6/26 We hosted our first autocross event, went super smooth! We had a laid back approach, no stress vibe to relax the new drivers and not put much pressure on them. Drivers walked the course and had a drivers briefing afterwards. Made a checklist for the drivers briefing to keep it consistent between the two sessions.
The biggest thing I wanted to give people was an experience. Spectators loved it, and craved more. The $1 brats/hotdogs and pops went well, with chips selling the least amount.
Things to improve on.
Classes and description of classes. There was a couple cars in the incorrect class, which will be corrected going forward.
The flow of the event was great once we had registration completed after the first run. Next time bring a laptop to enter driver information at the registration tent, or have a separate "tech" area to enter name, class and number. Hook up a TV to list the spreadsheet so we can see live times as drivers pass by to see how they compare to others.
Have run groups of 6 to 7 cars to keep the tires warm and the brakes hot during the timed sessions. Give more runs, its hard to gauge how late the event will run, but give people more opportunity to improve on themselves. If they have 3 DNF's, have a veteran run with them. Should have neon wrist bands on veteran drivers that beginners can ask them for help.
Entrance- Have the flow thru both sides of the tent. This will help with run groups and cutting down on getting stuck at the registration tent. This will change per facility but if we host in this location again, this should be changed.
Pros- Nobody crashed! I think the prep talk really drove home the purpose of the event. We aren't looking to sponsor anyone, and don't wreck your car for a $50 trophy.
Food was great- brats and buns were a hit. Feeding the volunteers and taking a lunch break helped people stay fresh and ready for more.
Spectators loved it, and craved more. Next event we will have fun runs, where drivers can give spectators rides if they are willing. Won't be timed, but gets people on the fence a chance to experience it.
Overall, 8 out of 10 for our first event. Classes and flow are the biggest things to improve on.