Folk Race – An Entertaining Motor Sport for All Types

Not many people in the world will have heard of the term ‘Folk race‘ before. This is because this type of auto racing mainly takes place in European countries such as Sweden, Finland and Norway. The sport receives little coverage but is very popular due to the low expenses and little driving skill that is needed to participate in it.

Folk race racing originally came from Finland, though the idea behind the sport is very similar to ‘banger racing’ which is commonly found in Britain, some parts of Europe and in a few places in the US. The event takes the form of a race, which is run on a gravel or tarmac track that measures approximately 800 meters in length. These tracks are designed in such a way that speeds in excess of 80 km/h should not be possible. Thus, the race is not so much about speed and skill and instead the focus is on trying to ‘bump’ your opponents off the track as you try to make your way up the ranks. Because of the damaging nature of the sport, only old, dented cars are usually used. Any type or model of car can be used as long as it is fitted with the regulation safety equipment. This makes getting started relatively easy and inexpensive and is one of the reasons the sport is so popular.

The average Folk race competition is divided into different classes which are usually determined by factors such as age and gender. Age limits are quite low and anyone over the age of five may race. The race itself is usually separated into different heats with six cars in each heat. The drivers are awarded a number of points according to where they place in each heat and at the end of the race these points are tallied up to determine who the top six drivers are. These top six then go on to race in the ‘A final’ and the winner of the A final is the overall winner of the event.

Folk race racing is somewhat different from other auto racing events in that limits are put on how expensive the cars are, instead of how cheap they are. All cars must cost no more than the set standard and must meet the minimum safety regulations. However, this does not mean that all cars are equal and often the more mechanically minded car owners will have better cars as they can fine-tune them themselves. It means that each race is exciting and unique. If you ever have the chance to enjoy a Folk race while in Europe you should definitely do so, as this is a wildly entertaining form of motor sport.