This year drive as fast as you damn well like!

Sunday Apr 2009 | Leigh Hemmings

The tarmac is smooth and deserted.  It’s waiting for you and five mates to be flagged off in pairs.   You can go your hardest.  There are no radar traps, no variable speed zones and not a police car in sight. No excuses, the quickest one for the day wins.  No,  this is not a fantasy,  it’s Supersprinting - taking your road registered car onto a series of race tracks to compete in keenly contested sprints.  

At this time of the year all over the country people are preparing their cars for Supersprinting.   Not that there’s a lot to do. Your car needs to be well presented and in generally good condition. Do a spanner check or have your mechanic do one since stuff does come loose. You will need to make sure your bonnet catches have a positive secondary means of locking and have a blue triangle sticker indicating the position of the battery. A recently purchased fire extinguisher is a must, as is a modern full face crash helmet (they can be hired).

And you don’t need an expensive full racing licence to go Supersprinting .  All that is required is a CAMS 2S licence costing about  $85,  obtained from CAMS (www.cams.com.au).  It does require you to be a member of an affiliated car club and  at least 14 years old. The car club will supply a full list of Supersprinting requirements (and the appropriate stickers)  Suitable  clubs are  listed on CAMS web site. No medical is needed for the licence.

On the day of the Supersprint, before heading out on the track both you and the car will go through scrutineering.  Minimum clothing for drivers are one piece overalls, but a fire resistant race suit, gloves and race boots make it safer (and more fun).  If you have never been on a particular track before, the Supersprint organising club will take small groups of first timers around the circuit showing you where to brake and which line to take through each corner.  Some clubs even put an experienced race driver in with you to drive a few laps.  Then you take over and drive a few laps under their instruction.

Groups are arranged in car type and the false grids established with faster drivers to the front.   You are sent off in pairs spaced about ten seconds apart.  As the day progresses and your times come down you will be moved up in the group.  The object is for you to have fun and not be hassled by quicker cars.