Fri, Mar 20 - Sun, Mar 22, 2015

BMWCCA Texas Trifecta 2015

Circuit of the Americas

About this event

The 2015 / Third Annual BMWCCA Texas Trifecta

Friday, March 20th – Sunday, March 22nd, 2015

Circuit of the Americas – Austin, TX

 

CONVERTIBLE DRIVERS - Please pay particular attention to the convertible rules below!

 

 

Overview

The Lone Star, Tejas, and Houston Chapters of the BMWCCA proudly present the third annual Texas Trifecta at the Circuit of the Americas  Formula 1 track in Austin, TX.  This High Performance Driving School will give you the opportunity to drive your car at speed and to experience the potential of the unique combination of car and driver.  It is safe, demanding and most importantly FUN!  All students will alternate between classroom sessions and time on the track with an instructor.  The individualized instruction is a key to this program that has been developed over decades, and compares very favorably with commercial schools costing many times more.  Our experienced instructors have come from racing, autocrossing and BMWCCA schools.

The Texas Trifecta will consist of:

High Performance Driver's Education School (HPDE)

 

 Friday, 3/20/15:  
 Instructors, Club Race/Practice & optional student day

Saturday, 3/21/15:  
  Instructors, Students & Club Race

Sunday, 3/22/15:  
 Instructors, Students & Club Race

 

We will also be holding an Autocross (points-paying event for Houston Chapter members).  You can register for the autocross during TIER 1, TIER 2 and TIER 3 during your qualified registration period.  We are using this site for autocross registration payment collection and will publish an Autocross registration site soon.  Look for details and a registration site link to be released after February 25th, 2015.  If you want to register for the autocross only, select the option for "driver/student" then select only the autocross option (plus any swag you might want).

Registration Fees:

  • Instructed Novice or Intermediate Students (non-solo) - $375/day
  • Solo/Advanced and Advanced+ Students - $350/day
  • Instructors (all three days) - $250
  • BMWCCA Club Racers - $749
  • Garage Spaces (in the Formula 1 garages w/ bathrooms) - $85/space per day
  • Autocross - $55 (registration fee payment now available)

 

02/23/2015 NOTE:  As of this morning our NOVICE (D) Run Group for Friday is sold out.
The Intermediate (B) run group has a few new openings available on all three days and we still have quite a few openings in the ADVANCED (B) and ADVANCE+ (A) groups on all three days.  Tell your friends!

02/12/2015 NOTE: Garages are SOLD OUT for Saturday and Sunday, and a few spaces remain for Friday.  We are now maintaining a MANUAL WAITLIST for garage spaces to avoid putting your whole registration in "waitlist" status because of a request for a garage space.  To get onto the garage waiting list, send an email request to the Registrar at:  lsc.bmwcca.registrar@gmail.com and ask to be put on the waiting list for the desired (unavailable) days.  As/if spaces become available, the list will be processed in the order the requests have been received.  If Friday is available when you register and you also want a garage for Friday, be sure to add that to your registration, and then send us an email about your desire to be added to the waitlist for Saturday and/or Sunday.

02/05/2015 NOTE: We have opened up a FIRST-EVER NOVICE student group on the Circuit of the Americas track for our Texas Trifecta.
NOVICE/BEGINNER drivers may now register for instructed driving on the big track for Friday, and for the autocross on Saturday if you would like to try autocross too.  Don't miss your chance!!!

 

Registration eligibility is a TIERED SCHEDULE PROCESS - see definitions and the schedule below.

NOTE: All Driver and Instructor registrants MUST be active BMWCCA members, and your membership will be verified by the BMWCCA national office before your registration is complete.  If your membership has lapsed, please visit www.bmwcca.org to renew BEFORE completing this event registration. You don't have to drive or own a BMW make vehicle to register - all makes are welcome; however you must be a BMWCCA member to register.  The $48 fee more than covers the cost difference between our event and the fees charged by other venues at this facility!

