Amateur racing culture

[janvanvurpa]

Interesting the different terminology for the same thing. Here in the states what you call Autocross we call RallyCross and our Autocross (also called Solo) is a run through a coned parking lot.

It is not the same thing..
Both SCCA derived "Otter-cross" and "Grass-o-cross" are slower and flatter and "more restrained" the the Pommie things with similar names.
Both emphasise the ability to do them in a bog standard road car or SUV or Mini-van with road tires. That also explains the classing structure with over 30 classes so, like anything in America, everybody is a "winner" just for showing up even if there is only 1 car in the class that day..

[Starter]

It is not the same thing..
Both SCCA derived "Otter-cross" and "Grass-o-cross" are slower and flatter and "more restrained" the the Pommie things with similar names.
Both emphasise the ability to do them in a bog standard road car or SUV or Mini-van with road tires. That also explains the classing structure with over 30 classes so, like anything in America, everybody is a "winner" just for showing up even if there is only 1 car in the class that day..

I guess you're not familiar with all of the US types. While there are plenty of Autocross (Solo) classes, most are street driven and street legal cars. There are a number of those classes that allow special Solo or racing tires. There are also several classes for racing cars and "modifieds" It's a fairly flat course because its a parking lot. This is the most popular participant form of motor sport in the us (with the possible exception of drag racing) with the SCCA national championships in Nebraska last year having over 500 entrants from all around the country.

.RallyCross, on the other hand, consists of just six classes, three two wheel drive and three four wheel drive. A majority of the RallyCross cars are also street legal and many are driven to the events. These courses are off pavement and can have a good amount of elevation change.

It's true that top speeds in both would rarely exceed sixty to sixty five MPH.

[journeyman racer]

Interesting the different terminology for the same thing. Here in the states what you call Autocross we call RallyCross and our Autocross (also called Solo) is a run through a coned parking lot.

Then what I think you call Autocross/Solo is what we'd call Motorkhana. The video I linked was done in a paddock. But half the time, our meetings are held in car parks.

[airshifter]

I guess you're not familiar with all of the US types. While there are plenty of Autocross (Solo) classes, most are street driven and street legal cars. There are a number of those classes that allow special Solo or racing tires. There are also several classes for racing cars and "modifieds" It's a fairly flat course because its a parking lot. This is the most popular participant form of motor sport in the us (with the possible exception of drag racing) with the SCCA national championships in Nebraska last year having over 500 entrants from all around the country.

.RallyCross, on the other hand, consists of just six classes, three two wheel drive and three four wheel drive. A majority of the RallyCross cars are also street legal and many are driven to the events. These courses are off pavement and can have a good amount of elevation change.

It's true that top speeds in both would rarely exceed sixty to sixty five MPH.

SCCA Solo (US Autocross) is indeed much more in depth and competitive than most people think. If you show up in an active region in a bone stock Miata with no prep at all, you better be ready to get your butt handed to you unless you can drive your tail off. Even then, setting up the car within class legalities is key.

And though many Solo events take place in big wide open parking lots and such, there is no requirement other than top speeds vs runoff areas. Quite a few big tracks have hosted Solo events, often using just sections of the track with modifications to it. The main idea is an emphasis on handling, setup, and driver skill sets, so the tracks are always changed so that nobody has the "local track" advantage.

Anyone that thinks SCCA Solo is designed so that everyone is a winner has surely never been to an event in a competitive region. I've seen some slower classed cars make runs that I didn't think were possible in a car that simple that is thought of as a commuter. Some of the drivers in that form of racing are dead serious and know a car very well.

[MrJan]

So how do you guys differentiate between your RallyCross and proper rallycross (like the FIA championship or Global RallyX)? Over here rallycross is a race event, not a time trial like you seem to be suggesting.

These two are what we'd call a sprint, one on an airfield and the other at a karting track (venues are so limited that we have to take what we can find)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjwzL-QUzmk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxfpgIyZn4o

This is probably my favourite event, the hillclimb at Wiscombe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75LD4rNjUfw

And this is an autosolo (although it's a bit of a slow one because of the limits on space)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8svr3V94E

And this is what we call an autotest, which involves reversing through gates and an amazing memory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rhz19ZrpZg