SCCA Time Trials

The principal officials, who officiate the event, may include the following:

The following positions are required duties at an SCCA Time Trials Event.

1.2.1. Event Lead (formerly Event Chair)

1.2.2. Safety Steward         

1.2.3. Competition Director (formerly Chief Steward)

1.2.4. Track Control

1.2.5. Ambassador (formerly Registrar)

1.2.6. Technical Chief

1.2.7. Timing Chief

1.2.8. Worker Chief

1.2.9. Driver Coach

1.2.10. Novice Coach (if there are Novice Drivers)

1.2.11. Marshalls (Grid or Corner)

These at-track duties require an SCCA Time Trials License:

1.3.1. Event Lead

1.3.2. Safety Steward

1.3.3. Competition Director

1.3.4. Technical Chief (when Safety Level 2 or 3 is required)

1.3.5. Driver Coach

1.3.6. Novice Coach (must have Driver Coach Specialist License)

These officials Licensed officials may have assistants or co-positions to whom any of their duties may be delegated or shared.

1.4.1. Assistants do not need to have SCCA Time Trials Licenses for assisted positions.

1.4.2. Directors, Chiefs and Coaches are responsible for conduct of assistants.

Officials may perform multiple duties at an event.

1.5.1. Restrictions on Multiple Duties
An official shall observe the track during on-track sessions at all times. If a position necessitates focus on something other than the track (e.g., Novice Coach while other groups are on track), there shall be another or others to perform those duties.

Note: It is possible that one person could be Event, Safety and Competition Director, along with Driver Coach, with another person acting as Novice Coach (each of them sharing Ambassador and Technical Chief duties that would happen pre-event) with one other as Timing Chief. Track-sourced workers could perform as Track Director (Control), Flag Chief, Grid Marshalls and Corner Marshalls. Considering the Timing Chief could be outsourced as well, an SCCA Time Trials event may only require two SCCA members as SCCA-licensed officials.

1.6.1. Emergency Services – Medical and Fire Safety

A. The dispatching of emergency vehicles on the track should be authorized by the Competition Director. Dispatching procedures should be agreed on in advance by the Competition Director, Safety Steward and emergency response personnel.

B. The Medical Crew (crew staffing the on-site ambulance) should establish a primary route to the primary and secondary hospital prior to an event. The Event Organizer should confirm the availability of hospital staff and facilities.

C. All emergency vehicles shall be equipped and staffed at all times while entrant cars are on course.

D. The event shall be suspended if the basic life support unit or medical personnel are no longer on the premises or are unable to perform their assigned duties.

All participants (entrants, drivers, crew, workers and guests receiving hot passes) shall sign the SCCA Participants Agreement (Waiver of Liability) prior to receiving credentials (passes). Holders of an SCCA Annual Waiver may be exempt from this requirement. You can find instructions for completing the electronic SCCA Annual Waiver here.

Course maps should be available to all students, Coaches, and Officials, and should be marked to indicate:

A. Passing zones.

B. Speed-limited areas (if applicable).

C. Any cones or temporary barriers.

D. Pit location along with pit in and out.

E. Flag and observation stations.

A Drivers’ Meeting is highly recommended and may be separated by driver groups. These meetings should be given by the Event Lead or, if separated, by the group’s Driver Coach and should include the following:

A. A welcome and thank-you statement.

B. A reminder that even though it is a competition, drivers should work together to enable everyone to perform his or her best.

C. A review—before any track time commences—of any flags or other communication signals which have event-specific procedures.

D. Group-specific passing rules.

E. A description of any cars in which drivers are using alternate point-by methods (in-car or blinker).

F. Track or facility-specific issues of which drivers need to be aware.

G. A period for questions.

Group assignments should be done by experience, followed by class. It is not recommended that groupings allow substantial gaps in experience in the same group.

3.2.1. Assignments for students should be at the discretion of the Event Lead and/or Ambassador but are subject to adjustment during the event as needed for safety, event flow and customer service.

3.2.2 Factors that should be used for the group assignments are documented previous driving experience, demonstrated driving ability/skills, track presence/awareness, overall attitude, etc.

