Cal Club Autocross Forums

I get different answers everywhere so like many of my car questions I have had lately, I will ask you all!

I want to know what is needed to put on a race event, say if I wanted to host my own. I have been thinking about it seriously for a few years now. I used to be an unofficial part of race legal and was for probably 4 years. (http://www.racelegal.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) Their "goal" was to get kids off the street. It worked well at first but they shot themselves in the foot and now most people don't trust them enough to come back. Out of the many things that happened there I think having police officers sit outside the event was the worst. When racers left they would be issued fix-it tickets or be found out for an illegal engine swap. Not to mention that 1/8th mile drag got boring after a while.

There are no tracks in the San Diego area either. Street racers don't trust reacelegal and are not going to drive hours to get to a track. If you look at the number of street racing deaths in San Diego they are oddly correlated with attendance to racelegal. Before racelegal there were a lot, then they went down significantly when racelegal was popular, now they are back up (I have all the specific numbers somewhere) No mater how gnarly the penalties there are still going to be people street racing. Heck, it is a $1,000 fine just to spectate! It still happens a lot. If they have a place to get it out safely then they are less likely to do it in the street.

So apparently drifting is the "thing" now. I would rather go fast and not use up much tire tread then look cool and kill tires but every wanna-be wants to be a drifter soooo

So why not host a "learn how drift like in the movies" event at Qualcomm stadium? I have friends that are drifters (real ones lol), and most of them have experience being an instructor. Make it a car show too, hand out trophies and stuff. Bring a D.J. Make it a "cool" event (I may need some help with that haha)

Rental fees for the parking lot are between $750-$1,500 a day. I can deal with that. Insurance is where I have an issue. I have done my own research and according to that (which I am not sure is correct) insurance for the day would be around $3,000. I know SCCA does insurance but their payouts are very low, not to mention they don't do drift events. Everyone around here is suing each other. I don't want to give away everything I own now plus 20% of my salary for the rest of my life because some stupid kid got hurt at an event. I am thinking the best way to do an event is through an existing organization, preferably a non-profit. I know the BMW and Porsche club do events at the stadium too, but I don't think they would be interested in helping out/hosting with a get-kids-off-the-street drifting charity project.

If this were wishful thinking it would have gone away over the last few years. I have done research but I am really at a standstill with the whole insurance issue. I would have liked to place it the same weekend as the release date of the new Fast and Furious (racing deaths are also oddly tied to those movies) but that would be way too soon.

This is one of those posts I don't know if I will get a reply too. Don't worry, I still love you guys!

The drift guys have been kicked out of Qualcomm, Fontana and I think El Toro as well. I think you would have a hard time getting on those sites even with a non-profit event.

Your time might be better spent working to get some of those people to come to one of the many events that is already being held by one of local clubs.

btw Adams Kart track has drift nights.

$750 a day??? For a big lot? On a weekend???

And SCCA has low payouts??? $5 million is low?

I have been told by someone else who was going to rent it out that that non-profits that qualify an get it for $750. I heard this recently but have not verified it. Heck, Even $2,000 would work. No one has mentioned to me that drifters have gotten kicked out. The Q is technically owned by the city, it is not "private" like Cal Club.

Qualcomm allowed permanent attachments for drag race timing devices, a concrete paved launch pad etc if it is true they kicked drifters out I wonder why.

SCCA Insurance I am talking about
http://cms.scca.com/documents/insurance ... ummary.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://cms.scca.com/documents/insurance ... ummary.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

$5,000 max liability for accidental death of a spectator is way too low. That should be well into 1million.

Jason Isley BS RX8 wrote:The drift guys have been kicked out of Qualcomm, Fontana and I think El Toro as well. I think you would have a hard time getting on those sites even with a non-profit event.

Your time might be better spent working to get some of those people to come to one of the many events that is already being held by one of local clubs.

btw Adams Kart track has drift nights.

Where is Adams Kart track?

Why does everyone hate drifters? the marks they leave on the pavement? Qualcomm allows for drift demonstrations during HIN. I forgot to mention that in the above post.

Steve Ekstrand wrote:$750 a day??? For a big lot? On a weekend???

I was told by someone else who was going to rent it that if you are a non profit and qualify that is what you get a section for.

Jamie Lessie wrote:The Q is technically owned by the city, it is not "private" like Cal Club.

I don't understand the above comparison? A parking lot compared with a region?

I've read several places in the past about a pretty negative attitude from the city for street legal racing efforts. Sad considering the huge street racing problem.

But part of it is the over the top culture that goes hand in hand with the drifting and import crowd. If you can't hold an event without crashes, squirreling, alcohol, drugs, loud exhaust, loud music, and illegal activity, then I understand a community's reluctance to embrace it.

Jamie Lessie wrote:I have been told by someone else who was going to rent it out that that non-profits that qualify an get it for $750. I heard this recently but have not verified it. Heck, Even $2,000 would work. No one has mentioned to me that drifters have gotten kicked out. The Q is technically owned by the city, it is not "private" like Cal Club.

Qualcomm allowed permanent attachments for drag race timing devices, a concrete paved launch pad etc if it is true they kicked drifters out I wonder why.

SCCA Insurance I am talking about
http://cms.scca.com/documents/insurance ... ummary.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://cms.scca.com/documents/insurance ... ummary.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

$5,000 max liability for accidental death of a spectator is way too low. That should be well into 1million.

They got the boot from Qualcomm a few years back when they were running an event on the other side of the stadium from the SCCA natl tour. That event ended with a car in a tree. Often they are not good renters (sure there are good groups, only takes one bad one to kill it for them all). They are often loud, and leave a mess, sometimes that crowd does not drive like adults around the site. These are just a few of the things I have seen as a reason they may not be wanted by some places.

http://drift411.com/forums/index.php?s= ... entry26743" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Skillz: http://videos.streetfire.net/video/350z ... _31109.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jamie Lessie wrote: Where is Adams Kart track?

