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Piotrov
09-13-2005, 07:27 PM
Getting Started in Solo II











If you are ever interested in participating at a solo II event then this will give you a basic idea of how to prepare and what to bring. First thing is find out where and when the event is taking place. A great source for that is at www.solo2ontario.com there you will find the locations, times and prices for events listed. The night before the event get a good nights rest. If your rested you will function better, be more focused and your responses will be improved. Be prepared for any weather condition. Solo II events are run no matter if it rains, snows or is hot. Only exception is obviously severe weather conditions.


Things you should bring with you;

-Suntan lotion (Even though its cloudy you can still get burned)
-Umbrella / Rain coat (Just incase it decides to rain)
-Drinking water (Don’t want to get dehydrated)
-Lawn chair (Beats sitting on the ground)
-Tire pressure gauge (Don’t worry if you don’t have one. Someone will always be willing to lend you one)
-Tire Pump (Again someone will lend you one)
-Shoe polish (To put numbers on the side of your car, used to check if you're sidewall is rolling over.)
-Masking tape (Always good to cover your license plate and for writing your car number on your car window)
-Helmet (There will be loaners at the event, all clubs require you to wear one when competing)


Costs: Events usualy run in cost from $25 to $35 dollars for the whole day.

Things to do when at the event:

-Before the event starts you should remove your floor mats so they don’t get jammed under your pedals.

-Take out your jack, spare wheel and any other loose items you may have in your car (this is to prevent things from rolling around in your car). One thing to remember is if you have something valuable like a camera or CD’s stow them away safely in the car before each run as the parking area where you park is open to the public.

-When you register you will receive a form you will be required to fill out. It will ask for your plate number and list of modifications (this is for classification reasons). If you are having troubles with any of this feel free to ask anyone around and they will help you out. Also be sure to sign the waiver after you complete your registration.

-Before the event starts pump up your tires a few PSI but don’t inflate them to the maximum of the rated PSI on the tire. Remember that when the tire temperature increases so does the tire pressure. Putting more pressure in the tire will prevent the tire from rolling over on its side during hard cornering.

-During the drivers meeting all the rules and regulations will be explained by the organizers and after the meeting you will be able to walk the course. During the course walk you are just trying to remember the course layout and choose your braking points and lines.

-When the event begins start to line your car up according to the directions you have been given by the organizers. After each run when you park your car, do not put on your hand brake. Just turn off the car and put it in gear. This is because your brakes will be hot and by applying the hand brake you could possibly warp the rotors or drums.

-Depending on the organizing club of each event you may have to report for marshaling after each run. Marshaling consists of you going out onto the course and watching for any cones that have been knocked over and putting them up as well as reporting it to the timing area.

What are the chances of causing damage to my car? : The chances of you damageing your car are very minimal. Your tires will not get much wear if your running street tires so dont worry about killing your tires off of one event. Some R compound tires will last a whole season so your street tires will last alot longer.

These are the basics of solo II events so get out there be safe, be responsible and have a blast!

http://media.c7performance.com/index.php?folder=/Motorsports/ is some of the pictures C7 has taken from several events. An example of an autocross event can be downloaded here as this is an in car video of one of the runs.
http://media.c7performance.com/data/Motorsports/Piotrov_in_car_run.wmv

If there is any questions please feel free to post and we'll do our best to answer any questions you may have.

Baby Girl
09-13-2005, 09:27 PM
Piotrov - great information. I am really considering doing this next year. :D

crazy_russian
05-23-2006, 08:59 PM
About possible damage, have you ever seen those orange cones damage anything on a car, like body kit or something under? They look big enough to get caught underneath even when knocked on their side.
(I came to a march meet in a white 88 alltrac)

Piotrov
05-23-2006, 09:12 PM
I wont lie to you. If you have a fiberglass kit they may crack it. Also the most damage anyone has gotten from the cones was their under plastics poping off or being bent a little.

Also you may find some rubber marks from the cones on your car. Completely harmless and can be rubbed off.
ITs just the hot r compound tires when they hit the cone they leave black marks and when you go by and hit the cone the mark goes on your car. Again not harmfull at all.

Hope this helps.

wedge
05-23-2006, 10:01 PM
Also you may find some rubber marks from the cones on your car. Completely harmless and can be rubbed off.

Commonly refered to as "Cone rash"


The chances of serious damage from hitting cones, is impossible. The chance of minor cosmetic damage by cones, is possible but unlikely.

The only chance of serious damage is if you driving crazy and out of control. I've seen a lot of rookie drivers hitting curbs etc. The courses are designed to be as safe as possible, so as long as you drive within your own personal limits, that will never happen. It's important that you're aware of that.