What is autocross?
Whether known as Autocross or SCCA Solo II, the skills required to be the fastest car around a pylon marked course are the same as at Texas World Speedway. While the competition puts a premium on driving skills - with the fastest time often decided by a blink of an eye - this low-cost, low risk motorsport gets your adrenaline rushing through your system and makes you feel like you've just set the land speed record. This is what makes SCCA Solo II so attractive and entertaining.
Solo II is a low risk motorsport due to the speed limits placed on it and is low cost because you can use your daily driver - but, believe me, that does not reduce the excitement level in the least. How many of you can say that you wouldn't get a thrill going into a 90 degree corner at 50 mph, holding the gas pedal to the floor until the very last second and then cramming the brakes to just before full lock-up so that you can negotiate the corner? Imagine what it is like weaving back an forth through a series of cones - with your gas pedal foot to the floor - and still keeping the car under control; you finish the run and are leading the competition by .245 of a second . Will the competition catch you or is your lead of 245 thousandths of a second ENOUGH? This is Indeed low cost, low risk motorsports!
Just bring yourself and a mechanically sound car and yes, YOU can successfully compete in your daily driver street car! The Houston Region offers Street tire classes, Women's Classes, Open classes and Novice classes. All of these classes are then broken down into like car types and levels of preparation, so your Stock Mazda will not be in head to head competition with a souped up Mustang Cobra. It is not uncommon to see mom or dad competing against their 16-18 year old son or daughter.
This form of motorsport has more driver participation than any other form in the country. Each year there is a National Championship held in Topeka Kansas, where people from all over the U.S. and Canada (and occasionally from overseas) compete to see who the best drivers in the nation are. Last year there were just under 1,200 drivers in Topeka and this year they expect even more.
RX-Club goes autocrossing!
There are a plenty of chances to get involved with autocross action in Houston with events held both on the north-side of Houston at the Houston Police Academy (near Bush International Airport) and on the south-side at the Gulf Greyhound Park Dog Track (near Texas City).
Check out the online archives of our members out on the autocross track. If it looks like fun come on out to one of the events posted at the bottom of the page.
April 1998 - HPD Autocross
July 1999 - Night-time Autocross at the HPD Academy
February 2000 - SCCA Autocross and Rallye-Cross at Grand Sport Speedway
2009 Houston Club Racing and Autocross Dates
So you think your ready to get out there on the track. Check out the upcoming race dates and make sure to pre-register on DLB Racing.com to make sure you have a spot waiting for you on the grid.
Listed are schedules for both the Houston Region Sports Car Club of America as well as the Houston Region BMW Car Club of America both groups hold several autocross events throughout the year. Below the autocross dates are the Regional or National SCCA events.
Houston area SCCA autocross dates (register via DLB Racing):
- January 4th - SCCA Autocross @ Gulf Greyhound Park
- February 1st - SCCA Autocross @ Gulf Greyhound Park
- March 1st - SCCA Autocross @ Gulf Greyhound Park
Houston area BMWCCA autocross dates (register via DLB Racing):
- January 11th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- February 15th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- March 15th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- April 19th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- May 17th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- June 14th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- September 13th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- October 11th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- November 15th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
- December 13th - BMWCCA Autocross @ Houston Police Academy
Southwest Division SCCA Club Race dates (register via DLB Racing):
- January 17th - SCCA Club Racing @ MSR Houston
- February 14th - SCCA Club Race @ MSR Houston
- March 7th - SCCA Club Race @ Texas World Speedway
- May 23 & 24th - SCCA Club Race @ Texas World Speedway
- August 8 & 9th - SCCA Club Race @ MSR Houston
- November 21st - SCCA Club Race @ MSR Houston