Register for the Mineral Wells ProSolo Here!

First let's talk about ProSolo in general.

If you haven't tried it, you should.

Two cars running two side by side mirror image courses, starting with a dragstrip style start complete with Christmas tree. If you are naughty and leave too soon, you get a red light and no time instead of a stocking full of coal. But if you start well, Santa's gift to you is harrowing launch into a slightly shorter and slightly less technical version of a Championship tour course. Once you finish your side, you switch immediately to the opposite side and run the mirror image of what you just ran. Rinse and repeat one more time for a total of two runs each side, and you are done for the session. There are three sessions over the weekend. The combination of the lights, the launch, watching a car take off next to you, and having very little time between runs to compose your thoughts lead to the most exhilarating autocross experience you can have.

And ProSolo at Mineral Wells is exceptional.

In 2015, Mineral Wells had the longest ProSolo course of all the locations on the ProSolo tour, almost twice the length of Packwood or Toledo. The site is an airport tarmac at the local airport that was previously used for helicopter parking/training. The tarmac area is close to square so the course is not out and back like perhaps Blytheville, instead there is usually more space for it wrap around. This enables the course designers to put different elements than you might see on other ProSolo courses. Here are some of my co-driver's runs from last year:

While not a high grip concrete site like some places in the country. Mineral Wells does have asphalt that has aged very well but still stays together well enough to avoid becoming a gravel trap (although you will want to stay on the driving line by the end or the weekend). And over the course of the weekend the line will rubber in and the times will drop significantly. 60ft Times were only about a tenth slower than the ProSolo Finale last year. The site has a slight grade to it which causes the mirror courses to be angled the same direction so an on camber turn on the right side may be off camber on the left side. This tends to work itself out over the entire run but as with most ProSolo courses one side is usually faster than the other.

The town of Mineral Wells welcomes us with open arms each year. Despite not being big enough for their own Home Depot (The nearest one is in Weatherford, 25miles to the east), Mineral Wells is quite the tourist destination. SCCA events are far from the only game that comes through town and the citizens of Mineral Wells are quiet accustomed to motorsports enthusiasts like ourselves. Downtown Mineral wells still has some interesting buildings left from its heyday, when people would travel there to enjoy the mineral springs, including the abandoned Baker Hotel.

The Mineral Wells is one of the only events I have attended to have parties/dinner for the competitors both evenings. Vorshlag graciously sponsors a welcome party Friday night and The Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce brings out BBQ for every one on Saturday night.

Camping is allowed on site, and Mineral Wells has many comfortable newer hotels nearby. If you at looking to arrive and drive, DFW airport is less than a 90-minute drive away, and you are likely to negotiate a co-drive with any number of Texas autocrossers.

Come to Mineral Wells, June 4th-5th, and experience Texas Sized ProSolo.