Solodex with your daily driven
Ryan Ramsaran keeps it in VTEC while negotiating the cones
Article by Kevin Singh

With interest in Solodex and Navigation Rallies gaining speed and a wider cross section of the general public now competing, CARS has embarked on a new initiative, to fill the gap between its hard core members and the curious onlooker. Thus we have CARS Crossover, a new feature in collaboration between www.trinituner.com and CARS (Creative Auto Recreational Sports). In this first installment, we feature a TriniTuner regular who has made the jump headlong into the competitive world of Solodex.

Solodex competitors know him as Ryan Ramsaran, but the TriniTuner faithful all know him as MadCrix! Proving once again that tuners are not a bunch of teenage geeks glued to their PCs, Crix is showing the world what Tuners really do offline.

Ryan is a 24 year old professional who loves the tuner lifestyle. Learning to drive on the last variant of Mazda’s RWD 626, he then upgraded to a 1997 Honda Civic EXi. Driving since he was 17, Ryan has also driven the wheels of a B11 Nissan Sunny, and currently owns a RORO Civic hatchback. Naturally this ride has a manual transmission and is powered by a SOHC VTEC engine.

Ryan attacked the first event for 2005 with full force, winning his class outright! Fuelled by this victory, he attacked the second event with the same enthusiasm and commitment. Not so lucky this time, Ryan learned the hard way that its not over till the last Civic runs…..his seemingly secure lead was stolen following his last run by a mere .365 of a second! He knows now how close Solodex competition can be.

Our first question for Ryan naturally, was what motivated him to get into Solodex. He was quick to point out that he is not a straight line racer, and actually started off doing Navigation Rallies. With a taste for the turns, Ryan feels that Solodex is the best way to learn to handle one’s car and understand how it will behave under certain driving conditions.

He firmly believes that the skills he is developing from Solodex will help him in real world driving conditions. He already credits Solodex skills with saving him in a few real – world emergency situations. The confidence of knowing how his car will behave under sudden braking and swerving has helped him to keep his car shiny side up! His driving reflexes and reaction times have also improved considerably as a result of competing.

Ryan now focuses his efforts on improving his racing lines, anticipating his car’s reaction to track conditions, preparing in advance for each course, suspension and tyre setup and practice. He is confident that the experience he is gaining on tyre pressure changes, surface conditions and anticipating the car’s reactions will continue to make him a better and safer driver. Naturally the MadCrix side of Ryan is planning to upgrade the front and rear stabilizer bars, install polyurethane bushings and convert to rear disc brakes.

Ryan is eager to recommend Solodex to anyone who enjoys driving for fun or has to commute on a daily basis. “once you enjoy your car, driving, or just plain old speed, Solodex is a safe avenue to come out and enjoy your car, improve your skills, learn to handle your car on the edge and be better equipped to save lives on the nation’s roads” We will be tracking Ryan’s progress during the course of the Solodex season on www.carstt.com, and look forward to his continued success!