By Linda Hobbs, MVP Sports Reporter/Photojournalist
People in Colorado Springs, CO have probably seen the bright orange cones scattered across the World Arena parking lot, and wondered, “What are they doing?” They probably kept on driving, thinking it had nothing to do with them.
For most, that is not the case at all.
What they are doing is the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo competition. This grassroots driving club is open to anybody interested in testing or improving their driving skill in a fun, exciting and friendly program.
Participants don’t need special cars or licenses. All that is required is a valid driver’s license, a mechanically sound car, and an approved helmet. If participants don’t have a helmet, there’s usually a “helmet bucket” full of loaners. All you have to do is show up and put down your $35 entry fee.
On February 13, powerful (and not so powerful) engines revved as competitors drove the twisting course. Every cone taken out adds two seconds to a driver’s time. Some drivers are national champions, while for others, this is their first time.
The motorcourse challenges are not only about the speed of the car, but the driver’s ability to control their vehicle in tight turns. For this reason, having the most powerful car doesn’t guarantee a good run.
Each driver gets four attempts this day (with more “fun runs” later), working to beat their own time. The solo aspect is what makes the challenge a shared experience, and the sense of camaraderie is part of what makes the SCCA Solo autocross so popular.
Continental Divide Regional Chairman Clay Turner said the SOLO events include every type and level of car, sharing the field with older muscle cars, small imports all the way up to Corvettes, Vipers and BMW’s.
“Everyone is welcome,” Turner said.
Hondas are a popular choice, having good speed and a low center of gravity. Some cars are highly modified, while others are straight from the showroom floor. It all depends on driver-preference. The cars are divided into different classes for competition, including Stock, Street Touring®, Street Prepared, Street Modified, Prepared and Modified.
I was invited to ride shotgun with Turner, an appropriate name, because he is very good at turning.
Launching the 1994 Mazda Miata forward, we whipped around twisting lanes and flew down a zig-zag slalom course. Adrenaline tingled through my blood like ice, as the g-forces blurred my equilibrium. But when it was done, all I could say was, “Can we do that again?”
The goal is to practice skill, speed and control in tight maneuvers. “You try to minimize the distance covered,” Turner explained. “Keep your head up and focus on where you’re going, not where you are.”
In other words, take the turns as tight as possible, and anticipate the next corner, as the car will tend to go where the driver’s attention is focused.
Turner explained the steering wheel is gripped near 10 and 2 o’clock and rotated for accurate weaving. The hands never leave the wheel. In fact, one exercise some drivers use is to focus a camera on the steering wheel for later review. The less wasted movement, the better.
Slowing a car in a curve, like braking, causes the car’s center of gravity to shift – and a potential spin-out. Turner said it’s better to anticipate the curve, so the driver can have more control by accelerating, rather than braking through the corner. This is when the stronger cars must rely on driver-skill more than sheer power.
This kind of practice also makes competitors better drivers out in everyday traffic. They have a sense for what their cars can and cannot do.
Drivers gathered around open hoods, discussing the work they’d done (or hadn’t), and talked about strategies – what works and what doesn’t work. There is no secrecy in the parking lot. Everyone is happy to chat, creating a genuine sense of community in this grassroots series. This is why the SCCA National Solo Championship boasts the largest number of autocross participants, with roughly 1,200 entrants.
The entry fee is only $35.00, and cash or checks are accepted on-site, or weekend memberships are $15.00.
72 year-old Bob Klingler started out washing windshields in a garage when he was in 8th grade, and worked his way up. Married 45 years, the Iowa native came to Colorado in 1975. He started autocrossing “in 1970 something” he said, and won the Nationals in 1994 driving a new Mazda Miata.
Klingler also plays handball every weekend at the YMCA. His secret to staying young? “Keep playing,” he said. “Just keep playing, and enjoy what you’re doing.”
Kinch Reindl was bitten by the Solo bug in 2001, when a co-worker invited him along to see what it was all about. Moving to Colorado in 1998 from Texas, Reindl married in 2008 and is busy raising his 14 month old baby. But he still finds time to pursue his passion. Driving a stock 2003 Mitsubishi Evolution, Reindl was the 2008 Driver of the Year, and has placed highly in several national competitions.
Looking at 61 year-old Bobby Ely as he works on his 1969 Mustang, you’d think he’d spent his life under the hood of a car, but looks can be deceiving. In fact, Ely only became involved in 1986.
The Colorado native has a liberal arts degree from Wheaton, and grew up in a family with no special enthusiasm for cars.
Married for 36 years, to “a very tolerant wife,” he says he hasn’t won a lot of trophies, although he has placed among the top three in the Nationals, Ely enjoys the sport simply because it’s fun.
Emblazoned on the side of his Mustang is Wile E. Coyote and “Acme Motors” as his sponsor, he said, because Wile E. is known for his innovation, if not his achievements.
If you decide to try your hand at autocross, the summer schedule is just getting underway.
The Rocky Mountain Solo Winter Series for 2009/10 winds up with a tentatively scheduled event on Saturday March 27 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
The Rocky Mountain Solo Summer Series 2010 starts off on Sunday, April 11 at the World Arena.
Check-in is between 8 and 9:30 a.m., and the first car off will go no later than 10:30 a.m.
Keep in mind there are noise ordinances, depending on the course. The World Arena, Jeffco Stadium, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Pepsi Center and Coors Field enforce a 93 db noise limit, and PPIR has a 103 db noise limit. If your car is too loud, you will be given a chance to make adjustments.
So stop by and have a look at the hottest game in town, if only to visit for awhile. You’ll be glad you did.
