Texas Trifecta 2014

All Driver and Instructor registrants MUST be active BMWCCA members, and your member number will be verified by the National Office before your registration is complete.  If your membership has lapsed, or will lapse before the event date, please visit www.bmwcca.org to join the BMWCCA, or to renew BEFORE completing this event registration.

You must have completed  a minimum of 3-6 or more multi-day HPDE Driving Schools (6-12 days total at a minimum) and have been previously qualified to run in an Intermediate level group or higher in order to register for this event.  The COTA track is very challenging and can be overwhelming to inexperienced students.  We will not accept student registrations for beginner/novice students who have never participated in/completed several previous HPDE days (6-12 days of in-car instruction minimum).

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU REGISTER.   It contains valuable information about the school, registration, and the rules of the day. Forms mentioned in this text are immediately available via the links.  You might want to print it for future reference

DRIVING SCHOOL:

• Students must be 18 years of age or older with a valid driver's license - no exceptions.

• Convertibles (both soft and folding hardtop models), cars with removable tops, trucks, pickups, vans and SUVs other than the BMW X5, X3, X6 are not permitted at this Driving School.  Lotus Elise and Corvettes with a targa roof are allowed, but Corvette convertibles are not.  SPEC MIATAS and SPEC Boxsters are permitted (please note this as your car type if it's what you have).  The specific reference can be found here under the DRIVING EVENT MINIMUM STANDARDS COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES which begins on page 142 of the PDF file.

• ALL STUDENT VEHICLES MUST HAVE A SEAT FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER.  We would strongly prefer that Instructor vehicles also have two equivalent seats so that you are able to take your students on-track for instructional ride(s).  Equivalent safety gear must be provided for both seats.  If a student/instructor car has a racing seat with a multi-point harness for the driver, the same should be present in the passenger seat. 

• NO RIDERS other than registered instructors are permitted IN A STUDENT VEHICLE at-speed, even in the most advanced WHITE (A) run group.  Non-participant (visitors or guests) riders are only permitted on-track at-speed in instructor vehicles during this event.  Riders must over 16 years of age, must have signed the waiver and have a wristband indicating they have done so,   No passengersriders are permitted in rear seats on-track at-speed at any time.

This is NOT a Racing School:  Our Driving School mission is to improve your driving skills while having fun. Our goal is to teach you safe driving skills and habits in a controlled situation. We hope what you learn will benefit you in your normal day-to-day driving, especially when confronted with emergency situations. We will emphasize the relationship of the driver and vehicle, how to make them function in unison, and give you the opportunity to learn your limitations and expand your capabilities. Our Instructors have a lot of driving experience to mentor students.  Only registered and approved instructors are permitted in student vehicles.  Personal coaches are not permitted on-track with students.  We also will not accept requests for 'preferred instructors.'

Driving School Requirements:  To maximize your track time and insure you get adequate instruction, the event is run on a tight schedule. Adherence to the schedule requires your cooperation and will allow us to get through the preliminaries quickly. Gates to the track will open at 6:00 AM, and registration begins at 6:15 AM.  You must arrive in sufficient time to be unloaded, prepped and ready for the driver's meeting at 7:15 AM.  You must stop at the gate to sign the waivers and check-in. All individuals entering the track property must sign the Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement. You must read it carefully and understand what you are signing. We also recommend that you show and discuss the waiver with your spouse. Minors are allowed in the facility, but both parents or guardians must sign a Minor's Waiver Form on their behalf at the track.  After signing the waivers, proceed immediately to the paddock area and unload everything from your car, glove compartment, storage bins and trunk. Please remove floor mats, loose change, radar detectors and everything that is not firmly attached. A properly secured spare tire may remain in the car if you choose.  Be sure to arrive with a full tank of fuel.  Bring plenty of water (1 gallon per person) or other hydrating drinks. Water is best!  Also bring a folding chair, hat, sunscreen, appropriate clothes (including long cotton pants for when driving) and protection from the wind and weather. Be ready to attend the mandatory Driver's Meeting at 7:15 AM. This is the most important meeting of the day!

Mandatory Vehicle Inspection:  A technical inspection is required of all cars, and must be completed prior to the school. This is to check the condition of your vehicle, especially the parts that will be critical for an event like this. Tech inspection forms must be downloaded from the forms page.  Most safety equipment will be checked: tires, brakes, brake fluid, battery hold-downs, seat belts and more. If there is any doubt about the condition of your equipment, have it replaced. New tires are not required or necessarily recommended. The inspection can be completed by your mechanic (expect a charge) and should be done about 20-30 days before the event in case any issues are found that must be resolved.  DO NOT PUT THIS OFF!  History has shown that many drivers who wait until the last few days to have their car inspected usually find a major issue that can't be resolved before the event - resulting in cancellations and forfeited registration fees.  It is also strongly recommended that your vehicle have a new set of brake pads and rotors that are in good condition as this track is high speed and very demanding on brakes and brake systems.  If you wait until the last few days before the event and find that your car will not pass the technical inspection and you can't get it corrected in time, you may be subject to a significant cancellation penalty.  Instructors may conduct their own technical inspections but must still turn in the form at check-in.

