A
SHORT HISTORY
OF AUTOGRASS
| Autograss
is the name now used in general for cars that race on grass. The
name was first coined in the mid-seventies as part of the title
of the sport's biggest governing body, the National Autograss Sports
Association (NASA). It was a long overdue replacement for the old
tag of Jalopy racing, which could easily be mistaken as Banger Racing,
or Grasstrack which to most people means motorcycle sport. The original Jalopy racing is thought to have its origins in the border counties of England and Wales, where there was little or no stadium motor sport, some 40 years ago. Basically it was a little bit like Banger Racing with some sophistication and a few home-built cars, some of which could have been described as motorized bedsteads, racing in fields for fun. Gradually as the general public started to be involved as spectators paying to watch the drivers do their stuff more organization was required, and gradually assumed a non-contact status. Most grass tracks were very temporary circuits marked out in a field hired from an obliging farmer. Normally, they were oval shaped, a bit longer than stadium tracks, usually 400/600 meters. Despite hundreds of Autograss Meetings throughout the country each season, the safety record for both drivers and spectators is very good. |