Ever thought about what it might be like to work as an Official at a premier motorsports event? You know, one of those lucky dogs who is down in the pits directing traffic, or helping the drivers get organized on the grid, or maybe inspecting the cars and driver safety gear to make sure they are safe and comply with the rules? With NASA Great Lakes or Midwest you can be part of the action, and earn credits for FREE TRACK TIME, while enjoying all of the excitement of America’s fastest growing motorsports organization. NASA Great Lakes and Midwest are thrilled to offer our members the opportunity to join the NASA Event Team as Volunteer Officials!

The rest of this page is devoted to explaining who is eligible to Volunteer, what you can do, the benefits and rewards, how to sign up, and what happens at the track when you are a volunteer. So keep on reading to find out how you can become a NASA Official.

Straight from the Volunteer Coordinator

For starters, I have to send a huge THANK-YOU out to all of the Volunteers who helped us make the past seasons a big success. Largely because of all your help and excellent work, we are ready to embark on a truly MONSTER SEASON which any of the older and more established NASA regions would envy.

And as impressive as the BIG PICTURE may be, it’s still the small things our Volunteers do that really make our events run so smoothly. Our drivers receive TONS of track time because our PIT and GRID Volunteers keep the event rolling on schedule. You will receive excellent TRAINING from our team of all volunteer INSTRUCTORS (many of whom are also excellent race car drivers). Prompt and accurate event results from our TIMING AND SCORING crew keep drivers and their teams on top of their performance. And a SAFETY TEAM that is always prepared for any situation should it arise. And we can’t forget our REGISTRATION and HOSPITALITY crew who keep everything organized, documented, and serve up some excellent picnic fare on Saturday evenings.

So, if you are new to NASA, and want to be where the action is, now you know. It’s not just on the racetrack!

The Volunteer Log Book system is our way of recording and issuing credits toward HPDE, TT and Race Group registration fees. It’s a very simple way for all Non-Instructor Volunteers to keep track of their experience and contribution as NASA Officials. If you don’t already have one, be sure to ask me for yours when you arrive at the track. Present the Log Book to your Chief for credits earned at the end of each day, and whatever you do, DON’T LOOSE IT! Responsibility for this Log Book is yours alone! No exceptions, and DON’T LEAVE IT AT HOME either.

If you are curious about becoming a NASA Official or just want to hang out at the track for some good times, or want to get behind the scenes and learn how we pull these events off, contact the Volunteer Coordinator. And bring a friend with. It’s all about sharing the fun!

Who can Volunteer?

Anyone and Everyone can volunteer at a NASA Midwest event. The only requirement is that you are at least 18 years of age. You also need to be a current NASA Member (see Quick Links above) in order to earn points for Free Track time. Register online for an event as an Official/Volunteer at the Event Registration website.

What can Volunteers do?

If you think about the whole process of organizing and running a motorsports event, our Volunteers fill nearly every role from Registration, Information Center, Hospitality, Technical Inspections, Traffic Control, Grid Marshaling, Pit-Out and Pit-In Control, Timing and Scoring, Race Series Directors, HPDE Classroom Instructors, In-Car Instructors, Radio Communications, and Safety Crew. And in the near future we plan to have our own Flagging/Corner Worker Crews at selected tracks.

Most assignments require an all-day commitment, which include breaks for rest and lunch, but plan on being outdoors and wear appropriate clothing to suit the weather conditions. Hats are highly recommended as is sunscreen and we provide bottled water for free to all participants, all day long.

If it’s your first time as a volunteer, you may be placed in our training program. You’re first volunteering week-end you may “shadow” an experienced NASA official wh0 will teach you the assigned tasks and responsibilities in one or more areas. While participating in our training week-end, you will receive a Lanyard with an official badge, a Team shirt to wear for the week-end, lunch, all the water you need to stay hydrated and our fabulous Saturday Night BBQ. You will start receiving points upon completion of training.

For a detailed list of the different Roles and Job Descriptions of Volunteer positions and Officials check out the third page of the Volunteer Sign-Up Form. This is also the form you need to fill out and email to the Volunteer Coordinator if you are serious about doing this. There are separate pages for the Great Lakes and Midwest Region Schedules, and you are welcome to Volunteer at any and all of our events.

What are the Benefits?

