First Annual LRP Autocross Invitational Shootout: AxISPlus, more open-enrollment Autocross dates have been scheduled

 By now, many of you know that Lime Rock Park is holding open-enrollment Autocross Days. The first one of the year was Friday, March 22. It was a huge success, as we saw everything from Honda Civics to Porsche 911s, and every driver had a great time and learned a lot from our driving coaches.What you dont know is this: At the end of every open-enrollment Autocross Day as well as private group-rental days and drifting days we hold a timed competition to see who can put up the fastest lap time on the lower autocross course. At the end of the autocross season, the 20 quickest drivers of the year are invited, at no cost, to the First Annual LRP Autocross Invitational Shootout, a.k.a., AxIS.The winner of the AxIS Shootout will be awarded a banal, crap-can trophy.  But the real prize is the bragging rights that you were the quickest Lime Rock Park Autocrosser of 2013!

 Here is the complete schedule for Lime Rock Parks open-enrollment Autocross Days. Below the schedule is a short tutorial on what an autocross day is, in case youre one of the 9 people who havent heard about it.Tuesday, April 9 (sold out; call us to be put on Wait List) Tuesday, June 18 (sold out; call us to be put on Wait List) Tuesday, July 9 (no db limit) Friday, August 2 Friday, August 23 Tuesday, October 8 (no db limit) Tuesday, October 22 (no db limit)IMPORTANT: All Tuesday Autocross Days are run from 12:00 to 6:00 and there is no sound/decibel limit (i.e., un-muffled cars and race cars allowed). All Friday Autocross Days are run from 9:00 to 4:00 and cars can be no louder than 86 db.Autocrossing is fun and safe, and any car and any driver Grandma can come hoon her Dodge minivan, if she wants can do it. We always have Lime Rock Park instructors and coaches running the program, so dont worry if youve never done this before; well teach you the fundamentals and secrets right on the spot.

 For information or to sign up its $225 per driver call Walter Swervin Irvine or Ryan Slideways McIntosh at 860.435.5000. They will tell you how to prep your car its easy and we have air on site for your tires; we will advise you on what front and rear pressures to run.Our first three Open Autocross Days sold out in just a few days, so dont wait around staring at your Pumas while this light turns green!Autocross Tutorial

 Fact: Never in its history has Lime Rock Park offered individuals the opportunity to drive its Infield Autocross Courses.

Your Reaction: Thats almost interesting, but whats an autocross and why would I want to drive on it?

Wikipedia: Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition in which drivers navigate, one at a time, a short, defined course. Autocross differs from road racing in that generally there is only one car on the track, racing against the clock rather than other cars. As an entry-level motorsport it provides a stepping stone for drivers looking to move into other forms of racing (such as rallying and circuit racing).

More Wiki: Due to the nature of a typical autocross layout, speeds are slower as compared to other forms of motorsports, usually not exceeding highway speeds. But the activity level (measured in TPM turns per minute) can be higher than even a Formula 1 race due to the large number of elements packed into each course.That being said...LRPs Goal: We want to underscore Lime Rock Parks underlying premise that were all about competition and camaraderie. To that end, weve created the AxIS Shootout (see above), which will be held at the conclusion of our summer autocross season.An LRP instructor times every driver (who wants to be eligible for AxIS) at the end of each Autocross Day throughout the year and records the lap time.At the end of the season, the final 20 quickest drivers during the season are invited, at no cost, to the AxIS Shootout (date TBD, probably November).The Shootout will be run SCCA Solo II style: Three timed runs, and we score your best lap from any of the runs; penalties for touching cones and off-course. Post-race hospitality will also be provided, along with a trophy presentation ceremony.Remember, open-enrollment Autocross Days are open to all drivers, in any type of car. No go-karts or motorcycles; race cars (on Tuesday events) and drifting cars are allowed. We maintain an ongoing 20 Quickest Scoreboard (scroll to bottom after clicking on this link) on the LRP website, too.Reasons to not consider buying a seat in a Lime Rock Park open-enrollment Autocross Day and potentially earning your way into the AxIS Shootout: Um, none.Who to contact:

 Walter Irvine, walter@limerock.com, 860.435.5000 Ryan McIntosh, ryan@limerock.com, 860.435.5000