ATTN SOLO 2 Competitors

[miataboi]

I love this sport.
It is SOOOO much fun.

The people are great... the atmosphere is friendly... the weather is MOSTLY nice... my driving improves... it is inexpensive... the friendly rivalries and egging on of fellow competitors... the people are laid back....

It's the safest, most fun and cheapest way to spend a day with people who are great to be around. The sport spans both sexes, all ages, all races, all socio-economic classes. AND NONE OF IT MATTERS when out there on the parking lot! We all share a common bond.

That's why I love the sport.

Let's hear why YOU love the sport. Why do you do it? How did you get into it? How long have you been doing it... and how long do you see yourself doing it for??

[tanney]

I agree! Great fun, great friends, great competition!

I personally got started in 1999 when Mike Birch sold me some tires and rims with the condition that I came out and tried running some Solo 2.

First event I was hooked. I did seven events in 1999, six pittl and the last regional event at Mosport on the Kart Track (now the top half of the DDT).

In 2000, I did the Solo 1 School, one Solo 1 event and 21 Solo 2 events (see, I told you I was hooked). 2001, 20 Solo 2 events, and eight Solo 1 events as well as various lapping days (I really am hooked).

Although I have stepped back from Solo 1 a bit, it looks like I will be doing, possibly, in excess of 25 Solo 2 events this year.

Damn I do love this sport!

[Tony Kloosterma]

I have been involved in motorsports since age 10. For 2 years I sat at the kitchen table and worked through navigational rally instructions at the kitchen table figuring out to do Time Distance and Speed before my dad would take me on my first rally.
He took me to Harewood (most of you weren't born then) I worked the gate as an 11 year old. He took me to Mosport for the Presidents Trophy races, at that time he was the president of the Hamilton Motorsport Club, I went to the Canadian GP at Mosport.
At age 12 I went on my first rally and won first overall beating 60 seasoned competitors, I was hooked.
At age 16 I co -drove in the first special stage rallies in Canada, and have a 5th place finish at the National Championship Tall Pines event in 1974.
At age 19 I started driving Special stage events and competed till age 26 when family committments meant I had to give up my goal of winning a national Rally Championship. My one illustrious claim to fame is having won the inaugrual Penninsula Special Stage Rally (An Ontario Championship event at the time) which up till last year was a National Championship event.

At age 43 I started racing go karts and did that for 3 years.
At age 46 on my birthday I bought myself a WRX to do some solo events with and get back into the scene.

Motorsports is something I grew up with and has never left my blood. I enjoy all forms of racing including the dreaded NASCAR:D

I compete because I enjoy being able to test my driving skills and drive my car quickly LEGALLY.

I enjoy the people and the rivalries as well.
I see myself doing this for sometime, maybe till I can't drive anymore.

Yours in the sport.

Tony

[Logan]

I got started when the current president of PMSC (family friend) started bugging me when I had my civic. Told me to come out and give it a shot. That was 1999 or 2000 I think, I can't remember.
I ran a few PMSC events that year, and certainly was hooked.
This is my first year running the regionals.
Getting up at 4:30AM yesterday to drive from Peterborough to Woodstock was done for the love of the sport. The thought of it didn't phase me one bit.
I enjoy getting out there and shooting the s**t with everyone, seeing what other people drive, watching people like Steven T do things that shouldn't, but apparantly are, possible.
Watching people that are new come out and enjoy themselves is also great. I like seeing the smiles that this fun and safe sport can bring to people, getting them hooked is another plus.

[Taylor]

I was paranoid about getting involved, though it took several years (about 23) to realize this sort of thing was even POSSIBLE for average joes. Then I was concerned everyone would be a bunch of assholes, pointing and laughing. Then I was concerned about my safety.

It took my father to do a BMW School in Atlantic Canada and tell me about all the fun it was and such to really alert me to the possibility that I should do it. This was the only personal contact whom had anything to say about amateur motorsport. It was a respected opinion. So I gave it a shot. Booked myself a school, and while waiting for my school I went to the Solo Open House and met the members in HADA, joined up immediately. Meeting them in person everything felt so much better. These were good people and they wern't just kids, plus as said above... people from all parts of the spectrum, all kinds of cars. No neon, no street racing. People I didn't have to be embarassed to be associated with. Which was the opposite of what I thought I'd be involved with.

