THE Swan Hill Sporting Car Club will be revving engines this weekend, with novice and inexperienced drivers also invited to race and learn about motor-safety.
Autocross is the entry-level to motorsport competitions, and Swan Hill boasts one of the only twin-tracks where cars race side-by-side in Victoria.
President Chris Gibson said unlike other motorsport competitions there are very few barriers to entry.
“You can pretty much race in anything, we’ll have anything out there from full-blown rally cars to the family car that does the weekly shopping run,” Mr Gibson said.
“Even Grandma’s old car will get a run out there.
“The great thing about the Swan Hill track is that we always run a two-day event, so the time you can spend on the track is much more than other autocross events.
“Traditionally you might get to drive your car six or seven times, but here you can do 30, 40, 50 runs over the weekend – the throughput is pretty high.
“We get people travelling from far and wide: Melbourne, Geelong and as far away as Maffra.
“It’s a bucket-list track for a lot of autocross racers because of the amount of time you get to spend on the track.”
The day is a family-friendly affair, with food and drinks available at the canteen.
Mr Gibson said the event is great for spectators, with attendees able to see the whole track from the stand.
“The tracks are designed for the average car to be able to hit road-speed, around 100 to 110km per hour,” Mr Gibson said.
“But then you also see some heavily modified cars get up to 160, 180 – with very experienced drivers of course.”
Mr Gibson said the event is ideal for learner drivers, or drivers looking to get more experience.
“The event is great for inexperienced drivers to be able to get comfortable at high speeds, and also know what to do when the car gets out of control or goes on the gravel and things like this,” Mr Gibson said.
“When one wheel comes off the road it’s a really good skill to know what to do.
“I have three girls who all raced on the track, and they’ve all ended up in situations on the road where friends have asked how they were able to get out of that situation.
“It’s great for improving the safety of driving in real life.”
The event allows for passengers to ride in the car with drivers, so mum, dad or an official can supervise drivers.
“It’s absolutely a family affair,” Mr Gibson said.
“Often you’ll see mum and dad come down with the kids to all have a run, and generally mum and dad stay and race long after the kids.”
The event will start Saturday at 12pm and Sunday at 9am at Chisolm Reserve.
For more information on how to enter, visit: swanhillsportingcarclub.com.au
