Please give me some help!!!!

Tonight was my first night trying my hand at motorsport/action photography without using a flash. The area I am shooting in is pretty well lit, and I don't want to use a flash because of distractions to the drivers as I am pretty close to them while shooting. I have posted below two photographs that I came out with tonight. My camera settings where alternating between 1/50 and 1/60 and camera set at f4. The ISO was 800, and I am using a Canon 300D with the kit lens. Some of the shots came out decent, but could be better. I have posted the two best examples below. These two images where snapped at pretty much the same place with the same camera settings. I am trying to pan with the cars, and I don't know if I am panning to fast most of the time or not fast enough. Any help anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated. I have searched the net over, and cannot find very much helpful information about motorsport photography at night without using a flash. Again any help would be greatful. Thank you.

This is one of my better shots:

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i never panne, but doesnt look easy! your first shot looks dead on to me, the second shot looks like you may have been moving to fast. since i cant give you "real" advice, but heres what i got to say...practice makes perfect. keep on trying, envually it will come out right...another idea would be to is freeze everythin, fast shutter, then jsut ps the blur in...though im sure you want to naturally make nice photograph. good luck, post some more when you got some!

Yeah I do PS some of the shots that I take in the daytime which I am pleased with or without PS. As for the panning, if I could get by without doing it that would be great. Can I feeze the motion at night by not using a flash. What Apeture setting, and shutter speed do you recommend at night for freezing the motion without the flash? Or just a baseline to where I could start and either work up or down. What about the camera setting I posted. Do those sound close to you? Thanks for the advice.

Maybe an f/2.8 lens would make a little difference?

I've tried panning and never had any success. I'd say #1 turned out pretty good. Panning is going to give you an entirely different image from just stopping the motion. And a much nicer image IMO.