Thank you again very much for signing up to enjoy our first Sebring event of the year! Please help us all have a safe, smooth, fun weekend by familiarizing yourself with our rules and procedures beforehand. And please read everything below, including the info at all the links, before replying - since most questions are already answered online. Sorry again for the length of this message, but we cover all this in advance so you don't have to call or email to ask - and so our Saturday morning meetings can be shorter. ;-)
Therefore, here is your final confirmation & details email...
The updated
event info page with all the details is
http://www.drivenasafl.com/sebring/ and the
entry list with confirmed run groups and car numbers is lined from there or
at this link directly. Please find your name on that spreadsheet, make sure all your info is listed properly, and make any changes or updates at trackside registration. The number on that list is the only number allowed on your car - and some of you did not get your first choice so please double check. Since registration is now closed, all updates to that list will need to happen on Saturday morning (2nd floor tower, opposite end from the classroom) and may incur a $25.00 change fee.
The final schedule is now posted as well, linked from the event info page above, so you can go ahead and print or screen-capture a copy.
Please note there is no trackside registration on Friday evening, just tech. Also, attendance at the appropriate meetings Saturday morning plus all subsequent meetings and classrooms is
mandatory so we can get everyone on the same page!
Due to many requests from members, Sebring's pit road garage stalls are only available by reservation. If you did not reserve one, obviously please do not park in it. The map of reserved stalls for this event is linked from the event info page. Any empty ones, if available, can be reserved at trackside registration first come first serve on Saturday morning.
INSPECTION
Each of you in HPDE will need to bring a completed tech form for the car you plan to use at this event. You may tech your own car if you are 100% comfortable with that and know exactly what to look for; use one of the partners listed on the tech page of our website or find a trusted shop/mechanic if not. If you have any questions about whether something will pass, please ask
Pat Wehmeyer beforehand
- sorry, we are not able to issue refunds or credits for cars that don't pass tech at the track! We will do racecar annuals on Friday evening so please plan to arrive when the gates open if you need an annual. For links to tech forms please
click here or
here.
CAR NUMBERS
The number to the right of your name on the entry list linked above needs to be
big and visible on both sides of your car - at least 10" tall, on doors not side windows - because we need to be able to quickly identify each of you on track. If we cannot see your numbers from the tower and all corner stations and/or if you have any number other than the one assigned to you on the entry list displayed on your car, you will be black flagged to correct it.
Tape is ok but no shoe polish numbers please!
GATE HOURS, ARRIVAL, LODGING, WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO
Please see the "General Event Instructions" pdf posted on the event page.
Here's what you do after you sign the waiver at the gate, get a wristband, enter the paddock, find a spot, and get set up...
HYPERDRIVE- Bring car thru Tech, attend drivers meeting, attend 1st classroom session for wristband
HPDE1 - Attend drivers meeting, attend 1st classroom session for wristband, Tech car before 1st track session (bring completed tech form and show up early) - NEW FOR 2016
HPDE2 - Bring car thru Tech, attend drivers meeting, attend first classroom session for wristband
HPDE3 - Bring car thru Tech, attend drivers meeting, get wristband from registration
HPDE4 - NON INSTR- Bring car through tech, attend drivers meeting, get wristband from registration
INSTRUCTOR- Attend instructor meeting early for Tech sticker & wristband
TIME TRIALER- Bring car through HPDE Tech, attend drivers meeting, attend TT meeting for wristband
RACER- Bring car through Race Tech for annual, attend drivers meeting, attend racer meeting for wristband
Again please note there is no trackside registration on Friday evening, just tech. There will be an autocross with our friends from Martin Sports Car Club on the concrete parallel to the back straightaway again so please do not park in that restricted area, also please expect that you may be asked to move if you arrive right when the gates open.
DRIVING DETAILS
Maximum speed in the grid, the paddock, on pit road, and everywhere except on the track surface itself is 10mph and will be strictly enforced. The speed limit drops to 3mph (walking speed) when near cars or pedestrians or the tower/snack bar area. Here is how we do grid/pit-out/pit-in at Sebring, all down on the turn 1 end of pit road, click on this diagram:
For the combined HPDE1/2 group when you come to grid, if you are in HPDE2 (solo) or are solo'd in HPDE1, please line up in a lane on the right. If you are in HPDE1 with an instructor, please line up in a lane on the left. (Your instructor will meet you there unless you have made other arrangements.) Racers and TT'ers, after checking the posted grid sheets at the tower, just find the cone with your grid number on it, and park with that cone on your left!