BMWCCA Club Racer (NON STUDENT DRIVERS) Registration Process:

All racers participating in the club racing series at the Texas Trifecta must register at www.BMWCCAClubRacing.com using this link Payment for your racing event and any optional items such as T-Shirts and garage space rentals must be made on this site.   Cancellations must be done by emailing the registrar at LSC.BMWCCA.Registrar@gmail.com and the club race coordinator - Bruce Heersink.  Cancellations received before the cancellation date (February 21st, 2015 at 11:59 PM) will be charged $100.00 per driver - no exceptions. Our event policy is that there are absolutely NO refunds for cancellations requested after February 21st, 2015.

Texas Trifecta Driver School Registration Process:

Convertibles (both soft and folding hardtop models), cars with removable tops, trucks, pickups, vans and SUVs are not permitted at this Driving School.  Lotus Elise and Corvettes with a targa roof are allowed, but Corvette convertibles are not.  SPEC MIATAS and SPEC Boxsters with roll cages are acceptable.  The specific reference can be found in Appendix B of the BMW CCA Operations Manual  here.  Please review the section under the DRIVING EVENT MINIMUM STANDARDS COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES which begins on page 142 of the PDF file. 

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DEFINITIONS:

  • TIER 1 - Candidates must be pre-approved by one of the 3 sponsoring chapters.  Generally TIER 1 eligible drivers have participated in local BMWCCA motorsports events (with one or more of the 3 Texas Chapters, or the 2014 No Excuses Event) within the past year, or attended 2014 Texas Trifecta.  TIER 1 candidates will receive a registration invitation email.
  • TIER 2 - Registration is for all  (experienced/qualified) members of the 3 sponsoring BMWCCA Texas chapters who were not on the TIER 1 eligibility list, and were already members of those chapters 30 DAYS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OPENING
    TIER 2 eligible members will receive an invitation to register by email
    .
  • TIER 3 - Open registration for any other (experienced/qualified) BMWCCA members not included in TIER 1 or TIER 2 and have not received an email invitation.​​

All drivers and all makes of cars are welcome to register (convertible rules still apply).  All paid drivers must have an active BMWCCA membership.

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TIER 1 Registration:  Opens Sunday, October 26th at 10:00 AM and closes on Sunday, November 30th at 11:59 PM (Midnight) [CLOSED]

  • TIER 1 Candidates must be pre-approved by one of the 3 sponsoring chapters.  Generally TIER 1 eligible drivers have participated in local BMWCCA motorsports events within the past year, or attended 2014 Texas Trifecta.  TIER 1 candidates will receive a registration invitation email.
  • We maintain a listing of all drivers who are TIER 1 eligible.  This will include members who attended the 2014 Texas Trifecta and/or 2014 motorsports events sponsored by the Lone Star Chapter, Tejas Chapter or Houston Chapters of the BMWCCA.  If you do not specifically receive a TIER 1 registration email from us, and you attempt to register in TIER 1, your registration may, and most likely will, be invalidated; and you may only be allowed to re-register in the TIER 3 registration openings
  • TIER 1 registrations are limited to SATURDAY + SUNDAY, and FRIDAY is available only as an add-on day.  No other combinations of days or single day options will be available until TIER 3.

TIER 1 Registration: steps for you to follow:

  • Complete on-line registration process here at http://www.MotorsportReg.com
  • Registration is NOT complete and we will not confirm until we have verified your TIER eligibility, you are approved by our Chief Driving Instructor (CDI) and we have received your payment and it has cleared.

TIER 1 Registration: communication stages from the Registrar to you:

Upon completion of the MotorsportReg.com registration process you will receive an email from the Registrar confirming the receipt of your registration.

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TIER 2 Registration: Opens Monday, December 1st at 8:00 AM through Sunday, January 4th at 11:59 PM  [CLOSED]

  • TIER 2 registration is for all (experienced/qualified) members of the 3 sponsoring BMWCCA Texas chapters who were not on the TIER 1 eligibility list, and were already members of those chapters 30 DAYS PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OPENING.    Drivers must have the required experience before registering or their registrations will be invalidated.
  • TIER 2 eligible members will receive an invitation to register by email.  If you did not receive an invitation, and have just joined the BMWCCA for the first time, please wait for TIER 3 to open.  
  • Same registration steps apply as for TIER 1 Registrations
  • TIER 2 registrations are limited to SATURDAY + SUNDAY, and FRIDAY is available only as an add-on day.  No other combinations of days or single day options will be available until TIER 3.

