What is a Pro Solo?

[Reijo]

For the benefit of the new people among us and perhaps those who have never run a Pro Solo:   Basically it is a crooked drag race with a Christmas tree/lights (just like a drag race facility) with mirror image (more or less because they are never "exactly" the same) courses.  You even have "staging lights" for lining up cars just like a drag strip.

You have to make sure both little white staging lights are lit up or else your run will not count ... and also that your car does not roll forward or backward due to the slope of the pavement!  Some times you have to hold the brake (like heel-and-toe) to stay put which makes the start even more challenging!

Both cars start at the same time (except the challenge rounds later when times are offset because cars are from different classes), and included in your time is your reaction time!  So you have to be "on top of" the lights be quickly out of the box so to speak.  But not too fast.  If your reaction time is less than 0.5 seconds, you get a red line and your run is DSQ ... just like a drag race.

You also get a 60 ft. time (time it takes to get to a distance 60' from the start ... and this is always straight so a drag race type of launch is done each time).  A good time for a RWD is around 2.0-2.2 seconds or so depending on class whereas faster (SP, SSM, etc.) mid-engine and AWD cars often get down to about 1.7 seconds or even as low as 1.5 seconds (monster GTR) ...

Often there is a section of the course layout when you may be facing (or close to) the other side and you can check your progress or lack thereof ... or see if the other person broke, spun, or is coasting through the course (e.g. they hit a cone ... same 2 sec. penalty)......and then you can take it easier.  But in the opening rounds when you are looking for qualifying times, then you are looking to set your best times on each side of the course in order to qualify for the final Challenge rounds on Sunday afternoon ...

Or some are so fast, they tend to "sandbag" ... or hold back a little bit in order to get an advantage in the final Challenge rounds by having a bit in the pocket when coming up against some stiff competition from other classes. 

And, if they "break out" (kind of like bracket racing in drag racing) in the Challenge Rounds (e.g. they run faster than their qualifying time), then their new "dial-in" time becomes the time they are aiming for when running against another car from another class.

Of course, if you run a perfect run in the qualifying rounds (Sat. morning, Sat. afternoon and Sunday morning), then it will be hard for you to beat or even match that time!  You, then, face greater odds of being eliminated in the Challenge rounds ... Of course the person lined against you is facing the same dilemma! 

It is all quite exciting I find!  I enjoy the Pros a bit more than the regular National level Solos but they are a bit harder on drivetrains due to the drag race style launch.  Nothing like lining up against another car and seeing who can get out of the box first (and not red light)!     

We have talked of introducing Pros here too but we would need a new timing system designed for that specifically, including a tree and an even larger lot!  Hopefully Badlands will build a large enough "parking lot" in the pit area so we can host some Pros there!  I know I have spoke with Jay about that in the past and, he is, in fact, running the Pro in Fontana today and tomorrow!   

As a sidenote, we did run a sort-of Pro Solo format inside the Race City oval in the early 2000's but we were limited by our timing system etc. but they were fun to do!

The closest Pro to us is at Packwood, WA (about 2.5 hr. drive SE of Seattle) ... and about 12 hours of travel time from Calgary via Spokane and Yakima.

Here's some more info from the SCCA web site here:

https://www.scca.com/pages/prosolo

Also, just noticed that there is an explanation of what a ProSolo is on YouTube (done in 2013 ... had not seen this one before!) with Max Hayter (LA), Glen Hernandez (Seattle), Teresa McKee (San Francisco) and Jeff Kiesel (San Diego outskirts) give a great explanation of what it is like.  The filming was done at El Toro AFB in Orange County (SE corner of metro LA).  You can also see more Pro Solo You Tube videos by googling them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zANaacY50yE

Reijo