Tech cars at AX event (no pre-tech allowed)!

[MarthaMc]

I just want to remind everyone driving in the AX events that you must get your car tech'd at the AX site on the morning of the event. You can have a shop look at your car before the event, but you still must get in the tech line and have your car tech'd at the stadium on the morning of the event. You can not have your car pre-tech'd as you can for time trials.
Martha

[David J Marguglio]

As long as I am stirring the pot backwards this morning, I'll bite. Should we not apply the same logic that caused us to initiate preregistration to reduce the line at the trailer to tech inspection? If a shop that is already certified to do tech inspections for time trials is willing (that is the real question) to perform a tech inspection for an autocrosser within the week of the autocross, would this not help reduce the lines at tech inspection? How could this possibly be bad?

[ajackson]

I doubt most people will ever pretech for an AX so it is probably more effort than it is worth for those couple people that would. The AX teching is also a fairly quick process as is.

[David J Marguglio]

Here is a thought: To reduce the number of people through the tech line (by half?) and to provide a benefit to instructors, allow instructors to "self-tech" and fax their tech form in with their pre-registration.

[Steve Grosekemper]

David,

The issue is not really how quick people get through the inspection, but that everyone gets through properly.
There is a system in place one step after another so the car gets tech'd, the drivers helmet gets inspected, the driver signs a waiver and the car gets a tech sticker.

There have been issues lately with registration of people who have pre-teched their cars and don't end up running through this process from start to finish. These issues cost volunteers valuable time not to mention frustration.

Sticking to this rule makes the event go smoother for those running the event. Plain and simple this is just what works the best.

[Dan Chambers]

Sticking to this rule makes the event go smoother for those running the event. Plain and simple this is just what works the best.

And ....... "smoother" means more efficient. More efficient means more seat-time. This year's AX Chairs are doing a great job giving us maximum lap-numbers and seat-time at the events. Join me in supporting them.

"If it isn't broke....."

Good job, AX guys!

Dan'o

[Curt Yaws]

Thanks, Dan. We'll keep trying to bring fun, fast and efficient autocrosses to the "Q".
On the pre-tech inspection issue, having all cars teched at the event allows us consistency and assurance that all cars have been inspected. Of course, if anyone wants to have their shop do a pre-check, that is fine. But we do want to complete a day-of-event inspection onsite for all cars. It only takes a few minutes and it just allows us to be sure everyone is safe and makes many parts of the process flow more smoothly. Thanks.
Curt Yaws
2006 AX Co-Chair

[ttweed]

Should we not apply the same logic that caused us to initiate preregistration to reduce the line at the trailer to tech inspection?

David-
In my 5 years of working Tech inspection, the Tech line has never been a bottleneck like Registration has been. We have always been able to inspect all the cars before 8:00am, as long as everyone is in line by 7:30, which is the cut-off point, whereas before pre-registration began, the lines at the trailer would sometimes stretch out until the driver's meeting or even later. I don't think we have the same work-flow problem with Tech, as we have 4 lines and 4 teams of inspectors working thru them, while Registration is limited to one computer and thus one data-entry point. That was the only bottleneck that needed to be addressed.

We have also never had any problem with people skipping the tech line and going straight to registration until the last event, in my experience, and that was due to a misunderstanding about the procedure with some new entrants. I don't think it's necessary to change our procedures due to one unusual episode. I have informed the shop involved of the proper process by email, after the last event, and it should not be a problem again.

Just my $.02,
TT

[Brad Roberts]

It was us "Mind Over Motorsports" who committed the foul.

Our thought was along the lines with David "pre-tech the car" to lesson the burden placed on the tech lines. We are a PCA and POC tech station, it never really crossed our minds that we couldnt do "AutoX" techs.



B

[ttweed]

Our thought was along the lines with David "pre-tech the car" to lesson the burden placed on the tech lines.

That's a noble intent, Brad, but our autox process doesn't have a real problem with tech taking too long, as I explained above, and the process we have set up does not allow for the registration people to issue tech stickers if someone shows up at the trailer with a "pre-teched" entry form, unlike at time trials. Since you can't get on the track without a tech sticker on your window, everyone needs to go thru the tech line to get one. Plus if you pre-register, your reg packet is at the tech area and you never even go to the trailer, you are done with one stop, and you save $20 besides.

We are a PCA and POC tech station, it never really crossed our minds that we couldnt do "AutoX" techs.

As Dan said, you certainly can look over customer cars to make sure they will pass the simpler autox tech, but there is no need for you to fill out the form and sign it off, as they will still have to report to the tech line the morning of the event. What you might want to do is encourage your customers to pre-register for the event in order to save 50% on the entry fee and not have to go to the trailer at all!

We have a much higher percentage of new (unknown) cars and inexperienced drivers at autox events than at our time trials, where the cars are generally much more carefully prepared and the drivers are more experienced and very much aware that their lives might depend on the condition of their equipment.

TT