SCCA, NASA, BMWCCA, PCA Racers in the US?

Ron Earp · 12-22-05, 08:17 PM

I was wondering how many of our members in the US have competition licenses for wheel to wheel racing? I'm sure there are other organizations but I was sort of wanting to know if we had a lot of active road racers here on the forum or not? And, if you do maybe list what you drive and in what class you actively race.

Best,
Ron

Gordy · 12-22-05, 10:19 PM

Hi Ron,

I've been racing with SCCA for 18 years, mainly in Formula Ford. I've been to the Runoffs a few times, just don't have the cash to be at the sharp end of the pack, although I did finish 10th once. Also gotten involved in vintage cars, a Lotus 41 F2 and a Brabham BT21 F2 car. Even had an Indy car for a while, but couldn't afford the right motor so I never ran it. I'm currently building a F1 car, a Lotus 49, which may take a few years, since all I have is the monocoque and the DFV motor. Everything else I will have to fab myself, but so far it's been fun.

David Briggs · 12-22-05, 10:25 PM

I have raced SCCA since 1997, ITA RX7 and now a Swift in FF. I don't race enough either, I try to get out 3/4 times a year, just in California.

Ron Earp · 12-23-05, 07:05 AM

Hi David,

I am also racing in IT and a little in SM. In the SE IT is very popular with 85 car fields for S/A run groups in some cases.

Gordy, you've ben doing this far longer than I for sure and have some really nice cars it appears.

I think there are some others on the board, Jim Dewar is one local to me and I'm sure there are more. Anyone else?

Daryl Adams · 12-23-05, 09:11 AM

I've done three seasons in SCCA Spec Racer Ford. No wins, but a few top tens and one pole.

Jim Dewar · 12-23-05, 09:32 AM

I've done SCCA,IMSA(FV,FF), Circle Track and some vintage(Italian) for the last 36 years.I guess this dates me!

Dan Weilacher · 12-23-05, 09:56 AM

Several seasons in Formula Ford and F2000 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rice.gif[/img] Nothing like wearing a car on your back that becomes an extension of your self [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] People always like crash pictures , so here is one of me when I was lapping a back marker he drove me off not seeing me, then the second place car and him touched wheels and he jerked the car into me as I was going by again, launched and 4 1/2 times endo. Was a cool rare Tiga f2000.

Chris_K · 12-23-05, 09:57 AM

My previous obsession (PRO-Rally. Not wheel-to-wheel but still lots of fun!). Been out of it ~5 years now, looking forward to the next obsession (a `40).

Chris

Alain Vanhollebeke · 12-23-05, 07:31 PM

I got my SCCA national comp license back in 1994 and used to race about 10-12 weekends per season,,,,,, but I took the last two years off because I ran out of "play money".

Hope to be back sometime in 2006, though.

I also instruct for the SCCA, PCA, BMWCCA and Audi club events in the MidDiv.

I started out racing datsun 1200s in GT5, but couldn't stand building 14 to one compression 8300rpm hand grenades, so I did a season in a datsun 510 in GT4, before finally settling into ITE with my Mercedes 190e.

When I started racing the Mercedes, we used to run in the same group as the "american sedan" guys.
I got alot of flak for having a little 4 cylinder -4 door car out there,,,,but they weren't laughing too much when I would run faster lap times due to a well balanced car that actually had brakes! In a 30 car field, I would routinely beat all but the top three american sedans in the group. I give alot of 911 and 944 turbo owners fits too, as I am the only car on the track they can NOT outbrake [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Ron Earp · 12-30-05, 11:06 AM

Dan, that is ugly! Do you race any longer?

Alain, the MB is a fantastic car and can do well. There is one here in the SE out of Florida that runs in ITS and can generally do well on the power tracks. I came close to buying one to run in ITS last year actually since they can be had for reasonable money and are cheaper to build than a Jensen Healey, but then again, what isn't? You run in ITE as I recall, is ITS an option for you possibly giving you more thrills with more competition? I don't know what ITE fields look like out that way, but in the SE it is very sparse. Be careful when you go back out for the AS guys - they've got allowances now on brakes and rears so that they don't burn them up every few sessions, might be able to brake okay now. But, on the other hand, AS here in the SE rarely runs much faster than the fastest ITS guys, so I imagine you'll still be in the hunt!

