FAST Novice Autocross School - Jan. '08

[Native]

On Jan. 12, 2008, FAST is holding a Novice Autocrosser's school on the driver training pad at the St Petersburg College Allstate Campus! The $60 entry fee includes the world-famous FAST Lunch and more than twice the seat time of a regular autocross!

To provide quality instruction, the class size is limited to 32 students, and preregistration and prepayment will be mandatory. The event will run from 7:30am - 5pm, approximately. The school will consist of three different driving stations, plus a "classroom" session. The student:instructor ratio will be 4:1, or better.

Please note that drivers under age 18 will require a parent or guardian to sign the insurance waiver on-site allowing them to compete. For insurance purposes, everyone must sign the waiver.

Then, on Sunday, Jan 13th, FAST is having it's first autocross of the 2008 season. Students who participated in the school will be eligible for a deeply discounted entry fee of only $10! That's an entire weekend of autocrossing and free lunches for only $70!

Registration for the events will be opening soon - stay tuned here or keep an eye on www.myautoevents.com (http://www.myautoevents.com/) Again, preregistration and prepayment for the school, and for Sunday's autocross (if you want the student discount) is required.

Any questions can be posted here, or email/pm me, or wedrivefaster@yahoo.com (wedrivefaster@yahoo.com)

[Loren]

Add to your driver requirements: All drivers must be fully licensed. (so, under 18 must have a guardian's consent... but under 16 or without a full driver's license, forget it)

Oh, and put me down to instruct.

[Native]

Thanks, man - you're on Dave's list to contact about instructing...I'll let him know not to bother!

[Jordan Y.]

Excellent event! If it's anything like it was last year it's worth the entry fee and more. I'm trying to talk some people into going and I'm probably going to sign up for it, myself.

[Muddy]

I have also volunteered to instruct. :cool:

[Native]

Muddy - appreciate the help! and so will the students!

Jordan - if all goes as planned, it will be a LOT like last March's school. The biggest difference will be that rather than the school and autocross the same day, the school will be one day and the autocrosss the next. Appreciate the kind words, and support! Registration will be up soon.

[SwiftOnTheSly]

Can't wait! I just moved here from St. Louis and was looking around for any novice schools, here it is right under my nose. I am excited to participate.

[pullg]

Registration will be up soon.
Look for it this weekend....

[jlude90]

i need to learn how to drive this S2000, i'll try and make it out there, need to re-align the car, maybe i can get Barry to help me do a UK alignment on the car ;)

[RX007CYM]

Is it possible to request Loren be my instructor should I sign up?

[Loren]

I'm not sure I suck any less than the rest of the instructors. :)

Usually, what happens is that we'll try to sort the drivers into groups of similar cars or drivers. Low powered FWD cars, Small RWD sports cars, Muscle cars, Greenie Green Novices, Not-so-green Novices, whatever logical groups we can make of the set of students we end up with.

Then we assign the instructors where they fit best.

[jpatanio]

i would like to participate in this.. please keep me informed james

[Bjptiburon]

How strict is the amateur rule??? I have only ran four auto x's with my Tiburon, but I don't know if I am still amateur or not. I have gotten pretty decent times and I feel convident in my driving, but I would like an entire weekend of auto xing if I am allowed. Thanks

[jlude90]

How strict is the amateur rule??? I have only ran four auto x's with my Tiburon, but I don't know if I am still amateur or not. I have gotten pretty decent times and I feel convident in my driving, but I would like an entire weekend of auto xing if I am allowed. Thanks

there is always room for improvement, i've done a couple but could DEFINATELY benefit from someone who knows a heck of alot more then me, i'm pretty sure if you're willing to learn and aren't a regional champion i think you will be allowed ;)

just a guess though

[Native]

Registration for the novice school and day-after autocross is now open:
FAST Novice School & Autocross #1 (http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.Show?psevent_id=8214&psrnd=.27246833077159643335625459065439565995)


BJPTiburon, the amateur rule is not strict. In fact, we purposely didn't define it. Some folks who sign up will have never raced before. Others will have an entire season's, or more, experience. Go ahead and sign up. I promise that when all is said and done, you will not be disappointed. :)

Our plan, as was stated above, is to try to group students by type of car and relative level of experience. We will then try to assign instructors to groups in such a way as to maximize the benefit to the group.

