Autocross at the Valley West Mall parking lot
10/2/2024
“Come race with us,” they said. “We’ll show you what it’s like to experience a thrilling ride.”
Three of the men I recently interviewed for Iowa Living magazines articles on racing sports all offered me a ride-along in their race cars. Would I be interested?
In earlier columns, I wrote about a 2022 Chevy Corvette drive, where I hit 100 mph, and a 2024 Challenger Scat Pack, which accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4.9 seconds. So, yes, thank you, I’d love a ride in a race car.
This race wasn’t the fastest, but it was like hopping into an amusement park thrill ride with sharp twists and turns.
My ride was a solo autocross race, sponsored by the Des Moines Valley Region of Sports Car Club of America and held at the Valley West Mall parking lot. The SCCA was established in 1958 and consists of about 200 members today.
The object of autocross competition is to see how quickly a car can get around the pylons without knocking them over. Various car classes run from two to four timed trials. The fastest time wins.
When I arrived at the parking lot, drivers’ cars were lined up in the lot. The cars didn’t look like typical race cars with loud engines. Instead, there were early-model Mustangs, Porsches, Miatas, a Honda Civic and even a few Teslas. Really, any car that passes inspection and won’t roll over qualifies.
Mostly males from age 17 up to 70 signed up, but a couple of women drove and rode along, including me. Those I chatted with were admitted “gearheads” who like speed and fast motors — but in a controlled environment.
After a drivers’ meeting that outlined the rules, newbies walked the course. If their car hit a pylon, it was a two-second deduction. I viewed orange cones placed far enough away from light poles and curbs. It looked confusing to me, as they weren’t numbered. Do I turn right at this cone or left?
Chris Hay, director of the DMVR SCCA, says the hardest part for new drivers is knowing where to turn.
Luckily, I didn’t have to keep track. John Haluska, membership director, offered a ride in his Mazda MX5 but was busy with race details, so he suggested I ride with another seasoned driver, Chris Hay.
Hay’s 1968 blue Camaro looked like a sweet, iconic ride. But with a 2001 Corvette drive train installed, it demonstrated intense power. He has won hundreds of races throughout the years, so I was honored to ride with a local autocross legend.
After I was strapped in with a six-point harness seatbelt, I put on a bulky helmet. We approached the start line. Once Haluska gave the go, we took off quickly, cornering the first set of pylons, then another sharp turn. Then came a short straightaway to even more cones, traveling as fast as possible.
As my head knocked back and forth, I felt like I was on the Sizzler, a carnival ride that slams a rider into the side of the seat. My hand gripped the doorknob, and less than 27 seconds later, we sped toward the finish line.
Smiling with a wide-eyed glow, I felt like I just hobbled off a roller coaster. The adrenaline rush is real; I could now understand why racing is pure excitement.
After I got out of the car, my grin told the story. Within a few seconds, Haluska asked if I wanted to ride again with another driver. Why not?
Keegan Shepard’s 2007 Lotus Exige seemed more racecar-like. We touched elbow to elbow when we got in, and he advised me to hold my left arm on the car door to avoid knocking elbows when shifting.
Shepard took off. He was as fast as Hays, but it was a different ride, as the car is lower to the ground. After the finish, getting out of the car was a challenge, as two men hoisted me out of the low seat like a flailing fish out of water.
At the end of the race, the two fastest drivers finished within a half second of each other. And those two?
Keegan Shepard and Chris Hay, my two ride-alongs. I’m pretty sure it was no accident I was paired with the fastest autocrossers.
As I got in my Honda Accord, the clunky drive seemed mundane as I rounded the corner. Yet, thanks to Chris and Keegan, that one thrilling minute was still fresh in my memory.
For more about autocross, visit www.dmvrscca.org. ♦
