First Time Racer
Discussion
Hi all
So I’m building a car currently to compete in the CSCC Magnificent 7’s. Very exciting.
Few questions:
Does anyone know if there is any way or means of having the car looked over by a scrutineer prior to any race weekend and once it’s finished to see what, if anything needs amending to make life easier come the first race weekend?
Also - bit of a long winded one, but is someone able to explain a race weekend for me, in terms of how long I should allow for things to take, what items are most crucial and most regularly forgotten, what kind of order do things run in?
Thanks in advance!
Sam
So I’m building a car currently to compete in the CSCC Magnificent 7’s. Very exciting.
Few questions:
Does anyone know if there is any way or means of having the car looked over by a scrutineer prior to any race weekend and once it’s finished to see what, if anything needs amending to make life easier come the first race weekend?
Also - bit of a long winded one, but is someone able to explain a race weekend for me, in terms of how long I should allow for things to take, what items are most crucial and most regularly forgotten, what kind of order do things run in?
Thanks in advance!
Sam
A lot of what you need to know about timings etc is contained in the "Final Instructions" These are usually issued a couple of weeks before the meeting.
It will tell you what area of the (outer) paddock your series has. What time scrutineering is for your series, when and where drivers briefing is what time your practice is and what time your race is. Generally, you need to be ready to practice and race about 20 minutes before your start time. Different circuits and different clubs have different procedures to get you from your paddock area to the track.
Listen out for the Paddock PA and don't be afraid to ask. If you are the only car from your series in the paddock, then your timings are very wrong.
Practice will generally start from the time you enter the track. For racing, you are generally gridded up in the paddock and then released to the start line. from leaving the paddock to getting to the start line sometimes constitutes the "green flag lap" for others you go to the start line take your grid positions (marshals will get you to the right place) then off on the green flag and then remembering where you were on the grid, get ready and go racing,
Just to add with COVID19 requirements still in place All cars are not being scrutineered, most are done by declaration and random checks. Drivers' briefings are also sometimes done online or by written instructions. Again the final instructions will tell you what is happening.
You will need a smartphone as a lot of the meeting is currently being done online via websites, Apps, etc.
I would strongly suggest you speak to someone who races and go to a meeting with them to see what happens.
A day marshaling is also another way to see how a meeting is actually run.
Have you spoken to Peter French the Magnificent Sevens Driver Representative? He should be able to help you regarding eligibility etc
I have never raced but have done most roles at an event to have a reasonable idea of how they work. Good luck and enjoy.
It will tell you what area of the (outer) paddock your series has. What time scrutineering is for your series, when and where drivers briefing is what time your practice is and what time your race is. Generally, you need to be ready to practice and race about 20 minutes before your start time. Different circuits and different clubs have different procedures to get you from your paddock area to the track.
Listen out for the Paddock PA and don't be afraid to ask. If you are the only car from your series in the paddock, then your timings are very wrong.
Practice will generally start from the time you enter the track. For racing, you are generally gridded up in the paddock and then released to the start line. from leaving the paddock to getting to the start line sometimes constitutes the "green flag lap" for others you go to the start line take your grid positions (marshals will get you to the right place) then off on the green flag and then remembering where you were on the grid, get ready and go racing,
Just to add with COVID19 requirements still in place All cars are not being scrutineered, most are done by declaration and random checks. Drivers' briefings are also sometimes done online or by written instructions. Again the final instructions will tell you what is happening.
You will need a smartphone as a lot of the meeting is currently being done online via websites, Apps, etc.
I would strongly suggest you speak to someone who races and go to a meeting with them to see what happens.
A day marshaling is also another way to see how a meeting is actually run.
Have you spoken to Peter French the Magnificent Sevens Driver Representative? He should be able to help you regarding eligibility etc
I have never raced but have done most roles at an event to have a reasonable idea of how they work. Good luck and enjoy.
Edited by Drumroll on Friday 29th October 23:19
I race in Mag 7s and love it, it’s a good series and I wish I had done it years ago.
As suggested, contact Peter French, the series rep - his contact details are on the CSCC web site. It is also worth joining the CSCC Magnificent 7s Facebook site and asking questions on there.
As for a pre event scrutineering check, the back of the MSUK Blur Book has a list of scrutineers istr so you could contact one of them and ask them for a check over. Alternatively, depending go on location, a fellow racer may be able to help - again ask on the Mag7s FB site.
