[h=2]How to start racing: SCCA Solo[/h] Richard S James / Images by Rupert Berrington

So you've decided the Sports Car Club of America's Solo competition is your calling. Sometimes called autocross, an SCCA Solo is a timed event on a course marked by traffic cones, or pylons. It's low in risk, and can be light on commitment (if you so choose) while being very rewarding.


The best thing about Solo is you need only three things: a valid driver's license, a safe car and a helmet. By safe car, we mean one that's not going to fall apart, posing a hazard to you or others. A helmet means a Snell Foundation or SFI-rated lid – check SCCA's Solo Rules for the most up-to-date requirements (www.scca.com/solo). The good news is that many of SCCA's regions have loaner helmets available, just check with them ahead of time to make sure.
Getting started is as simple as showing up. Sure, you can recon an event before you actually compete, but it's not necessary. That's especially true if your SCCA region has a program in place to guide newcomers at the events. Some areas of the country even have Solo schools designed for rookies. If you can get to one, that's great. If not, show up, tell them at registration that it's your first time and let someone guide you.
What is Solo?
An SCCA Solo event is a precision driving competition. You'll find that how close you can get to the cones while keeping your car at the limits of traction is much more important than how hard you can mash the throttle. The Solo course is tight and twisty, usually assembled in a parking lot, unused airport or other large area of pavement or concrete. Traffic pylons – the orange rubber cones you see on roads, usually around construction zones – mark the course. They're soft, so there's not likely to be any damage if you hit one. But you still don't want to knock one over, because that will mean two seconds added to your time.
Which brings us to our next point: Solo is a timed event. Runs will usually be about a minute long, and your objective is to have the lowest time in your class if you want to win. It's really that simple. But while getting started is easy, mastery can be a lifelong pursuit.
Your first weekend
A Solo event usually consists of four parts: registration, tech inspection and drivers' meeting; the course walk; competing; and working.
Registration is paying your entry fee and giving them your pertinent information. Let them know it's your first time and they'll do their best to help guide you through the process and tell you where to go from there. But since you're reading this, you're going to have a pretty good idea. Just be aware that each region may do things a bit differently, and prices may vary. Generally, however, $35 is in the arena for many entry fees.
After registration comes tech inspection – if you don't know where it is, ask at registration. You'll take your car to the inspection area and they'll check a few things to help ensure your car is safe to compete – things like throttle return, that the wheels are snug, tires are in good condition, the battery is properly restrained and your brakes are firm. If they find something amiss, don't be offended or take it personally. They're just trying to make sure everyone is safe.
Ideally, before tech inspection comes car prep. For now, that may mean nothing more than getting all the loose stuff out, taping numbers onto the side of your car (registration will often assign you a car number) and adjusting tire pressures. You'll probably want to bump your tire pressures up from stock – find someone with a similar car to give you a recommendation on appropriate pressures, but if all else fails, make sure your tires are inflated to the auto manufacturer's recommended pressure. Later car prep may mean changing tires and adjusting shocks, or rolling the car off the trailer. But let's not get ahead of ourselves....
Before the competition begins, there will usually be a drivers' meeting. The event master will go over the event format and cover any special rules or procedures.
Sometime prior to that, probably between tech inspection and the drivers' meeting, you'll walk the course. This is critical – the course changes every event, and because the course is not pavement against dirt or grass, but rather pavement against pavement separated by cones and a chalk line, it can be tough to see. You'll want to walk it as many times as possible to get familiar with it.
Many regions offer a special guided course walk for beginners, often called a novice course walk. Ask at registration if this exists and take advantage of the opportunity. You can also ask questions on the course walk – like what tire pressures to run.
The competition part of a Solo event is divided into heats. Your class will determine in which heat you compete and in which heat you work. Yes, working is part of your entry. The competitors run Solo events; the people running registration, tech inspection, timing and setting up the course and picking up the cones that get knocked over are all competitors just like you. None of the work at a Solo event is hard manual labor, but it needs to be done to ensure a quality experience for all. Failure to work during your assigned time usually results in disqualification from the event.
Whether you work before or after your runs (many prefer to work before so they get a better look at the course, although usually you don't have a choice), it's all for the fun part: the timed runs. You'll usually get three or four attempts to post your best time. When the time comes, pull your car into the grid, and eventually you will be directed to pull up to the starting line. From there, the starter will tell you when to go – but it's important to note, the clock doesn't start timing when the starter says go. Rather, the clock starts on your run when you cross the timing lights on the course. Once the starter says go, take a breath and proceed when ready. Once finished with your run, head back to the grid. You will have at least five minutes until your next run, but often you'll have more.
There are many different philosophies to a three-run format, but many seasoned competitors will tell you that they like to post a solid time in the first run, really push it on the second, then, on the third run, dial back where they went too hot and push harder where they feel they can cut time – that's one way of doing things, and eventually you'll find an approach that works for you.
Once all of your runs have been completed, head back to your paddock space and either prepare for your work assignment, or (if you've already worked), you can pack up and head home.
You will get beat
You now have the basic information for a successful first Solo weekend. You have a car. You're ready to go. There are a few more things to keep in mind, though.
The first is, Solo is a very different discipline of motorsports than you might be familiar with. You may have been to a professional racing school or logged many hours during track days. Those things will help you, but they're not the same. Many a professional racing driver has been embarrassed on a Solo course. It requires different skills and a slightly different philosophy of car control to become good at Solo. And keep in mind that many say that going from Solo to Club Racing is usually a more successful transition than the other way around.
That's all a way of saying that you should expect to be well off the winning times at your first event. Don't let that discourage you. You'll get there.
When you're ready to take it up a level, there are the National series such as the Tire Rack ProSolo and Solo Championship Tours. ProSolo are two-day events that add the excitement of a drag race start with a Christmas tree. It's like bracket racing with turns. Solo Championship Tours are also two-day events that attract competitors from across the country. Eventually, you might even want to venture to the Tire Rack Solo National Championships to test yourself against the best. Currently being held in Lincoln, Neb., this event sees some 1,200 of the best autocrossers in the nation battle for SCCA's most coveted title: National Champion.
Whatever your level of commitment, Solo can be fun and challenging, and it's almost guaranteed to make you a better driver, even on the street.

This story originally appeared in SportsCar magazine, the official publication of the Sports Car Club of America. For more information on this topic or the SCCA, head to scca.com