Email from BMWCCA autocross coordinator:

"Last weekend I got a call from John Moulton from Marina Motorsports. MM leases the site, then rents it to car clubs and other users. Among
other things, John said that, at a Porsche club autocross, a PCA member entering the site came around the corner from B Street onto the taxiway
at about 45 MPH and almost ran into an airplane using the taxiway. Both the car and the plane had to take evasive action to avoid an accident.

The airport manager has now suspended all autocrosses at that site, and MM will be going before the Marina City Council with a plan on how these kinds of problems will be avoided in the future. One possible solution is to station a volunteer worker at the intersection to direct traffic. Another possibility is that the airport will hire a security guard, and each user club will have to pay for the guard.

I'm reasonably certain that this will be solved, and that we'll be able to hold more autocrosses there. But this is not guaranteed. And, these same kinds of problems can cause us to lose the use of other sites as well. So let's review event site etiquette:.."

IDIOT. I would hate to think a few people would ruin it for the hundreds that obey the rules. Bay Area autocrossers keep you fingers crossed.

Kevin K.
91 M5

I think we need some kinda person directing people....and we need cones that don't allow people certain places. To be honest...this really pisses me off. If our NorCal Audi Club event loses this location...I am gonna be REALLY pissed.<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=3821"><br><br>
<img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/ss_s4sig1.jpg"<br><br>
Steve S.
00 Nogaro S4
NorCal Audi Club
http://www.norcalaudiclub.org

<p>-Chicago Joe
Lakes Region quattro Club (Website is at <I><A HREF="http://www.lrqc.org/">http://www.lrqc.org/</A></I>)
2000 Laser Red S4M

Out here on the other coast, our local SCCA chapter club runs at the county airport. One problem that we have had on occasion is idiot spectators driving out onto the field and "making their own course." They think that they're impressing the autocrossers with their antics, but in reality they aren't even associated with our events. What do you say to the airport director when some moron drives out onto the tarmac in a Corvette, purposely drives up the wrong taxiway all the way to the terminal building, and proceeds to spin donuts on the tarmac right outside the terminal building / restaurant / airport operations office???

Our solution is to have the waiver checkpoint at the only gate onto the field. If you want to enter the field, you must sign the waiver and get a lecturing about 5 MPH and aircraft having the right-of-way. It's a little inconvenient for the pilots with planes there, but they can appreciate that the extra hassle is helping to curtail the possibility of a runway incursion by an errant car when they're trying to take off or land. We don't make the pilots sign the waiver, BTW. This has worked for a year so far, and the airport staff are happy with the solution.

As a suggestion, put a safety steward at that intersection. Make sure that they have a good view of the field. Give them a cell phone, event radio, and the authority to call 9-1-1 and/or eject any driver that breaks the 5 MPH rule or does something stupid. Make this a work assignment during your event. If your club doesn't have safety stewards, adopt the SCCA's model right away and let the site owner know what you've done to self-police your events.

As a safety steward at another problem site in our region, I forcibly ejected three spectator cars one day for making their own drag strip on the far end of our paddock. None were competitors, but the site owner doesn't know that when the reports of cars racing in 5th gear around his facility come in. My trick to ejecting them is to write down the license plate number, stop the car, show them their license plate number and my cell phone with 9-1-1 pre-dialed, and advise them to leave the lot at 4 MPH without a tire squeal or engine rev over 1500 RPM until they're 2 miles away from the site. Works every time.....

We used to have a night Solo at the Devore Sherriff's training center. Yeah, a NIGHT event on a real (sort of) challenging RACE TRACK!!!! Boy did I ever have FUN there!!!

Well, the P boyz did that one in too! Some $#$%$%#$ smacked into the guardrail (yet again) and that was it - NEVER AGAIN there! Damn it all #%$# $$^ &*&*$%^$%^##$%!!!!! I absolutely LOVED that place, and at night it was soooooo cool! But now, not ALL POC or PCA folks are bad, don't get me wrong.

And that isn't all of it either. WE (SCCA and BMWCCA) have lost Lion Country Safari (Irvine), Hollywood Park keeps dropping us at the last minute (need parking??? FOR WHAT???? Or we are TOO noisey - yeah sure, with LAX right next door??? RIGHT!), and the list goes on. About the ONLY 3 places now are Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego (SD SCCA & SD BMWCCA), Norton AFB (LA SCCA), and Irwindale Speedway (so far only us in BMWCCA - and only in the parking lot). Now the proble too is, Norton and Irwindale is sealed asphault (SLIPPERY!!!!), and Qualcomm is dirty. Hollywood Park was pretty grippy, so I miss that place, and again, Devore was AWESOME!!!!

And the sad part is, even LA SCCA is having mucho problems trying to get ANY lots, and now even the National Board has stopped sanctioning any street GP's. The only 3 other alternatives, and I strongly suggest you folks up north try it are:

1) look for a large go-kart track!!!! Utica back home in Illinois was an ABSOLUTE BLAST! Plus, FEW if any pylons, so its not who has the best memory for the layout, but now WHO is the best DRIVER

2) try any shopping malls for a NIGHT AutoX! After about 11PM they are mainly closed. And at night, its not so hot in the summer. Also, gives those with their HID's a chance to really use them :)

3) try to get all the local clubs to BUY property and turn it into a large go-kart track

But whatever any club does, it MIGHT be best to LOCK IN a contract with the property owners to ONLY ALLOW your club for events! That way no POC or Vette club can spoil it for the rest!<p>**********
The Z Man