Helmets and Safety:   Safety is our first priority.  You should have your own driving helmet.  You can use M-rated (motorcycle) or SA-rated (auto racing) helmets, but they must be certified SNELL 2005 or SNELL 2010 helmets only!  If it is rated properly there will be a SNELL 2005 or SNELL 2010 sticker on the outside of the helmet, or on the inside (may be beneath or behind the padding).  Be advised that many helmets have a DOT rating which will not be accepted unless it also has the SNELL 2005 (or newer) rating sticker on it.  SNELL 2000 rated helmets are no longer valid.  Both students and instructors are required  to wear approved (per the above) helmets while on the track.  Cars, drivers and instructors judged to be operating in an unsafe manner will be removed from the track and no refunds will be given. No glass beverage containers are permitted at any time.  No alcoholic beverages are permitted on the premises while cars are on the track.  Students are not allowed to take passengers on the track at any time -- absolutely no exceptions. Only registered students and instructors are allowed to drive on the track.

Medical Information:  Please complete the medical information form that will be kept on file for the on-site medical personnel in case of an emergency. Please fold the form in half, tape/staple and write your name on the outside for quick access. These forms are for emergency use only, and are shredded after the event. Separately from this form, you are required to inform us of any condition that might impair your ability to perform the tasks expected of a student in this school, impede your ability to communicate with your instructor, or that would impair your ability to exit the vehicle in case of an incident. If you are pregnant, we require the approval of your physician and that your spouse also sign a waiver.

Cancellation Details: 

Cancellations must be done by emailing the registrar at LSC.BMWCCA.Registrar@gmail.com.  Cancellations received before the cancellation date (March 1st) will be charged $50.00 per driver. Our event policy is that there are absolutely NO refunds for cancellations requested on/after March 1st.

Waitlist:  If you are one of the first on the waitlist, please have your car ready with a passing technical inspection and be ready to go.  Assume you might get in!  When an opening becomes available we will contact those on the waitng list in the order they registered.

Garage Rentals:  We are offering garage/space rentals if you are interested in having a covered garage to park your car in and keep your gear during the event.  Details and garage rental reservations can be found at:  http://msreg.com/Trifecta14Garages.  Garage rental fees must be paid at the time of registration per the payment instructions.  A single space is $75/day, or an entire garage (what ever you can fit - approx 6 cars) can be rented for $500/day. 

Damages:   Please see the Waiver section when registering.

Remember that it is your responsibility to:

• Have a technical inspection performed on your car

• Bring your completed Tech Inspection Form

• Bring your completed Medical Information Form

• Bring your helmet, lots of water, sunscreen, hat, full tank of gas, money for lunch

• Read the Schedule and be sure you arrive on time to prepare your car and attend the MANDATORY DRIVERS MEETING

BMWCCA announces ON-TRACK INSURANCE COVERAGE!

Are you insured on track? Now you can be! Good news for track rats: The BMW Car Club of America has announced a partnership with Lockton Risk Services to provide a high-performance driving event insurance program, delivering affordable insurance to the many BMWCCA enthusiasts involved in performance driving events. Click Here...

More information on what to expect at an HPDE (shamelessly borrowed from the Rocky Mountain BMWCCA Chapter)

• Read Mark Winey's article about his first driving school experience

• View David Jobush's 2007 driving school introduction video

Autocross:

The course will utilize a parking area in the inner part of the track near turn 13. Once you arrive at the site we will have signs how to reach the AX paddock. You will drive under Tunnel 1 and follow the road until you reach the AX area. The AX paddock has limited space so it will be exclusively used by the AX participants. Please be mindful that we will need to accommodate all participants in this space. If you are using a trailer to transport your car you may need to offload the vehicle in the main event parking lot / paddock or another location and drive your car to the AX lot.

• Check-in will open at 9 am (this will give our distant participants time to get to the site)

• Tech inspection will open at 9:15 am to 10:15 am

• Course is open for walking from 9 am

• Drivers meeting will start at 10:30 am

We will use the Houston BMW CCA classification system. You can find the AX Class worksheet here. Please take a look at the worksheet in order to determine in what class your vehicle corresponds. All registration for this event is done at the main Texas Trifecta registration site at:  msreg.com/TexasTrifecta14.  Once you have registered please send Ricardo Barnes the following information via email (panama@wt.net):

• Name of Participant
• Make, year and model of your vehicle
• Color of the vehicle
• Number that you would like to use on the side of the vehicle
• Class (according to worksheet)

Cancellation Details: 

Cancellations must be done by emailing the registrar at LSC.BMWCCA.Registrar@gmail.com.  Cancellations received before the cancellation date (March 1st) will be charged $50.00 per driver. Our event policy is that there are absolutely NO refunds for cancellations requested on/after March 1st.

Additional information regarding the website can be found online at http://texastrifecta.com/autocross/.

Make sure that all of your contact information is correct within your MotorsportReg.com profile including:

1. Your full name
2. Your current and valid BMWCCA membership number is entered into your profile. 
3. Your current home /mailing address (in case of cancellation/refund requests)
4. Your phone number including cell/mobile number
5. Your emergency contact information - name and phone number
6. Your driving history showing driving school events you have completed.  This is particularly important if you have not participated in any BMWCCA driving school events within the Texas region.  This will help us gauge your experience so that   we can ensure you meet the requirements, and to ensure you are registered in the correct student run group