Issue date: 11/10/05 Section: Aggielife

Whitney Martin -The Battalion Senior speech communication major and officer of the Texas A&M Sports Car Club, Benton Hodges checks the tires of a 2004 Z06 Corvette at Rudder Plaza on Nov 2.

It's a hot day at Rudder Fountain, the beating sun bringing out metallic flecks in each speedster's carefully polished paint. A variety of cars and drivers make up the Texas A&M Sports Car Club (SCC) where the car shows outside Rudder every month provide a showroom for students to display their classic and modern sports cars. From Firebirds and Nissans to Buick Regals - the cars serve as more than a means of transportation.

In the world of car racing, practice makes perfect. Autocross courses are complex series of cones set up to replicate maneuvers used on city streets. Autocross has become an effective tool for developing offensive driving skills. Chad Kuboviak, a sophomore computer engineering major, frequently races his 1999 Pontiac Formula LS7 Firebird at autocross events.

"I race autocross a lot," Kuboviak said. "It helps with control. Someone who worked with my dad invited me to some races and I decided it was something I wanted to do. I race any chance I get - three or four times a month. I race with the club here, mainly autocross. Autocross is low risk. If you spin out, you only hit cones. I also do open track events. I get up to about 120 mph. I practice by getting more street time and practicing autocross at all the events I can get to."

Autocross, as with all racing, starts with the car. Members of SCC spend long hours and wads of cash improving their vehicles for maximum racing ability.

"A good racing car needs to have a lot of horsepower, good suspension, and good sticky tires," Kuboviak said. "What's holding me back is my driving. Autocross is about 70 percent driver and 30 percent car. In autocross, every event has a new course so a good driver is one who looks ahead and can get a good sense of the course by walking through it."

Autocross can be an expensive hobby, especially considering tires must be changed more frequently than regular car tires.

"A good tire costs about $200, so you're looking at $800 a set," Kuboviak said.

Benton Hodges, a junior speech communication major and public relations director for SCC, has spent countless hours revamping his Pontiac 1975 Formula 350 Firebird.

"SCC is the largest collegiate sports car club in the world and one of the largest student organizations on campus. The thing about the club is you don't have to have a Mustang or a Corvette to be in the club. We have beginner drivers and some of the best drivers in the world in our club."

According to Hodges, A&M boasts one of the best autocross tracks in the country.

"We have one of the number one sites in the country for autocross - the Riverside Annex runways," Hodges said. "The University is very generous to let us use it. We have our own insurance, but we've been out there since 1969 and never had an accident. It's a strong track with good grip because it's an airport runway. Everything we do is legal and University sanctioned."

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