What Is Solodex?

Solodex is a timed automotive event held on a paved, flat surface through a course defined by traffic pylons. The event emphasizes car handling skills and stringent safety measures are upheld to safeguard car, driver and spectator alike. Drivers vie for class and overall prizes by negotiating the course one car at a time in a class of similar cars. The goals are to improve car handling skills and to develop a heightened respect for automotive safety and responsibility in T&T, while having loads of fun.

A Solodex event consists of a single course run a number of times. Drivers see the course just prior to the event's start when they will be allowed to walk the course to become familiar with the course layout and defining convention. Drivers also use this time to develop what they consider the optimal driving lines for the fastest passage through the course.

Courses are made up of turns, gates and slaloms demonstrated by standard traffic pylons, which are heavy enough to prevent movements other than those caused by contact with a vehicle. Their locations are marked with a chalk box around the entire base of the pylon to assure accurate replacement and assessment of penalties. A penalty is given if a course cone is knocked over and if the cone remains standing but is outside of the box. No penalty is given if the cone remains standing and is partially in its chalk box or touching the box.

The course normally ends with the driver coming to a complete stop in a Finishing Box at least 50 feet after the Finish Line. Each run is timed separately and drivers have a minimum of three runs of the course. For each cone penalty, 2 seconds is added to the run time, which is done to al least one hundredths of a second.

(Top)