Everyone should read the following important information regarding the event.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will be unable to access the track facility Friday evening. Consequently camping will ONLY be available Saturday night. I hope this is not a major inconvenience for anyone.

This also means we will be unable to set up registration and tech inside the track on Friday night. However, if there is enough interest, we may set up registration and tech just outside the gate at the track. Given that we will be unable to camp at the track Friday evening, we need to know how many participants would still plan to come down Friday night for registration and tech. We would be grateful if you would email our registrar, Ginny Condrey at ginnycondrey@hotmail.com to let us know if you would still like to register on Friday evening. Anticipating that most will register Saturday morning, the track has agreed to let us in early so we hope to have the gates open at 6:30AM and registraion open by 7AM. Please note that the days activities begin at 8AM and it will be difficult to get everyone through registraion and tech in that short amout of time so PLEASE plan on arriving early.

Please also note that as an incentive and thank you to our instructors and volunteers, the first block of garages, closest to the media center, will be reserved Saturday for their use. The remaining garage spaces in the block of garages located closest to the fuel pumps will be available on a first come first served basis. There is no easy way of identifying that the first block of garages is reserved so we hope that all will honor this request.

Last, following is important information for all those participating in the PDX portion of the weekend both students and instructors. It is very important that you take the time to read through this information and become comfortable with it. If you have any questions regarding the techical inspection or whether your car is eligible to participate in the PDX, please contact one of the tech inspectors listed on the NCR website under staff. The last thing any of us wants is to have to turn someone away the day of the event because their car does not meet the safety requirements or the driver does not have the proper safety equipment (long pants, long shirt, helmet, arm restraints, etc).

PDX Participant Information – 2009

Participants in PDX events are reminded that these are non-competitive sessions. Violations of any rules, excessive incidents, or improper on-track behavior may result in loss of track time, and continued violations may lead to expulsion from an event, being placed on probation at future events, or being suspended from participation for a set length of time (not to exceed one year). All violations and incidents, along with any disciplinary action, shall be noted on the student’s Participant Log. Disciplinary actions are at the discretion of the Chief Instructor and Chief Steward, and their decisions are final and cannot be protested or appealed.

Participants shall:

1. Have a current SCCA membership. Memberships will be available at the track. Participants under the age of 18 must have prior approval from SCCA Club Racing (National) before they can participate so if you're under 18, don't plan on just showing up to register. A notarized waiver is necessary and this must be handled well before the event weekend.
2. Dress appropriately as defined in the SCCA rules - Required Driver Safety Equipment. Helmets may be open or full face style. If full face helmets are used, it is recommended that airbags be disabled for the duration of the event. In the case of race-prepared (non street legal) cars, it is recommended that students be fully covered by at least one layer of an accepted fire resistant material. Street legal is defined as a car which meets local requirements for inspection (if applicable) and the car in question possess CURRENT, VALID license and registration. Vehicles that are not street legal must be eligible for classification in the GCR classes of Showroom Stock, Spec Miata, Touring, or Improved Touring, or the Solo classes of Stock, Street Touring, Street Prepared, or Street Mod. No vehicles that are prepared beyond these allowances shall be permitted to participate. All cars MUST have a passenger seat with a 3 point seat belt, both meeting DOT requirements as a minimum. Passenger seats with the same safety equipment as the driver seat are highly recommended.
3. Report to all instructional sessions and meet with their instructor following each session to receive information and suggestions.
4. Immediately return to the pits following any incident which involves a spin, involved any contact with a barrier or other vehicle, or one that included all four wheels leaving the track surface at once. Pit Officials will provide further instructions.
5. 5. Immediately return to the pits if directed to by flaggers or instructors.
6. Follow all event rules and course limits.
7. Refrain from passing unless given a point-by in a designated passing area.
8. Be aware of other drivers and use point-by techniques to yield to faster cars.
9. Drive in a manner consistent with the non-competitive nature of the event. Failure to follow this rule could result in IMMEDIATE expulsion from the event.