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TIER 3 Registration opens Monday, January 5th at 08:00 AM. Registration closes Monday, March 9th, 2015 at 11:59 pm:  [OPEN]

  • TIER 3 is open registration for all qualified BMWCCA members from any chapter across the nation. 
  • Same registration steps apply as for TIER 1 and TIER 2 Registrations.  Drivers must have the required experience before registering or their registrations will be invalidated.
  • TIER 3 registrations will offer ala carte selection of days so you can pick single days or a preferred combination of days.  Choices will be subject to availability of spots in each run group for that day.  Any wait listed registrations will be processed in the order of date/time of registration and waitlist entries.

 

 

TIER 1 and TIER 2 Eligibility Drivers who are eligible for TIER 1 or TIER 2 registration will receive email invitations.  These drivers are drawn from those who have supported us by participating in BMWCCA Texas Region Driving schools within the past year and members of the three Texas Region BMWCCA chapters with memberships that existed prior to the TIER 2 invitation email.  General Registration for all others does not open until TIER 3.  If you do not receive an invitation to register in TIER 1 or TIER 2 and you attempt to register before TIER 3 opens, your registration may, and most likely will, be invalidated.

 

Event Fees (TIER 1 and TIER 2) 

  • HPDE (Saturday and Sunday) - you may chose two days (Saturday + Sunday) with an optional third day (Friday) - option costs depend on the offerings at each driver level (see below)
  • TIER 1 & 2 entries/registration options will be only two-day packages (Saturday + Sunday).  Friday will be available as an optional third day.  There will not be any single day, or Friday + Saturday options during TIER 1 or TIER 2 registration periods.
  • Single-day (ala carte) registrations for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday will not be offered until Tier 3 registration opens.  WE WILL NOT reduce registrations made for SATURDAY and SUNDAY during TIER 1 or TIER 2 to single-day options as long as TIER 1 or TIER 2 registrations are open and there are student vacancies.  Requests to reduce a weekend package to a single-day Saturday or single-day Sunday will not be considered until TIER 3 opens on January 5th.  Please be fair to other potential drivers, DO NOT register for a SAT+SUN package during TIER 1 or TIER 2 with the intent of dropping one of the days later.  We will be announcing and charging a cancellation fee to drivers who reduce the days they initially register for.  
  • Instructor registrations are $250 for all three days of the event.  We are only accepting instructors who have several years of instructing experience and prefer those with BMWCCA and/or PCA instructional experience.

        Run Groups

Student and Instructor classing / run groups:

Students are assigned to one of four run groups [NOVICE/BEGINNER (Group-D), INTERMEDIATE/Instructed (Group-C), ADVANCED/Solo (Group-B), or ADVANCED+ (Group-A)] commensurate with their experience.  Please select the run group that you have your most recent documented and verifiable experience in, and be sure to update your driving history in your MotorsportReg.com profile.

NOVICE/BEGINNER (Group-D) instructed run groups have less than 6 days (or none at all) on a road course driver school.  You will be provided with a highly experienced driving instructor, and may register for Friday-only in the NOVICE (D) group.
INTERMEDIATE (Group-C) Instructed run groups have previously been promoted to the intermediate level and will have an instructor for this event.
ADVANCED/Solo (Group-B) drivers are considered advanced level drivers with considerably more experience than intermediate level drivers and have been driving solo in Advanced groups for several recent events.  At a minimum these drivers will have a check ride with an instructor  
ADVANCED+ (Group-A) run group is for VERY ADVANCED level drivers with significant solo experience and who have been driving in the advanced level groups for several years, or have substantial documented racing experience.  In most cases these drivers have attended a previous Texas Trifecta event, or are know to the BMWCCA instructor cadre as very advanced drivers.

