburg action happening

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:22 am
by Buck05Sti
Or a kite maybe? could strap a gopro to it and get pics

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:22 am
by John Brown
omg.

Im beat up after this weekend. :|

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:49 am
by Gen52SS
Congrats to all those who competed this weekend. The audio for us listening was terrible on day one until they got it fixed.

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:06 am
by John Brown
My thoughts on the event.

First, I took a knife to a gun fight,for a course so fast and flowing..(even considering the 1st day 180s) The FoST does great in class,but I cant seem to wrap my head around how to push a FWD car. (PUN INTENDED) :roll:
Second... Ill never be convinced the 1st day GS leader time was legit on his last run day 1. he was no where near backing it up on Sunday.
3rd.... the STS car will be freshened up and a day spent at the " Racecar Spa" very soon! :eating:

note: Super congrats to Steve Rife for his STELLAR performance!! look at that pax position... :rockon:

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:54 am
by JohnSmith
By my last run on Sunday I was starting to get the hang of how to drive the Corvette. I just wish I had gotten there a day sooner. It's going to be a wild year with that car. I haven't felt like I did finishing my Sunday runs since my first year autocrossing.

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 11:40 am
by TedV
John Brown wrote:My thoughts on the event.

First, I took a knife to a gun fight,for a course so fast and flowing..(even considering the 1st day 180s) The FoST does great in class,but I cant seem to wrap my head around how to push a FWD car. (PUN INTENDED) :roll:
Second... Ill never be convinced the 1st day GS leader time was legit on his last run day 1. he was no where near backing it up on Sunday.
3rd.... the STS car will be freshened up and a day spent at the " Racecar Spa" very soon! :eating:

note: Super congrats to Steve Rife for his STELLAR performance!! look at that pax position... :rockon:
You want me to co-drive and do some freaky setup stuff with ya? It'll be really strange and weird, but you just might like it. Probably won't want to drive it on the street that way tho. :lol:

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 11:46 am
by joker717
Congratulations to everyone. Hope you all had fun.

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 12:46 pm
by MARKP
Great to see all the ETR and Chattanooga people together. We had a great turnout.

If you are an ETR member and you got a trophy, I have it.

I have never been so busy at a national event. Between Chasity running her first national, Jeff and Berry in ESP, Bob and I in CAMC, and working, I had little time to sit down.

Chasity had a blast at her first national event and already wants to make the car faster. She will do her first ETR event in April. She's already agressive!

I think Jeff's Mustang thinks the cones are people. It was hungry this weekend so I fed it plenty. It was still a blast to drive and I wish I had gotten more video.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 12:55 pm
by thrdeye
Fun times! Really frustrating day 2 for me. Knowing that I got Rick by .400 on Saturday and then him putting a second on me Sunday - that hurts knowing it was out there and I just screwed up somewhere (or multiple somewheres).

The shifting definitely gets into my head. I'm going to have to make it my life's mission to get that absolutely automatic or I'll never be fast in this car.

I still can't believe the 2 180's in the course, but, everything else was super flowing and quick, so that made up for it.

Chastity is a natural. Pretty good group of ladies shaping up here locally.

Re: Dixie Tour Thread

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 12:57 pm
by disneyd
MARKP wrote:I have never been so busy at a national event. Between Chasity running her first national, Jeff and Berry in ESP, Bob and I in CAMC, and working, I had little time to sit down.
Speaking of CAMC, where were the CAMS and CAMT cars? It seems weird that there wouldn't be any of either, but I didn't see any on the results.