See you next season.
As suggested, contact Peter French, the series rep - his contact details are on the CSCC web site. It is also worth joining the CSCC Magnificent 7s Facebook site and asking questions on there.
As for a pre event scrutineering check, the back of the MSUK Blur Book has a list of scrutineers istr so you could contact one of them and ask them for a check over. Alternatively, depending go on location, a fellow racer may be able to help - again ask on the Mag7s FB site.
See you next season.
I can't comment on eligibility but as far as scrutineering is concerned the lost likely items to be checked are:
1. Date checks on harness, extinguisher and if applicable, seat.
2. Inspection of helmet, suit and HANS as to correct standards and with stickers. (When they inspect helmet and HANS for the 1st time they will sticker them and charge you.)
3. Fuel system, typically pipes/connections under bonnet.
4. Throttle return springs, this is a pet topic, take spare springs!
5. Seat and belt mountings.
6. Fire integrity of bulkhead, no holes/gaps etc.
7. Lights and rain light.
8. Checking the master switch works.
9. Fluid leaks.
10. For anything that might chafe.
The declaration process introduced last year to replace physical inspection I think is a bit improvement, it saves an hour or more from your arrival time and often this conflicts with no engine running before a certain time which makes it bloody hard work pushing the car about.
The other thing to be mindful of is noise, I suggest you buy a meter and test this for yourself, at many circuits the static limit is 98 at 75% of max revs, I suggest you aim for no higher than 95 to give yourself some margin. At many events they noise test every car before you are allowed into the assembly area.
Don't be too apprehensive about the scrutineering, it is pretty straightforward and to be honest they are very unlikely to pick up on something you could not identify for yourself. They will also be sympathetic to a new-comer and more likely to offer advice than criticism.
Good luck for next year.
1. Date checks on harness, extinguisher and if applicable, seat.
2. Inspection of helmet, suit and HANS as to correct standards and with stickers. (When they inspect helmet and HANS for the 1st time they will sticker them and charge you.)
3. Fuel system, typically pipes/connections under bonnet.
4. Throttle return springs, this is a pet topic, take spare springs!
5. Seat and belt mountings.
6. Fire integrity of bulkhead, no holes/gaps etc.
7. Lights and rain light.
8. Checking the master switch works.
9. Fluid leaks.
10. For anything that might chafe.
The declaration process introduced last year to replace physical inspection I think is a bit improvement, it saves an hour or more from your arrival time and often this conflicts with no engine running before a certain time which makes it bloody hard work pushing the car about.
The other thing to be mindful of is noise, I suggest you buy a meter and test this for yourself, at many circuits the static limit is 98 at 75% of max revs, I suggest you aim for no higher than 95 to give yourself some margin. At many events they noise test every car before you are allowed into the assembly area.
Don't be too apprehensive about the scrutineering, it is pretty straightforward and to be honest they are very unlikely to pick up on something you could not identify for yourself. They will also be sympathetic to a new-comer and more likely to offer advice than criticism.
Good luck for next year.
A piece of advice from a relatively disorganised competitor.
There are timings for everything in the final instructions- a time window for your class to sign on, and a time window for your class to scrutineer.
I recommend that you basically disregard these windows. When you arrive at the circuit on your first day of competition, you should proceed to sign-on as soon as you arrive at the circuit (or as soon as sign-on opens). Once you are signed on, you should proceed to scrutineering. Nobody is going to pull you up for doing this (especially as a newcomer), and the worst that will happen is that some scrutineers / competitors may want to leapfrog you in the scrutineering queue if they are up against time-wise and their sessions are earlier than yours which is fair enough.
Remember obviously your racing licence and upgrade card for sign on.
Remember to take your sign-on slip with you to scrutineering along with your car and racewear. If your crash helmet is new or not previously used in MSA competition, remember to have about a fiver in loose change with you for scrutineering as well as you will need to buy an approval sticker (a few quid).
It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
I heartily recommend avoiding distractions before sign on and scrutineering are done, as time will seem to go very fast once you're into the weekend and as you can imagine, few things are more stressful than waiting in a queue or rushing to rectify a procedural or technical issue when the start of your session is approaching.
Once you have affixed your scrutineering card to your car you can chill out and prepare for your session in the knowledge that there are no more procedural hurdles.