The event CDI reserves the right to review your driving history and reassign your run group based on his review of your history.  Instructor supervision is required at all times while you are on the track. Helmet intercoms are used between the student and instructor to facilitate communication.  Intermediate level (Group-C) drivers for this event should have completed at least 3-6 multi-day HPDEs prior to this event (6-12 days on track) and should be Intermediate Level qualified with another in-car instructed event at a minimum, but do not need to have been solo-ed.

Instructors will likely be divided into two groups for their sessions on the track.

Questions about this event:  Contact our Event Chair - Steve Hodges at shodges883@gmail.com

Garage Rentals We will offering garage/space rentals if you are interested in having a covered garage to park your car in and keep your gear during the event.  Details and garage rental reservations will be announced on this site and by email to those who register before the garage registrations open.  Garage rental fees must be paid at the time of registration.  There are a maximum 92 spaces available in the Formula 1 garages (with bathrooms) per day.

Host Hotels:

Unfortunately the annual SXSX Music Festival week coincides with our event and hotel rooms may be scarce.  It's highly recommended that you book your room early!!!


We had a couple of host hotels for this event. Most if not all rooms were sold out as of Thanksgiving.  

Thursday, March 19th:  10 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express in Bastrop and 20 rooms at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown.
Friday, March 20th:       20 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express in Bastrop and 40 rooms at the Holiday inn Austin Midtown.
Saturday, March 21st:   20 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express in Bastrop and 40 rooms at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown.

The room rate for either location is $119.00 per night.

Contact info for Holiday Inn Bastrop:
Reservations 512-321-1900 or email groups@hixbastrop.com
Group Code: BMW
Group Name: Texas Trifecta

Contact Info for Holiday Inn Austin Midtown:
Reservations 512-451-5757 or 888-300-6273
Group Code: BMW
Group Name: Texas Trifecta

The rooms will be held until 2/26/15. After that they are available to the general public.  

Cancellation Details:  Cancellations must be done by emailing the registrar at LSC.BMWCCA.Registrar@gmail.com.  Cancellations received before the cancellation date (February 21st, 2015 at 11:59 PM) will be charged $100.00 per driver - no exceptions. Garage cancellations will be subject to a cancellation fee of $25/space/day before February 22nd, 2015.  Our event policy is that there are absolutely NO refunds for cancellations requested after February 21st, 2015.

Event Volunteers:

This event is the largest we put on each year.  It takes a lot of people to make this event happen and run as smoothly as it did in June of 2013 and March of 2014.  If you, or someone you know, is interested in helping us out with this event, as a volunteer, who would be excited and genuinely thankful for the assistance.  We can always use help with registration, paddock and corner worker support (water and ice), info booth etc. over the three days of this event.  Please watch our general information website at http://texastrifecta.com for more information.

 

Event requirements

All Driver and Instructor registrants MUST be active BMWCCA members, and your membership number will be verified with the BMWCCA National Office before your registration is confirmed.  If your membership has lapsed, or will lapse before the event date, please visit www.bmwcca.org to join the BMWCCA, or to renew BEFORE completing this event registration.  New membership registrations and expired membership renewals will take approximately 24 hours to clear BMWCCA National after which you will be able to register for this event.  If you are registering for this event as an "associate" member, you must enter your Assciate Member ID in your MotorsportReg.com profile with the "A" in front of your member number - contrary to the way it appears coming from BMWCCA national.  

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU REGISTER.   It contains valuable information about the school, registration, and the rules of the day. Forms mentioned in this text are immediately available via the links.  You might want to print it for future reference

DRIVING SCHOOL:

  • Students must be 18 years of age or older with a valid driver's license - no exceptions.

  • Convertibles (both soft and folding hardtop models), cars with removable tops, trucks, pickups, vans and SUVs are not permitted at this Driving School.  Lotus Elise and Corvettes with a targa roof are allowed, but Corvette convertibles are not.  SPEC MIATAS and SPEC Boxsters awith roll cages re permitted (please note this as your car type if it's what you have).  The specific reference can be found in Appendix B of the BMW CCA Operations Manual here.  Please review the section under the DRIVING EVENT MINIMUM STANDARDS COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES which begins on page 142 of the PDF file.