All drivers, regardless of experience level, should have a coach available for feedback and questions.

3.3.1. The following should apply to coaches and coaching practices:

A. All coaches should be SCCA members.

B. The Chief Driving Coach shall hold a Time Trials Driving Instructor Official License or higher.

C. The Chief Driving Coach, Event Lead and Competition Director should be a part of any decision to re-assign driver group.

D. If there is in-car coaching, the Chief Driving Coach or Novice Coach should not be assigned students so that he or she may oversee the event as a whole.

E. Novice Coaching Requirements and Practices:

1. The Novice Coach must have a Driver Coach License grade of Specialist.

2. Novices shall have classroom session(s) explaining the Rules of the Track and any format-specific procedures, at a minimum. 

a. The classroom does not need to be in an actual classroom but may take place in a designated gathering area.

b. It is strongly suggested the Novice Coach have flags on hand to demonstrate the use of to Novice Drivers. 

c. Novice Drivers shall have communication with instructors at regular intervals—either though individual or subset coaches, or by way of debriefs with the Novice Coach. 

i.It is strongly suggested the regular intervals be in the form of post-session debriefs, before the Novice Drivers go back on track.

d. Coaching should include best methods for coaching how to drive driving faster while remaining in control of the vehicle and minimizing risk.

3. Novices shall not be on track without being observed by the Novice Coach or designated assistants.

4. Coaching may be done from a central location, from posts around the course or from inside the car.

a. In-car coaching may not be utilized during scored sessions.

3.3.2. Driver Evaluation
Coaches should note any exceptional situations (good or bad) on the participant log or event entries audit sheet of the applicable driver. These situations may include but are not limited to: well executed maneuvers, good or bad on-track decisions, spins or “offs,” any mechanical issues, Rules violations, etc.

4.1.1. Although there are minimum requirements in these rules, regions are free to require increased safety minimums for specific events, tracks or formats if they feel it necessary.

A. In these cases, individual safety items must meet the minimums set out in these Rules (i.e., Regions may not require a roll bar which is below the specs of a roll bar defined by the Rules).

4.2.1. Flags

A. Mandatory Flags
Officials are only required to use Yellow, Black and Checkered Flags. At events where passing is allowed, the Blue Flag is also mandatory. It shall be marked in the Supplementary Regulations or explained in the drivers' meetings if the minimal flag set will be used.

1. If the event officials choose to run the minimal flag set, the following multiple-use flag meanings apply:

a. Yellow Flag: Shall be used for Yellow, White and Debris conditions.

b. Black Flag: Shall be used for Black- and Mechanical-Flag situations. The Black Flag may also be used in place of a Red Flag to bring all vehicles to pit lane in an emergency situation.

B. Lights Instead of Flags
Supplemental Regulations will state where on the course and for what purpose lights, if any, will be used.

It’s suggested that any Regional Time Trials event follow the National Query process for questions arising about compliance. A committee of the Event Lead(s), Competition Director(s) and the person closest to the situation (E.g., Chief of Tech for technical rules, Driver Coach for on-track rules) should make up the Query Committee.

5.1.1. For regions using another program's protest process (e.g. from Solo, Road Racing, etc.) the Event Information must include that the other program's appeal process shall not be used, even if said process is outlined in the other program's rules.

5.1.2. Fines or punishments involving revocation of a license may not be issued by regions.

5.1.3. If a decision results in an entrant being barred from participation with the region, the decision must be noted in the Event Report and followed with a specific email to timetrials@scca.com describing the issues, contact information for the people involved, and the decision.

5.1.4. Unless there is a collaborative region series (e.g., Divisional points series) decisions resulting in exclusion from participation may not extend to other events.

The TTB will act as the National Appeals Board for any decision resulting from a Time Trials Query. For those wishing to have a decision reviewed, an email should be sent to timetrails@scca.com within 14 days of the event.

5.2.1. The TTB is not required to review or hear any appeal which only affects event results.

5.2.2. The TTB shall automatically review any decision which results in a participant being denied the ability to enter an event.

5.2.3. The Appeal shall be heard within 45 days of being received, and participants will be notified of the decision within seven days of that decision.