Autocross

[1][2][3] Autocross began in the United Kingdom in the early 1950s at an amateur level within local motor clubs using temporary courses marked on grassy fields to not cause damage to any cars.

[4][5] The creator of rallycross, Robert Reed, wanted a version of autocross with more spectator-appeal to be made for television, using professional racing and rally drivers and teams; and courses featuring jumps, sharper corners and a mixture of sealed and unsealed surfaces.

[1][10] Courses may be temporary and marked by traffic cones which can be reconfigured during events, or be permanent tracks with approval by a motorsport body.

Because autocross events use rubber traffic cones to define the course, and are typically run on paved surfaces with few obstructions, the hazards and barriers to entry are low.

While speeds are generally no greater than those encountered in legal highway driving, the combination of concentration and precision manoeuvring gives drivers an experience similar to that of a full road course race.

Many local car clubs offer autocross novice driving schools to help drivers feel comfortable before a regular event.

It is considered the largest amateur motorsport racing event in the world; for 2024, registration was capped at 1,300 drivers with a number of additional people on a wait list.

The British autocross began in the early 1950s when clubs organized timed runs around courses set on farmers' fields.

For instance, the South West follows the traditional two-car start, except for the 4 abreast Sandocross that used to run at Weston-super-Mare, while the North East region involves 4-car autocross.

The FIA European Autocross Championship is a racing competition held on natural terrain circuits with unsealed surfaces ranging from 800 to 1,400 metres in length.

Autocross races involve a maximum of 10 cars on track simultaneously and consist of a succession of qualifying heats leading to two semi-finals and a final.

For example, in 2022, the events were held in places like Seelow, Vilkyčiai, Nová Paka, Saint-Georges-de-Montaigu, Přerov, Saint-Igny de Vers, Maggiora, and Mollerussa.

[22] In the US, both autocross and slalom are disciplines included in the SCCA's branded time trial series, Solo, and the terms are commonly used interchangeably.

With speeds rarely exceeding 40 mph (60 km/h), motorkhana and autotesting are slower than American autocross, require hand-braking, and have sections that must be navigated in reverse.