In what venue can I drive my car?

[Sam McDowell]

I have a GTD that I am trying to find a good way to drive on track. NASA makes it pretty easy to drive without a lot of red tape. I do not want to drive it wheel to wheel at this point.
Has any one driven SCCA in a GT40? So far my talking to them makes me think that is not where I need to be.
Would the GTD qualify for any vintage racing?

 

[Randy V]

With the SCCA you can do their PDX (Performance Driving eXperience) events;
SCCA - Sports Car Club of America

More and more SCCA Regions are embedding the PDX events into their regular Regional Club Racing Event weekends..

Your GTD would most likely not qualify for Vintage Racing unless it had the requisite FIA Fuel Cells and Roll Cage..

 

[Bill Musarra]

Sam,
You might want to look also at Chin Mororsports Chin MotorSports - More Tracks, More Track Time!
Their schedule is not as extensive as NASA. Track events are mostly in the southeast with Mid Ohio and Watkins Glen thrown in. Here is their event schedule.

Bill
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td>
</td><td valign="top" width="70">DATE</td><td valign="top" width="180">TRACK/VENUE</td><td valign="top" width="550">EVENT NOTES</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jan 22-23</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">First event of the year, online registration begins Mon. 11/29, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Feb 26-27</td> <td valign="top">Homestead/Miami</td> <td valign="top">First 2011 winter visit to HMS. No snow, guaranteed! OPENING: Mon, Jan 3, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">Mar 19</td> <td valign="top">Homestead/Miami</td> <td valign="top">2nd winter visit to HMS, 3rd Sat. of March, 1-day only. OPENING: Tues, 1/25, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">Mar 26-27</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">First Sebring track event after the 12-Hour. Registration begins: Mon, Jan 31, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">Apr 9</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">Saturday only, on the 12-Hour course. Registration begins: Mon., Feb. 7th, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">Apr 16-17</td> <td valign="top">Road Atlanta</td> <td valign="top">JUST RELEASED! Registration available NOW! A great springtime weekend.</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">Apr 30-1</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">Chin Motorsports' 4th visit to Sebring in 4 months! Opening: Tues, Feb 15th, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">May 9-10</td> <td valign="top">Watkins Glen Int'l</td> <td valign="top">The spring visit to one of the most historic tracks... Opening: Mon., Feb 21st, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">May 14-15</td> <td valign="top">Autobahn Country Club</td> <td valign="top">Back to Chicagoland, SOUTH course, and FULL. Opening: Tues., March 1st, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">May 28</td> <td valign="top">Atlanta Motorsports Park</td> <td valign="top">CANCELLED</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"></td> <td valign="top">May 30-31</td> <td valign="top">Mid-Ohio</td> <td valign="top">The Memorial day event, at another legendary track. Opening: Mon., March 14, 10PM</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jun 6</td> <td valign="top">Road Atlanta</td> <td valign="top">Our first 2011 visit to RA is a 1-day event on the first Monday of June</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jun 11-12</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">Saturday or Sunday, TracQuest event, on the Full Course, of course...</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jul 1</td> <td valign="top">Road Atlanta</td> <td valign="top">Friday before July 4th weekend, begin your holiday with a track day!</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jul 4-5</td> <td valign="top">VIRginia Int'l Raceway</td> <td valign="top">Summer holiday at VIR... Monday/Tuesday, TracQuest format</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jul 16</td> <td valign="top">Homestead/Miami</td> <td valign="top">The summer visit to Homestead/Miami. 1-day, Saturday only</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Jul 30-31</td> <td valign="top">Road Atlanta</td> <td valign="top">Hot laps in Hotlanta... this track ROCKS!</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Aug 20</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">After 2 months away, the summer visit to Sebring. 1-day, Saturday only</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Sep 5-6</td> <td valign="top">Watkins Glen Int'l</td> <td valign="top">Labor Day at The Glen. This is a SU-WEET track date! </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Sep 12</td> <td valign="top">Road Atlanta</td> <td valign="top">Another Monday at RA, a great reason to rearrange your work schedule.</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Sep 24-25</td> <td valign="top">Barber MS Park</td> <td valign="top">An epic fall event. 2 days at Barber. </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Oct 8-9</td> <td valign="top">Sebring Raceway</td> <td valign="top">The first big fall event in Florida, at Florida's favorite track</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Oct 22-23</td> <td valign="top">Atlanta Motorsports Park</td> <td valign="top">2-day Fall event at the new track north of Atlanta</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Oct 30-31</td> <td valign="top">VIRginia Int'l Raceway</td> <td valign="top">This popular annual event follows the 13-Hour race at VIR</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Nov 26-27</td> <td valign="top">Road Atlanta</td> <td valign="top">The weekend after Thanksgiving. One of the most popular events of the Fall. </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top">
</td> <td valign="top">Dec 3-4</td> <td valign="top">VIRginia Int'l Raceway</td> <td valign="top">Last DE track event of the year at VIR.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Ron Earp]

This thread will have some good information for racing GT40 replicas.

