Let’s Go Racing!

When we talk to people interested in racing, we find that most of them think it’s more expensive, time-consuming, and complicated than it actually is. Here are the basic things you need to have or do to get on-track with SOVREN.

1. Driver Training
You must attend and pass a SOVREN-recognized race/driver school. These include:

• Cascade Sports Car Club
• IRDC
• Sports Car Club of BC
• ProFormance
• Any SCCA-sanctioned school
• Others with advance approval of the Novice Director

Regional 2026 Driver Training opportunities include:

March 28-29, Mission, British Columbia, SCCBC
April 24, Portland International Raceway, CSCC
May 15, Pacific Raceways, IRDC
June 12, Portland International Raceway, CSCC
June 26, Pacific Raceways, IRDC
July 30, Qlispe Raceway, Spokane, WA, NWMS
Aug 14, The Ridge, Shelton, WA, IRDC
Sep 18, Portland International Raceway, CSCC
Oct 17-18, Mission, BC, SCCBC

2. Driver Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

All drivers must have a road-racing helmet, HANS, race suit, gloves, shoes, socks, and balaclava. Open-top/convertible drivers must wear arm restraints. Helmets and HANS devices expire, so must be current. Contact us before you spend money if you have any questions; buying expensive equipment only to find out it can’t be used is no fun.

3. Access to a race-prepared car, buy or rent

• Cars need to be safe. This includes a roll cage (or in some pre-approved cases, a reinforced hoop), fire suppression, and driver restraints.
• Cars need to be at least 25 years old (with some exceptions made in advance by the Competition Committee).
• Cars need to be prepared in the spirit of how they were raced in-period. For example: Miatas (before 2002) are welcome, Miatas with V8s not so much.
• It is usually faster and less expensive to buy a race-prepared car than to convert a street car.

4. Understanding “Vintage Racing Spirit”

• We are racing to have fun. There is no prize money, no one is about to get a pro contract, end-of-season awards aren’t related to finishing position.
• The goal for every driver should be to come back in from races *better* friends with competitors. The SOVREN paddock is a fun place with lots of comradery and potluck dinners on race weekends.
• SOVREN has a strict no-contact policy; our form of racing is not the demolition derby that many forms of professional racing have become.

But make no mistake: We race wheel to wheel and competitively.

Costs

Some types of race cars can be acquired for $10,000, and occasionally less. A weekend race entry is about $600. Most race cars run special fuel that costs $12-$15/gallon. Race training/school ranges from $350 to $6000. Full PPE can be had for $2000-$3000. A handy, motivated person can do much of the routine maintenance, or you can have your car maintained and even transported and stored by a professional shop (more expensive, but less time-consuming). If you are 40 or under, SOVREN has a program to help you get started and race for less, the Youthful Driver Assistance Program.

We are here to help you get started with our style of exciting road racing. If you need help choosing a type of car to race, finding a car to race, finding a school, choosing PPE, getting setup at Motorsportsreg.com, or anything else, contact us and we’ll help clear your hurdles.

Spectator to Driver in Months!

SOVREN racer Kurt Weiss was a spectator at the May, 2025 Spring Sprints. He didn’t come to the event planning to become a driver, but after he saw the fun on and off the track, he decided to join in. Kurt attended the CSCC school in Portland in June, bought a race-prepared MG Midget in August, and raced for the first time in September at the SOVREN Columbia River Classic in Portland.

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SOVREN racer Cody Paris was a spectator at the May, 2025 Spring Sprints. While he was intent on racing, he thought he’d need to wait until 2026 to start. But after a chat with our Novice Director and learning about SOVREN’s Youthful Driver Assistance Program, he saw that it didn’t have to take that long. Cody bought a Formula Ford and started wheel-to-wheel racing with SOVREN at the Spokane Festival of Speed, just one month later!