Ron

Alain Vanhollebeke · 12-30-05, 07:04 PM

My car was originally built to run in SCCA pro world challenge "T2" back in the mid 90s,,,,,,,,but I quickly learned that those three letters "P-R-O" means you need very deep pockets to be competitive,,,,,,,so I went club racing instead.

Of course, back then, I had to urge the SCCA to allow/classify the 190 mercedes into club racing, because they had no club race casssification for it.

Anyways, they finally put the 190 2.3 8 valve and 2.6 cars into ITS,,,,,but my 16v car was not eligible so I had to run ITE.

Recently, the SCCA did classify the 16v 190 into ITS (about two years ago I think),,,but my car is now "overprepped" for that class.

If I wanted to put it into ITS legally, I would have to gain about 350 pounds of weight, and change my brake system back to stock 190e parts.

The 190 is not the "fastet" car out there,,,,but I can tell you it is the most dependable / bulletproof car I've ever driven on a racetrack.

I went 12 weekends, two schools, and a handful of Porsche club track days, on the stock clutch.
I have over 40 races on the logbook without a single mechanical DNF!

I've skidded down the front straight at Hallett, (on the car's pass side!) for a few hundred feet, and buried it so deep into the tire wall it took 45 minutes to get me out during a qulifying session,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,towed the car back to the paddock and cut off the squished muffler with a hack saw,,,,,,,, opened the pass side doors and beat the dents back out, got the "OK" from the cheif steward & tech to start the race that afternnon dead last in a 30 car field.

Came out of the last turn "racin" on the pace lap, and ended up in the front of the entire pack by the end of lap 3! People in the MidDiv are still talking about that race.

When it comes to durability you can not beat a German car,,,,,and rule number one in racing is:
To finish first,,,,,you must first finish.

I know most of the other guys (about ten of us) who race 190s, and we all love the fact that we spend our weekends DRIVING our cars and not fixing them.

It's also cool that 16v 190s can be bought in the 5k range(or less) in this area.

Hopefully,(once things settle down at the new biz) I will have time to get mine going again for this season, so my soon to be 16 year old daughter can use it for her schools.

Eventually, I want to be able to run whole 12 weekend race seasons again,,,as I miss it.
I miss it like a fish out of water!

Dan Weilacher · 12-31-05, 10:37 AM

Ron that big one was in 96. I took a couple years off and then bought this Van Diemen .This is the best handling car I have ever owned or driven. Inboard 3 way Penskes & carbon diffuser. Sold it 3 weeks before I got my RF kit. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

**Veek** · 12-31-05, 11:05 AM

Ron,

I run SCCA formula events in the Southeast mostly FV but an occasional FC rental when I want to do Daytona. I hold a National license and have been racing cars for over 10 years and motorcycles before that. Had to quit bikes when the emergency room visit to trophy ratio got out of hand [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I run Moroso, Sebring, Daytona, Roebling and CMSP.

Scott · 01-25-06, 07:05 PM

I raced a couple of times with Skip Barber, got my SCCA license, then let it lapse when the '40 arrived. Just bought a Spec Miata and am planning on running the SCCA school at Thunderhill in March with the thought of racing at Laguna Seca in April.

We ran the SM at Laguna last weekend and had a blast. Now I just have to find 9 seconds. I don't suppose removing the catalytic converter will get me all the way there...

Scott

JCoop · 01-26-06, 03:23 PM

I have participated in SCCA PDA, BMWCCA, PCA events but purely non-wheel-2-wheel. Time trials and Autocross events mainly.
I have won my class in the Mini Cooper but no season trophies yet.
My stress levels at work is enough so stress release is more appropriate for my racing activities.
I hope to do some time trials this season on the CAV and also the Cobra.
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]