Speed Ventures Auto Club Speedway (Fontana) Autocross 1/14/12

[aray327]

Anyone interested in going to this event? They will also be running a road course but it looks to be reserved for a race group. The autocross is running both Saturday and Sunday.



Has anyone participated in an autocross at this venue? Cost is $75 plus $10 at the gate. Is it worth it?

[79-TA]

The track day should be open to anyone. Now that my Mustang is back together, I'm looking at this event, the road course that is.

http://speedventures.com/events/Default.aspx

[DesertFox]

And now it's something I can say I've done..
for future reference, it you're thinking of doing the autocross... save your money....
I left feeling very unimpressed.

[79-TA]

How long are you going to be in the Southern California area, Val? If you're around Tuesday, you should try your hand and car at Adam's Motorsports Park.

[SLO_Z28]

How many runs did you guys get?

[aray327]

The drivers were divided into three run groups. They say each group had about 22 or so cars. I happen to be in group 3. Maybe time really fly's when having fun, but it sure felt like group 3 got less time on the course. I had two group sessions before lunch, I think i missed the first session, then two more after lunch. I think i got 5-6 runs in on some session but definitely only got 3 runs in on one session.

No comment on my impression

[DesertFox]

Sorry Brett, it was a turn around trip to get some much needed seat time before the our local monthly SCCA solo event in Phoenix today.
Hopefully some time off is in my future and I can spend a little more time screwing around at stuff like that.
For the record everyone was divided up into 3 groups of 20 ish and the group as a whole is given 45 minutes to an hour to run.
you got two sessions before lunch and Iguess 2 sessions after (I left after 1 session after lunch). I got 13 runs, my buddy only got 12. It wasnt horrible but it left a bit to be desired. They flashed your time after you ran, but that was about it. It seemed like an after thought tacked onto the road course event that was going on at the same time.
Aaron, it was nice meeting you. Beautiful car!

[mpozzi]

We're the courses and event organization good? Our SCCA Solo and most of the local events up our way charge between $30-50 a run card and that gets you from three to five timed runs (for points). If time permits, there are fun runs at the end of the day.

If you got decent courses and the event was well run, getting 12-13 runs for that price is pretty good.

Mary Pozzi

[DesertFox]

Mary,
No. There were a large volume of people that went DNF because part of the course laid out so poorly it looked like some sort of odd mistake.
Major downside as this was literally just for seat time, you got your time at the end of the course and had no way of knowing you went DNF unless someone pointed it out to you. (I never actually went DNF, but was shocked by how many did).
This could have been somewhat allievated during the course walk only they closed the course to walking before they had even finished setting it up.
It might be your thing if you're a local and feel like shredding your tires for no particular resaon, but we drove 300+ miles one way because one of the local 5th gen clubs had raved about it being just the greatest thing ever.
As far as it being "run" you knew you run group was up when the number of cones on top of the van with the timing equipment matched your run group number. Occasionally the guy running the thing might say something over the loud speaker to point out that group had changed. There was a driver's meeting beforehand where it was desribed every way you could get kicked out for the day, and what was expected as far as tech goes (but nothing was teched in any way, shape. or form). If you has a pulse and a car you could go.
Could it get someone who had never done autocross before interested? Possibly Yes. Was it worth 2 days of my life? No, but the drive back and forth was stellar.
Our local SCCA is $35 for members get you 4 runs for points and 3-4 time only runs (which you get in a run group after your pointed runs, time permitting).
Based on what you pay maybe this is a good deal, I just felt a little duped by the whole experience.

[mpozzi]

I see what you mean now and I'm not sure that Speed Ventures does a lot of autocross events as a whole. Especially after driving over 300 miles each way.

We have a really good group that splintered away from SCCA about 20 years ago because they wanted faster courses with less entrants. American AutoX Series got Crows Landing (near Stockton off of I-5) and then Castle AFB (both sticky concrete). They are now at Marina (near Monterey) but will be holding a couple of events at Buttonwillow Raceway running on the go-kart track. If you do get up this way, definitely work a trip around their events as they're fun and very well run.

http://www.americanauto-x.com/

Mary P.

[So Cal Camaro]

SpeedVentures Autocross events are just timed practice runs, you don't work the course for the entry fee and you get at least 20 runs over the course during the day, so pretty good value to get some seat time. It is not a SCCA event where others care what your time was, but if you have a group out there trying to beat each others times or give each other grief for missing cones or bringing them back with you, it's a fun day.

[ddunerider]

Had a blast this weekend with Camaro5 So-Cal Race Team.Speed Ventures Set up a nice open track with some tricky truns ..A few cone's were spread out a ways but for the 25 min drive to go out and have some fun and practice it was well worth it...Lots of differant cars to watch run.But to drive 300 miles to Autocross is away But I have done it many time's....I had fun no matter what!! Even driving to Arizona,,,And I think we got a few more Camaro fan's Hooked and ready to try again!!

[SLO_Z28]

couple of events at Buttonwillow Raceway running on the go-kart track. If you do get up this way, definitely work a trip around their events as they're fun and very well run.

http://www.americanauto-x.com/

Mary P.