My first event was ass, but I knew it would be and my fellow club members were there to help out and encourage. My worries immediately changed and I ended up doing just about every event I could that year. I got hooked immediately. It wasn't exactly fun yet there was still lots of performance anxiety, I kept doing better but I knew the idea was to have fun and basically the people (not the driving at the time) made it fun. Competition was second.

With the wealth of knowledge and kindness, I felt I needed to contribute something too. In fact, I was so annoyed that I hadn't found out about this earlier that I wanted to do something to change that.

My point of posting articles as a newbie was exactly that.. in fact Wired Motorsports exists very much as a resource to get people INTO the sport. Yes that means that every time I say something negative I potentially hold someone back, but the intention is so the events to run better so that someone like me (at the time) would give it another shot if their first experience was less than amicable.

In my first year, I did 13 Solo 1's, 17 AutoX, 3 Lapping Days, 4 Schools (including 2 in Atlantic Canada) and 8 Club Karting Events (45 events that year).

My second year, I backed off from Solo 1 because my performance wasn't all that great and I wasn't too pleased with the performance of the "race car". So I focused on where I was having the most fun (fun now was more where I was coming in first instead of last), Solo 2 and ProSolos. And I did better and had more fun than beating myself up loosing 7 seconds to other cars in my class in Solo 1. My regional Solo 2 result was disappointing and not what it should have been and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't very soured about the people aspect as a result of that last event. It showed me that there was some pretty nasty competition happening that I didn't notice before. That event required me to rethink how I looked at the sport. Though more at how I looked at the different series.

That year I did 4 Solo 1's, 1 Lapping day, 19 AutoX's including the Canadian Nationals in PEI and 4 more Schools and I think 5 karting events (33 events that year)

This year, I'm revisiting Solo 1, mostly because the car is getting better and better with each passing event and therefore so am I. I missed the track. The whole Solo 1 weekend thing is better socially than Solo 2. Though in fairness I haven't marshalled with anyone in Solo 2 since my first year and this year have spent my fair share of time under a tent doing timing. 13 Events so far this year (2 instructing)...

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if it wern't for the people, the competitors and their company, I don't think I'd be as involved in this sport as I am. When what's happening on the course or the track isn't making me happy, it's usually the people that make me want to return. Since I have sponsors and am capable of winning an AutoX series, now there are other factors that effect my appreciation for an event. My view and my return from the sport are still evolving.

Thankfully it's still fun. In fact I was depressed yesterday morning that I had decided against the HADA Lapping Day over some poor planning and minor car issues. Same with the Mosport day a few days earlier. I made the right decision but really missed being there. I know I missed out on some serious fun. I hate that.

All feelings after the fact are due to withdrawl. This really is a great sport. But periodically, I think it could be better. I'm just not one of those people that's ever fully satisfied, I'm a software developer... what did you expect? :P

[gatherer]

my first year in the sport and should be at 25 solo 2 events. it's the most fun I have ever had in my life. there's not much else to say time of my life really.

[Marsh]

I would like to say that I got into Solo-2 for the people, but that's not true. My first year it was just exciting to actually be participating in a motorsport. By the end of the year I was doing well and started to get competitive. I always liked the people, but that's not why I kept coming back. I wanted to WIN! My attitude made me decidedly un-popular, but I didn't care I was just there to race. I can't count how many Solo-2's I've done, but my first year WOSCA had a full spring, summer fall and winter series, as well as regionals. To date I'm sure it's around 100 events or more. I actually enjoy the driving. Sure it's not as fast as the road course, but I find just as fun. I love the feeling of sticking my car through a turn at 50 km/h that most people don't think they could do at a dead crawl.

But in recent years I find my self enjoy the company a lot more. I think it's because more people have gotten to know me and learned not to take me seriously. But I find I enjoy organizing even more than competition now, because I have more time to just hang out with poeple and not stress about pax calculations and backup scores.

