GRASS RACING AUTOSPORTS LAUNCH
Grass Racing Autosports (GRA),
the new name in the motorsports fraternity, will embark, together with
BFGoodrich Tires on a quest to promote grassroots motorsports in Malaysia. On
November 20th, 2005, GRA will be organizing its first event, Grass
Racing Autocross 05/06 Round 1, in Kuala Lumpur, right next to the famous Twin
Towers. For the first time ever, enthusiasts and sponsors will team up to make
motorsports a reality at grassroot levels.
Known for the brand’s commitment
and its strong history in grassroot motorsports, BFGoodrich tires will be fitted
on participating vehicles such as the MR2 and Subaru Impreza during the event.
This is the first time an
autocross event of this scale has been organised in the country. Concentrating
on making the event affordable and attractive to competitors, GRA and BFGoodrich
Tires will set the path right for avid competitors to pit their skills against
some of the top drivers in the country.
An Autocross, also known as
Gymkhana or Solo Tour in other parts of the world, is one of the cheapest and
most affordable forms of motorsports. Competitors only need to bring a road
legal car, possess a valid driver’s license and have a club membership to be
eligible.
Typically, courses are laid out
in a large open area, such as an airfield or a car park, with pylons/cones.
Short straights, tight turns, slaloms, and hairpins are built into the course to
allow spirited and safe racing. The driver with the fastest time around the
course wins. Cars are classified according to their capacities to ensure fair
competition. Hence driving a powerful car does not guarantee first position in
an autocross since drivers are classified by how powerful a car they drive
Key factors that separate a
winner from an ‘also ran’ in autocrossing are precision, car control and speed
through the course.
With all cars having near equal
horsepower within a class, it comes down to traction and driving skill to
determine a winner. Tires play an integral part in getting the traction needed
to negotiate the course. Ineffective tires result in unnecessary time loss and
ultimately slow times. Drivers require very precise skills to negotiate the
tight course through the pylons. Thus it is all about traction in and out of
turns, feathering the throttle as you clip the pylons and gunning it when the
straights open up. There are occasions where one needs to flick the handbrake to
get the rear end of the car round the bend – other occasions require a driver to
ease off, to get the car to just about sit on the apex of a turn.
The concept of Grass
Racing Autosports was formed at an unofficial ‘TT’ (teh tarik) session
amongst some enthusiasts with a passion for motorsports. Now GRA is one of
Malaysia’s leading premier autocross communities for enthusiasts. GRA, with the
backing of BFGoodrich Tires, will be having regular autocross events in year
2006, to promote autocross as a good entry into motorsports and also to allow
participants to have safe racing fun.
To a spectator,
autocrossing looks really easy – behind the wheel, however, everything seems to
move a whole lot faster. As part of the activities, members of the public will
have a chance to see and feel what it is like in an actual competing car, if
they come for the GRA Pylon Ride (taxi ride). The ‘Taxi’ car will be driven by
Ivan Khong, a well known race and rally driver who is also a multiple winner of
autocrosses in Malaysia.
