As the most basic and easily accessible form of motorsport, you can literally show up to an autocross event with your daily driver, pay the entry fee, compete and drive home. That said, there are some basic items that will make your experience more comfortable. These are listed under ‘Personal Essentials’ and ‘Racing Essentials’
Personal Essentials:
-Comfortable shoes
One of the essential activities at autocross events is walking the course. Since the course configuration changes with every event, it is important to familiarize yourself with the layout, and choose your racing lines, work out braking zones etc. Whether you choose sneakers or driving shoes, be sure to choose something comfortable, as you may also be required to serve marshaling duties as well. Sometimes,it rains. Sometimes it rains a lot. It is always a good idea to keep an extra pair of dry socks or maybe a pair of sandals for the drive home, should you spend your afternoon wading through inch-deep water (which can happen at the Santa Rosa venue if it rains heavily enough)
-Proper attire
The rules of autocross in Trinidad and Tobago require long pants, proper sleeves (no wife beaters etc), fully enclosed shoes and a safety helmet (which can be rented if you do not own one). It is always a good idea to bring along some sort of hat and umbrella for walking the course and marshaling. If you are prone to sunburn, bring along some sunscreen too. A pair of mechanics or latex gloves are handy as well, if you have to do any work on your car
-Food and drink
While alcohol is prohibited for competitors, you want to bring along lots of water, along with any sugary drinks you may enjoy. There is usually lunch for sale, but not 100% guaranteed, so take an extra ten minutes and make some hot dogs or sandwiches. If you are a hardcore bachelor, then a couple of snickers should do the trick. Days can be long, and you will need to keep your energy up
-Personal Hygiene stuff
Hand wipes, toilet paper (just in case), water for washing hands, napkins or paper towels, a rag or two
-A sidekick or two
Especially if this is your first time, you may want to bring along some company to keep you amused during lulls, cheer you on, poke fun at you when you murder cones, keep track of your times, act as spotters if you are having trouble navigating the course etc
Racing Essentials:
-Wheel stuff
Even if you plan on taking part in your street tyres, you will still need a tyre pressure gauge and some sort of 12 volt air compressor to adjust your tyre pressures
If you do plan on changing tyres, then you will also need a proper wheel spanner / power handle and socket, proper wheel chocks, trolley jack, and a torque wrench (if you want to do this properly). If you have a cordless impact wrench, bring that along as well. It saves considerable energy when swapping wheels
-Basic tools
The choice of tools is up to you and the extent to which your car is modified, but some handy essentials would be pliers, wire stripper, screw drivers, basic spanner set, ratchet set, test light, rags etc. It is much better to have extra tools that you don’t use at an event, than to be walking the pits, looking to borrow something
Things you may want to leave at home
Ideally your car should have as little excess weight as possible, and be free of loose objects both inside and in the trunk, that can create hazards and distractions. Things you can leave at home may include floor mats, water bottles, dangly things on your rear view mirror, that kickass speaker system in the trunk, and all the random stuff some of us tend to have kicking around in our daily drivers.
Forgot your motivation? Here are 10 reasons why you SHOULD do AutoX.