[Chris P]

Why do i like SOLO racing? Well, i'm not really sure, it just kinda happened. For those that don't know my father has been racing for over 25 years, i'm sure he lost count a long time again. Basically i just grew up as a track rat. Went to almost every event my dad did dureing the 11 years he raced FF1600. It was fun, i got to miss school, play on my bike, and watch pretty cool cars.


At 11 i finally convienced him to buy me a go kart after testings a friends out. First time on the track i knew my lines where good but i was using too much brake. Well, at 11 years old and first time on a track in somebody elses kart what do you expect?
Anyway, i raced Karts for 4 years on almost every kart track in ontario and in a few really big races(ie: Barrie GP).
Anyway, after racing cars for 5 years we decided it was time to move on and try something else.

When i was still racing karts at the age of 15 somebody convinced dad and myself to compete in a SOLO 2 fun event in early April. We went out there with a 1986 Camry on Dunlop FF1600 tires..........well that was interesting. Our times were still respectable even though that may have been one of the slowest setups EVER!!!


So, when i was 16 i ran a bunch of lapping days and a few SOLO events with my dads FF1600. The highlight of that was beating him my 5 or 6th time in the car. Not bad for a 16 year who didn't even know how to drive 4 speed. :cool: The bad, going offroading with pops race car and doing some minor damage. Oh well, your not pushing if you don't spin or go offroad once and a while. Now that i think of it, i think i spun and stalled that car quite a few times. WERD

Unfortunly those few events i did with the FF1600 ruided any chance i would have at the SOLO 1 Rookie award. That kinda sucked but i lead the overall points for the most of my first season to finally finish 3rd overall.


yeah, so onto age 17.
Done with karts and the race car sold Dad and myself the only affordable option was SOLO 1. He bought a S2000 and i bought my brothers 1987 CRX which was already prepared to SOLO 2 Stock rules. Came with rims, tires, shocks every. We picked up the car a week or 2 before my first SOLO 1 event. I think i drove the car for only a week, learning 5spd, feel and of the car, basically learning everything. Went to my first SOLO 1 event at shannonville nelson track and set a new track record for D Stock. COOL

Also that first seson i ran the full SOLO 2 championshp series. That was alot of fun. I ended up 2nd overall after battling Tony M in points. The real problem with my first season is i didn't even think about back up times till mid way through.

The last really exciting thing of my first season was winning the SOLO 1/SOLO 2 Shootout against all the drivers that my dad used to race SOLO agianst 15 years earlier!

I also ran PITTLE that season and was tied for overall but me and blair's tolan didn't get along and i knicked a few cones. Without those cones i believe i would have been 1 or 2 overall.



What keeps me coming back? Well the compitition is what does it for me. Also my major lack of income still being a student and all. I would love the chance to go run Spec Miata, Speed Cup, Transam, ALMS and hopefully one day i'll get a little taste of that. Oh well, i'm only 21 and have been racing for 10 years, still another 60 years of racing left to go. I think i would adapt to rally quite well since i seem to be able to pick up driving various vehicals and conditions quickly and without really thinking about it, just doing what naturally comes.

Hmm, 60 years of racing spending a estimated average amount of $40,000per year comes out to $2.4million spent on racing. Holly crap!!!!

[Chris P]

PS, Sorry for making that so long.

off to go practice on my computer racing simulator.......NETKAR

[soloZ]

One of the people I first met was Malcom Elstin(sorry Spl) and I met him at a dealership I was working at at the time, He had brought his 1985 Z24 hatchback in for repiar and service well I saw the Toronto Autosport Club sticker and quickly asked what it was about. Later that year I went to one of the TAC events at the MTO lot and watched but didn't race, I had an 1985 Celica GT so it was anything in my eyes that I wanted to race with.

End of that year I got a 1997 Z24 witch I got used and started trying out some autocrosses , My first event was at a Corvette club event I thought it was so cool that I could race my car and I didn't really need to do anything to the car(due to car classes) I also met Dave Tiara for the first time there and well thats when I became hooked on autocrossing. I think the biggest thing is the friends I have met through this sport I have trouble remembering some names but I have not forgotten a face, The whole idea behind this sport is to have fun otherwise it will hopefully make you a better driver.


to this date I have done over 15 lapping days,maybe around 60-70 solo2's and 1 solo1. I have traveled all over Ontario too see what other clubs have to offer from London to Ottawa and it is really nice too see such a nice bunch of people able to get along and have a good time.