Riverside
http://adamsmotorsportspark.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The organizers put part of the blame for getting booted on the Autox guys?

Jason Isley BS RX8 wrote:
They got the boot from Qualcomm a few years back when they were running an event on the other side of the stadium from the SCCA natl tour. That event ended with a car in a tree. Often they are not good renters (sure there are good groups, only takes one bad one to kill it for them all). They are often loud, and leave a mess, sometimes that crowd does not drive like adults around the site. These are just a few of the things I have seen as a reason they may not be wanted by some places.

Ugh, don't underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Racelegal has not had many issues with people misbehaving though.

Steve Ekstrand wrote:

Jamie Lessie wrote:The Q is technically owned by the city, it is not "private" like Cal Club.

I don't understand the above comparison? A parking lot compared with a region?

I've read several places in the past about a pretty negative attitude from the city for street legal racing efforts. Sad considering the huge street racing problem.

But part of it is the over the top culture that goes hand in hand with the drifting and import crowd. If you can't hold an event without crashes, squirreling, alcohol, drugs, loud exhaust, loud music, and illegal activity, then I understand a community's reluctance to embrace it.

I thought Cal Club was privately owned? hmmm

Racelegal is actually a government funded program. One of the few smart things the local government did (when it happened). Too bad it is a lost cause now and hundreds of thousands of $$ are going to waste on it. If I had more time I may try to organize something else but the state may cut the program from its budget. No use trying to get grant money that will disappear soon.


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Why not here:

http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/tra ... rental.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cal Club is the SCCA region for the L.A. metro area.

The drifters at Irwindale Raceway have their act together, according to the former PR guy for the track. The barely buy an alcohol, put their trash in the cans and don't act like idiots. That was probably a D1 event with spectating tickets at a high enough price to encourage good behavior.

As for being a non-profit, the city is going to want proof of that.

Jamie Lessie wrote:I thought Cal Club was privately owned? hmmm

What Cal Club does OWN privately is......Buttonwillow Raceway Park. And we as Cal Club members get entry into it for free. Maybe that's what you were thinking about when you said Cal Club is privately owned.

Based on the context of her statement, I think she was actually refering to CA Speedway/Autoclub Speedway.

B K wrote:Why not here:

http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/tra ... rental.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am going to rent out the balcony with a bunch of friends this fall. Great place, it is just a 3 hour drive from San Diego.

My point here is there is no where in San Diego county for street racers to get it out of their system. There are places in L.A, Orange county, Riverside area etc.

Maybe drop the whole drift idea then and make an autocross geared towards that crowd? The school is a great entry into the sport but most of those guys are not interested in an autocross school (although the school is a wonderful entry point to the sport, that is how I started) Street racers want to dick off in their car and look cool. How can we give them what they want in a safe, controlled environment?

Jamie Lessie wrote: Street racers want to dick off in their car and look cool. How can we give them what they want in a safe, controlled environment?

We ship them to the 909, or further inland if possible. }:)

Someone mentioned that the drifters were banned from El Toro ?

For a while someone was hosting "American Gymkhana" (I think that's what they were called) events at El Toro ... that seemed to combine elements of drifting, AX and tight traditional gymkhana.

Have to talked to Ken Motonishi about using El Toro ? (You'll seem him there this weekend.)

They have quite a bit of room ... but the local police that patrol are fairly no nonsense. The location is pretty decent for SD ... much better then The Balcony. They have held drift schools up there in the past.

Here is Ken Block doing some, ahem, Gymkhana ... Drifitng ... practice at El Toro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvFNVlFTliY

Ken put on a little drift show at the Team Blew hosted AX Practice at CA Spdwy a few years ago. Even though he's a Pro ... it was really frowned upon that he did it at a SCCA/CSCC event. What he did prove was that drifting around the course, even in a very powerful machine, is slower then gripping it around the course ... as he ended up pretty far down in the results if I recall correctly.

Drifting---Screwing up a corner on purpose to wear out your tires faster.

Sounds like an excuse to dress your car up like a clown ride and act like an ass.

Mako Koiwai wrote:Someone mentioned that the drifters were banned from El Toro ?

I thought after Greddy Fest last year the drift guys were cut off. However, if you have a really big budget and are "filming" I bet you can do anything you want. ;)

Steve Ekstrand wrote:Drifting---Screwing up a corner on purpose to wear out your tires faster.

Sounds like an excuse to dress your car up like a clown ride and act like an ass.

We are talking about street racers here

It can't be cool unless it is not practical

These are the same people that wear their pants around their knees, rendering them unable to run. Same concept.

Even though he's a Pro ... it was really frowned upon that he did it at a SCCA/CSCC event.

For a very good reason, Mako: It violated the sanction and insurance that was issued for a Solo event and nothing but a Solo event.

Steve Ekstrand wrote:Drifting---Screwing up a corner on purpose to wear out your tires faster.

Sounds like an excuse to dress your car up like a clown ride and act like an ass.

sounds like your car these past couple of events :gpower:

Jonathan Lugod wrote:
sounds like your car these past couple of events :gpower:

Sad but true...

So I have some places I could possibly do it, I could find a club with insurance but this whole thread make me think of something I was not as aware of before;

Do I really want to be responsible for a large group of reckless idiots?

Race legal controls them with about 5-10 off duty volunteer police officers and a bunch of security workers. Where else is the officer/security to people ratio so large? Maybe a rock concert?

Oh boy.