Autocross is a low-to-medium-speed competition against the clock that offers a fun, affordable, and safe way to hone your driving skills and explore your car's performance capabilities. For newer performance drivers, PCA Potomac's emphasis on in-car expert instruction will help you quickly learn the basics in a fun and encouraging environment. Each run on course teaches you more about your car's acceleration, braking, and cornering characteristics and you'll soon enjoy the challenge of cutting tenths of a second off your best time. More experienced drivers find that autocross is a great way to fine-tune their precision-handling abilities and race their cars at a modest cost and time commitment. For participants of Potomac's High Performance Drivers' Education program, autocross polishes their skills at swiftly learning new circuits and finding tenths or hundredths of a second in tight corners and quick transitions, which can add up to seconds on proper race tracks.
PCA Potomac runs autocross (often abbreviated to "AX" and also known as "Solo") events primarily on large parking lots. Autocross courses are marked with traffic cones and typically involve a mix of slow and medium speed corners, short straightaways, and slalom sections. One driver at a time negotiates the course as quickly as possible against the clock -- with a two-second penalty for each cone knocked out of place. Your fastest time (inclusive of any penalties) of all runs driven is counted towards our season championship standings and class awards are given out at the Potomac Awards Banquet.
When drivers are not driving in a heat, they perform important tasks that support the event -- such as flagging the course and reporting downed cones. Working the course is another great way to learn as you watch your fellow competitors drive. PCA Potomac also puts a strong emphasis on camaraderie, with participants enjoying lunch together between heats and gathering at the end of the day for a review of the results, the awarding of prizes, and raffle drawings!
Autocross is available to both PCA Members and non-members. Check out our calendar and read more about the program in the FAQ, Rules, Tips & Tricks, and Policies pages on this site.
Autocross Event Registration and Fees
| Bowie Event Schedule | |
| 7:00 a.m. | Site opens |
| 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. | Registration & Tech |
| 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. | Mandatory Drivers' Meeting |
| 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. | Course Walkthrough |
| 9:00 - 10:45 a.m. | Heat 1 |
| 10:45 - 12:30 p.m. | Heat 2 |
| 12:30 - 2:15 p.m. | Heat 3 |
| 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. | Awards, Raffle, and Happy Hour |
| Summit Point Event Schedule | |
| 8:00 a.m. | Site opens |
| 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. | Registration & Tech |
| 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. | Mandatory Drivers' Meeting |
| 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. | Course Walkthrough |
| 10:00 - 11:45 a.m. | Heat 1 |
| 11:45 - 1:30 p.m. | Heat 2 |
| 1:30 - 3:15 p.m. | Heat 3 |
| 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. | Awards, Raffle, and Happy Hour |
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Bowie Event Schedule
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Summit Point Event Schedule
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Meet the Autocross Team
If this will be your first time joining us, we understand that it can seem overwhelming to try something so new. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Autocross Chairs, Bill Conley and Jeff Gary, HERE! with any questions you may have before your first event. On the day of the event, we would love to meet you, and we will be there to help you with anything you need. If we aren’t by our cars, you’ll probably find us near the timing trailer.
 Jeff Gary |
 Bill Conley |
Why should you attend a Potomac PCA Autocross?
Read the article on page 10 of the April 2017 issue of der Vorganger:
April 2017
February 2018