Look out for the mention of driver briefings in the final instructions. As a new driver you are going to end up attending a lot of driver briefings. Most circuits insist that you attend one if you have not competed at that circuit before. Your attendance will be mandatory. I missed the driver briefing at my last race weekend and was told that the MSA are at liberty to levy fines of around £200 for non-attendance.
A timetable for the weekend will be available in advance of the weekend. It will likely be included in the final instructions. Note that the timetable is always subject to change and it is worth checking on the club website whether a newer revision has been uploaded. Even if you do have the latest revision of the timetable, you should be aware that the organisers can and will bring your session forward if they are running ahead of time. It can also obviously slide back if there are delays with previous sessions. If you are lucky, you will be within audible range of the circuit tannoy which will keep you updated on proceedings but this often isn't the case and you will have to watch the movements of your competitors and those in the session which is scheduled to start before yours.
When the session before yours goes from the assembly area to the track, you can expect to get called to the assembly area. Again being ahead of the game here reduces a lot of potential for stress. You, your car and your gear want to be in the assembly area in good time. You can stand there and wait with your helmet etc off if you want to. However once again it is nice to get the helmet on and get strapped into the car at your leisure rather than waiting for the marshals to give you the 'helmet on' signal and feeling that you need to rush. Putting your gear on is often the moment that you realise you have forgotten your gloves, or your HANS device, so pre-empting the marshal's instruction might end up giving you the time to run back and get whatever you have forgotten. You aren't getting away with going out on track without those. Also it's alarmingly easy to forget to do up your helmet strap. The marshals may check but you must be sure of it. It is permitted to have helpers in the assembly area and you will see that many do.
Remember to get your upgrade card back at the end of the weekend. Very easily forgotten!
There are timings for everything in the final instructions- a time window for your class to sign on, and a time window for your class to scrutineer.
I recommend that you basically disregard these windows. When you arrive at the circuit on your first day of competition, you should proceed to sign-on as soon as you arrive at the circuit (or as soon as sign-on opens). Once you are signed on, you should proceed to scrutineering. Nobody is going to pull you up for doing this (especially as a newcomer), and the worst that will happen is that some scrutineers / competitors may want to leapfrog you in the scrutineering queue if they are up against time-wise and their sessions are earlier than yours which is fair enough.
Remember obviously your racing licence and upgrade card for sign on.
Remember to take your sign-on slip with you to scrutineering along with your car and racewear. If your crash helmet is new or not previously used in MSA competition, remember to have about a fiver in loose change with you for scrutineering as well as you will need to buy an approval sticker (a few quid).
It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
I heartily recommend avoiding distractions before sign on and scrutineering are done, as time will seem to go very fast once you're into the weekend and as you can imagine, few things are more stressful than waiting in a queue or rushing to rectify a procedural or technical issue when the start of your session is approaching.
Once you have affixed your scrutineering card to your car you can chill out and prepare for your session in the knowledge that there are no more procedural hurdles.
Look out for the mention of driver briefings in the final instructions. As a new driver you are going to end up attending a lot of driver briefings. Most circuits insist that you attend one if you have not competed at that circuit before. Your attendance will be mandatory. I missed the driver briefing at my last race weekend and was told that the MSA are at liberty to levy fines of around £200 for non-attendance.
A timetable for the weekend will be available in advance of the weekend. It will likely be included in the final instructions. Note that the timetable is always subject to change and it is worth checking on the club website whether a newer revision has been uploaded. Even if you do have the latest revision of the timetable, you should be aware that the organisers can and will bring your session forward if they are running ahead of time. It can also obviously slide back if there are delays with previous sessions. If you are lucky, you will be within audible range of the circuit tannoy which will keep you updated on proceedings but this often isn't the case and you will have to watch the movements of your competitors and those in the session which is scheduled to start before yours.
When the session before yours goes from the assembly area to the track, you can expect to get called to the assembly area. Again being ahead of the game here reduces a lot of potential for stress. You, your car and your gear want to be in the assembly area in good time. You can stand there and wait with your helmet etc off if you want to. However once again it is nice to get the helmet on and get strapped into the car at your leisure rather than waiting for the marshals to give you the 'helmet on' signal and feeling that you need to rush. Putting your gear on is often the moment that you realise you have forgotten your gloves, or your HANS device, so pre-empting the marshal's instruction might end up giving you the time to run back and get whatever you have forgotten. You aren't getting away with going out on track without those. Also it's alarmingly easy to forget to do up your helmet strap. The marshals may check but you must be sure of it. It is permitted to have helpers in the assembly area and you will see that many do.
