By definition, solo means “done by one person alone; unaccompanied.” Qualified for solo driving on a race track, or solo-qualified, means that a driver has demonstrated sufficient experience and proficiency to waive the requirement for instruction.
We are very safety-conscious, and the policy mandated by our insurer is that all novice drivers, drivers without recent road course experience, and drivers who cannot substantiate their track driving history must take instruction before they are permitted to drive on their own (solo). For novice drivers, this means gaining a basic understanding so they can be safe. For drivers who have not been on track lately and whose skills may be a bit rusty, this allows us to observe their driving skills and behaviour from the passenger seat … a process motorsport organizations refer to as a “checkout ride”. Our concerns are not only for the driver we are assessing, but also for the safety of the other drivers they will be sharing the track with. What we are looking for is that drivers have good car control skills, drive an appropriate line, brake at the appropriate time, are situationally-aware, and are courteous in traffic at speed. Once this proficiency is consistently demonstrated, the driver is permitted to solo; until this proficiency is consistently demonstrated, the driver gets some help from one of our instructors.
To be qualified for solo driving, also meaning to have the requirement for instruction waived, you must meet ONE of the following criteria AND your previous track driving experience must be included in sufficient detail on your MotorsportReg profile for us to see that you meet one of these criteria when you register for an event:
- You have driven SOLO on a road course at least four (4) full days in the past two (2) years; or
- You hold a valid and current road-race license issued by a sanctioning body with a formal in-car qualification process such as local FIA affiliate WMCA, SCCA, or NASA (please note that ChumpCar does NOT have an in-car qualification process); or
- You have been signed off to drive solo at Castrol Raceway by a Track Junkies instructor within the past twelve (12) months. We accept as equivalent the sign-off by another group that uses qualified instructors known to Track Junkies (such as WCMA, NASCC or BMW AADS) provided this can be substantiated.
If you do NOT meet at least one of the above criteria, you are NOT solo-qualified. Drivers who are not solo-qualified must take instruction at their first event and successfully complete a checkout ride with a senior instructor. Safety is always our first priority.
Occasionally we will consider alternate solo qualification criteria, generally from people who have extensive motorsport experience but may have taken a sabbatical or a break, or moved here from another region. However, the onus always falls upon the driver to substantiate they have considerable and solid road course driving experience without any incidents. If you feel you have alternate criteria we should consider, contact us by email outlining the specifics that demonstrate you meet the criteria including tracks you have driven, the dates you drove them, and the organization(s) you ran with … that is, provide us your detailed driving CV or driving resume. Please be advised we DO check references, and this process takes time. We have no choice but to reject experience we do not have the opportunity to verify, and we do not succumb to the pressure of last-minute requests. The onus of detailing your motorsport history in advance can be avoided by taking instruction and completing a checkout ride, which is generally quite helpful even for experienced drivers who are not familiar with a new track or the optimal driving line.