I’m going to shoot for two autocross events in September. The next SE Florida event isn’t until the 25th, so I’ll try a Central region event at the Indian River Community College on the 10th / 11th (they do a practice day before every event). It’s about a 90 minute drive versus 60 for Homestead…
This weekend I managed to dig up nearly all the pieces to my circa-1999 MiniDV camcorder. I just ordered a CruiseCAM headrest mount so I can make some in-car videos.
Ahead of the last practice event I picked up a folding canopy / gazebo that takes about two minutes for one person to set up. Haven’t been able to find a low-priced online example to point to, they all seem to be $150 or more. I found my 10×10 model with a mosquito net at Target for $100, the local Outdoor World / Bass Pro Shops was selling the same thing for $10 less without the netting.
From Outdoor World I picked up a cap with a neck shade for $20, a $40 folding chair with a side tray and cupholder that can support my giant ass, and one of those folding metal tube chairs for my brother for a whopping $6.99.
From woot.com I ordered a $30 McCulloch Auto Emergency Kit, composed of a 12v impact lug wrench and air compressor. This should speed up swapping wheels. I also wanted to get a floor jack, the local Costco has them for $90, but my storage space is getting tight (in the car and at home) and a proper jack is easy enough to borrow from someone else at an event.
Next on the shopping list are some Seasonal Tire Totes. These are one of the neatest inventions ever for someone that has a second set of wheels, they’ll keep you from getting wheel dirt all over the place (on you, inside the car, etc) and have a nifty carry handle.
I also want to get something called a Tire Tail, a tire rack that hooks into a trailer hitch, leaving more room to carry other junk in the back of my car. They also make a wall mount so I could keep my wheels of the floor too. Sweet.
Lastly, I got myself a Weber Q portable grill, along with the cart and propane tank adapter. I bet this will be hugely popular at the autocross events, but really I’ve been wanting a Q forever and not having power Friday night finally convinced me to buy.
I’m halfway tempted to buy a small generator and a portable air conditioner. Tarp up the sides of my canopy and charge admission…
Update: Forgot a few things. A cooler is a must, I’ve been using polystyrene shipping containers that I scavenged from my packrat mother. Cloth towels for wiping off sweat and dirty hands. If you’ll be changing wheels, automotive work gloves. Your own helmet. Spare sunglasses — so far we’ve killed two pair in freak accidents. GMRS / FRS radios, I picked up a pair of Talkabout T6510s with rechargable batteries, belt clips, and PTT headsets for $60 at Costco. Besides being nice for keeping track of your group, or for doing your coursework (sometimes there aren’t enough walkie-talkies), it’s nice to be able to listen in on what the courseworkers are calling in during your runs.
Racing numbers. Taping numbers to the car and then taking them off is just a pain, I ordered two magnetic segmented number kits from Solo Performance for $32. Buying 4-6 individual numbers could be cheaper but then you’re limited to just a few possible number combinations, not a good thing at large events if you didn’t reserve a number at the begining of the season. The cheapest “full number kit” (0-9 x 2) I could find was around $65 and they range all the way up to $300, a terrible value compared to the segmented kits.
I went ahead and picked up a Craftsman 1-1/2 ton “Racing Jack” at my local Sears for $99. I found cheaper jacks at all of the auto supply chains but only one had the extremely important two-piece handle and it looked the price.
Next on my list is a proper torque wrench.