Remember to get your upgrade card back at the end of the weekend. Very easily forgotten!
Edited by HustleRussell on Monday 1st November 13:25
HustleRussell said:
A piece of advice from a relatively disorganised competitor.
There are timings for everything in the final instructions- a time window for your class to sign on, and a time window for your class to scrutineer.
I recommend that you basically disregard these windows. When you arrive at the circuit on your first day of competition, you should proceed to sign-on as soon as you arrive at the circuit (or as soon as sign-on opens). Once you are signed on, you should proceed to scrutineering. Nobody is going to pull you up for doing this (especially as a newcomer), and the worst that will happen is that some scrutineers / competitors may want to leapfrog you in the scrutineering queue if they are up against time-wise and their sessions are earlier than yours which is fair enough.
Remember obviously your racing licence and upgrade card for sign on.
Remember to take your sign-on slip with you to scrutineering along with your car and racewear. If your crash helmet is new or not previously used in MSA competition, remember to have about a fiver in loose change with you for scrutineering as well as you will need to buy an approval sticker (a few quid).
It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
I heartily recommend avoiding distractions before sign on and scrutineering are done, as time will seem to go very fast once you're into the weekend and as you can imagine, few things are more stressful than waiting in a queue or rushing to rectify a procedural or technical issue when the start of your session is approaching.
Once you have affixed your scrutineering card to your car you can chill out and prepare for your session in the knowledge that there are no more procedural hurdles.
Look out for the mention of driver briefings in the final instructions. As a new driver you are going to end up attending a lot of driver briefings. Most circuits insist that you attend one if you have not competed at that circuit before. Your attendance will be mandatory. I missed the driver briefing at my last race weekend and was told that the MSA are at liberty to levy fines of around £200 for non-attendance.
A timetable for the weekend will be available in advance of the weekend. It will likely be included in the final instructions. Note that the timetable is always subject to change and it is worth checking on the club website whether a newer revision has been uploaded. Even if you do have the latest revision of the timetable, you should be aware that the organisers can and will bring your session forward if they are running ahead of time. It can also obviously slide back if there are delays with previous sessions. If you are lucky, you will be within audible range of the circuit tannoy which will keep you updated on proceedings but this often isn't the case and you will have to watch the movements of your competitors and those in the session which is scheduled to start before yours.
When the session before yours goes from the assembly area to the track, you can expect to get called to the assembly area. Again being ahead of the game here reduces a lot of potential for stress. You, your car and your gear want to be in the assembly area in good time. You can stand there and wait with your helmet etc off if you want to. However once again it is nice to get the helmet on and get strapped into the car at your leisure rather than waiting for the marshals to give you the 'helmet on' signal and feeling that you need to rush. Putting your gear on is often the moment that you realise you have forgotten your gloves, or your HANS device, so pre-empting the marshal's instruction might end up giving you the time to run back and get whatever you have forgotten. You aren't getting away with going out on track without those. Also it's alarmingly easy to forget to do up your helmet strap. The marshals may check but you must be sure of it. It is permitted to have helpers in the assembly area and you will see that many do.
Remember to get your upgrade card back at the end of the weekend. Very easily forgotten!
Except that you will find that at CSCC events (when we eventually go back to signing on and scrutineering in person) that the time slots will be strictly observed and no one will be allowed to sign on or scrutineer early or out of sequence. Be on time for everything! And it does actually work better that way imho.There are timings for everything in the final instructions- a time window for your class to sign on, and a time window for your class to scrutineer.
I recommend that you basically disregard these windows. When you arrive at the circuit on your first day of competition, you should proceed to sign-on as soon as you arrive at the circuit (or as soon as sign-on opens). Once you are signed on, you should proceed to scrutineering. Nobody is going to pull you up for doing this (especially as a newcomer), and the worst that will happen is that some scrutineers / competitors may want to leapfrog you in the scrutineering queue if they are up against time-wise and their sessions are earlier than yours which is fair enough.
Remember obviously your racing licence and upgrade card for sign on.
