Definitions:
Logbook- A small book issued by a SCCA technical inspector. The logbook is issued when a car has been deemed qualified, from a safety standpoint, to run in a particular class in SCCA events.

Scrutineer- A SCCA inspector whose specialty is the safety requirements and class requirements of SCCA race cars If I say inspector, I mean scrutineer interchangeably.

“Tech” as a location- For every SCCA Time Trials and Road Race event, there is an area called “tech” where the scrutineer volunteers are on duty. Before each event starts, the two-pronged process of Tech and Registration must be passed for the entrant to compete in the event. At tech, before the event, the goal is for the driver to get a tech sticker or equivalent to put on the car saying that he (the driver’s safety gear) and the car are acceptable to run in the event. No car will be allowed to run without the tech sticker or equivalent.

More about the Logbook
The logbook describes the car, the thickness of the rollcage, the class for which the car is to compete, and the owner is to place pictures in the logbook of a front ¾ picture of the car, and a rear ¾ picture of the car. The logbook has a serial number- that book goes only to that car forever. The logbook has pages to enter annual inspections and events that the car has been entered into. The car stays with the book and if the car is sold, the book is supposed to go with the car. This is a good way for any future owners to know when the car became a “race” car, how/what events it has been raced in and damage.

If a logbooked car is wrecked at a race, the car is brought off the track to the Tech area, and a SCCA inspector makes notes of the damage in the logbook for the car, such as “RF Control arm bent, RF fender damage, frame bent in RF, RF rim broken” The idea is that when the damage is supposedly fixed, another tech inspector in the near or not-so-near future can see the last entry in the book describing the damage, and check to see that all that damage has been fixed. In this case the next inspector to look at the car is probably give the right front a real good looking over, making sure the RF wheel has been replaced, the RF frame is back in shape, etc. If the car is deemed ready to race again, then the current inspector will note in the logbook “RF damage fixed, RF wheel replaced, Fender replaced, Car ready to race” and then= the car is ready to race again.

There are now Time Trials Logbooks for cars that are Time Trials- only and not Road Race cars. Time Trials do not have an annual inspection, so a Time Trials logbook is mostly for logging events entered and damage/repairs. The logbook has to be issued by a qualified scrutineer. Time Trials logbook must be presented to tech even though the car has to be inspected anyway.

If your car is a SCCA road race car with a logbook, then as long as you have a current annual inspection from a SCCA scrutineer, your car is ready.

If you have a Time Trials-only logbook, the car will still need to come to tech before the event starts to be inspected.

The Car Caste System
Classes: Time Trials and Hillclimbs recognize the following classes: All SCCA national Road Racing Classes plus solo classes ASP, BSP, CSP, DSP, ESP, FSP, Street Modified, Street Touring, Street Touring-S, Street Touring-X.

Solo classes will be required, as all other cars are, to have a minimum of a 4-point rollbar, fire extinguisher, and either a seat brace that ties into the rollbar for back-of-the-seat support or a one-piece FIA approved seat. Cars must have at least a 5-point harness for the driver with an CFI tag no more than 5 years old, and either arm restraints or a Window net (driver’s side).

Spec Miata is a recognized class in SEDIV Time Trials.

Specials are a class that are safe to run but are heavily modified hillclimb-only cars that don’t fit into a road-racing or Solo classification.

Crow Mountain was being planned before SCCA discontinued Rally. The same classes that are now run by Rally America (the old SCCA classes) will be recognized at Crow Mountain. Rally Classes P,PGT, G2, G5, O, and H will be recognized for trophies and records only. These Rally classes will not be given SEDIV Championship points or any other championship points.

See the rules for these classes here.

For any other car-related questions, check out the General Competition rules (“GCR”) at the SCCA site or contact the SCCA region closest to you. In North Alabama, the Tennessee Valley Region is reached at www.tvrscca.org, or call Mark Rothermel at 256-586-2886.