  • ALL STUDENT VEHICLES MUST HAVE A SEAT FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER.  We would strongly prefer that Instructor vehicles also have two equivalent seats so that you are able to take your students on-track for instructional ride(s).  Equivalent safety gear must be provided for both seats.  If a student/instructor car has a racing seat with a multi-point harness for the driver, the same should be present in the passenger seat. 

  • NO RIDERS other than registered instructors are permitted IN A STUDENT VEHICLE at-speed, even in the most experienced ADVANCED+ (Group-A) run group.  Non-participant (visitors or guests) riders are only permitted on-track at-speed in instructor vehicles during this event.  Riders must over 16 years of age, must have signed the waiver and have a wristband indicating they have done so,   No passengers/riders are permitted in rear seats on-track at-speed at any time.

  • We do NOT permit "split" registrations where only one driver pays, but two drivers share a single car in the same, or different run groups.  Each driver must pay separately; even if sharing a car with another driver.  Shared car drivers running on the same day must be able to register in two separate run groups (e.g.: one driver in ADVANCED+ and one driver in ADVANCED or INTERMEDIATE).  We will not split a single membership and allow two drivers to divide driving time in the same run group.

This is NOT a Racing School:  Our Driving School mission is to improve your driving skills while having fun. Our goal is to teach you safe driving skills and habits in a controlled situation. We hope what you learn will benefit you in your normal day-to-day driving, especially when confronted with emergency situations. We will emphasize the relationship of the driver and vehicle, how to make them function in unison, and give you the opportunity to learn your limitations and expand your capabilities. Our Instructors have a lot of driving experience to mentor students.  Only registered and approved instructors are permitted in student vehicles.  Personal coaches are not permitted on-track with students.  We also will not accept requests for 'preferred instructors.'

Driving School Requirements:  To maximize your track time and insure you get adequate instruction, the event is run on a tight schedule. Adherence to the schedule requires your cooperation and will allow us to get through the preliminaries quickly. Gates to the track will open at 6:00 AM, and registration begins at 6:15 AM.  You must arrive in sufficient time to be unloaded, prepped and ready for the driver's meeting at 7:15 AM.  You must stop at the gate to sign the waivers and check-in. All individuals entering the track property must sign the Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement. You must read it carefully and understand what you are signing. We also recommend that you show and discuss the waiver with your spouse. Minors are allowed in the facility, but both parents or guardians must sign a Minor's Waiver Form on their behalf at the track.  After signing the waivers, proceed immediately to the paddock area and unload everything from your car, glove compartment, storage bins and trunk. Please remove floor mats, loose change, radar detectors and everything that is not firmly attached. A properly secured spare tire may remain in the car if you choose.  Be sure to arrive with a full tank of fuel.  Bring plenty of water (1 gallon per person) or other hydrating drinks. Water is best!  Also bring a folding chair, hat, sunscreen, appropriate clothes (including long cotton pants for when driving) and protection from the wind and weather. Be ready to attend the mandatory Driver's Meeting at 7:15 AM. This is the most important meeting of the day!

Mandatory Vehicle Inspection:  A technical inspection is required of all cars, and must be completed prior to the school. This is to check the condition of your vehicle, especially the parts that will be critical for an event like this. Tech inspection forms must be downloaded from the forms page.  Most safety equipment will be checked: tires, brakes, brake fluid, battery hold-downs, seat belts and more. If there is any doubt about the condition of your equipment, have it replaced. New tires are not required or necessarily recommended. The inspection can be completed by your mechanic (expect a charge) and should be done about 20-30 days before the event in case any issues are found that must be resolved.  DO NOT PUT THIS OFF!  History has shown that many drivers who wait until the last few days to have their car inspected usually find a major issue that can't be resolved before the event - resulting in cancellations and forfeited registration fees.  It is also strongly recommended that your vehicle have a new set of brake pads and rotors that are in good condition as this track is high speed and very demanding on brakes and brake systems.  If you wait until the last few days before the event and find that your car will not pass the technical inspection and you can't get it corrected in time, you may be subject to a significant cancellation penalty.  Instructors may conduct their own technical inspections but must still turn in the form at check-in.

