TEAM JONES
RACING

Valeri's race car is a 2001 Special Edition Mazda MX-5 Miata named Jade.  What makes her a "Special Edition" is the 6-speed, short-throw manual transmission, tan leather interior, wooden steering wheel (not as slippery as you'd think) and shifter knob, and the color, which is not just "green" but "British Racing Green."

Valeri races with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The style of racing is called Solo or autocross, and competition is open to nearly anyone who has a sporty car and a need for speed. The way it works is this: On any given weekend, racers arrive at a parking lot, runway, abandoned road, race track or any large, flat paved area, (rumor has it that races have been run on frozen lakes in some places!), and start creating a course made of orange cones. The course differs for each race and no one, save the course designer, has any idea of what it will look like before they arrive on race day.

When the racers arrive, they have the chance to "walk the course" to familiarize themselves with it. There are no practice laps, but generally the courses are laid out well enough so that after a few times through, the course can be memorized well enough to drive.

Each car is classed, so that everyone is competing with cars comparable to their own. The classes are split up into (usually 2 or 3) "run groups," and while one group is racing, the other is working as course workers (counting and chasing downed cones) starters, grid control, etc.

The race begins, and each car goes out one at a time and drives around the course as fast as possible without knocking down any cones. If you hit a cone, it counts as a 2-second penalty, added to your time at the end of your run. In Solo racing, maximum speeds are usually about 45 MPH, which doesn't sound very fast, but feels MUCH faster when you're trying to make that turn without spinning out and trying to remember how to set yourself up for the next corner.

Each driver gets from 3 to 8 runs, depending on what region you are in and how many competitors there are, how long the course it, etc. The best of those times is used to determine the winner. I don't know how others approach each of their 4 runs, but mine are usually this: The first run is to find the course, the second run is to find the "line," or where I want to take each component of the course, the third run is to "drive" the course, and is usually my best run, and the fourth run is to over drive the course. On that run, I'm trying to get just a few more tenths of a second, and that's the one I'll end up spinning out of control and hugely entertaining the spectators.

In case you hadn't guessed, I LOVE this sport. It's fun, it's safe, and it's a hoot and a half! If you want to learn more about SCCA in general, or Solo racing in particular, check out the SCCA website. There's likely a club in your local area. Or ask me! I'll find out for you! If you want to check out my own club, click the link for the Utah Region's website. There you can find out more information about our schedule, points standings, race results and local news.

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