“Help! I don’t know what I’m doing!!”

Everyone who has started in motorsport, especially if they don’t have a mate or a relative to indoctrinate them into the cult, has felt this way. It’s a complicated beast and some clubs can seem like secret societies from the outside.

Our driver development day is an event to help you understand your car and your limits as a driver in a safe environment. You will be guided by experienced car club members that can help you feel confident and welcome on the track.

This document is aimed at answering some of those rookie questions, but know: there are no stupid questions when starting in motorsport, your safety and the safety of others depends on you being responsible for your car and understanding the rules and regulations. Always ask questions.

Who will I be racing?

You are only racing yourself. Our driver development day is not a competition event, and while you will have your lap times recorded, this is only for you to see your progress through the day.

What do “supplementary regulations” mean?

Entering competitive motorsport comes with reading and understanding the regulations set by the governing body of motorsport for your competition. The higher the level of competition, the more complex these regulations get, incorporating specifications for the vehicle, the running of the event, safety requirements etc. For you, the new competitor, you will likely be starting at grass roots level, competing with a local car club. No matter the level, you should be familiar with the “supplementary regulations” that have been set by the event. This document is usually available during the sign-up process or can be requested from the organising committee.
It is basically the set of rules you need to comply with in order to enter and participate/compete in the event.

It will often set out the safety requirements for the vehicle and competitor. It will outline if passengers are able to be present in the car with you.

If it relates to a competition event, it may outline the different classes of competition and the rules regarding the running of the event and the awarding of points/times.

These regulations outline key people who are responsible for running the event on the day – the “Clerk of Course”, the “Chief Scrutineer” and “Safety Officer” are usually listed at the start of the document.

The supplementary regulations will set out what other requirements need to be met.For some events, you will self-scrutineer your vehicle using our checklist and cars will be checked at random to ensure compliance.

What is scrutineering?

Scrutineering is the process of inspecting your car for its track-worthiness and compliance to the rules set out in the supplementary regulations.

The inspection will be carried out by the scrutineer and assistants and at a minimum will inspect:

What is the drivers briefing?

The drivers briefing is a compulsory meeting of all drivers at the start of the event where the Clerk of Course and other officials will brief participants on the running of the day, the rules of the event and safety procedures. It is also an opportunity to ask questions if you are not sure of something.

Do I need a race car to participate?

I know there are quite a few people who think they need something serious to play, but this is not the case. Use whatever car you are most comfortable or familiar with.

You can determine your engine size/number of cylinders by looking up the make and model of your car and referring to the manufacturer’s specifications, you can check your owner’s manual also.For our Lap Dash or “Sprint” events, the classes are as follows:AWDCC 2019 SPRINT SERIES CLASSES 2019For our Motorkhana events, the classes are as follows:wheelbase- the distance between the front and rear wheels“engine away from drive”- this means the engine is at the opposite end of the car to the driving wheels eg. Front engine, rear wheel drive (MX-5)“engine over drive”- this means the engine sits over the driving wheels eg a rear engine car with rear wheel drive (Porsche 911, Fiat 500) or front engine, front wheel drive (Ford Focus).For example, I own a Mazda MX-5, it has a 1.8L, 4 cylinder engine which is not turbocharged or supercharged, I run R-spec tyres during competition. This puts me in Group A of our lap dash (Sprint series) competition.It is a front engine, rear wheel drive car with a wheelbase of 2265mm which puts me in Group B for the motorkhana competition.

What class of car is mine?

Competition is usually divided into classes based on the type of car you have, this aims to make competition fair amongst different makes/models and modifications of cars.
For our driver development day, it is a non-competition event, so there is no need to record your vehicle class.
For our motorkhana and Lap Dash (Sprint Series) events, there are multiple classes within the competition to ensure you are competing against an evenly matched car. This is usually determined by:

What tyres should I have on my car?

For the driver development day just make sure your tyres are in good condition with plenty of tread left on them. Your tyre pressures will increase through the day as they heat up on the track, a good starting range would be 30-35psi.

