Article by Andrea Lacis

Registrars are not just weekend warriors. Their job begins weeks before a car ever hits the track. Registration works with the Competition Board to prepare the entry forms for a race. A mailing list is prepared by the office manager and given to the printer. The printer then sends out the entries with the information supplied. Registrars process the applications and collect the fees. They process the credit cards, checks, and cash. They enter the driver’s information into a database and assign car numbers. All this is done well before a racing event ever starts. When the race event comes, they are the first people drivers and other specialty workers see. They smile and greet everyone, making them the pleasant "first impression" of racing.

The part of the registration process most of us are familiar with, the checking in of drivers and workers, is, as most chief registrars will tell you, the easy part. Where registration starts is with the driver applications for an event. The chief registrar primarily handles the paperwork of an application. The applications are filled out by the driver and sent to the chief. It’s important to have all the information on these applications filled out accurately and completely because this information is used not only by registration, but also by the medical team in an emergency, as well as by timing and scoring. If information is not filled out or filled out incorrectly, the registrar contacts the drivers to get the correct information. The correct information is then entered into a database and any fees are processed. Applications for a race are accepted by registration up to and including the day of the race.

Before the start of the race day the registrars are at the track to get ready for race worker and pre-registered driver check-in. A registrar is responsible for verifying all the driver and worker licensing and identification. They make sure that everything is complete and current. If it isn’t, registrars will work with everyone to get everything correct. Once the registrar verifies everything, the waiver is signed, and proper credentials are issued. At the same time other registrars are busy checking in guests and the chief registrar is busy checking in late entries. The chief registrar’s work continues well after the final checker, preparing various reports and processing any cancellations and refunds. The signed waivers are then archived for a minimum of six years. Before anyone goes trackside, they will have seen a registrar first. What someone experiences in registration can affect his or her impression of a track and even an event.

Registration is not thought of as one of the most exciting specialties in racing. That however, is a misconception. Not only can it be exciting, it can be hectic, it can be fast paced, and is one of the most important specialties from a legal standpoint. Should anything unfortunate happen at an event, the paperwork registration meticulously maintains provides answers for many questions that need immediate response.

Ask most registrars if they like their specialty and they’ll tell you they love it. That attitude combined with the ability to smile in a sometimes challenging environment is what makes registration the best place for anyone to get " Racing’s First Impression".