pca morning of tech line
11-17-2011, 12:57 AM
#31
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OK presuming you are seriously asking I will reply.
I believe almost all (if not all) PCA events will require a tech before being allowed on track. I cannot speak for areas other than Zone 1 but with 1 it is true that some clubs are more efficient than others. Indeed I have seen 45minute queues but I would call it the exception rather than the norm. Best way to avoid a delay is be early or keep your ears open for early teching (night before is not uncommon).
As to your car not being fully inspected upon arrival at the head of the line. My guess would be that you have a reasonably modern car and that you were in the Green (beginners group). If these are both true (when combined with the fact that they were obviously struggling to get through the queue) it does not surprise me that your car would not received full attention. A quick check that it has brake pads and that it's lugs are tight is probably all that is critical. The car is not going to be stressed and it is unlikely that anything is going to be massively wrong with a young vehicle.
As a general rule however, I suspect that most clubs would be like the NER (of which I was operations chair and then track chair for a total of four years) in that they will try to move you as quickly as possible, that it will probably require you to be there for no more than 1/2 an hour max and that all vehicles will have a similar level of checking.
If you do return to a PCA event (and I really do hope you do) I would hope that your experience will be more to your satisfaction however I would also recommend that you consider that these events are entirely organized and run by unpaid volunteers. As such, you may find less than perfect conditions, there may be a variety of levels of efficiency and at times you might look out and wonder WTF is going on, but for all that, PCA (and POC) DE days are amongst the safest, funest and cheapest ways to get your car on a track and I for one am happy to just relax and deal with whatever comes. If you find conditions similar to your prior experience I'll bet no one will complain if you round up your friends and their torque wrenches and head on over to see what you can do to help move it along.
I believe almost all (if not all) PCA events will require a tech before being allowed on track. I cannot speak for areas other than Zone 1 but with 1 it is true that some clubs are more efficient than others. Indeed I have seen 45minute queues but I would call it the exception rather than the norm. Best way to avoid a delay is be early or keep your ears open for early teching (night before is not uncommon).
As to your car not being fully inspected upon arrival at the head of the line. My guess would be that you have a reasonably modern car and that you were in the Green (beginners group). If these are both true (when combined with the fact that they were obviously struggling to get through the queue) it does not surprise me that your car would not received full attention. A quick check that it has brake pads and that it's lugs are tight is probably all that is critical. The car is not going to be stressed and it is unlikely that anything is going to be massively wrong with a young vehicle.
As a general rule however, I suspect that most clubs would be like the NER (of which I was operations chair and then track chair for a total of four years) in that they will try to move you as quickly as possible, that it will probably require you to be there for no more than 1/2 an hour max and that all vehicles will have a similar level of checking.
If you do return to a PCA event (and I really do hope you do) I would hope that your experience will be more to your satisfaction however I would also recommend that you consider that these events are entirely organized and run by unpaid volunteers. As such, you may find less than perfect conditions, there may be a variety of levels of efficiency and at times you might look out and wonder WTF is going on, but for all that, PCA (and POC) DE days are amongst the safest, funest and cheapest ways to get your car on a track and I for one am happy to just relax and deal with whatever comes. If you find conditions similar to your prior experience I'll bet no one will complain if you round up your friends and their torque wrenches and head on over to see what you can do to help move it along.
11-17-2011, 09:00 AM
#32
NASA Racer
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BTW, the only thing that keeps the process slow is a lack of volunteers. At CVR and other regions we run 2 lines when we have enough volunteers
So get out and volunteer! It's actually fun to work the line with a good group of guys.
So get out and volunteer! It's actually fun to work the line with a good group of guys.
11-18-2011, 08:50 PM
#35
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Well, I'll be the contrarian. In nearly 30 years of doing this, in and out of PCA (and yes I've run events as the event chair down to being the sole tech guy), I can't say I've really seen where pre/self tech at non-marque club events leads to worse outcomes. And I certainly can't remember at all where there have been problems on private test/open track days. Most of the times on those days you don't even have any interaction with the others at a lowly driver's meeting, either.
Wheel-to-wheel series? Yeah, different story.
Wheel-to-wheel series? Yeah, different story.
11-18-2011, 11:25 PM
#37
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11-18-2011, 11:31 PM
#38
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And the for-profit (ha!) groups like an event I had to bail on today for business reasons put on by one of our moderators here has fundamentally different insurance?
(Taking this off topic, but I always got a kick how GGR ran time trials since Fred Flintstone had a pre-356, yet everywhere else I went in PCA "insurance regulations" prohibited running timed events.)
(Taking this off topic, but I always got a kick how GGR ran time trials since Fred Flintstone had a pre-356, yet everywhere else I went in PCA "insurance regulations" prohibited running timed events.)
11-19-2011, 10:34 AM
#39
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11-19-2011, 11:52 AM
#40
11-20-2011, 08:35 AM
#41
NASA Racer
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One of my favorite moments working the tech line at Lime Rock was when a young girl (probably late teens early 20's) came through on her first day, went through the line no problem and drove away and right out on to the track 
11-20-2011, 01:20 PM
#43
Three Wheelin'
Anyway, a lot can happen between the pre-tech a week before and grid tech. Some folks drive the car back and forth to work all week. Some guys do massive overhauls Saturday after pre-tech.
11-21-2011, 02:47 PM
#44
..and..
No, it's amazing what you find going though the tech lines, I've found lug nuts barely finger tight, loose caps, #s that don't match the registration, helmets out of date, brake lights that don't work....
We encourage "pre-tech" at a few local Indy shops in the Chicago region too. But I've seen tech sheets come through the line where the pre-tech happened 2-3 weeks prior to the event. A lot can happen in 2-3 weeks. I've also seen guys get to the track, change their tires over, then run through the tech line - and gripe about why we're checking lugs when "I just changed them!" only to find that they forgot to tighten one wheel.
What's even scarier are when guys come in with loose lugs and non-functioning tail lights and brake pads that are paper thin and they DROVE TO THE TRACK THAT WAY.
