You blasted around a real racetrack in your everyday car thanks to SCCA Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack. It was fun, easy and gave you an exciting mid-week rush. For some, that fit the bill. But for others, there’s a call to push man and machine a little harder; to test one’s ability and to compete. Thankfully, there’s a great outlet to do that -- SCCA Autocross.
SCCA Autocross events are timed contests that emphasize a driver's skill and a car's handling. The challenge is a temporary “track” outlined with orange traffic cones in a large, open parking lot or airport runway. One by one, folks traverse the coned course to see who sets the best time over a short, twisty, hairy circuit. And keep in mind that some great professional racers, such as Randy Pobst and Bryan Heitkotter, got their start in autocross.
These events aren’t wheel-to-wheel racing and courses are designed to keep you and your car as far away from anything you could possibly hit, so the risk is extremely minimal. And there are a ton of different classes for all sorts of cars, so you’ll find a fun group to compete with in your everyday commuter car or with a dedicated track toy. While speeds aren’t much greater than what you’d encounter during legal highway driving, the course layout makes the experience challenging and exhilarating.
Folks that make up the autocross community are awesome. While the competition is intense, the upbeat atmosphere and deep friendships are even greater. Don’t believe us? Well, consider this: The recent SCCA Solo Nationals -- the Championship event for autocross -- were held in Lincoln, Nebraska earlier in September and more than 1,200 folks showed up, making it the largest motorsport event in the world. That’s right, the WORLD! A total of 64 Champions were crowned in five days of competition -- 37 Open Class Champions and 27 Ladies Class Champions. Check out this video to see what kind of a blast autocrossing can be.
We here at the SCCA clubhouse revel in helping others find a way to enjoy motorsports. If you’d like to learn more about autocross, check out our online I Want to Autocross info page. And if you wanna check out an autocross in person, find your local event at our Regional Solo calendar page.
See ya at the racecourse … or empty parking lot or airport runway. :)