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/race-track/33351-racing-gt40-replica-best-gt40-racing.html

Which isn't easy to do. But plenty of track day venues available - Porsche Club, BMW Club, NASA, and as Randy mentions some PDX with the SCCA.

Our local NCR SCCA runs PDX's at VIR and just had one last weekend with our March race. There will be another one in May with the SCCA at VIR. I can put you in touch with the people that run it if you'd like to join in sometime.

Ron

 

[Sam McDowell]

Ron, Thank you. I would like to see what SCCA has to offer. I have joined SCCA. I talked a CCR SCCA guy that did not seem encouraging for the PDX events. He pointed me toward the time trial events. Then there is the tech inspection required on the car. I don't know how to get one.
Thanx
Sam

 

[Ron Earp]

Hey Sam,

Did you talk to Steve Eckerich in CCR? He runs the CCR, is a friend and competitor of mine in ITS, and is hosting the race I'm going to next week at Carolina Motorsports Park in SC.

I'll give you my opinion on the SCCA PDX and you can go from there.

The SCCA is "old school". The average racer age is pretty high, some car classes are old as the hills, and as a whole the organization could definitely be called The Secret Car Club of America because it isn't easy to figure out how to get on track. SCCA competition is quite strong and the club breeds good drivers. Classes are not welcoming of newer cars, street tuners, nor kit/replica cars. The SCCA knows they have a problem with getting new blood in the form of younger members but they aren't sure how to solve it.

Across the street is NASA. NASA is full of young people. Go to a NASA event and the average driver age is more like 30. You'll see modern cars. Cars with wings. Replicas. All sorts of stuff that has no place to race in most SCCA regions. I don't think the competition in NASA is as high as in the SCCA, but there is a lot less red tape and they seem to have a lot of fun. And they have a great performance driving program that leads directly to a road racing license. So, guys show up and do some PDs and then they can obtain a road racing license if they so desire.

The SCCA saw what NASA did and started a PDX program to try and get new people on track. However, the SCCAs PDX program doesn't lead to a license and for whatever reason, probably because the regions are run by people that have been doing it for 30 years and "know how it is done", the PDX progams are not gaining as much traction with regions as they would like. SCCA region weekends are always hard pressed to start and finish on time, add in a few PDX run groups and you can see how established racers and the "old guard" might not welcome a PDX event all that much.

If you've not been on track before I think you'll find NASA to be a bit more inviting of a newbie and their running of a weekend will probably be easier to understand. However, if the NCR SCCA continues with the PDX program you should definitely take advantage of it and give it a go. They ran it last weekend and it was so so in attendance, I heard about 35 people showed up. Track time was pretty good with around two hours broken up into a number of sessions.

Now, for the PDX you shouldn't have to worry about any tech inspection. People use street cars for these things so there is probably just a "Street Tech" that they want you to fill out that has you check off basic tech. I can put you in touch with the guy that runs the NC PDXs as I met him for the first time last weekend. Nice fellow.

Ron

 

[Cliff Beer]

Ditto what Ron said. I have a lot less experience than he with those two different sanctioning bodies, but I had the same general impression.

Just to get started, you might want to get out there with one of the car clubs and see how your car does at a track day. I've found the alfa romeo owners club to be a bunch of good/gung ho guys without a lot of pretense. And, if you have a local Ford/Mustang owner's club (as we do here) then they would no doubt love to see you at their next track day.

Good luck!

 

[Sam McDowell]

Thanks Ron and Cliff,
I thought it was just me. I could not crack the code on getting into the SCCA event/sign up. I talked with the Raleigh SCCA guy and we went thru 3 layers of their web site and still could not get me to a place to register for an event.
I had a very nice conversation with Tony Wentworth from Charlotte. He is a safety steward and said the CCR SCCA did not offer many PDX events and he did not like them. He suggested the time trial route for me.Tony said he would have Steve Eckerich contact me about inspecting my car and any mods that they might require. I would like to talk to the NC SCCA guy too.
I have found that NASA is much easier. Just sign up and "Come On Down".
I have been to the racing school @ Sears Point CA and had 5 weekends with the PCA (CMP & VIR), but it has been 10 years and I have slept since then. I would like to start off slow and learn to handle this beast without hurting it or me. I have been Mach 2 in an F4 @ 40,000ft but it is not near as big a rush as 150 mph 6" off the ground.
I looked into the Chin Motor Sports as well. They seem to be as welcoming as NASA but more expensive. A good alternitive.
Thanx again
Sam

 

[Howard Jones]

Try joining the local Shelby club. The will love your GT40 and look forward to having you take part in their club events. Out here on the west coast they put on several open track events. Open track is a good place to get a feel for your car at your own pace. Much less expensive also. Tipical cost for a weekend here in California is about 400-450 bucks for both days. This will get you on track for about 5 sessions a day at about 20-25 mins each. That is quite a lot of track time and plenty to get the car set up fairly good.

