Gymkhana courses typically involve only the use of first and second gear, where autotesting in the UK and Ireland add the use of reverse gear. A gymkhana course will typically be from 0:45 to 1:30 in length. Like autocross and autotesting, gymkhana courses are laid out with cones representing “obstacles” to navigate through. Unlike autocross, which can be considered to be a small version of a road course, obstacles in gymkhana will often consist of slaloms, 180 degree turns, 360 degree turns, figure eight turns. Gymkhana requires strong mental concentration and memorization of the track, as sections of the course frequently must be repeated or navigated backwards (not in reverse) and or differently. The driver will use many techniques to effectively navigate a course. Handbrake technique, drifting and sliding and Left-foot braking are all necessary skills for gymkhana.

Some things you need to know before you start

You WILL remember your first event for a long time. The adrenaline that makes you shake at the start-line before your first run, and the even bigger surge of adrenaline you feel when you finish. That excitement is part of the sport, and it’s why we all do this.

Don’t let being a newbie overwhelm you! Every driver, had a “first” day! GYMKHANA is a skill that requires instruction and practice to see improvements. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be so competitive, or so fun. In fact, experienced road racers normally find that their skills are not quite enough. The great thing about this sport, though, is that even when you’re going “slow”, it’s still fun driving.

The course may seem “busy” at first, because it’s tighter than what you see on the street, and you’re trying to attack it faster than you could in traffic. You’ll have fun learning the sport and learning to keep the car in control as you get faster and better with more seat-time.

With that said, here are some tips to give you the right newbie attitude, so you don’t become discouraged:

• Your goal is to have fun! That’s why everyone is here.
• Your goal for the first run is to avoid getting lost on course
• Your goal for the rest of the day is to improve your time on each run
• Your goal for the second event is the same as the first.
• Your goal for the rest of the season is to beat somebody (anybody) and continue to make each run faster than the last.

At this point, you are learning a lot on each run, and you may be 5-10 seconds behind the leader. That’s not unusual! You’re still doing OK. It takes time to develop your skills.

Generally speaking, the experienced drivers like to help the novices. So don’t be afraid to ask!

What to Bring to an Event

This list covers everything from sunscreen to snacks to tye pressure gauges. You will probably come up with your own list of things you need at a GYMKHANA event, but this will get you started.

You must have:

• Your car (although you may share a car with someone else)
• Your entry fee
• A valid driver’s license
• A helmet -Optional but recommended

You may want to bring:

• Extra air in your tires. Stop at a garage and fill your tires to approximately 0.6 bar more than your daily pressures
• Suitable shoes for driving.
• A fold-up chair
• Umbrella / Sun block

What Happens at a GYMKHANA?

People begin arriving before documentation opens so they can unpack their car, change tires and get ready for the day before registration begins. It is best to arrive at or before the beginning of registration so you will have time to register, scrutineer, walk the course.

Documentation

To register you must have a valid driver’s license and entry fee. Fill out the information card at the registration area. You will also be assigned a car number for the day. At documentation, you will be asked to sign the indemnity.

Once you know your class and car number, mark your car using white shoe polish on the window, tape paper numbers inside the window, or use magnetic numbers if you have them.

Scrutineering

Your car must pass through scrutineering before you can compete. Read the tech inspection chapter to see what you’ll need to do. Registration may be at one central area..

The scrutineer will sign your card if you pass, or recommend changes to make the car pass, such as additional tie-downs for the battery or removal of loose items or hub caps if you’ve forgotten.

Course Walking

After scrutineering, you will have time to walk the course. Course maps are available at documentation. Try to have the course memorized before you go on the guided walk.

Drivers’ Briefing

The drivers’ briefing is mandatory for all drivers. The event organiser will hold the meeting approximately one half hour before the first car starts. Be sure to attend. This is where you will find out information you’ll need to know about the course conditions, number of runs, particular safety concerns, how penalties are assessed, and how work assignments will be handled.

Your Runs

You will have a minimum of three timed runs, weather permitting. Depending on the event, you may get as many as five timed runs. Find out who is running before you and after you, so you know when to line up. Running in order makes the timing people’s job easier, and keeps the event running smoothly, but if someone gets in front of you, or you are running a little behind, don’t worry too much about it. Just try and keep in line.

Once you are in grid, you will wait for the cars in front of you to launch, and you will move up until you are on the start line. A starter will wave a green flag when it is OK for you to start. The green flag means go as soon as you are ready, the timer will not start until you pass through the gate.

Just take the time to get back on course, and continue the run as a practice!

Times are posted after each run. Your fastest run of the day is used to determine your finishing position.

Fun Runs (Bobs-In)

If time permits, Bobs-In runs are held at the completion of the event. This is your opportunity to ride with other drivers and have them ride with you. Bobs-In runs usually cost R5-R20 per run and the fastest driver gets 50% of the money.

The Awards

After the event, following course clean-up, everyone meets for the prize giving. The location for the presentation is usually announced at the drivers’ meeting.

SCRUTINEERING Requirements

Helmet: You can bring a full or open face helmet and must be OK’ed by the Scrutineer. It’s NOT mandatory but recommended.

