Top Speed Amateur Racing

Auto racing is usually reserved for the wealthy. Sure, you can buy an older, less expensive car for sports car or stock car racing, but you aren't likely to write your way into the record books. Yet one of the few types of racing where an amateur can set records without breaking the bank is top speed racing, where drivers see who can go the fastest. All sorts of older cars are eligible to enter this type of competition, the ideal scenario for amateur racers on a budget.

Venues
Most top-speed events are put on by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) or the East Coast Timing Association (ECTA). West Coast events are held on dry lakebeds and at the salt flats in Bonneville, Utah. ECTA holds one-mile standing-start time trials at an airport in Maxton, North Carolina. The ECTA is a relatively new organization of diehard speed racers who were tired of cross-country tows and decided to have some fun on their side of the country. Both groups have similar rules, but keep separate records.


Since the SCTA events tend to get all the attention in the automotive press, it's fascinating to see how differently things are handled in the East. For anyone used to high-pressure, micro-managed track events, racing with the ECTA (ww.ecta-lsr.com) is a refreshing change. Upon arrival at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, competitors sign a release and receive an armband. A trip to the registration trailer yields a logbook, registration form, and a number to put on the car. Entrants specify which class they will run in and then report for tech inspection. Tech officials check for completed forms, proper class designations and numbers displayed on the car, and driver safety gear. Then they inspect the vehicle's safety equipment, which is determined by speed potential.


If a street-driven car is not expected to run over 125 mph, a roll bar is not required, but a fire system will be. Some drivers simply remove the passenger seat from the track and attached a temporary plate with a Halon fire bottle and nozzles aimed at their feet and body. This is activated by a pull-handle the driver can reach from his seat. For the 125-mph group, H-speed rated tires are required. Faster groups require higher speed rubber and progressively stronger rollover protection.

Clock Time
Then it's time to race! The cars pull up to the line and wait their turn. The starter will tell the driver when he or she is cleared to go. Experienced drivers take a second to relax and clear their head before they start. Contrary to expectations, gunning hard off the line may not result in a faster speed at the finish line, where the cars are clocked for top speed, not average speed. If your car has reached top speed 3/4 of the way down the track, stressing the clutch and tires at the start is no advantage. Small car drivers save their car (and tire money) with an easy start. Of course, very powerful cars with optimized gearing will gain an advantage from a hard start, but it seldom helps lower-powered street cars.