Vehicle and personal safety equipment and provisions:

A licensed TT Technical and Safety Inspector shall have the responsibility for approving each car before it is allowed to take part in a competition. Cars which have been altered or damaged after they have been approved at technical and safety inspection shall be subject to re-inspection and re-approval.

All closed cars shall run with both front door windows fully open.

All participants shall wear long sleeves and pants (100% cotton material recommended) and shoes which fully cover the foot at least to the ankle while on course. Helmets which meet Snell M-95 requirements or higher are required.

Please note that for PDX events, the following guidelines apply for restraint systems - All cars that are required to install roll bars must comply with Section 12 of the TTR. If your car falls into this category, please refer to the SCCA Time Trial Rules (TTR) available via the link on the NCR SCCA events calendar. We would hate to turn a participant away because they fail to comply with the safety requirements. Cars that choose to install a roll bar may use stock restraint systems, provided that the roll bar does not interfere with the function of the system in any way. For these cars, there is no age limit on harnesses so long as the harnesses are in visibly and physically good condition (i.e. no fraying, damage, or excessive discoloration). Cars that do not incorporate roll bars or cages may use the stock restraint system in its entirety, or use a restraint system that complies with TTR Section 12.

Roll cages are recommended in all automobiles; however specific roll structure requirements depend on the level of Time Trials event attended. In any case, participants should strive to prepare their car to the highest level of safety that is feasible, and the following sections are set as the MINIMUM roll structure requirements for each level.

For the purposes of this section a roll bar is defined as a main hoop, placed behind the driver, supplemented by two braces. A roll cage is defined as a main roll hoop with at least 4 additional mounting points including aft braces and either a front halo with down tubes or a high or low front hoop with diagonals connecting to the main hoop.

The Technical Staff of Club Racing shall have the responsibility to ensure specification compliance with SCCA safety standards. To that end, the Technical Staff of Club Racing may or may not accept alternate construction standards from any source that significantly vary from SCCA standards of protection.

At PDX (Level 1) events, any car that is street legal will NOT require a roll bar/roll cage, except for Convertibles and Targa* top automobiles. These cars must (no exceptions) have either a roll bar meeting the requirements of this section of the TTR, a non-mechanical factory roll bar/roll over protection for both the driver and instructor (i.e. no pop-ups), or a factory hard top using the factory mounting hardware and mounting points. Owners of cars equipped with factory roll bars/roll over protection must present documentation stating that the device is a roll bar or roll over protection at the time of vehicle tech inspection (a factory issued Owner’s or Shop Manual will fulfill this requirement.) Targa top (and T-top) automobiles may forgo the roll bar requirement under the condition that the Targa bar meets the height requirements set forth in 11.1.1.B. For the purposes of this determination only, street legal will be defined as a car which meets local requirements for inspection (if applicable) and the car in question must possess CURRENT, VALID registration. If this street legal requirement is not met, then the roll bar requirement as stated in this section shall apply.

* Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width fixed B-pillar and roof section. The rear window can be fixed or removable.

A seven-point restraint harness is recommended for all events. Arm restraints are required on all open cars including open Targa tops, sunroofs and T-tops. The restraint system installation is subject to approval of the Chief Technical and Safety Inspector.

If your car will require a roll bar, please refer to the detailed requirements available in the SCCA Time Trial rules (TTR) available via the link on the NCR SCCA events calendar to insure that your roll bar meets the SCCA requirements.

Roll Bar Padding:

Braces and portions of the main hoop subject to contact by the driver’s or passenger’s helmet, as seated normally and restrained by seatbelt and harness, must be padded with a non-resilient material such as Ethafoam (R) or Ensolite (R) or other similar material with a minimum thickness of one-half inch. Padding meeting SFI spec 45.1 or FIA 8857-2001 is strongly recommended.

