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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!siemens!bhs
From: bhs@siemens.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Legal speeding
Message-ID: <25300023@siemens.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 10:41:00 EST
Article-I.D.: siemens.25300023
Posted: Wed Apr 17 10:41:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 04:12:21 EST
References: <2122@sun.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:sun:-212200:siemens:25300023:000:1813
Nf-From: siemens!bhs    Apr 17 10:41:00 1985



edh:

The cheapest way into racing that I know about is autocrossing. Autocrosses are
typically set up on large parking lots, such as near stadiums, and involve
navigating around a course set up with traffic pylons.
Such courses will include straights (mucho ponies required), slaloms (mucho
agility required), increasing and decreasing radius curves (mucho style and
technique). Fun is typically had by all, spectators will occasionally be
drafted as course workers.

The key to the success and fun of autocross is that the various competing cars
will be classified depending on degree of modification, as well as expected
performance. In fact, you will be surprised that the classification is quite
good, so that typically, it is the driver's ability and not the car's
performance which will win the race. Of course, if you have a diesel chevette,
I would not rate your chances very high, even if you are the best driver in
town.

What do you need to begin? A car, street legal or not, as well as a crash
helmet (motorcycle helmet). Also, I guess you need a driver's license.
The easiest class to compete in is street stock. For that class, you are
permitted only very few modifications. The idea of this class is that this is
the class for cars which are used every day in humdrum life in the suburbs. You
are permitted a slightly smaller steering wheel, tires which will fit the stock
rim, sway bars which must fit original factory mounting points, and a few minor
other changes.

So, you see, it is easy to get in, and sure is fun, once you get the hang of
it. For financial reasons, I currently drive a '75 Caprice Estate, which is not
suited for autocross. In fact, it is only suited for country-cross, you cant
beat it for simple endless hioghway cruising.

Bernard H. Schwab
Siemens RTL, Princeton, NJ