When it comes to tyres, you will soon realise that the choice of tyres can be the most important and cheapest way of improving safety and confidence on the track. Normal road tyres, the kind sold down the road at the tyre store are built for safety and durability in normal driving conditions. They often don’t cope well with the high temperatures created on the track and you find they squeal and skid around corners when pushed on the circuit. The next step up is performance road tyres, then R-spec, and then slick race tyres. R-spec tyres give the best performance on the track, while still being road legal. The race construction implies very stiff sidewalls and the ability to deal with a high levels of heat whilst providing maximum grip. The downside of a soft compound tyre being they wear out much faster than normal road tyres, so you will need to replace them more regularly.

The confederation of Australian Motorsport releases a list of R-spec tyres.

What about brakes?

Make sure you have more than 4mm of brake pad left, otherwise replace them before your track day. There are brake pads that perform better at high temperatures, you may consider replacing your road brake pads for high performance ones to improve track performance but do your research if you plan to use them on the street also.

The rating and quality of brake fluid is very important for track days. It is advised you replace your brake fluid with a DOT 4, 600degrees boiling point fluid. This will prevent brake fade on the track.

Some good articles regarding brakes and technique are below:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a20771252/everything-you-need-to-know-about-brakes-and-track-days/
https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a18663299/how-your-commute-is-teaching-you-to-do-the-exact-wrong-thing-on-track/

What license do I need?

For the Driver Development Day you will need a Motorsport Australia Level 2S license, you can purchase a day licence for the event.

All other events run by the AWDCC are through AASA, and a MA or AASA license is permitted for these other events (ie motorkhana, Lap Dash at Logic).

What safety equipment is needed?

Helmet – Helmets bearing any of the following markings are approved for use:
FIA 8860-2010, FIA 8860-2004, FIA 8859-2015, Snell SA2005, Snell SA2010, Snell SA2005, Snell SA2010, Snell SA2015, Snell SAH 2010, BS 6658-85 A/FR, SFI 31.1, SFI 31.1A, SFI 31.2A, SFI 24.1, Snell SA2000, AS1698, E22 (with 03, 04 or 05 amendments)

Full details of permitted helmets can be found in the Apparel schedule of the Technical Appendix section of the Motorsport Australia Manual found at:
https://www.motorsport.org.au/docs/default-source/manual/general-requirements/2021/schedule-d---apparel.pdf?sfvrsn=ced8b77f_2

Clothing:
All competitors must wear non-flammable clothing such as cotton or wool to cover the body from neck to wrist to ankle, and fully enclosed shoes made from leather or another non-flammable material whilst competing.

Fire extinguisher:
For the driver development day you will not require a fire extinguisher in the vehicle.
For our Lap dash/Sprint events you will need a minimum 900g fire extinguisher mounted within reach of the driver. The extinguisher must not be more than 3 years old, (or serviced every three years). AASA has information on requirements for mounting extinguishers in the car safely and can assist in recommending commercial mounting brackets.

Seat belt or harness:
The seat belt must comply to Australian standard. The seatbelt supplied in your road car is adequate. If using a race harness ensure it is installed to the manufacturer’s specifications, it is strongly advised to use a head and neck restraint device if using a race harness.

Optional:
Fire retardant race suit, fire retardant gloves, fire retardant underwear, HANS device or other head and neck restraint.

Where can I get information on safety procedures, flags and rules associated with motorsport?

Check the Motorsport Australia website: https://motorsport.org.au
Or the Australian Auto Sport Alliance website: https://aasa.com.au

Do I need insurance?

Motorsport Australia insurance covers you for personal injury while participating in MA sanctioned events. Likewise for AASA events. This insurance coverage includes our Driver Development Day.

This does not cover the cost of any damage to your car or to the track facilities. Your road car insurance will not typically cover you for any damage incurred on the track, whether it was your fault or not. You are responsible for any damage to your car whether it is your fault or not.

You can purchase track day insurance for your car from Famous insurance or Affinity Motorsport Insurance, though this is often quite expensive.

“If you cant afford to break it, then you cant afford to track it.” This being said, our driver development day is very low risk, with only two other cars on track at any one time, large run off areas and passing only when safe on the main straight. It is a great way to develop your driving skills on a track, without the added risk of high speed/high track density events.

How do I enter online?

Go to: https://www.revolutionise.com.au/awdcc/events/

Click “Register” next to the event “Women and Juniors Driver Development Day” and follow the sign up process, either as a current AWDCC member or complete the fields in the bottom section of the page if you are not a current member.

Next Development Day

TBA