That sounds like fun, I think I am going to attend that. I'm planning on the larry park memorial too, that event looks too cool to pass up.

[mpozzi]

That sounds like fun, I think I am going to attend that. I'm planning on the larry park memorial too, that event looks too cool to pass up.

Several of the AAS regulars made a trek down to Buttonwillow yesterday to check things out. Haven't heard the outcome but I'm hoping it's positive and a go for the rest of us. Hope to see you there, James. See if Cris wants to bring up a project car or two as it would give a much better opportunity to shake 'em down than what he'll get with the "peanut."

Mary P.

Mary Pozzi

[mrsddunerider]

Hi Valerie,

it's too bad you were so disappointed in the Speed Ventures event on 1/14

I believe Mary is right and Speed Ventures doesn't do a lot of Auto-X events but in their defense it states right on the first page before you register that "Drivers DO NOT have to work and will get unlimited runs on course, space and time permitting (typically 10-30 runs)! A light-based timing system will be working, but we will not log the times, so you will need to write them down yourself at the end of your run.". We kept score for our group and had a great time just as we did the last time we attended this event. Our group got a total of 20 runs and could have done more since it was open to all groups for the last hour. That's a good amount of runs if you are looking for seat time at a reasonable price. The display of which group was up was a little amateur, but with all the events going on at the track that day, you probably couldn't have heard them over the loud speaker anyway. I can't comment on the course walk since I wasn't participating in the event I came later but some of our people did mention there were a few spots on the course that were laid out a little confusing and brought it to their attention and I believe they fixed the spots in question.

I'm sorry if you misinterpreted our raving about the previous event, but we rave about all the events we attend as a group whether it is Auto-X, Road Course, Drag Racing or just a meet. Our group enjoys driving their cars and the occasional competition amongst ourselves. We like to get others just as enthused as we get driving our cars as they are intended and showing people what their cars can do. There were a lot of newbies out there as well as a few H-Team members and Hotchkis employees that really enjoyed themselves too. The Speed Ventures events seem to be more of a place for people to go to run their cars on different courses, feel more comfortable on a track situation, or get seat time without being intimidated by a sanctioned event.

Next time you are thinking of running an event in our area, chime in on the thread or pm one of us and we will tell you what it’s all about so you can decide whether or not it’s worth the drive for you or not. If you want someone to keep track of your times, let us know and we would be more than happy to help you out. We aren’t professional drivers and don’t pretend to be, we just enjoy the same hobby, hanging out and S#!t talking each other. Hope to see you in Vegas in September!

[DesertFox]

It had nothing to do with the fact that it wasn't a comeption per se. I knew that going in. I already knew I would be logging my time (actually Casey and I had Tom loggin them for us).
My experience started from the minute I hit waiver station girl.
She told my buddy "hey you should go do the course walk cause they're closing it to walking in 5 minutes and you should check in/register over in the 2nd garage." Glad she told him, cause she didn't say squat to me.
SO we go to walk the course and it's not even fully set up yet leaving you to attempt to interpet what you would on the 2nd half of the course. I'm a big believer in waking my course at least two and peferably 3 or 4 times before I run it, that wasn't really an option. OK fine I'm flexible with that, but gee whiz if you're having a course walk can the course at least be set before you close it?
I could go on but I'm too lazy to type it all, and to be honest, I was more than a little bummed the promised food trucks weren't there either (hey won't lie, I like to eat). The minimal offerings for the cafe were less than appealing and we really didn't want to run back to ontario mills.
It really wasn't the concept of getting simple seat time, it was the way it's run, and the course was not well thought out.
It was better than an event that I attended that timed us with a iphone, but not by much.

Probably won't be getting to Super Chevy Vegas this year. I've got some friends that are really intent in me going to an event in the mid west in early Sept and with HollyLS Fest the week before it's not too promising. To be honest, swapping the Sonoran desert for the Mojave desert in mid sept really isn't much of an upgrade, especially with a true bottom breather car.
I'm sure we'll run into you guys before too long, we do alot of road trips. We're not professionals by any stretch of the imagination just some people with old cars that were put together in your average suburban household garage.

[SLO_Z28]

^No one had sticky notes?

Also, $75 is a lot for an autocross...

Several of the AAS regulars made a trek down to Buttonwillow yesterday to check things out. Haven't heard the outcome but I'm hoping it's positive and a go for the rest of us. Hope to see you there, James. See if Cris wants to bring up a project car or two as it would give a much better opportunity to shake 'em down than what he'll get with the "peanut."

Mary P.

Mary Pozzi

So it looks like April 14-15 is the next Buttonwillow event? Im gonna pencil that one in.

[DesertFox]

James,
Nope, no sticky notes. However I knew that going in and was prepared.
Technically it was $85 ($75 for the event and $10 to get into the track, unless you got a group discount).

[mrsddunerider]

Yes I have to agree that's not good. Mid-West is a better place to go, good luck and have a great time.