Remember to take your sign-on slip with you to scrutineering along with your car and racewear. If your crash helmet is new or not previously used in MSA competition, remember to have about a fiver in loose change with you for scrutineering as well as you will need to buy an approval sticker (a few quid).
It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
I heartily recommend avoiding distractions before sign on and scrutineering are done, as time will seem to go very fast once you're into the weekend and as you can imagine, few things are more stressful than waiting in a queue or rushing to rectify a procedural or technical issue when the start of your session is approaching.
Once you have affixed your scrutineering card to your car you can chill out and prepare for your session in the knowledge that there are no more procedural hurdles.
Look out for the mention of driver briefings in the final instructions. As a new driver you are going to end up attending a lot of driver briefings. Most circuits insist that you attend one if you have not competed at that circuit before. Your attendance will be mandatory. I missed the driver briefing at my last race weekend and was told that the MSA are at liberty to levy fines of around £200 for non-attendance.
A timetable for the weekend will be available in advance of the weekend. It will likely be included in the final instructions. Note that the timetable is always subject to change and it is worth checking on the club website whether a newer revision has been uploaded. Even if you do have the latest revision of the timetable, you should be aware that the organisers can and will bring your session forward if they are running ahead of time. It can also obviously slide back if there are delays with previous sessions. If you are lucky, you will be within audible range of the circuit tannoy which will keep you updated on proceedings but this often isn't the case and you will have to watch the movements of your competitors and those in the session which is scheduled to start before yours.
When the session before yours goes from the assembly area to the track, you can expect to get called to the assembly area. Again being ahead of the game here reduces a lot of potential for stress. You, your car and your gear want to be in the assembly area in good time. You can stand there and wait with your helmet etc off if you want to. However once again it is nice to get the helmet on and get strapped into the car at your leisure rather than waiting for the marshals to give you the 'helmet on' signal and feeling that you need to rush. Putting your gear on is often the moment that you realise you have forgotten your gloves, or your HANS device, so pre-empting the marshal's instruction might end up giving you the time to run back and get whatever you have forgotten. You aren't getting away with going out on track without those. Also it's alarmingly easy to forget to do up your helmet strap. The marshals may check but you must be sure of it. It is permitted to have helpers in the assembly area and you will see that many do.
Remember to get your upgrade card back at the end of the weekend. Very easily forgotten!
Edited by HustleRussell on Monday 1st November 13:25
HustleRussell said:
A piece of advice from a relatively disorganised competitor.
It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
As someone who has been involved in organising meetings, things like that really annoy me. You are given a time for a reason. Just because you haven't had an issue with it doesn't make it right.It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
So to the OP please ignore this bit of advice.
Drumroll said:
HustleRussell said:
A piece of advice from a relatively disorganised competitor.
It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
As someone who has been involved in organising meetings, things like that really annoy me. You are given a time for a reason. Just because you haven't had an issue with it doesn't make it right.It may seem a bit rebellious to present yourself and your car for sign-on and scrutineering outside of you allotted time, but in my experience, in reality these processes work on a first-come-first-served basis.
So to the OP please ignore this bit of advice.
HustleRussell said:
I have only raced in two clubs but I have done so many times, and I have never heard a word about the sign-on and qualifying times in the weekend, and I have never had the impression from another competitor that they are observing them, so I suppose clubs vary.
So you are the last practice session at a meeting but as you have arrived very early you decide to get yourself sorted out signing on scrutineering etc earlier than your allocated time. But what about the competitor who has had a mare of a journey and is running later than he would like. But he has to wait an extra 10 minutes because you are "using" his time. Now that may not mean he is late for his practice session, but it just means he is rushing around and not spending that time doing extra checks or just relaxing. So to me, your actions don't only affect the running of the meeting but could affect your fellow competitors.
Drumroll said:
HustleRussell said:
I have only raced in two clubs but I have done so many times, and I have never heard a word about the sign-on and qualifying times in the weekend, and I have never had the impression from another competitor that they are observing them, so I suppose clubs vary.
So you are the last practice session at a meeting but as you have arrived very early you decide to get yourself sorted out signing on scrutineering etc earlier than your allocated time. But what about the competitor who has had a mare of a journey and is running later than he would like. But he has to wait an extra 10 minutes because you are "using" his time. Now that may not mean he is late for his practice session, but it just means he is rushing around and not spending that time doing extra checks or just relaxing. So to me, your actions don't only affect the running of the meeting but could affect your fellow competitors.
