Autocross hits Palmer

DARRELL L. BREESE/ Frontiersman

PALMER - The smell of burnt rubber and the sound of screeching tires might be commonplace at Alaska Raceway in Palmer. But on Sunday, it meant drivers were doing more than speeding down the quarter-mile track, while competing for a trophy.

Under gray skies, drivers gathered early in the morning as the track played host to the Arctic Alaska Region Sports Car Club of America's (SCCA) Solo II event.

&#8220Autocross is a precision driving competition,” said Cheryl Babbe, race director for the event held at the drag strip. &#8220It's about having the fastest time out here, but the drivers turn left and right. We set up an obstacle course with cones, and drivers go through to see who can do it in the least amount of time.”

Racers arrived in anything from a Chevy Syclone pick-up to a Lotus Elise. Babbe said a driver's car is just a fraction of the winning

formula.

&#8220The SCCA has a class for just about anything,” Babbe said. &#8220We get pick-up trucks to specialized race cars, and everything in between. The emphasis is really on handling. It comes down to driver skill, not putting a lot of money into your car.”

The competition capped the 16th-annual Solo II training weekend. National SCCA drivers Cindy Jansen was joined by Team Duncan - Howard, Linda and Geoffrey - as guest instructors for three days of courses and in car instruction. The event attracted 50 students.

&#8220We get a lot of students down here,” Babbe said. &#8220It's a great way to learn the performance limits of your car without breaking the bank. Plus it also helps those of us who have been doing it for a while to polish our driving skills.”

Babbe said participation in autocross can help racers become better drivers off the course as well.

&#8220If you're going down the highway and something falls off the back of a truck, you'll know what to do and how to react,” she said.

For Stuart Generous of Palmer the autocross events mean more than just an opportunity to improve his driving skills. It's also a chance for him to get behind the wheel of his dad's 2001 Z06 Chevrolet Corvette.

&#8220This is just my second time competing in an autocross,” Generous said. &#8220Dad's been doing it for about a year, and that got me involved.”

Generous stressed having a fast car does not always translate to victory in autocross events.

&#8220The (Mazda) Miatas are putting it to me in the Vette today,” he said. &#8220They're smaller and lighter, which helps on a short course. But it is a real rush, and almost scary, driving the Vette the way it was meant to be during the runs.”

While the event attracted a line-up of cars covering the full range of the modern sports cars, it also had some which appeared out of place.

&#8220Anything that is street legal can run,” Babbe said. &#8220We have a class for everyone, from the street turners to the pick-up trucks. I've even seen a mini-van at a competition.”

Ted Rockwell, of Palmer, proved that anything can run as he guided his 1985 Volkswagen Rabbit around the course, just hours after getting it running.

The Arctic Alaska Region of the SCCA hosts both road rally's and autocross events most weekends during the summer. Next weekend the club plans to hold both as part of the Bear Paw Festival in Eagle River. For information on the club and up

coming events visit www.alaskascca.com.

Contact reporter Darrell L. Breese at darrell.breese@frontiersman.com.