It is that time of year again. The Auto-X guys are putting away their sticky tires and slammed cars and retiring to the garage for another winter of project building. Meanwhile, us rally/snow oriented drivers are getting jazzed about the prospect of speeding around the track in the snow and delicately dancing with frozen cones
.Autosports Northwest, http://www.autosportsnorthwest.org , is again holding our snow Rally-X with the first race scheduled for Dec. 11/12. For those are not familair with ASNW, we are a strong club that has been around for 20+ years. The strongest portion of the club is our Auto-X racing during the summer, with several memembers competing at Nationals. During the winter we pull out the cones, lengthen the slaloms and elements, put the snow tires on the cars, and rally.
We race on an old runway and have a minimum of 1,400' x 150' of track to work with and we typically have a dog leg taxi/runway we use for beautiful high 2nd gear sweepers. We only have four classes - 2WD, 4WD and Novice/Amature seperation in both 2WD and 4WD.
Our turnouts are typically low, sub 30 drivers, which results in lots of runs. A typical run is around 90 seconds. After the timed runs are done, we typically keep racing just for fun if the course/people can support it.
Tech inspection requirements are pretty straight forward and follow SCCA guidelines. Ultimately we have to make sure that the vehicle is in sound racing condition, i.e. wheel bearings/suspension is tight, the battery is secure, no major leaks, and nothing in the cabin that's loose. We do require a DOT certified helmet but have plenty to lend out (no cost) if you don't have your own.
Our rallycrosses will be on the asphalt whether it's dry or covered in rain, ice, and/or snow (the more the better, up to a point). If there's too much snow for a safe, fun event, we'll cancel with as much notice as possible. If there is no snow, studded tires will not be allowed.
Run times will be calculated by dropping your worst run and adding your best times for a total time. After the track conditions deteriorate and we stop gathering scores, we usually keep running fun runs for a while.
Racing fees are $25 for club members and $30 for non-members, per day. We'll race on Sat and Sun. There is a $5 discount if you pre-register and pre-pay for both days.
If you come out to race, you will be expected to help work the course when it's not your run group (we only have two run groups). We do our best to make the course open enough that shagging cones is kept to a minimum and often you can work the course from the warmth of your car parked off-track. However, this is a winter sport and you should dress appropriately.
The people are very friendly and our competition, while fierce at times, is very much in good nature and everyone's there to have fun. This is a great opportunity to bring out your daily driver or a winter beater and play. You will have the ability to throw the car around in a safe environment and at speeds/conditions that you simply cannot find on the streets.
We need a minimum of 15 drivers to pre-pay for each event in order for this to work. If we don't have enough paid entries before the event, we'll have to cancel that weekend. Aside from lack of participation, the only reason for event cancellation I foresee is too much snow/ice for a safe, fun event (not everybody's in a $200 car). If an event is cancelled, refunds will be issued promptly to all who pre-paid. The refund can be applied towards the next event through the ORM Bank, or you can request a check. If you just show up to an event without having pre-registered and pre-paid, we won't turn you away, but please just pre-register if you think you'll come. It's no problem to unregister if your plans change.
Pre-registration through the AXWare ORM is requested and strongly encouraged. It really helps the event start smoothly and you won't make someone type all of your information into a computer with frozen fingers. You'll need an account and a rally car entry in your ORM garage, and pre-payment will be mandatory to keep track of how many people are seriously planning on showing up. Here's how to do it - http://www.autosportsnorthwest.org/foru ... php?t=2272 . There is help available if you have any troubles getting registered but the system is fairly straight forward.
For anyone traveling, there are hotels in the area we can point you towards. Or, for the more hearty individuals, camping is allowed at the track.
This is an exciting event and all skill levels, car performance levels, and ages are welcome. Please spread the word to your friends. I would like to emphasize though, if we don't have 15 people pre-paid by the Wed. before race weekend - we will have to cancel the event. Therefore it is very important you pre-pay if -payou're interested. We do accept on-site payments, but only the Axware pre-payments are considered when making the decision to hold the race or cancel.
If an event is cancelled and you already paid, you will be promptly refunded or you can apply the money to the next event. Our club takes pride in handling your money with respect so you do not need to worry about losing your money if an event gets cancelled.
I am the VP of the Rally-X portion of the club so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We want you out there and having fun!
Finally, this is what it's all about -
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