AutoSolo

graeme · 22 Jan 2007, 15:56 (Ref:1821784)

With no circuit racing on at the moment, I did an AutoSolo on Sunday with Knutsford Motor Club in Demon Tweeks car park (it's an autotest with no reversing or handbraking). Great fun and only £16. If you're looking for a motorsport fix, it's highly recommended. No licence, helmet, racesuit or seatbelts needed - just a road-legal car (Micras seem to be the car of choice, so it doesn't have to be fancy).

The STIG · 22 Jan 2007, 17:48 (Ref:1821899)

Sounds very much like a forwards only autotest or a gymkhanahananana like my local club runs

(for reference, www.bridgend-automobile-club.com )

graeme · 22 Jan 2007, 19:10 (Ref:1822008)

Next one in Bolton motorway services! - http://www.bolton-le-moorscarclub.co...g_Autosolo.pdf

Suze · 26 Jan 2007, 08:25 (Ref:1826211)

How does that work then, does the club just take over the whole car park? I'm not so familiar with autosolos but am with autotests but they're normally run in a private field, hence the interest.

I do have a micra though...

graeme · 11 Feb 2007, 18:29 (Ref:1838812)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suze

How does that work then, does the club just take over the whole car park? I'm not so familiar with autosolos but am with autotests but they're normally run in a private field, hence the interest.

They just roped of half the car park - still perhaps only the size of a football pitch. It's not the busiest services in the world - probably never more than a dozen cars in the car park. Micras won again; but I got second in class and a bottle of wine

graeme · 26 Jan 2007, 09:04 (Ref:1826237)

At Demon Tweeks, it was the whole car park - one part as paddock (and the workshop as scrutineering

) and the other two parts to run the test. At the M61 services - don't know - they must have to leave the services open - maybe it's the connecting (crossover?) roadways and travelodge car parks??

Suze · 26 Jan 2007, 09:07 (Ref:1826239)

That's what I was wondering and hence the question, because I also presume the services will remain operational whereas Demon Tweekes might not. I can imagine some confused foreign tourists coming in though...!

graeme · 26 Jan 2007, 09:34 (Ref:1826252)

Tweeks was operational - they opened especially for us - I bought a mirror and some oil...

ss_collins · 27 Jan 2007, 14:45 (Ref:1827161)

Can FSAE cars do the AutoSolo?

graeme · 27 Jan 2007, 15:40 (Ref:1827196)

Err... What's a FSAE car? If it's got an MOT and is taxed, then "yes" (probably).

Suze · 27 Jan 2007, 16:25 (Ref:1827224)

See here

No MOT, no tax, but part of their competition includes what is basically an autosolo

ss_collins · 27 Jan 2007, 19:35 (Ref:1827347)

they are built to SCCA Autocross rules

TomDawson · 6 Feb 2007, 19:22 (Ref:1834886)

Hi everyone,
I'm a member of the South Of Scotland Car Club, I'm loving junior Autotesting at the moment, esspecially since the new regs allow me to run a 1.9l ZX, although I found out on my first test, on tar, that all round disks do little for handbrake turns.

Anyway I noticed your FSAE comment (Formula Student is it not?) and remembered digging up this pic from an event outside Bell College in Hamilton, near Glasgow. http://www.autotest-scotland.co.uk/ (high res pics, dialup beware) clearly showing the 'Product Design in Motorsport' students showing off their FSAE car in the test.

I managed to get an on-board video of my test on the 28th of January if anyone would like to see what all the fuss is about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=172W5ZRMo-s
I better avoid those manouvers in my driving lessons.

Suze · 11 Feb 2007, 18:42 (Ref:1838817)

Any pics Graeme? Glad to see Micras are going well, and good for you too!

Let me know if any others in future (nephew's christening had to come before motorsport!) as be interested to give it a go, like trying new / different things, and if Micras aren't doing too badly....there's my "car isn't up to it" excuse gone anyways!

graeme · 12 Feb 2007, 09:21 (Ref:1839123)

Sorry, no pics - but I doubt they'd do the event much justice - it's difficult to make a car going around some cones in a windswept carpark look exciting (though it is).

Not sure when the next ones are - and it depends on where in the country you are - I wouldn't travel for hours to go to one (one carpark being much like another...). Bristol and Farnborough MCs are running ones soon, but too far for me to travel; Owen MC have one in May that I'm trying to find a date for. Perhaps we need an Autosolo forum?

[toddles off to Hillclimb & Sprint, which I forgot existed]

Suze · 12 Feb 2007, 10:30 (Ref:1839172)

No, I know what you mean from autotest pics!

I agree not worth travelling for hours but will keep eyes open for anything else local to me (ish!) or further up North and post.

Suze · 24 Apr 2007, 14:05 (Ref:1899338)

Just found these pics if anyone is interested.

graeme · 24 Apr 2007, 14:08 (Ref:1899340)

...and a Loughborough Car Club autosolo at Donington next Tuesday evening (1st May) if anyone is interested

Suze · 3 May 2007, 14:59 (Ref:1905837)

Just been reading another thread in a different part of the forum and apparently an autosolo has been added at the Abingdon Carnival and mroe info is available here.

graeme · 4 May 2007, 08:11 (Ref:1906339)

Loughborough MC's evening Autosolo at Donington was a corker - lovely big area of tarmac on the top of the pre-war Melborne Loop. And, somewhat embrassingly, I won outright!

Suze · 27 Jul 2008, 19:54 (Ref:2258630)

Well competed in my first Autosolo today, my club decided to run our first one at North Weald. It was a good day and really enjoyed it. We ran it to the maximum size we could without needing full rescue unit etc like a sprint [so the length was 200m].

Decided not to use the Micra after my previous comments here because out of my two sets of tyres only one are "good" and used on the road and the others have been used competing recently and are pretty worn and wasn't sure they'd last the day [with hindsight having seen tyre wear, I don't think they would have lasted!]. The event was good fun and a very good day of club motorsport, felt good value for money certainly.

Not sure I'd rush off to do another one, simply because of time constraints and not sure there are too many around in this area, but will try and do another if my club [7oaks] run one again.

Just to add, there were quite a few people competing today for whom it was their first event - certainly seems a good way to start I think.