So far this year I have met some new people and I have done some more racing and lapping days like on the GP track at Mosort hehe I would say I have done three lapping days but the one on the big track is worth all of the lapping days I have done previous to it, it has been a long dream coming to get on the track.


Thanks for reading this I would consider all of you my good friends.

[ice/solo racer]

My first ever cone course was at the PMSC regional in the fall of '99 in a stock civic sir,no o.c.'s or cones,don't remember where I finished though.
I ran a solo 2 in Pennsylvannia at the sport compact power jam event in may 2000,very slicksurface,rain soaked. 1st place CSP,3rd fastest run of event.
I run very few events a season,since the first time out till now I doubt I've competed in more than 25 total events,have only run the pro solo and will only run 8 regionals and no more this season.
The people have always been great and makes for a great day at every event,the 2 events this year that had no marsheling were the only 2 events that I actually got to sit done and enjoy watching other people run.I virtually never find the time to sit and really enjoy the day at normal events.
The thing that really attracted me to the sport other the costs and ease of being able to compete is that its just me and clock-any mistakes show up right away,1 cone destroys a run so it pays to be able to run fast with a good judge of where and how to put the car on course.
But I hate to say it but I find I'm getting less enjoyment from the events lately,nothing with the events I'm just getting bored with 30 seconds of driving and want to take on new challenges

[AlienDNA]

Originally posted by miataboi
Why do you do it?

Mostly for the humiliation, apparently...

:p

[soloZ]

^ I still find it funny I live down the street from you.

[AlienDNA]

Originally posted by soloZ
^ I still find it funny I live down the street from you.

Man, in this great big world, we ALL live down the street from each other, metaphorically speaking....

KUM-BY-A, MY LORD, KUM-BY-A!!!

On a more serious note, I keep meaning to ask you about a rather nice looking kart that I've seen hooked up to a Chevy S-10 down that way on the street. Is that you by any chance?

[soloZ]

That is my brothers actually I have driven it on the street for a little bit of fun but not a long time hehe. He hasn't raced yet this year I don't know why, but he wants to get a Practice membership up at Goodwood and he tells me I can come and try it out.

[AlienDNA]

I thought it sort of looked like a shifter kart. Yes / No? Let me know if he needs other people to help him, you know, test drive for him.:D

[soloZ]

Unfortunitly it isn't a shifter kart I wish it was, I would have brought it to an Autocross and called it an SAE car so I could run it hehe. His kart is a 6.5 Honda engine Birel nice kart and when you get it going it is a rocket. As for Test drivers I think My dad and I are in the line first.

[MitS]

First post, great forum!

This is my second year doing Solo II. I had heard about it through VW forums and decided it was the best place to get aggressive driving out of my system and really learn to control this boosted car. I have loved every minute of it so far, in great part due to the quality organization of the events and general friendliness of fellow competitors. I constantly work on getting friends and other VW drivers out to these events to get them hooked.

Looking forward to many years of competition and enjoyment of the sport!

[7plymaple]

I first tried Solo II in a fun slalom at "The Great Canadian Bug Show" in my VW fox. Then for the next year me and my buddy fixed up a pair of Jettas. I built mine out of the junkyard and got it on the road in June or so of 2000. We decided to practice for the 2000 bugshow by going to "some crappy event" (so we thought) that we found in the Toronto Starr called "Pushit To The Limit".

When we backfired our way into the lot at the Hershey center my jaw dropped when I saw all the hardcore solo II compettitors. We then realized that this was where the real sh#t was. I remember going to fast into every single corner that day and I was off course for 4 of my 6 runs. My car held together though so I was happy.

Anybody remember the silver jetta with the flat black hood? It was the best. It had no carpets or anything. I even had to manually switch on and off the rad fan. It barely made it to every single event that I brought it to. I remember marshalling with some guy and when I told him what I was driving he said "Oh ya I was looking at that thing... what a piece of shit!" Then we both laughed.