The smell of burnt rubber and the sound of screeching tires might be commonplace in the west campus parking lot; but on Sunday, it meant drivers were competing for a trophy.

Under gray skies, drivers gathered at 7 a.m. as Ohio State played host to the Sports Car Club of America’s first Solo II event for the 2006 season in the Ohio Valley Region.

“Autocross is a precision driving competition,” said Andy Bell, chairman for the SCCA OVR. “We set up an obstacle course with cones, and drivers go through to see who can do it in the least amount of time.”

While racers arrived in anything from a Suzuki Aerio to an Acura NSX, Bell said a driver’s car is just a fraction of the winning formula.

“The SCCA has a class for just about anything,” Bell said. “We get minivans and pickup trucks to specialized race cars and everything in between. The emphasis is really on handling. It comes down to driver skill, not putting a lot of money into your car.”

The widespread accessibility attracted go-karters as young as 5 years old to university students in their daily drivers to weekend racers in race-prepped Corvettes.

Bell encouraged students to bring their cars to the event.

“We get a lot of students down here,” he said. “It’s a great way to learn the performance limits of your car without breaking the bank. Students also get a discount on SCCA membership.”

Bell said participation in autocross can help racers become better drivers off the course as well.

“If you’re going down the highway and something falls off the back of a truck, you’ll know what to do and how to react,” he said.

At the end of the autocross season, points are totaled and trophies and bragging rights are awarded to the top finishers in each class. Any registration money that is left over at the end of the season is donated to the Stanberry Cancer Research Fund, Bell said.

For Aaron Ritch, career architect and driver of a 2004 Subaru Impreza STI, autocross is a way to expand on his general automotive interests.

“I’ve always liked to work on my car and this is the best proving ground for the work that I do. If I did something wrong I’m going to find out about it immediately on the track,” Ritch said.

Simi Dhillon, Franklin University MBA student and recent OSU graduate, won her class last year and hopes for a repeat this year. Driving a 2005 Scion tC, Dhillon exhibits great enthusiasm for the competition.

“Female drivers might not be taken as seriously as they could be, but the big thing is the driver,” she said. “A lot of people out there are driving stick cars and still kicking butt. The most important thing is learning how to drive.”

The OVR autocross season alternates locations between the west campus parking lot (behind the OSU Child Care Center) and Cooper Stadium, home of the Clippers. While attending the event as a spectator is free of charge, on-sight registration for non-SCCA members is $30. More information regarding future race dates and registration can can be found on the OVR section of the SCCA Web site, scca.com.

Ritch said autocross is the ultimate weekend entertainment.

“For 20 bucks I get a full day’s worth of entertainment. That’s way better than going to a movie,” he said.