OP, disregard that part, but the rest of the post is good
Scrute here...
We had a case at Silverstone where a competitor turned up late on Saturday afternoon for a race on Sunday, his scrutineering was on Sunday too. The team was understaffed, and racing was in full flow so Parc Ferme was required.
He was most indignant at being told to “come back tomorrow…” he looked around the scrutineering office at the 3 of us getting ready to do our work and seal Parc Ferme. And said “but these lazy sods aren’t doing anything….” just as a packed British GT race was about to “land”.
He was told to get out.
'21 feedback from the bays is that at most meetings over 50% of the entrants that have been pulled to one side for the usual checks have failed post-race scrutineering checks. This isn’t eligibility issues. This is out of date belts, extinguisher pulls, master switches non-functional and so it goes on. I was at my last meeting of the year a month ago, we managed a 57% failure rate. I’ve heard of meetings with 70%+ failure rates…
Some clubs are so dismayed by the results, so for them, it will be full on scrutineering as per normal for ‘22…
I can't comment on eligibility but as far as scrutineering is concerned the most likely items to be checked are:
1. Date checks on harness, extinguisher and if applicable, seat. Yes
2. Inspection of helmet, suit and HANS as to correct standards and with stickers. (When they inspect helmet and HANS for the 1st time they will sticker them and charge you.) and boots and gloves, the helmet stickers have to be paid for, so the scrutineers make almost 50 pence on each one….
3. Fuel system, typically pipes/connections under bonnet. The problem usually arises in the boot
4. Throttle return springs, this is a pet topic, take spare springs! As most people are running fuel injection today, this problem has almost (note almost) gone away.
5. Seat and belt mountings. Another issue with serious problems this last year
6. Fire integrity of bulkhead, no holes/gaps etc. I’m still amazed that I must explain to some that it’s a good idea not to have holes I can push my fist through between the engine and passenger compartment
7. Lights and rain light. And brake lights if required
8. Checking the master switch works. Especially if it’s an electronic one as so many wired up incorrectly,. With one series, they were wired up incorrectly at the factory…
9. Fluid leaks. [b] yes
The other thing to be mindful of is noise…
This is good advice – although make sure a noise meter is calibrated. Mine cost £47. I didn’t use it for 3 years, and when I had to check it last year, it was 0.2 dB out. Do NOT bother with any phone app stuff for this – they are rubbish. Always remember that the noise scrutineers’ meter will always beat yours. Noisy cars are obvious today.
Don't be too apprehensive about the scrutineering, it is straightforward and to be honest they are very unlikely to pick up on something you could not identify for yourself. They will also be sympathetic to a new-comer and more likely to offer advice than criticism.
This is true, but this does assume that someone has built a car with regards to The Blue Book and their competition regs. There is one series, that when they make themselves known in the bay, I find an excuse to do something else, as they are usually so bad. These are cars that have all been professionally built, and some are still professionally prepared.
CadiganMotorsport said:
Does anyone know if there is any way or means of having the car looked over by a scrutineer prior to any race weekend and once it’s finished to see what, if anything needs amending to make life easier come the first race weekend?
Yes of course, get hold of a blue book and contact the scrutineer closest to you to see if they can come along and check your car over. I’ve been doing it for 22 years and I’ve been asked just 6 times. Personally, I don’t charge anything except a brew and a hobnob. I do expect the car to be clean and complete, as well as being undercover. I go over everything in detail and tell the competitor what we do and why we do it. It can take an hour.HustleRussell said:
I recommend that you basically disregard these windows. When you arrive at the circuit on your first day of competition, you should proceed to sign-on as soon as you arrive at the circuit (or as soon as sign-on opens). Once you are signed on, you should proceed to scrutineering. Nobody is going to pull you up for doing this (especially as a newcomer), and the worst that will happen is that some scrutineers / competitors may want to leapfrog you in the scrutineering queue if they are up against time-wise and their sessions are earlier than yours which is fair enough.
Good luck with that. If we have no cars to do at that moment – we may feel obliged to do one out of sequence. Although once it’s known that cars are done out of sequence, a massive queue appears.We had a case at Silverstone where a competitor turned up late on Saturday afternoon for a race on Sunday, his scrutineering was on Sunday too. The team was understaffed, and racing was in full flow so Parc Ferme was required.