RX007CYM, we cannot promise that a given student will be in a group assigned to a given instructor. However, it is our hope that at least some, if not all, of the instructors will be present at the autocross the next day, at which time one would be free to approach any instructor they wanted about further coaching...:D

[Jordan Y.]

I signed up for the school and the event the following day. I've been catching up on maintenance lately, but just in case the old car lets me down between now and the event, what exactly is the cancellation/refund policy?

[Native]

FAST policy is to offer event credit, not refund. If you can't make it and let us know by the registration deadline, you'll get credit toward future FAST events.

[Miata GT]

I'm in for both!

[pullg]

Jeez...didn't you learn enough last time? :)

[Native]

He's been gone so long he probably forgot... :lol:


really, it'll be nice to have you back around Mark...hope this isn't a one-time thing!

[Miata GT]

I didn't intend to be gone; I really wanted to whoop up on Steve! The new job has kept me very busy.

[pullg]

...I really wanted to whoop up on Steve!
I'm not sure we teach driving backwards at this school....

[Native]

ooooh, Mark, Jamie just said that even if I drive backwards you still can't beat me....are you gonna let him talk to you like that?? :D

[Native]

Just checked MAE: 8 spots left.

[Native]

Only two openings in the school left!

[Native]

All filled up.

Anyone still thinking about it, keep an eye out here, on the FAST forum ( ]FAST :: View topic - Official Novice School thread - Jan 12, 2008 - SPC (http://www.kickflop.net/autocrossbb/viewtopic.php?t=190) ) and on MAE. We'll do our best to advertise any cancellations/spots that open up. :)

[Native]

There has been a cancellation and one spot in the school has opened up:

http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.Show?psevent_id=8214&psrnd=.97326808350202445490396263783430290555 (http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.Show?psevent_id=8214&psrnd=.97326808350202445490396263783430290555)

Who wants it?

[RX007CYM]

If you have two, my bud and I will join. We are homosexual like that :lol:

[Native]

^^people's personal preferences are nobody's business but their own

FWIW, there's been another cancellation. Watch MAE Saturday around 9pm...I'll post again once the spot is open.

[Native]

OK ya'll - MAE has been updated and there is now one position open for Saturday's school and Sunday's autocross.

[Native]

...and it's been filled.

We'll continue to post any other cancelled spots that may open.

[Brewtal]

blast, I want in for the school bad but I can't check this thread every 5 mins. You should call next time you hear of an opening so I can get in on it. I'll give you a dollar for your troubles. 813-786-6434

[pullg]

Send a note to the FAST mailbox at wedrivefaster@yahoo.com so we have your e-mail address. We sent a note to everyone who'd inquired letting them know this slot was opening up. Unfortunately, that was six people going after one opening...there could be only one....

Of course, in a week, this will be OBE, and we'll be looking forward to the 17 February autocross up in Brooksville.

[Brewtal]

well I can check my e-mail about as often as I could check the MAE for updates so that wouldn't do me much good. I need help when I'm not around the PC =[

[Jordan Y.]

Well, crap. The car popped a heater hose. I tried replacing it with some straight hose but space was too tight; it needs a pre-molded hose. I've been at it since 6:30 and I just had to give it up because there's no way I'd make it anyway.

Is it possible to get credit toward future events or did I have to cancel in advance? I'm not going to be able to make the auto-x tomorrow either because I have to order in the hose from Nissan. If I can get credit that'd be great; if not, racing is racing I guess.

[Brewtal]

I showed up early this morning and was told there were no walk ons allowed for the course =/ at least I was told I'd have a spot waiting for me if I showed up early tomorrow. Sorry about your luck man.

[Loren]

Put the straight hose on, man! All you need to do is stop a leak. A kink in the heater hose just stops flow through your heater core and gives you no heat in the car... you can still DRIVE it that way.

If you want to cancel and/or request credit, I'd recommend emailing to the address listed on MAE. Posting here is not an "official" cancellation. (and could very likely go unread by the right folks)

[Jordan Y.]

If it was just a lack of heat I would have done it but the hose was completely crimped and I felt it was going to trap air and not allow me to fully bleed the system. Just not worth the risk driving an hour and then racing with a questionable cooling system; this is my only car.

I'll send an email but I'm probably just going to write the money off. That's a spot that they couldn't fill and if they refund me that's just money lost on the whole thing. Still, I guess it can't hurt to try.