RobT 394

Thanks Cory for taking part and the encouraging update. Involving teams/shops in addition to drivers is certainly the way to go.

I hope we also address how rules are established and do away with our current process. This is one area where SCCA seems to have it right by having each class like SM governed by a group of technical folks from the shops that build and support the cars along with the drivers.

LuigiVampa

Any talk about getting rid of the medical committee?

And also thank you. We need some experienced racers, as well as the shop, attacking these issues.

Ximian

Do you have an umbrella? I mean, since you're not racing...

stuttgart46

Thank you Cory. We need your input for sure.

I had some good conversations with some of the committee members and scrutineers this weekend as well. All were very receptive and respectable.

This weekend felt more like weekends of old. Lots of smiles and camaraderie. Let's get back to that for all of the races.

Veloce Raptor

Excellent news

tgsmith4845

New PCA CR Rules change, just in case any of us moron racers don’t know how to work a transponder, …

“II. TIMING TRANSPONDERS:
PCA Club Racing Rule Book Car Requirements rule 5 is amended by the addition of the emphasized word:
5. Every racecar must have a workingtransponder compatible with the PCA Timing & Scoring system installed.

Problems with transponders continue to cause more headaches than our volunteer timers should have to deal with. It is the responsibility of each racer, and not any shop supporting the car, to do all that is required to insure that the transponder’s correct number appears on the registration list for the event, that it (and not some other transponder) is installed in the car, that it is turned on if a switch (not a good idea given human frailty) is involved, that it is charged if it has its own battery, that the connection if powered from the car is not damaged (the red LED on the unit lights when the unit is powered), and that the subscription, if the unit requires that, has been renewed. And, of course, the unit must be mounted so that it can “see” the track surface where the timing loop is buried. If there is any suspicion that there is a problem, contact a timer as soon as you arrive. Most tracks have a hot pit timing loop which can be conveniently used to see if a transponder is working.“

uscarrera

Just a trick I have used for years, before I load car on trailer I take a portable AM radio dial to a frequency with just static run it under a transponder that is on and static sound should change dramatically.

Rich

LuigiVampa

This is a great idea but I think I lost my AM radio back in 1989 when I last used it!

uscarrera

Bought mine on Amazon for $10. 😀
Rich

cweed

SCCA seems to be doing fine, car counts are steady or rising for the most part. I raced NE Region SCCA for over 10 years ( enjoyed almost every minute) and stopped because of age and moving onto other hobbies. Was a PCA driving instructor but never made the transition to PCA racing for the some of the reasons cited here. Plus, I really only wanted to race regionally, I was not an arrive & drive racer with "support". So hauling the car up & down the East coast was too daunting a proposition (not to mention the time ) for me to consider. I could do 6-7 races per season and never go farther than WGI. NER SCCA has a driving school every spring to teach aspiring racers what & how to do a standing or rolling start, what the flags mean and so on. It is a big step to go from a DE in a modern car with jeans & sneakers to a fully caged car with belts/HANS, fire suit and all the safety gear. Porsches are expensive to own, drive and even worse to race. Someone can buy a competitive Spec Miata for what Cup guys spend on tires. My last car was a C2 964 and it tripled in value in the years I raced it, one mistake by the racer next to you and it could be the end of the car and then do you buy another?
Favorite line when I had a Miata was "what do a Spec Miata & Porsche have in common, it's hard to do $10K worth of damage to either one of them." My sense is the loss of PCA racers is a combination of factors beyond the control of any one organization and is a combination of all the reasons cited here. And only my opinion but LV got a raw deal and it is their loss.

M13S

Agree with your statement. NER SCCA with all its warts has been doing just fine and seen a healthy YoY growth for the last several years. Some of the afflictions in PCA are the same as in SCCA. From the staff to the driving, along with inconsistent enforcement of rules and the "old boys club".

SCCA offers a clear path to a race license starting with a track night in America to Autox, CRE - Club Racing Experience, and the weekend race school. THE CRE is a great idea to try before you buy and the time at CRE goes toward your weekend race school. DE x12 events from PCA to get a license is (IMO) retarded. 12 HDPE events do not provide you with many skills that translate to W2W, I'm sure I'll get flamed but that is my experience. Something the SCCA has done well is a clearly defined path to a competition license.

When I came to PCA 3 years ago I had to go to the classroom, learn about passing and flags, and do practice starts. This is after racing for 30+ years in multiple disciplines, motorcycles, formula cars, and GT cars. AMA Superbike license, SCCA Pro (current), SCCA Club (current), and FIA, to name a few. I thought the process was rigid, but it's a club and I'm not in it so practice starts it is. There should be some streamlining of the licensing rules (MHO) and the 13/13.

My first w/e with PCA started shakey as the second practice I was black-flagged for passing under the yellow (I didn't). I spoke with the on-track official and was told to report to the race director. I grabbed my rule book, reviewed the video, and armed with the info went up and had a chat. He asked me what happened, I explained my position, referred to the PCA rule book for passing with yellows, and backed it up with the video. (I can't remember his name very tall dude) he looked at me and said I guess we're done here and both he and the on-track official came over to me the next day to say thanks for being professional and bringing the PCA rule book to the meeting and articulating your position. I thanked them for their time and thought that would never happen in the SCCA - club or majors, Pro is different. My overall experience with PCA is positive, but I can see that some items should be reviewed.

dan212

Clever idea.. But where did you find a portable AM radio in 2024?

Nizer

All good, but nothing about consistent rules enforcement and/or better officiating?

Can't happen soon enough. Getting appointments with doctors is hard enough for serious issues, let alone asking them to fill out the PCA forms. And what's the point of the eye exam? I've never attended a race where you were checked if you were wearing appropriate prescription lenses or contacts before going on track. Why have it if not's going to be checked or enforced?

sbelles

Most of the conditions identified that are treated as exceptions fall on the self reporting section of the medical forms. Yes, if you rely on self reporting then you should really trust the answers but there are some issues that applicants may not know about including vision issues. Peripheral vision can decrease with age but people may not be aware of it. PCA racers also fit closer to the demographic of HSR then F1 so it seems appropriate that age related conditions are taken into account. It's a fine line to walk between making it easy and fair while trying to ensure everyones safety to the extent possible. I really hope that all parties involved can see this as a positive dialog towards tweaking that line.

coryf

Consistency with 13/13 rulings and technical issues were discussed for sure.

On the technical side, it was suggested to rely more heavily on the individual class advocates which would ideally be more familiar with the rules/specs of those cars in their particular group.

All aspects of the 13/13 rule were heavily discussed.