The points covered at Technical and Safety Inspection shall be:

1. Appearance neat and clean. Specifically, cars showing excessive damage, structural rust, or that do not bear the prescribed identification marks shall not be approved for competition.
2. Tires - 120 mph rated or better unless otherwise specified or controlled and not showing cord at any part of the tire.
3. Brakes - Shall be pedal operated, working directly on each wheel, and in good working order. Rolling brake tests are prohibited.
4. Body Panels Shall be securely mounted. Fender skirts and hub caps shall be removed.
5. Exhaust System - Shall be directed away from the body and shall terminate at or behind a point which is equidistant from the front and rear hubs.
6. Hood and Engine Compartment - Shall be securely fastened. Battery shall be securely mounted with positive terminal covered. Throttle return shall be consistent and positive (more than one spring must be used for redundancy).
7. Suspension and Steering - Shall be of suitable design and in good working order.
8. Leakage and Caps - There shall be no visible fluid leaks. Monza (flip top) gas caps are prohibited.
9. Lights - Brake lights on cars so equipped and taillights on Formula cars shall operate properly.
10. Seats - the seat shall be securely mounted. If a folding seat, it shall be securely bolted or strapped in place.
11. Seat Belts and Shoulder Harness - Shall conform with Section 12.
12. Passenger Seat - if a folding seat, it shall be securely bolted or strapped in place.
13. Mirrors - Shall provide driver visibility to the rear of both sides of the car.

Flags:

The following flags may be used at PDX events:

• RED - Clear the circuit for emergency vehicle traffic by stopping off course TO THE RIGHT or AS FAR TO THE RIGHT AS CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT: Stay in car with safety equipment on, do not move until directed by a worker or official.
• GREEN - When displayed, the green flag indicates that the course is clear.
• YELLOW - Take Care, Danger, Slow Down, No Passing. Waved - Great Danger, Slow Down, Be Prepared To Stop, No Passing.
• YELLOW WITH VERTICAL RED STRIPES - Take care. A condition exists on the road which cannot be corrected in a reasonable time during which competition is halted.
• BLACK - Return to the Pits immediately and see an Official for instructions.
• BLACK WITH ORANGE DOT (MEATBALL) - You appear to have a mechanical problem. Continue offline and cautiously proceed back to the Pits.
• CHECKERED - You have completed your run. Slow and pull off the course into the assigned area. This flag is optional with the Event Steward and may be replaced by a prominent sign, preferably a banner across the course, indicating the finish line.

Identification Markings:

Each car shall carry identification numbers as required by the Supplementary Regulations. The Chief Steward shall have the ultimate discretion in determining if the car number is displayed appropriately. It is recommended that numbers be at least eight (8) inches high, with a 1.5 inch stroke on a contrasting background.

The following rules apply to working on vehicles in the Pit/Paddock:

1. Cars shall not be run in gear with the drive wheels off the ground.
2. Jack stands must be used whenever any person is under any part of a lifted vehicle.
3. All vehicles must be securely held in place via chock, stand, or other positive method whenever the driver is not seated in the driver’s seat.
4. Any compressed gas cylinders with pressures above 200 psi must have a cage or similar device to protect the valve/regulator/gauge assembly when rigged for use
5. No motorized vehicle may be operated by anyone not holding a valid state-issued driver’s license.
6. Any pets must be securely fastened to a leash or chain not to exceed 20 feet. This leash or chain must be securely held by a stationary object or must be controlled by an adult at all times.
7. All minors shall be under adult supervision at all times.
8. No person may ride on the external bodywork of any vehicle in the Pit/Paddock.

Fuel:

Fuel will likely not be available at the track. All cars at SCCA PDX events shall use a fuel which meets the following guidelines:

1. For all vehicles - Fuel must be hydrocarbon based (gasoline, diesel).
2. Nitrous or any other fuel enhancement injection systems are not allowed. Cars equipped with such systems must remove the bottles used by the system prior to being allowed on the event site.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the event.

Thank you,

Mark Senior, Chief Instructor