The 2010 Champaign County Sports Car Club autocross competition was an opportunity for participants to improve driving skills as drivers pushed their cars to the limit last weekend at the Coles Country Memorial Airport.

While speeding cars is usually labeled as a dangerous activity, Barry Rowe, the black corvette Champaign County Sports Car Club president, said autocross racing is safe.

“It is a way to challenge yourself to challenge your car and enjoy your car in a safe way since you are not competing against another car,” he said.

Rowe said he has been participating in this competition for 35 years. He said the best thing about autocross racing is not being limited to specific rules.

“You can go as fast as you want to go, you can be as serious as you want to be, or you can just enjoy it,” he said.

Steven Wright, a participant of the event, said autocross racing is a family tradition.

“I’ve been in the course since 1999, and before the club allowed having go-carts, my son always went with me,” he said.

Wright also said autocross racing teaches people how to drive defensively.

“There is no better learning base outside drivers’ education that would teach you accident avoidance – basically everything we do translates to accident avoidance,” he said.

An age requirement is not mandatory to participate in auto crossing.

Children as young as age five can drive go-carts, just as long as their parents sign a waiver.

Teenagers can also participate but have to present a driver’s education permit and a co-passenger must be present during driving at all times.

Devin Wright, 15, son of Steven Wright, said he drove his dad’s car in the competition. He said he has been competing in the racecourse since he was eight-years old.

Wright said he does get nervous anymore before the autocross races and when driving he only concentrates on the course.

“When I’m in the course, I see nothing but the course itself-no one else there,” he said. “That is pretty much because of the adrenaline and also because I’ve been doing this for many years.”

The next autocross event will be on July 17 at the Rantoul Aviation Center site.

Pablo Rodriguez can be reached at 581-7942 or at

jprodriguez@eiu.edu.

A driver and passenger prepare themselves to take on the autocross course prepared and hosted by Champaign County Sports Car Club at the Coles County Airport last Saturday. (Charles LeGrand/The Daily Eastern News)

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