Safety Belts: Original safety belts, at a minimum are required. Shoulder belts are not required, if your car did not come with them. Belts must be firmly attached.

Solidly Mounted Battery: The battery must be held down properly. If it can be moved at all, it will not pass. There are some additional battery requirements which may affect you if you have modified your car. The Tech Inspector will help you out with them.

Legal Tires: Must not be on the canvas or “dangerous”

Brakes: The brake pedal must be firm, with no loss of pressure when held down.

Steering / Suspension: The steering must be tight, with no excessive play. Wheel bearings cannot have excessive play.

Hub Caps : Hub caps,  must be removed for competition, unless they are bolted/cable tied to the wheel.

Loose Items in Car: All loose items must be removed from the passenger compartment and trunk.  You may remove the spare tire and jack, but you are not required to if they are properly secured.

Fluid Leaks: Excessive fluid leaks will not pass scrutineering.

Competition Numbers: The car numbers should be prominently displayed on the right hand side of the car in colours that contrast with the paint, and should be large enough to be seen easily from wherever the scorers are. White shoe polish for marking windows  is available for people who don’t have magnetic or paper numbers.

Throttle: Accelerator pedal must have a return spring and operate freely.

You are not required to have your car registered for street use, but it must pass scrutineering.

Penalties

A 5 second penalty is given if :

• If the cone is knocked over and is out of the box.
• If the cone is knocked over and is in the box.
• If the cone remains standing but is out of the box.

 A penalty is NOT given if :

• The cone remains standing is touching the box
• The cone remains standing and is partially in the box.
• And of course, if the cone remains standing within the box.

 A 5 penalty is  given if :

• You short stop
• Overshoot

Your front wheels need to cross the finishing line and you rear wheels must be behind the line. Your car MUST be stationary for at least 5 seconds.

A “W/R” penalty is  given if :
(W/R Penalty – Slowest time on the particular test +10 sec)

• You miss any one of the pylons
• Miss any of the gates
• You turn the wrong way around any pylon
• You follow the wrong route

A “DNF” penalty is  given if :
(DNF Penalty – Slowest time on the particular test +10 sec)

• Your car broke down in the test
• You leave the event without completing all the tests

What you can do Today

Tires: You’ve already read that you should put an extra 0.6 bar in your tires. The reason for this is to keep your tires from rolling under during hard cornering. But how much is too much? Put chalk on the edges of your tire, in three places around the diameter, and you can see how far over the tire was going during your runs. Bleed out a little if the chalk is still showing on the tread, or add a little more if the chalk has been worn off down the sidewall. The line of worn chalk to remaining chalk should be right at the corner of the tread and sidewall. Keep notes on how many bar’s you ran, and where the chalk line was, for your next event.

Remember that as you get better and corner harder, you’ll need more air to compensate, so keep using the chalk at every event.

Driver Restraint: In order to have good control in driving, you, the driver, have got to stay put. So make sure your seat belt is tight and firm. Some people like to tug hard (fast) on the shoulder strap to engage the lock on the reel.

Driver Location: Most experienced drivers will agree that the best place for your seat – to give you the best control – is seat forward far enough to have your leg slightly bent when the clutch is all the way to the floor, and seat-back reclined or upright to a position that allows you to rest your wrists on the steering wheel when your shoulders are firmly against the seat.

This position allows you to run the full range of steering inputs and foot motion without stretching or moving in your seat, and can have a huge impact on your driving skill.

Course Walking Tips

You must be able to keep track of the course in your head. If you can’t, then you can’t drive it to its fullest potential – That’s worth 5 seconds already!

Knowing how to walk the course is the most important step in being competitive and staying “ahead” of the course.

Step 1) Walk the course. Your first walk will be to get the general layout, and is often a social walk. Now get away from friends and walk the course alone, concentrating on memorizing the layout. Think of it in sections, with key cones marking the turns, such as:

• start straight
• slalom (enter on right)
• medium left tightens
• “little snake” then “big snake”
• right-hand curve (look for the pointers)
• tight right, then tight left
• finish

Stop every now and then and run through the course in your head, from the beginning to where you are. Get down – the course looks different from a seated position. This will give you a better picture of what the course will look like at speed.

Pace off the distance between cones in a slalom. Some course designers vary the distance, and it’s good to know before you arrive whether you will have to vary your speed in a slalom. Take a note-pad if you like, and make notes such as pavement changes, camber change, bumps, sand, etc.

Make a mental note to yourself (or write it down) how far ahead you will be looking. When I walk the course, I say to myself, “OK, when I am here I will be looking there” This will help you to remember to look ahead while you are driving.

“Repeat this step over and over until the picture is perfect.”

How do you know if the picture is perfect? Sit down by your car and try to draw the course on a blank piece of paper. Include the key cones you want to recognize while you drive. If you can’t draw the course, you will want to walk it again. Once you leave the start line in your car, you should not be spending any time figuring out where the course is.