Take it easy and start with the slow group until you get to know the guys and you find yourself being held up a lot. Then move up a group. The fast group is mostly track only cars on slicks (old NASCARS, A, B production mustangs etc.) Unless your car is in that state of tune then the next to fastest group will be a good target. They will be about 10 sec a lap slower than the fast group and have a lot of street tires on the cars.

This is a really fun way to enjoy your car, hang out at the track and all that stuff but not get into the grind of real racing. Not to mention the expense!

 

[Sam McDowell]

Thanks Howard, I'll try the Shelby boys too.

 

[Ron Earp]

Hey Sam,

I just talked with Rex Deffenbaugh, the NCR SCCA's Regional Executive, about the PDX series. Unfortunately, NCR SCCA has no more PDX's planned for this year.

As far as safety gear goes not much is required. The passenger side needs to be equipped with the same safety gear as the driver. So if you have a five point harness the passenger needs the same. I imagine that is what you have. Helmets, long pants, and long sleeves.

Probably NASA, BMW Club, or Porsche Club is going to be the fastest way on track. I've run with all of those groups for testing and driver education days and they all allow/welcome any car, it doesn't have to be a BMW or Porsche.

I don't know about the Shelby club and how they are with replicas. They have the SAAC event coming up at VIR and I hate I'll miss it.

This coming weekend there is an SCCA race at Carolina Motorsports Park and there might be a PDX connected to it but I have not checked. If there is come on down, I'll be there and would be happy to help you out.

Ron

 

[Sam McDowell]

Ron, I am rewiring my car as we speak, 20 years of cut, patch and dead ends. If I get done I'll try to come down Sunday. How do they feel about spectators?
Sam

 

[Joe Oliveira]

Sam,

I just came across this thread while doing a google search. Sorry that I'm five months late :shrug:

Although CCR doesn't host any PDX events, there are plenty of SCCA regions in the Southeast offer PDX events that you can attend. These events have changed quite a bit in the past couple of years. There is now a logical 4 level system to SCCA Time Trials (PDX-Club Trial-Track Trial-Hillclimb). Additionally, PDX experience moves you towards your competitive TT license. the SCCA is presently working on a proposal to have prior Time Trial driving experience count towards your Club Racing license also. The days of three car pods at a time out on a track is a thing of the past. There are actually more SCCA PDX events in the Southeast this year than Hillclimbs or timed Level 3 Track Trial events.

I've participated in events EMRA, NASA, and quite a few other clubs. We've tried to take the best features from each program and incorporated them into our own. At an SCCA PDX, you will get in car instruction as you do with the other clubs, and a good amount of seat time.

There are at least two PDX events left on the schedule this year. I'm the Chief Steward at one of the events, and the other event is being hosted by the TVR and Alabama regions at TGPR in Talladega, Alabama on November 5th and 6th Talladega Gran Prix Raceway - Race Track Leasing and Racing School

Here is the information for the event that my region, South Carolina Region SCCA is hosting in September.

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The Endless Summer is a two day weekend of Driver's Education, Time Trial, and Club Racing hosted by South Carolina Region SCCA, consisting of the following events on September 17-18, 2011, at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC:

PDX – "Performance Driving Experience" - also known as a HPDE or Track Day, this is an educational event designed to let you take your street car on the Carolina Motorsports Park race course at speed, with an in-car instructor who will teach you the basics of handling your car on a race track. Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced groups are available.

Club Trial – a 2-day time trial event for licensed Time Trial/Club Racing drivers, or drivers with equivalent track experience to PDX Advanced.

Double Carolina Cup Pro Series (CCPS) - 2 rounds of the 2011 CCPS championship, a 45-minute endurance race for Spec Miata, Improved Touring, Spec Racer Ford, and similar classes.

Enduro Championship Racing (ECR) - Saturday only, a 1.5-hour endurance race for Spec Miata, Improved Touring, Spec Racer Ford, and similar classes.


Event information and online registration: www.scsportscar.com/cmp


Questions? Contact [email protected] or call us at 803-386-7727.

************************************************************

Please let me know if any of you have any questions about the SCCA Time Trials Program. I'm the Southeast Division Representative to the SCCA Time Trials Administrative Council and am also the Time Trial Director for the South Carolina Region. My email is [email protected]