We are doing "roll on/roll off" again in 2016. This means a pace car or designated participant car will lead the next group out as soon as the prior group's session has ended. Literally once the last car has taken the checkered flag and gone around a few corners, the next group goes out behind the pace car or lead car, so one group's cooldown lap is the next group's warmup lap. This is to maximize your track time and it works great. It does, however, mean you need to be on grid early and ready to go early. Because when the pace car or lead car leaves, you're expected to leave behind it, or you will soon be missing some of the track time you paid for. This is also why we do grid where we do, so we don't have to clear the track before sending the next group... all those combined in/out laps add up to more hot track time for everyone.
Additionally we are doing "hot pulls" again in 2016. This means, if we can do so safely, we may go retrieve cars/drivers that need help on course with only "local" or "regional" yellow/white flags, instead of having to go full course "global" yellow or black flag all to do a cleanup. This is also to maximize your track time BUT it comes with some conditions. #1, if there is any question about the safety of the pull or its location, we will not do a hot pull. #2, you must SLOW WAY DOWN around emergency scenes and/or vehicles. Any inappropriate, out of control, fast, unsafe, or aggressive driving under yellow - especially in or near a hot pull area - will be grounds for immediate ejection from the event without refund. If we abuse this privilege we as a group will lose it, which will cost everyone track time forever. So please use extreme caution in these situations.
And please know that passing under yellow is one of the most serious offenses you can commit.
Note: If you have tow straps or hooks, particularly factory screw-in ones in your tool kit, please install at least one (on the front of your car.) Our emergency staff cannot sit there waiting to find something to hook to before towing you in; their job is to get things cleaned up and gone as soon as possible. And we're sorry but we are not responsible for any damage to your vehicle as a result of not having a tow hook installed during recovery.
Any convertible going on track for HPDE1-2-3-4-TT-Hyperdrive should have at least a 4-point rollbar installed. Stock factory rollover hoops behind the headrests or similar may not be sufficient. If you will be running a convertible but do not have a 4-point rollbar installed, please reply ASAP for specific clearance if you haven't received it already.
PASSING RULES & SAFETY
Our passing rules exist 100% for the safety of drivers and participants. Unsafe passing is not allowed and will not be tolerated. This may be covered further in various meetings but for now
, the passing rules are:
Hyperdrive, HPDE1, HPDE2: safely and with caution,
only on designated straightaways with a point-by from the driver of the car being overtaken; overtaking car goes offline and is responsible for completing the pass safely
HPDE3: safely and with caution,
anywhere with a point-by from the driver of the car being overtaken; overtaking car goes offline and is responsible for completing the pass safely
HPDE4, TT, Racing: safely and with caution,
anywhere without a point-by from the driver of the car being overtaken; overtaking car goes offline and is responsible for completing the pass safely
While on track in HPDE and TT if you put all four wheels off the pavement, spin on or off the pavement, have a significant loss of control (i.e. big tank-slapper or sideways moment), or make contact with anything,
pit in immediately and report to the officials at the end of pit road so your car can be checked. Repeat offenders will be dealt with harshly. If you stop while on track for any reason, stay in your car unless it's on fire! If you are dropping fluids, please get offline or off track, near a flag station if possible. All drivers are responsible for any track damage that is the result of their actions on or off the track and will be financially responsible for repair/replacement of damaged track property. This includes all facilities, equipment, guardrail, tire barriers, kitty litter for fluid leaks, and more.
RACERS
Please prepare for two 30min points races on Saturday after practice & qualifying, then on Sunday it will be two 40min races after qualifying (no warmup.) Also make sure you remove or cover up stickers from other groups and have a NASA patch on your suit. Additional details are TBA at the racer meeting. Also don't forget to check the our 2016 regional supplemental CCR linked from the website.
MORE INFO
Other general rules and guidelines can of course be found at
http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf and linked from our websites
http://www.drivenasa.com and
http://www.drivenasafl.com . Further details will also be announced at the drivers meeting. As always please feel free to reply or
contact us anytime with questions or concerns. We are all going to have an awesome weekend, thanks again and see you in a few days!