He was most indignant at being told to “come back tomorrow…” he looked around the scrutineering office at the 3 of us getting ready to do our work and seal Parc Ferme. And said “but these lazy sods aren’t doing anything….” just as a packed British GT race was about to “land”.
He was told to get out.
'21 feedback from the bays is that at most meetings over 50% of the entrants that have been pulled to one side for the usual checks have failed post-race scrutineering checks. This isn’t eligibility issues. This is out of date belts, extinguisher pulls, master switches non-functional and so it goes on. I was at my last meeting of the year a month ago, we managed a 57% failure rate. I’ve heard of meetings with 70%+ failure rates…
Some clubs are so dismayed by the results, so for them, it will be full on scrutineering as per normal for ‘22…
I can't comment on eligibility but as far as scrutineering is concerned the most likely items to be checked are:
1. Date checks on harness, extinguisher and if applicable, seat. Yes
2. Inspection of helmet, suit and HANS as to correct standards and with stickers. (When they inspect helmet and HANS for the 1st time they will sticker them and charge you.) and boots and gloves, the helmet stickers have to be paid for, so the scrutineers make almost 50 pence on each one….
3. Fuel system, typically pipes/connections under bonnet. The problem usually arises in the boot
4. Throttle return springs, this is a pet topic, take spare springs! As most people are running fuel injection today, this problem has almost (note almost) gone away.
5. Seat and belt mountings. Another issue with serious problems this last year
6. Fire integrity of bulkhead, no holes/gaps etc. I’m still amazed that I must explain to some that it’s a good idea not to have holes I can push my fist through between the engine and passenger compartment
7. Lights and rain light. And brake lights if required
8. Checking the master switch works. Especially if it’s an electronic one as so many wired up incorrectly,. With one series, they were wired up incorrectly at the factory…
9. Fluid leaks. [b] yes
The other thing to be mindful of is noise…
This is good advice – although make sure a noise meter is calibrated. Mine cost £47. I didn’t use it for 3 years, and when I had to check it last year, it was 0.2 dB out. Do NOT bother with any phone app stuff for this – they are rubbish. Always remember that the noise scrutineers’ meter will always beat yours. Noisy cars are obvious today.
Don't be too apprehensive about the scrutineering, it is straightforward and to be honest they are very unlikely to pick up on something you could not identify for yourself. They will also be sympathetic to a new-comer and more likely to offer advice than criticism.
This is true, but this does assume that someone has built a car with regards to The Blue Book and their competition regs. There is one series, that when they make themselves known in the bay, I find an excuse to do something else, as they are usually so bad. These are cars that have all been professionally built, and some are still professionally prepared.
One of the most daunting things about getting started in racing is the timings; and the fear of getting timings wrong or not being ready for your session.
Don't underestimate the value of asking advice (and following cues) from your fellow competitors.
Race paddocks are generally friendly places, so if you are not sure about timings or procedures just ask another driver. Its so easy to double-check with a fellow racer by asking: "Are we due out on track in 30 mins?". Hearing them reaffirm what you're already thinking will really put your mind at ease and take some of the stress away.
Also; keep a close eye on the cars around you in the paddock, and make sure you notice when two or three of them have disappeared.. as its almost certain that the rest of the cars in your field will all disappear off to the assembly area soon after!
Of course, this should only be your fail-safe/back-up plan. The best thing is of course to know your timings, and also to set yourself 30minute warning reminders on your phone - as its amazing how easily a distraction can eat up your preparation time.
[Beginners Tip: I always print out the race schedule for the day, and stick it to the side of the van or somewhere else obvious so you always have the timings to hand - its surprising how many times you refer back to them and double-check you're on time].
Don't underestimate the value of asking advice (and following cues) from your fellow competitors.
Race paddocks are generally friendly places, so if you are not sure about timings or procedures just ask another driver. Its so easy to double-check with a fellow racer by asking: "Are we due out on track in 30 mins?". Hearing them reaffirm what you're already thinking will really put your mind at ease and take some of the stress away.
Also; keep a close eye on the cars around you in the paddock, and make sure you notice when two or three of them have disappeared.. as its almost certain that the rest of the cars in your field will all disappear off to the assembly area soon after!
