Folk racing or folkrace ( fi, jokamiesluokka; sv, folkrace; lv, folkreiss; da, folkeræs; no, bilcross) is a popular, inexpensive, and entry-level form of Nordic
rallycross that originally comes from
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, where it is also called ''jokkis'' or ''Jokamiehenluokka'' (everyman's class).
About
The races are run on special gravel or tarmac tracks, in length.
The tracks are designed to limit the top speed to , but on most of the tracks speeds of over can be reached. The competitions are divided into different classes depending on age and gender. Participants can be as young as 14 years of age.
The race is divided into different heats with usually 6 cars. The driver winning a race is awarded seven points, second five points, third four points and so on. When all the heats have been driven, the total score is calculated and the top six drivers get to race in the A final, the next six in the B final and so on. The winner of the A final wins the event.
To maintain its inexpensive nature, there is a rule on car costs. The races are run in standard
cars
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
, but participants are generally free to choose as long as they meet certain minimum safety regulations. In Finland, the cars must not be all-wheel drive and cannot have a diesel engine and they have to be made of family cars (no mid-engine layout and minimum of 4 seats). Anyone can place a fixed-price bid on any car, and the buyer is then chosen by draw. The fixed price is € 2,000 (Finland, ca. US$1,650) or 8,000 SEK (Sweden, ca. US$1,000). Refusing to sell is grounds for having one's competition license revoked; however, participants with handicaps can get an exemption if they need special equipment in the cars. Personal equipment such as the seat and safety harness are not included in the sale. This type of system eliminates the motivation for sinking extensive amounts of work and money into a folk racing car.
Because old road cars are used up in folk racing, retro and
antique car
An antique car is an automobile that is an antique. Narrower definitions vary based on how old a car must be to qualify. The Antique Automobile Club of America defines an antique car as over 25 years of age. However, the legal definitions for th ...
enthusiasts talk about "the folk racing death": Folk racing does away with many cars that are too old to be considered usable for everyday driving but not old enough to have reached the status of a "veteran" or "antique".
Folk racing is a full-contact sport like
banger racing
Banger racing is a tarmac, dirt, shale and chalk track type of motorsport event popular in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Vehicles are raced against one another, with the winner being the first to the c ...
. While collisions do happen and cars make contact with each other, intentionally ramming or obstructing a competitor is forbidden, and the safety rules are strict, so that teenagers (15 to 17 years old) and drivers without a regular driver's license may participate.
See also
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Autograss {{advert, date=March 2012
Autograss racing is a form of amateur motor racing in Britain. Races are held at venues throughout the UK and Ireland. Its origins can be traced back to the 1960s.
Autograss races take place usually on tracks of roughly ...
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British autocross
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FIA Autocross
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Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
References
External links
Bilcross.no - norwegian bilcrossOla's Bilsport SidaEriks folkracesida* https://web.archive.org/web/20060112183055/http://www.sbf.se/info/folkrace
FIA Finland Folk RacingPhoto galleryFolkrace in Latvia
Resources
{{commonscat, Folkrace
2017 AKK official rules for FinlandContest Rules of SBF for Sweden
Auto racing by type
Motorsport in Finland
Motorsport in Sweden
Rallycross