Amateur Racing

Put your money where your mouth is!

That basically sums up how I feel about racing.  For years I, like most people thought that I was a pretty good driver.  I always longed for the chance to try my skills on the track, but I didn't know how to get started.  Well I'm going to tell you how to get started.  Then it's time to put your money where your mouth is.

There are lots of ways you can get involved.  Here are a few that I have experience with, but don't let that limit you.  If something else strikes your fancy keep looking.  Somewhere someone has an amateur class for it.

Solo Sport

Solo is the basic entry level motorsport for sports car and GT fans.  The concept is to race one car against the clock.  This is not considered racing since you are not actually racing another car simultaneously.  There are two basic disciplines in Solo.  Solo 1 and Solo 2

Solo 2

Also called Autocross in the US and Autoslalom (or just slalom) in Canada.  This is the more entry level of the two solo sports.  It is, in fact, considered by many to be the most entry level motorsport there is.  The concept is simple.  Cars run against the clock, on a temporary course, with safety the primary concern.  The entry requirements are simple.  Anyone of the age of majority possessing a driver's license and owning a street legal car can compete.  The only safety equipment required is a Snell rated helmet, which can often be borrowed from the host club at the event.

Tracks are temporary, and usually made with traffic cones in large parking lots, or other paved areas.  The idea behind Solo-2 is that there is nothing to hit.  If a driver makes a mistake resulting in a huge spin, then no damage will be done since there is nothing to hit but traffic cones.  All Solo-2 runs start from a standing start and end with a full stop.  Speeds (in Ontario) are typically kept below 80 km/h, so the emphasis is on car control rather than all out speed.

I got my start in Slalom with the Western Ontario Sports Car Association (WOSCA for short) in 1998.  They were a local club that I found out about through my school.  I went to my first event with no prior racing experience or preparation.  I drove terribly and learned nothing from the advice I received.  But I was, never the less, hooked.  80 events and several class wins later I'm still a hard core cone head.

The greatest thing about Solo 2 is just how easy it is to get involved.  Find an event near you and show up.  The organiser will help you out.  You can even ride along with more experienced drivers to get some advice.  Don't worry about what type of car you have, or the fact that it's stock.  There is so much to learn that it won't matter what you drive.  And be prepared for just how bad you'll be.  Because everyone is terrible their first time.  It doesn't mean you won't get better.  The upside is that after only a few events you will be much better driver then you ever were before.

To find events in the London area check out WOSCA's web site at: www.WOSCA.com

or for the rest of Ontario check out CASC-OR's solo web site: www.SoloOntario.com (click the Solo-II link at the bottom of the page)

Solo 1 & Lapping Days

Solo-1 is the more advanced form of solo sport.  The concept is similar in that it is one car at a time against the clock.  The difference is that Solo-1 is run on a permanent road course and car hot lap the track.  Each heat consists of 3 hot laps and there are a few heats in an event.  Like Solo-2 a driver's single best lap time for the day scores.

Solo-1 is not as safe as Solo-2 since the speeds are much higher, and there is a risk of roll over.  However it is still, likely, the safest way to drive your car on a race track.  Anyone can compete in Solo-1, however you will need to register in advance, as space in Ontario Solo-1 events is very limited.  The vehicle requirements are not much different with the exception that your car will be scrutinized and must be deemed safe by the organizers.  At the race track the level of preparation suggested for Solo-2 is a requirement.  There are also roll over protection requirements for convertibles.  If you have a rag top check the rules to find out what safety equipment you will need.

To learn more about Solo-1 in Ontario check out SoloOntario.com

If you'd like to get out on race track, but don't want to go to the expense of Solo-1, or you'd rather start in a non competitive atmosphere, then there are also lapping days you can attend.  A lapping day is an event where you can go to the track and do all the laps you want, as fast or slow as you like.  Usually hosted by sports car clubs, the club rents the track for the day, then charges and admission fee per driver.  Be careful who's lapping days you attend.  The track has no requirements as to who rents the track and often they are held by inexperienced and un-insured clubs.  Never attend an event that isn't hosted by a sanctioned and insured motorsport club.  WOSCA holds two lapping days a year at Waterford Hills Raceway in Michigan.  To find out about other lapping events check out SoloOntario.com, or check with a road course near you.

Remember that lapping a road course can be quite dangerous and I don't recommend it for rookies.  Before you attend your first lapping day attend some Solo-2 events to learn where your limits and your car's limits are.  Better yet there are schools available to teach you the car control skills that could save your life at the track.

King of the Hill

This is quickly becoming one of my favourite things to do with my car.  But it is also the most dangerous thing I do with my car.  I race King of the Hill at Delaware Speedway, near London, but it is also done at the Barrie and MOSPORT oval tracks.

The concept is simple.  Two cars go out on the 1/2 mile paved oval and line up at the start line.  The flag waves and it's a 1/2 mile oval drag race.  The first car back to the start line wins.  The loser pulls off the track and the winner goes back to pit road to line up with another car.  This continues with single eliminations until there is only one driver left.  That driver is the "King of the Hill".

The scary part about King of the Hill is that there are NO RULES!  No helmets are required, there is no driver's meeting and no classes.  I've even seen guys going around with out their seat belts on.  There could be bumping, there could be crashes, and occasionally there are both.  Each competitor must sign the track's insurance waiver, then they are turned loose upon each other.  Incidents are surprisingly rare.  In the two years I've been doing it I've seen some wall tags, and few contact incidents, but stories of written off cars are common.  The most famous of which is the legend of a stolen Firebird that was backed into the wall and abandoned there.  Recently I was part of a particularly memorable King of the Hill.  One September 1st, 2002 I swapped paint with the infamous "Indy 500" Camaro, and earlier in the day a white grand am hit the wall between 3 an 4 hard, when the driver decided he wouldn't need brakes.  Lessons can be harsh at the speedway, but door to door racing in the corners is a cruel addiction.

I love doing King of the Hill for two reasons.  First of all the lack of classes means that us FWD guys can go out on a track with corners and kick some V8 can, and we do.  I've won this once and the event is traditionally dominated by the "Shoe Box" a 93 Civic Hatch.  He even took most of his wins with the stock 120hp D16 motor!  The other reason I like it is that you can invite your friends to watch.  The grandstands are often full for King of the Hill, as it's only part of the nights program.  So win or loose, lots of people are going to see it!

Check out some videos of this insanity on my videos page.

Drag Racing

I often, jokingly, refer to this as F@g Racing.  I don't much care for drag racing.  There isn't that much skill involved, so it's really more of an engine tuner's sport than a driver's sport.  Never the less I do nip out once a year or so to find out how my car is doing in a straight line.  Drag racing is extremely popular, even with import crowds these days so you can almost always count on good turnouts for both competitors and spectators at almost any event.  It's also very easy to get involved.  Just find a track near you and check their schedule for the next event.  You'd be surprised, how easy it is to get started with your street car.  Drag racing is also very safe due to the fact that there are no turns.  I've never even heard of someone loosing control of a FWD street car at a drag race.

The one thing that I do like about drag racing is that it gets the punks off the street.  I hate street racing with a passion.  Street racing has given all import owners, and especially legitimate racers a bad image.  If you want to try your car against your friends then find the nearest drag strip and do it there.  Most tracks around Ontario have inexpensive street legal Test and Tune nights.  There are two tracks within 45 minutes drive of London.  St. Thomas Dragway, and Grand Bend Motorplex.  Both of them have street legal Friday nights.  However St. Thomas is definitely the more import friendly track of the two.