As a trained Official, our Volunteers earn points, which are recorded in their Volunteer Log Book. Your Area Chief, will assign you duties and sign your Log Book issuing the points you earned. A full days work will earn you 4 points. Once you have earned 8 points, you can redeem them for a single day of Track Time at any NASA Midwest or Great Lakes Region event. The points can be used for HPDE, TT or Race group registration prior to the event. (see more on redeeming points below)

Volunteer points are good for 10 years from date of issuance and can be transferred to any entrant or driver you choose. They are good for all Midwest and Great Lakes Region events but must be used in the Region they are earned. If you bring family members or friends who would like to help out, they can earn free track time for you as well. They just need to be NASA members.

In addition to earning points, we provide you with a free lunch for each day you work, and you are invited to join the entire event community for a free picnic dinner on Saturday evening. Sometimes we get very lucky and a sponsor springs for a catered dinner party too. These are usually very nice.

But, the absolute best benefit of being a Volunteer is becoming part of a wonderful group of fun loving, living on the edge, fully engaged, and sometimes very wacky car nuts who travel all over the country pursuing their out-of-control passion for Traction and Horsepower. It’s just the best.

How can I sign-up?

Signing up is very simple. Just choose the event in which you want to Volunteer, and go to the online Registration link for that event. Click on the box down near the bottom of the page for the number of days you wish to work as an Official, and choose Volunteer in the drop-down-box. If you are not already signed in as a NASA Member, the system will take you through the membership process.

As the event date approaches, usually two weeks beforehand, we will contact you by email and provide you with more detailed instructions about your status and assignment for the event.

If you plan on Volunteering at multiple events, please fill out the Sign-Up Form so we can better accommodate your assignment preferences.

What happens at the Track?

In case you haven’t heard, we get started pretty early in the day for our Track Events. Usually there are cars out on the racetrack by 8:00 am, so that means we need to open the track Gates between 6:00 and 7:00 am.

Check your email and the Event Information webpage in advance for last minute details, but generally we have all the Volunteers check-in at Driver Information shortly before the Drivers Meeting. Here you can pick-up your credentials and sort out any last minute questions or assignment changes. If you don’t have one already, the Volunteer Coordinator will issue you a Volunteer Log Book. Volunteers meet before the event at Driver Info - located under the NASA Canopy.

Then you will be introduced to your Area Chief who will be your guide and show you your Official NASA area for the day, Timing & Scoring are usually in or near the Officials Tower and Observation building which is always located near the Start Finish line. TECH is somewhere on the Paddock and easy to spot by the TECH signs and line of cars and traffic cones. GRID is near an entrance onto the track and also setup with traffic cones. GRID Marshals wear orange safety vests that say GRID on the back. These must be returned to Driver Info at the end of each day. PIT-OUT and PIT-IN are typically just inside pit wall from the front straightaway. PIT Marshals usually stay ‘In-the-Pits’ where vehicles are entering and leaving the racing circuit.

At the end of your week-end of Volunteering/Training you must remember to have your Area Chief sign your Volunteer Log Book. This is the only way you can have your hard earned points documented and they must be issued in your Log Book by your Area Chief or the. Those volunteers participating in our Training Program also need to have the Area Chief check off the Completion section of the log book. All volunteers report back to Driver Info to return loaned equipment and have log books signed by Volunteer Coordinator.

Redeeming your Volunteer Points?

This is the fun part…getting Free Track Time…

Once you have earned 8 points or more, you can redeem them for a day’s free track time at any future event in that Region, HPDE, TT, Race Group, it doesn’t matter. Points can only be applied to the Region in which they were earned. Points at cross-over events will be applied to your home region, unless a specific request is made otherwise. And you can transfer your points to any driver of your choosing. You can only redeem full day’s points and your points must be earned in advance, not on the same day you intend to use them. 8 points can be redeemed for a one day track day but not part of a week-end, a 2 –day week-end requires 16 points.

The process is simple, just contact the Chief Registrar at least 3 weeks before an event and let her know you plan to use points to cover your registration fees. We limit the number of drivers using points at an event to 10 so make your choices early. She will instruct you where to mail in your Log Book, ask you a few questions about which class you will be participating in, your car number preference, transponder number, etc. When your registration is complete you will receive a confirming email. You will pick up the log book at driver Info.

That’s it. Just show up at the track ready to drive, and you’re good to go!

More Questions? Need more information?

NASA Great Lakes-Midwest has a fantastic team in place to help answer any questions you may have about any NASA topic. Please use our continuously updated website to get the answers you need. If you prefer to contact one of our experts directly, please feel welcome. They are all here to help you get he most out of your NASA experience. To contact someone directly, follow this link. Contact Us