Sprint car racing fast, dirty and fun

NIKA ROLCZEWSKI SPECIAL TO THE STAR

OHSWEKEN-It was supposed to make my skin soft and supple - purify and exfoliate.

Instead, the spa mud mask I had worn on my face and body had only worn a hole in my wallet. There must be a better way to enjoy mud?

I found it, tucked away in the countryside, about an hour and half from Toronto. Only this was the kind of mud you find on a dirt-track oval.

Ohsweken Speedway, which comes alive on Friday nights, gave me my first chance to see what all the fuss and noise was about.

Sprint cars, in my eyes, always had a dangerous look to them. The large wings on top looked so disproportional that I pictured them toppling at the slightest opportunity.

I just had to try this out.

I convinced young racer Daryl Turford from Mitchell to let me try. He gave me his opinion of what it feels like to drive a Sprint car: "Insane." My confidence fizzled like a leaky balloon.

The tiny cars are strapped to powerful motors - a lot to handle, I had heard.

But he tried to reassure me that horsepower was not as important in Sprint cars - it's driving the best line that gets you to the checker.

I gazed up at the sky hoping a thunderstorm or tornado may save me from this experiment.

No such luck. The track was muddy but ready for my debut.

Turford was also a bit nervous. He funds the team out of his own pocket. He's 22 years old and has only been racing for two.

The starting procedure mirrors the complexity of a space shuttle's: Lock it in gear, start rolling, watch for oil pressure to build, then flick the electrical switch and open the fuel.

At this point, the engine is alive. Oh, is it ever alive! The roar is intimidating.

At 550 to 650 hp and with a weight of 1,300 to 1,500 pounds, (depending on fuel and driver), you have yourself quite a handful.

I suddenly remember I have to turn the corner.

Once oriented, I discover the dirt rut in the track. It provides me with an extremely bumpy ride to awaken my senses and shock my body.

Besides the large wing on top, the three different sizes of tires on the car aid in giving it a quirky look. It's the best setup for a car that races by turning left.

It's best described as taking a glass tumbler with a larger diameter on top and rolling it on a table - its path runs in a circle.

On the sprint car, you have the large wheels in the back, but the right rear is a few inches larger at 17 to 18 inches diameter, the other is a 14 to 15 inches.

It took all my concentration to focus on where I was to go. Steering in this roaring mechanical bull is best accomplished with the throttle not the steering wheel. Some pressure on the gas pedal and the car naturally wants to snap sideways - any more foot power and I have visions of getting up close and personal to a wall.

Alone on the track is one thing but the previous night, 22 cars had an incredibly choreographed start and an electrifying finish - the winner rolling the car after attempting a celebratory 360-degree spin. The video was played over and over again in the morning, instilling yet more trepidation into my soul.

Slipping through the field of roaring Sprint cars must be a cross between incredible talent and pure luck - this race car is hard to tame.

Glen Styres, owner of the 3/8-mile, semi-banked clay oval, still remembers the first time he drove a Sprint car.

"It turned my legs to jelly. Sprint cars are one of the most extreme race cars - a very vicious car to drive."

So why bother trying, I ask?

"Driving one was never in my plans," he says. "I've watched them for years and told everyone, `You'll never catch me driving a sprint car.' I thought you had to be crazy to drive one."

But as the winner of last night's event and the man now known for his spins, Styres is eager to let others know the entertainment value.

"Watching sprint cars still amazes me because the speeds they carry though the corner are staggering."

(The track record of 222 km/h is held by female racer Erin Crocker.)

The Southern Ontario Sprints series (http://www.southernontariosprints.com) has about 40 competitors and average 18 cars per race.

They are held at three tracks in Ontario: nine times per season at Ohsweken, five times at Brighton and one at South Buxton near Chatham.

While I'm not ready for the SOS series yet, I have new respect for the sport.

I brought Turford's car back safe and sound - much to his appreciation. Although I failed to impress the crowd with sideways slides like the experts, I did impress myself with a few good corners, good saves and good laughs.

The adrenalin rush is addictive.

And my grin proves I now have a face only a mudder could love.

Photos courtesy of respected motorsport photographer Mark Jackson of www.markjackson.ca For more information or to purchase photographs of such events as Montreal Grand Prix - please check the website.