AUTOTESTS & SOLOS

Autotests

One of the cheapest and most enjoyable forms of motor sport, where you can use a standard road car, but driving ability is vital.

Cars compete alone, against the clock. The driver must negotiate a set route between obstacles, such as plastic pylons or cones. Usually, some parts of the route must be tackled in reverse. The surface is normally smooth, often tarmac. The entry is divided into classes, according to the physical size of the car and/or its technical specification (front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, for example).

Minimum Requirements

• Any roadworthy car.

• You must be at least 14 years old to drive in a Production Car Autotest (with an adult passenger) or 16 years old to drive in a 'normal' autotest.
• You must hold either a valid motor club membership card, or an MSA Clubman Competition Licence.

AutoSOLO

This is a relatively new form of motorsport in this country. As SOLO, it was pioneered in the UK by Bristol Motor Club in 2002, and was a big success. The inspiration came from the sport of this name in the USA, where it is also known as Slalom. The success of its UK debut was repeated in May 2003 but then we lost our venue and there was a hiatus until 2007, since when we have been running AutoSolo at Weston Airfield.

It is a contest of driving skill that falls somewhere between an Autotest and a Sprint. Cars run one at a time against the clock on a short course that lays emphasis on car handling and agility rather than speed or power. No reversing is involved, and speeds and hazards do not exceed those encountered in normal driving on the road. By avoiding the need for rescue units and medical crews the overall cost can be kept low.

The discipline is also very economical with officials, because the competitors marshal the course themselves. This is a fundamental culture change in the UK, and is achieved by dividing competitors into three groups. At any one time, one group will be marshalling the course, one will be preparing to marshal, whilst the third is actually competing. When they’ve had their runs, it’s ‘all change’. You have to marshal each course for your timed runs to count. It means that everyone has an equal amount of work and play.

The event is only open to road-legal cars that are taxed, insured and MOTd. Car preparation is limited to removing loose objects from inside, and any clip-on wheel trims. (From 2010, tyres from List 1B of Section L of the MSA Yearbook will NOT be admitted.) For insurance reasons you need to produce your club membership card, but neither a competition - nor even an RTA - licence is required.

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