Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy.
I was invited to take the 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy. The school is for winter driving & people who want to compete in the 2016 Winter RallyCross “Ice Dice” presented by the Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC).
RallyCross is a recreational off-road solo 2 event in which participants compete individually against the clock on a temporary pylon course set-up on a gravel parking lot. Ice Dice is a form of Rallycross that takes place on frozen lake.
The 1st part was the classroom at the Calgary Sports Car Club clubhouse & the 2nd part was on Ghost Lake. The classroom was quite informative that discussed many aspects: Weight Transfer, Braking, Cornering, Tires, & much more. Regarding tires all season tires are not allowed, you must have winter tires, studded or non-studded.
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Calgary Sports Car Club (clubhouse).
Track day was on Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 during a snowstorm, good thing this was a Winter Driving School. The recovery vehicle was busy pulling out cars from the snow drifts throughout the day. The 1st part of the day was signing the wavier & confirming registration. The track had 3 sections to it, a skid pad, Rallycross course & a free style road course that encompassed all aspects of winter driving. After registration students walked the Rallycross course with instructors too see how to drive it.
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy.
I was taken for a ride with Ryan Sandrin in his Atomic Racing Car, that showed me how fast you can take the course.
Velocity: “How long have you been racing?’
Ryan Sandrin; “I have been racing with Steve now for our 3rd season, Rally, Ice Dice. Rallycross & Autocross. We have done a whole bunch Autocross that is how we got into racing, not as much fun as the Rally Racing.
Velocity: “So what Rally’s have you done or are doing?
Ryan Sandrin; “Rocky Mountain Rally & Radium Rally last year. This year we are doing TFR, Rocky Mountain, Big White, Radium & Cochrane Rally’s, and all 5 of the Western Canadian.
Photos by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy. (Atomic Racing)
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy.
Interview with Sean Patterson (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy Student
Sean Patterson & I used to race stock cars against each other each other at Rocky Mountain Speedway just outside of High River. He had the record for the most rollovers at the Rock including the time he rolled over, continued & won the race.
Velocity: “So you come from stock car racing on a dirt oval & you just took the Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy School. So what did you think of the Calgary Sports Car Club school?”
Sean Patterson: “You know I had a lot of fun. It was really eye opening to learn how to drive on a totally different surface & different car. When we raced on the dirt it was front wheel drive, automatic transmission. On the lake it was an all wheel drive manual transmission which was a real learning curve.”
Velocity: “How did you hear of the CSCC Winter Driving Academy?”
Sean Patterson: “You sent an invite through Facebook with all the information, I put in my phone & ordered at the right time.”
Velocity: “It sold out within hours so you were lucky to get your spot?”
Sean Patterson: “It surprised me a little bit on how quick they sold out, but there is such a desire for racing in Calgary & no where to do it, people are looking for that out let.”
Velocity: “Did you find any tips that you never thought of before from the instructors that helped?”
Sean Patterson: “Chris (Chris Galecki) was great, I drove 1 lap as he was giving me pointers. After I did my run I promptly pulled over, I asked him to drive & show me what to do. I was watching what he was doing with the car, how he was able to through it into the turns, get it to turn sideways, when to accelerate & when to brake. With Chris’s experience, he is a phenomenal driver & what he could do with my car was incredible. I found when he was braking in the turns & throwing the car sideways & sliding through the turns. I tried to do the same motion myself with-out hitting the snow bank. Like Chris said ” you find what works for you.”
Velocity: “Would you suggest this school to anyone else?”
Sean Patterson: “Hell ya, based on learning on how to drive in the winter weather you are competitive or not, it was a great learning curve with lots of practice.”
Photos by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy. (Sean Patterson)
Photos by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy. (Free Style Road Course)
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy. (Rallycross Course)
Photos 930, 914, 851, 814, 749, 713, 699, 692, 681, 652
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com Ghost Lake, Alberta Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) Winter Driving Academy.(Skid Pad)
2016 CSCC Ice Dice
https://www.facebook.com/events/161832180837583/
The remaining events are sold-out, you can register to be on the waiting list.
Feb 14: Event 2 Ghost Lake
http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=74&BT=10&Ev=15938
Feb 28: Event 3 Ghost Lake
http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=74&BT=10&Ev=15939
Mar 13: Event 4 Ghost Lake
http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=74&BT=10&Ev=15940
2016 CSCC membership available at http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=74&BT=10&Ev=15702
(two participants per car is allowed, more than two is not)
COMPETITION FORMAT
Double Heat format
4 timed runs in both the morning and afternoon heats.
Result is based on the cumulative total of participants two (2) fastest laps, one (1) from the morning and one (1) from the afternoon.
Run in two classes, each broken down to three classes according to drive configuration.
DOT studded tires as per Section 10 of CSCC Ice Dice program: all wheel drive, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive
DOT non studded tires: all wheel drive, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive
EVENT SCHEDULE
7:30-9:00 Course and Timing Setup
7:30-9:00 Registration and Tech
9:15-9:30 Drivers Meeting
9.30:00-16:00ish Timed Runs
16:00ish-18:00 Fun Runs and clean up
Please visit CSCC forum for event details
http://cscc.speedracer.ca/forums/rallyx-news/2016-cscc-ice-dice/
If you have any questions about the club or the membership benefits, please contact the club via the CSCC forum:
http://cscc.speedracer.ca/forums/rallyx-news/2016-cscc-ice-dice/
CALGARY SPORTS CAR CLUB (CSCC)
http://www.cscc.ab.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/cscc1/