want to become a member - Looking for advice.....

[Anamaria]

Hello everyone,

You may be surprised to hear that a woman may be interested in getting involved in such matters as cars and racing.... but well ! here I am...

I'm thinking in getting into SOLO I this coming season, and was wondering if you guys can give me some advice on where to start. I would like to know about the school (I understand is going to be in May??), events, a good club to join, how much money would I need to start, and any other advice you may want to give me.

First of all, I'm thinking in buying a car for this new "hobby"..... any ideas on which one would be a good car to start ??

Well, anyway, whatever you can tell me about this experience I would really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot !

Ana.

[ADAM]

hi ana,
great to see you here, we actually have quite a few women in this sport...

what kind of cars do you like? basically you can field any car you want...

[RacerRick]

Miatas are great cars for running in Solo1 or 2. They are well balanced, handle great, rear wheel drive, and have a durable engine.

I have a preference for older V8 powered machines, but that is only me. I like doing things the hard way. But then again, my car will only have a grand total of $3000 into it and should be competitive in GT2 or GT3 which I am aiming for.

I am also a rookie and like doing things the hard way. Looking back, I should have gotten a miata.

[haniforama]

HADA recommends Honda/Acura cars :D

www.hadamotorsport.com

Typically to start into the sport, i would recommend attending the SOLO2 school and running a few SOLO2 events that are held in large parking lots. These will allow you to get a feel for car control and the discipline required to maintain control of your vehicle in varying conditions. Any vehicles (some exceptions - like SUV's and minivans) is allowed so long as the original safety items are intact and that the brakes are good and suspension is tight. Having a decent set of tires will also help, but any tire will do so long as you increase the tire pressure.

Hanif

[Whisper]

we actually have quite a few women in this sport...

I wonder where you're getting your numbers? I've had numerous questions on "Where did you come from?" and "Are there more females out there?" :eek: ;) :D

The guys here are fantastic, willing to answer lots of questions and help. Ask to jump in a car with them; the experience is incredible.

Try to pick a car you don't want to modify:

Insurance Concerns (http://www.mco.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2416)

Warning - This is totally addictive. :D

[Nissan Racer]

Originally posted by Whisper
Ask to jump in a car with them; the experience is incredible.


Warning - This is totally addictive. :D

Careful how you phrase that ;)

Oh and buy a Nissan :D

[Whisper]

I should have known better then to post a reply. ;)

[Nissan Racer]

:D...all in good fun

[Dave]

The Solo 1 school uses classroom sessions and in-car sessions on the skid pad and race track as a way of teaching the basics of car control. The school is a great primer for participation in Solo 1 events and you'll meet many veteran Solo 1 competitors since they are usually the instructors at the school. I believe this year it's scheduled to be a two-day school on May 8th and 9th at Mosport's Driver Development Track. This is a fantastic teaching facility and a really fun track to learn on.

The full Solo 1 schedule is listed in the "Official Announcements" forum on this messageboard. They start with registration from 7:30 to 8:30am and finish around 5pm with a BBQ dinner to follow on Saturday's, with four timed sessions and plenty of practice time avaialble in between. You can compete in anything from a completely unmodified car to a totally race prepared one. We have classes for all cars to play in, as long as they pass the safety inspection.

There are four clubs that have been hosting the series the last few years, including Burlington Autosport Club (BAC), HADA Motorsport Club (HADA), Oshawa Motor Sport Club (OMSC), and Toronto Autosport Club (TAC). I believe in '04 we'll have two more clubs hosting events, namely the Motorsport Club of Ottawa (MCO) and the Competition Corvette Club (COMP). HADA and COMP are brand clubs, meaning you need to own a Honda/Acura to join HADA or a Corvette to join COMP, but the other clubs are open to any/all brands. There are many other CASC-affiliated clubs that you could join and be eligible to compete in Solo 1. For a complete listing, visit CASC's website at www.casc.on.ca

