COMPETING

Grassroots Motor Sport

Traditional club-level events offer both beginners and juniors a terrific starting point to learn about car control and are low in cost and risk, but high in excitient. With an inexpensive CAMS licence and your everyday road car, almost anyone can compete in these types of events.

In Speed events, vehicles travel in a forward direction from a standing start along a track or course with drivers aiming for the fastest time over a specified distance.

• Sprints are run on a sealed circuit and there are only a limited number of vehicles allowed onto the track at any one time. Drivers pit themselves against the clock and aim for the fastest lap time for their class or overall.
• Hillclimbs can be conducted on both sealed and unsealed surfaces and pit the driver and vehicle against a challenging uphill course with varying corners and gradients.
• Autocross events are generally run on grass or an unsealed surface, usually on a track designed to test manoeuvrability

In Non-Speed events, there are factors other than the fastest time which determines the overall result.

• Motorkhana and Khanacross events can be run on sealed or unsealed surfaces. Timed individually from start to finish, cars are required to follow a set course around clearly marked flags, receiving time penalties for any flags they hit. Motorkhanas are a test of the manoeuvrability of the vehicle around the course in the most efficient time possible.
• Observed Section Trials are untimed competitions where the result is determined by the ability of the car to maintain forward movement.
• Touring Car Events are conducted on public roads and are more of a social activity where the objective is to assemble at a point determined beforehand.
• Touring Road Events are usually conducted over a number of days and consist of a series of timed road sections requiring the driver and car to comply with all relevant road laws. This type of event usually includes one or a number of special tests in the itinerary such as a motorkhana or speed events.
• Drifting events are usually conducted on circuits and are judged on the ability of the driver to control a car in a series of sideways slides through a sequence of corners in a controlled manner.

Who can compete?

Anyone can compete in these events provided they have the appropriate CAMS competition licence. Both Level 2S (Speed) and Level 2NS (Non-Speed) licences can usually be purchased at the event and there is no formal driver training required unless specified by the club or event organiser. Junior licences are also available and a civil driving licence may be required in some cases.

NOTE: Refer to the CAMS website for minimum age restrictions.

Circuit Racing

Circuit racing is any form of four-wheel motor racing that takes place on a closed racing circuit. Each state in Australia has at least one permanent racing circuit and some also have temporary street circuits. There are many levels of circuit racing ranging from club and state level, which are purely amateur, to national and international championships which are contested by professional racing teams and drivers.

In circuit racing, all drivers compete for the fastest lap times during a qualifying session prior to the race which determines each car’s starting position on the grid. Each car then battles to cross the finishing line first after the required number of laps.

Who can compete?

Anyone can compete in circuit racing. Most people start off by competing in events such as sprints and hillclimbs before graduating to circuit racing. Drivers must successfully complete a licence lecture, observed licence test and medical examination before obtaining their licence. A junior licence is also available for Superkart competitors.

NOTE: Refer to the CAMS website for minimum age restrictions.

Which cars can compete?

There are many different classes of cars that can compete in circuit racing events. Below are some examples:

• Open Wheelers (e.g. Formula Vee, Formula Ford, Formula 3)
• Sports Cars - open and closed (e.g. Ferrari, Lotus, RX7, MG, Porsche, MR2, Supersports Cars)
• Touring Cars (e.g. V8 Supercars, Sports Sedans, Improved Production Cars, HQ Holdens, Saloon Cars)
• Superkarts (Gearbox & Non-Gearbox, 80cc up to 250cc)

Rally

Rallying is one of the more team-oriented forms of motor sport enabling both driver and navigator to work together and experience the thrill of competition.

Rallies are traditionally run on unsealed roads and can range from novice non-special stage trials run at club and state level,  through to Australian and World Rally Championship events. Tarmac rallying is also an expanding form of the sport.

Some rallies can be navigational events where the emphasis is placed on map reading and the speeds are not necessarily high, or route-charted events where navigators are provided with a road book which contains the information required to complete a special stage or road section.

Who can compete?

Anyone can compete in rallying. Most people start off by competing in autocross events before moving on to introductory or novice clublevel rallies to gain further experience, and then graduate to state-level events which are more competitive. Competitors in tarmac rally events often obtain experience in speed events or circuit racing.

In most events, drivers require a current civil driving licence and must successfully complete a licence lecture and an observed licence test. Navigators only need to complete the lecture. A junior licence is also available for drivers and navigators.

NOTE: Refer to the CAMS website for minimum age restrictions.

What cars can compete?

People competing in introductory events can use their everyday road car, whereas more specialised cars are required to compete in higher level events. Whilst many people competing in state and national championships have upgraded to four-wheel-drive rally cars such as Subaru WRXs and Mitsubishi Lancers, many people continue to compete with older style cars, including Datsuns, Escorts, and early Commodores, which run in separate classes.

Off Road

Off Road competition is designed to test competitors and their vehicles over various track conditions which may include creek crossings, sand dunes, open paddocks, gullies and fast straights together with dirt roads and farm tracks.

All classes, except for single seater vehicles, have a driver and navigator. The navigator looks for arrows, signs and bunting placed around the track to help guide the driver.

Off Road events vary from short courses, tracks up to 15 kilometres long, to long courses, which have no maximum limit on distance. While most events loop around back to their starting point, some clubs run lineal events where competitors drive from

point A to B, camp over night, and then return to point A the following day.

Who can compete?

Anyone can compete in off road events providing that at least one miber of each crew holds a civil driving licence or is at least 18 years of age.

Drivers must successfully complete a licence lecture and an observed licence test. Navigators only need to complete the lecture. A junior licence is also available for drivers and navigators.

NOTE: Refer to the CAMS website for minimum age restrictions.

What cars can compete?

There are several classes of off road vehicles which allow people with a wide range of budgets to compete. The classes can be divided into:

• Buggies (ranging from under 1300cc to 6000cc)
• Production and Modified Four-wheel drives
• Bajas (based on VW Beetle body and chassis)
• Two-wheel drive Enduro (ie, Toranas, Datsuns, etc)
• Single seater buggies

Historic Motor Sport

Historics is a rapidly growing discipline of motor sport where people with all types of historic vehicles can get involved. Principles of authenticity, preservation and amateur competition ensure that historic motor sport is non-aggressive and iphasis is placed on sportsmanship, enjoyment and the social aspects of motor sport.

Historics encompass almost every discipline of motor sport including the following:

• Circuit Racing
• Sprints
• Regularity Trials
• Rallies
• Touring Road Events
• Hillclimbs
• Concours d’elegance
• Dionstration events

To find out more about historic motor sport, visit www.cams.com.au/sport/historics

Who can compete?

Anyone with an interest in good competition and the historic side of motor sport can get involved. The principal thing that you will need is an acceptable historic car. You will also need the appropriate CAMS competition licence.

What cars can compete?

Most historic groups require a car to have a competition history in the relevant historic era, whilst for other groups this is not required. There are many classes in the various disciplines of historic motor sport with cars ranging in age from pre-1931 right up until cars built in the late 1980s and early 90s.

See what’s out there

Attending different types of motor sport events will help you work out which discipline of the sport you would like to become involved in. Motor sport events are run on almost every weekend of the year in each state, ranging from grass roots events like club-level hillclimbs and motorkhanas, to international events like Rally Australia and the FORMULA 1™ Australian Grand Prix. The information below may help you decide where you would like to get started.

To search for our calendar for CAMS upcoming events, click here .