We are racing in our homegrounds which are located in Knocknattubrid, Ardattin, Co. Carlow Autograss is very easily accessed as it is very fortunate to be located just 10 minutes from the M9 motorway, and is centrally located on the island of Ireland. It serves as the meeting point between North and South and is also easily got to from the Ferrys to Dublin or Rosslare, only being an hour drive from either port. Carlow Autograss is one of four clubs which make up the Southern Ireland League, which includes West Waterford, Mallow and Cork. In the North of Ireland you can also find Down Autograss and Causeway Autograss, which are part of the Northern League. Both Leagues come together each year to host the All-Ireland Autograss Series, which see drivers from all six clubs battle for the All-Ireland title. Autograss is a non-contact motorsport that takes place on an oval (approximately 400 metre) track using a natural soil surface. Due to the close nature of the racing, thrills and spills are never far away. There are several differing classes of car, from near standard minis or small hatchbacks through to spaceframed single seaters with monster V8 or twin motorbike power! Up to 8 cars start on a straight line grid and race over short 4-8 lap races. This results in the major meetings, most of which are staged over 2 days, offering upwards of 200 races. All classes normally race through qualifying heats and finals and, if time permits, open races where different classes race against each other. The social side of the sport is a very large factor in its appeal and friends from all over the country meet and catch up at the "larger" events. The family nature of the sport is important - sometimes all members of a family can share the same racing car, although juniors (12-16 yrs) are restricted to two less powerful classes for obvious reasons! No autograss event requires competitors to enter prior to the day and (with the exception of the National Championships, which require qualification/registration) any NASA licence holder can race at any NASA meeting just by turning up with a car that meets the national construction rules for its class. This even applies to rounds of the British Autograss Series (BAS) which is a number of events throughout the season over which points are accumulated to produce class and overall champions. Also available are mechanics and social licences for those who do not wish to race but would like to be part of this very affordable motor sport. It is first and foremost an amateur sport, so there are always plenty of opportunities to join in and help to run your local club! As time goes by, there are also chances to become more involved with the sport on a higher organisational level, or simply to turn up and continue enjoying your racing! If you would like to know more, the best place to start is at a local race meeting. When you attend an Autograss event, you can speak with the people there who will be more than happy to give you more information
We look forward to seeing you at a meeting and will be very surprised if your first meeting is your last.