In terms of how much money you'll need, registration fees are $110 per event and you can expect there to be other costs associated with competing including gas, food, hotel accomodations if you live far enough away from the track (although some competitors camp and have a lot of fun doing it), and general wear & tear on your car including brake pads, rotors, engine oil (needs to be changed more often if you're racing) and tires. Most Solo 1 competitors have a separate set of wheels equipped with R-compound tires that are specifically designed for race track use. Some of the more popular ones include Yokohama A032R's, Kumho Victoracer V700's, and Toyo RA-1's. A set of R-compound tires will cost you about $700-1000 depending on the size required, and a set of wheels will cost you another $500-1000+ depending on how light, how big, and how new you want :)

For a starter Solo 1 car, I'd go with something fairly inexpensive, small & nimble, easy and fun to drive like a older Mazda Miata or Honda Civic Si. But everyone has their own favorites and own preferences when it comes to car choice, so it's tough to really say what's best for you.

Hope this helps,
Dave

[Dave Barker]

Anamaria, don't let Dave get you worried about spending a lot of coin at the beginning. Just about any car will do but I strongly reccomend you have a manual transmission in it as automatics take a bit of a beating. If you are comfortable in the car I don't think you need to start at the Solo 2 level as Hanif suggests but do take the Solo 1 school . You won't be disappointed.

BTW choice of car is mainly dependant on thickness of wallet. OTOH my car used for competition is my daily driver ( including winter)

[Anamaria]

Thanks guys for all of your great advices.

Question: Where do I go to get the racing licence, once I have a club membership?

[Anamaria]

Oops ! I forgot: I think I also need a helmet, right? where can I get one at an "affordable" (and by affordable I mean REALLY affordable) price?

[Dave]

For Solo 1 all you need is a Regional C or "Basic" race license. You can download the form on the CASC website (www.casc.on.ca) in the 'Forms & Downloads' section and then mail it in with a cheque and you'll get your license in the mail. Alternatively you could go pay Steven at the CASC office a visit and do all the paperwork in person, or you could wait for the new online licensing system that will apparently be up and running in the near future.

CSC Racing in Newmarket has excellent pricing on SA-rated Bell helmets, but you can also opt for a less expensive Snell M-rated helmet (as long as your car doesn't have a roll cage in it, in which case you need a Snell SA-rated helmet). You can get a M-rated helmet at pretty much any motorcycle shop for $100-$200 depending on whether you want an open face or closed face design. SA-rated helmets start at about $350 and go up from there, again depending on features and brand. Just make sure the helmet is Snell M-rated at a minimum or Snell SA-rated if you want a better quality helmet (it is your head inside there, after all!). Grisdale Racing Products in Dundas (near Hamilton) also carries some nice helmets, as does KHF in Scarborough and Kensai Racing in Mississauga, but these will all be the more expensive SA-rated kind.

[RacerRick]

For inexpensive helmets, call Bicknell Racing down in St. Catherines or Mustang Parts Warehouse in Milton. Mustang Parts is the cheapest for parts I have found and can get any parts for any car but specialize in mustangs.

You want a good helmet to protect your melon. I would reccomend a SA helmet over a M (Motorcycle).

SA2000 rated helmets (SA = "special applications", ie racing) are the current standard. Unlike M helmets they are designed to take multiple hard hits, where a M is designed to take one hard hit then one or two hits of diminishing strength. SA helmets are also equiped with fire retardant liners, where M's are not.

Every 5 years they upgrade the standard so the next standard will be 2005. The current standard and the previous one are the only ones allowed. So SA2000 and SA1995 helmets are current, so if anyone offers you a used helmet, check the sticker or tag for the standard. Some only have the last two numbers, so look for SA00 or SA95.

You can get G-Force SA2000 racinng helmets for a little over $200 if you shop around. They are $139 US from summit and I bet they will be at Speedorama really cheap also. I need a helmet (I checked mine this weekend and found it was SA90, so its out of date and has to be replaced.