Wanna Race?

A CONFIDENT DRIVER and a capable car are all you need to legally explore the laws of physics on a real racetrack.

Several sanctioning bodies hold highspeed driving schools throughout the Northeast that enable racing enthusiasts to get track time in their own cars alongside experienced instructors. These citizen racers are your neighbors, your accountant, and your plumber, and their grass-roots racing is far from the faux-folksy spectacle of NASCAR or the high-strung intensity of Formula 1. Having fun while learning how speed can be safe doesn't require an exotic vehicle. Most late-model cars in good condition are just fine, says Ed Bocko, membership chairman of the New England Region of the Sports Car Club of America.

Most novices get their feet wet in autocross, where competitors match times around a short, winding course marked by traffic cones. Challenging slaloms and hairpin turns make an autocross relatively slow - rarely approaching highway speeds - but a successful run requires substantial focus. Annual membership in the club is $85 (ner.org), with autocross fees running $30 per event ($40 for nonmembers). After a season or two of autocross, some drivers want to explore road racing and opt for the higher challenge and greater safety of a fully prepared race car.

The SCCA isn't the only club that welcomes beginners. COM Sports Car Club (above, comscc.com) holds events throughout New England and eastern Canada, and the Northeast regional wing of the National Auto Sport Association (nasanortheast.org) holds high-performance driving events at several tracks in New England. The best news for regional racers: A 2-mile track is proposed for a site in the central Massachusetts town of Palmer and would host a variety of racing events and offer instruction.