Helmets and Safety:   Safety is our first priority.  You should have your own driving helmet.  You can use M-rated (motorcycle) or SA-rated (auto racing) helmets, but they must be certified SNELL 2005 or SNELL 2010 helmets only!  If it is rated properly there will be a SNELL 2005 or SNELL 2010 sticker on the outside of the helmet, or on the inside (may be beneath or behind the padding).  Be advised that many helmets have a DOT rating which will not be accepted unless it also has the SNELL 2005 (or newer) rating sticker on it.  SNELL 2000 rated helmets are no longer valid.  Both students and instructors are required  to wear approved (per the above) helmets while on the track.  Cars, drivers and instructors judged to be operating in an unsafe manner will be removed from the track and no refunds will be given. No glass beverage containers are permitted at any time.  No alcoholic beverages are permitted on the premises while cars are on the track.  Students are not allowed to take passengers on the track at any time -- absolutely no exceptions. Only registered students and instructors are allowed to drive on the track.


Medical Information:  Please complete the medical information form that will be kept on file for the on-site medical personnel in case of an emergency. Please fold the form in half, tape/staple and write your name on the outside for quick access. These forms are for emergency use only, and are shredded after the event. Separately from this form, you are required to inform us of any condition that might impair your ability to perform the tasks expected of a student in this school, impede your ability to communicate with your instructor, or that would impair your ability to exit the vehicle in case of an incident. If you are pregnant, we require the approval of your physician and that your spouse also sign a waiver.

Cancellation Details: 

Cancellations must be done by emailing the registrar at LSC.BMWCCA.Registrar@gmail.com.  Cancellations received before the cancellation deadline (February 21st, 2015 at 11:59 PM) will be charged $100.00 per driver. Garage cancellations will be subject to a cancellation fee of $25/space/day with the same cancellation deadline (February 21st, 2015 at 11:59PM).  Our event policy is that there are absolutely NO refunds for cancellations requested after February 21st, 2015.

Waitlist If you are one of the first on the waitlist, please have your car ready with a passing technical inspection and be ready to go.  Assume you might get in!  When an opening becomes available we will contact those on the waitng list in the order they registered.

Garage Rentals We are offering garage/space rentals if you are interested in having a covered garage to park your car in and keep your gear during the event. These are the large Formula 1 garages with bathrooms.  Each garage has four spaces available for rent (92 spaces per day) and each pair of garages has a shared bathroom.  Garage rental fees must be paid at the time of registration per the payment instructions.  There is a waiting list option for garage rentals.  Please don't hesitate to use it as we normally end up with a few cancellations due to schedule conflicts just prior to the event.  The waitlist is processed/honored in the chronological order to registration (for the waiting list).
Note:  We cannot guarantee garage renters will be able to park their trailer near the garage depending on COTA's hospitality build-out for future professional race events.

Damages:   Please see the Waiver section when registering.

Remember that it is your responsibility to:

  • Have a technical inspection performed on your car

  • Bring your completed Tech Inspection Form

  • Bring your completed Medical Information Form

  • Bring your helmet, lots of water, sunscreen, hat, full tank of gas, money for lunch

  • Read the Schedule and be sure you arrive on time to prepare your car and attend the MANDATORY DRIVERS MEETING

BMWCCA announces ON-TRACK INSURANCE COVERAGE!

Are you insured on track? Now you can be! Good news for track rats: The BMW Car Club of America has announced a partnership with Lockton Risk Services to provide a high-performance driving event insurance program, delivering affordable insurance to the many BMWCCA enthusiasts involved in performance driving events. Click Here...

 

More information on what to expect at an HPDE (shamelessly borrowed from the Rocky Mountain BMWCCA Chapter)

 

Questions about this event:  Contact our Event Chair - Steve Hodges at shodges883@gmail.com

Circuit of the Americas

Austin, TX

Organizer

HPDE organized by

BMW CCA - Lone Star Chapter

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Event over!