Step 2) Plan the course. (Do this while walking the course again) Now decide exactly how you want to drive the course. Driving the course perfectly involves two things; coming up with the correct plan, and executing the plan correctly. If you don’t have a plan, you can’t possibly know where you didn’t execute it correctly. It’s hard to know if you did this step correctly, but step 4 is something you can work on.

The plan involves the line you will take through the cones – the quickest way through. Note, I didn’t say shortest. Think about the characteristics of your car; does it corner better than it accelerates, or the other way around? That will tell you whether to slow down so you can get through the corner in control and get on the throttle as soon as possible, or try to carry speed through to keep up the revs.

Don’t forget to plan where you will be looking. There is no need to memorize every cone on the course, only the ones you plan to be near, the “important” ones. Look from one important cone to the next in your plan.

Step 3) In Grid. Before you run, while you are in grid, go over the course again several times in your head, executing the plan you made before.

Step 4) After the run. Sit in your car and go over your run. Figure out where you didn’t execute the plan. If the plan was to be near a particular cone, and you were five feet from it, then you didn’t execute the plan correctly, and a red light should have gone off in your head. Maybe you need to adjust the plan because you were going too fast in the slow parts. Decide at this point whether your next run needs to be a better execution of the plan, or a modification of the plan.

Basically, don’t use the car as an excuse, you will see a big difference in your times when you drive a course that never surprised you.

Driving Tips

Seat time, seat time, seat time. That’s the best way to go faster. They say, “Before you fix the car, fix the driver”. That’s because there’s so many techniques to improve your driving, it takes seat time to learn them all, but once you do, someone without those skills would have to spend a lot of money on their car to beat you, and probably still couldn’t.

Here are a few techniques to get you started. Don’t try to apply them all in your first run, you’ll be too busy. But read through the whole list, then work at gaining these skills one at a time.

Look Ahead. It all relates to hand-eye (and eye-foot) coordination. Look where you want your hands to drive you, and look far enough ahead to take advantage of the feedback. If you’re looking at that outside cone that you’re afraid you’ll hit, well, you’ll hit it. If you’re looking ten feet in front of the bumper, the turns will keep surprising you. Imagine looking at your feet while you are running on foot! You won’t be very coordinated, and you won’t have a good sense of distance or speed. Same goes for driving hard corners as you do in autocross. Look ahead. You will be astounded at your performance the first time you remember to do this all the way through a course.

Slow Down to Go Fast. A common problem when you’re starting out is trying to take the tight sections too fast, and not staying in control. I still remember finishing a run and saying, “Well, I didn’t go very fast, but it sure was smooth,” only to find out I’d gone faster by a full second! Just be patient in the slow spots. They’re slow spots, after all. – “More is NOT NEVER faster!”

Brake hard before corners. Go ahead, squeeze the brakes hard. There’s no morning coffee on your dashboard, or eggs in the front seat. Once you decide to slow down for the corner, don’t waste any time. If you find yourself at a crawl and you’re not at the corner yet, why, you’ve just found out that you can brake later. Locking up your tires will not make you stop faster, so squeeze the brakes and let them do the work, not your tires.

Adhesion. Don’t ask too much of your tires. For any tire/pavement pair, there’s only a certain amount of traction. We’ll call that 100% traction. You can use up that traction with your throttle, your brakes or your steering wheel. So if you’re going into a corner, using 100% of your traction to make the turn, what happens when you ask for more traction by applying the brakes? Either you won’t brake or you won’t turn. Or both. Same goes for accelerating out of a corner. Ease in the throttle as you ease out of the turn. So use full throttle and full braking only in a straight line. This goes back to slowing down to go faster, and brings us to…

Smooth Inputs. You may have noticed that I used the phrases “squeeze the brakes” and “ease in the throttle”. This is where you have to change your mind-set about inputs to controlling your car. You need to convince yourself that you can make your car respond better by squeezing the brakes hard instead of standing on the brakes, by rolling in the throttle rapidly instead of stomping on the gas, by turning the wheel quickly instead of cranking it around. Subtle, but it will show up in how often your car is in control instead of scrubbing off speed pushing around a corner. And it will take a lot of practice to become second nature.

Shift near redline. On the street, we don’t usually shift near redline (high rpms). But on a Gymkhana, you want to be making the most of the power available to you. You’ll learn to hear the motor as you drive and stay in a low gear longer. Most courses will be in second gear for stock cars. If you’re shifting to third, you’re shifting too soon, unless you hit the limiter with a long way to go.

Launch at about 4000 rpm. Each car varies, but try to start at higher rpms than you’re used to. Don’t “dump” the clutch, or you’ll find your wheels spinning. Let it out rapidly and find the right rpms to maintain traction. Higher horsepower cars will want to use lower rpms than less powerful cars.

Don’t worry about the indicators, wipers or hooter. You’re bound to hit them as you drive. Don’t let it throw you. We’ve all done it!

Go to as many events as you can. Go to the ones with the toughest competition – winning something local is fun, but losing to someone fast will probably teach you more.

Always remember to have fun! You’ll never stop learning – the best drivers will tell you this still applies after ten or twenty years! Remember, seat-time, seat-time, seat-time. Nothing will make you go faster sooner. And nothing is less expensive in improving your times.