Of course, this should only be your fail-safe/back-up plan. The best thing is of course to know your timings, and also to set yourself 30minute warning reminders on your phone - as its amazing how easily a distraction can eat up your preparation time.
[Beginners Tip: I always print out the race schedule for the day, and stick it to the side of the van or somewhere else obvious so you always have the timings to hand - its surprising how many times you refer back to them and double-check you're on time].
SparrowHawk said:
One of the most daunting things about getting started in racing is the timings; and the fear of getting timings wrong or not being ready for your session.
Don't underestimate the value of asking advice (and following cues) from your fellow competitors.
Race paddocks are generally friendly places, so if you are not sure about timings or procedures just ask another driver. Its so easy to double-check with a fellow racer by asking: "Are we due out on track in 30 mins?". Hearing them reaffirm what you're already thinking will really put your mind at ease and take some of the stress away.
Also; keep a close eye on the cars around you in the paddock, and make sure you notice when two or three of them have disappeared.. as its almost certain that the rest of the cars in your field will all disappear off to the assembly area soon after!
Of course, this should only be your fail-safe/back-up plan. The best thing is of course to know your timings, and also to set yourself 30minute warning reminders on your phone - as its amazing how easily a distraction can eat up your preparation time.
[Beginners Tip: I always print out the race schedule for the day, and stick it to the side of the van or somewhere else obvious so you always have the timings to hand - its surprising how many times you refer back to them and double-check you're on time].
All good advice, in CSCC Peter French or the Office staff (Hugo, David and Hannah) will all help you out if you let them know that you are new to it all and would like a helping hand.I am sure that they will introduce you to fellow competitors to buddy up with. If I am racing (car 36 at the back of the grid!) come and find me and I will also help where I can although I don’t do every meeting.Don't underestimate the value of asking advice (and following cues) from your fellow competitors.
Race paddocks are generally friendly places, so if you are not sure about timings or procedures just ask another driver. Its so easy to double-check with a fellow racer by asking: "Are we due out on track in 30 mins?". Hearing them reaffirm what you're already thinking will really put your mind at ease and take some of the stress away.
Also; keep a close eye on the cars around you in the paddock, and make sure you notice when two or three of them have disappeared.. as its almost certain that the rest of the cars in your field will all disappear off to the assembly area soon after!
Of course, this should only be your fail-safe/back-up plan. The best thing is of course to know your timings, and also to set yourself 30minute warning reminders on your phone - as its amazing how easily a distraction can eat up your preparation time.
[Beginners Tip: I always print out the race schedule for the day, and stick it to the side of the van or somewhere else obvious so you always have the timings to hand - its surprising how many times you refer back to them and double-check you're on time].
bucksmanuk said:
'21 feedback from the bays is that at most meetings over 50% of the entrants that have been pulled to one side for the usual checks have failed post-race scrutineering checks. This isn’t eligibility issues. This is out of date belts, extinguisher pulls, master switches non-functional and so it goes on. I was at my last meeting of the year a month ago, we managed a 57% failure rate. I’ve heard of meetings with 70%+ failure rates…
Ah, that’s a bit of a shocker. And a big shame as I’ve personally really enjoyed self-declaration and the ease of time pressure at the meeting. But I have always kept on top of the cursory checks, though I’ve still had my ear clipped a few times this year at spot-check scrutineering for issues that hadn’t been spotted doing full scrutineering ‘the old way’, so I thought the system was going quite well. Maybe not...andy97 said:
All good advice, in CSCC Peter French or the Office staff (Hugo, David and Hannah) will all help you out if you let them know that you are new to it all and would like a helping hand.I am sure that they will introduce you to fellow competitors to buddy up with. If I am racing (car 36 at the back of the grid!) come and find me and I will also help where I can although I don’t do every meeting.
I'm in a very similar boat - just bought a car to go into the Sigmax group in Graduates - this will be my first stab at racing. Spoke to a guy in the club and they buddy you up with an experienced racer to help alleviate some of the stresses of being in the right place at the right time for you first race or two. Sounds very welcoming.Thankfully I also have a friend who's done a bit to keep an eye out. Very very welcome and greatly appreciated.
I think if I didn't have this I'd be taking a reliable person along with a good set of ears and watch to act as a back up.
Good luck OP for next year!!
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