Club Trials

[Kestrel]

From the April 2005 SportsCar magazine (official publication of the SCCA):

New Time Trials Program Creates Steppingstones to Club Racing.

A shift in philosophy, a new name for Sports Car Club of America's track-driving events and the transfer of the former Solo I program to the Club Racing department have created a four-tier track program designed to introduce people to road racing.

The Time Trials program ranges from novices experiencing racetrack driving in street cars to full competition events on racetracks and at hill climbs -- the latter programs formerly falling under the Solo I label.

<SNIP>

The first two levels - Performance Driving Experiences (PDE) and Club Trials -- will include the ability to use street cars and participants will not be required to be SCCA members. The higher two levels -- Track Trials and Hill Climbs -- will require safety equipment for cars and licenses for the drivers.

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Does anyone have any more information about this "new" program? There is some general information on this on the SCCA's website, but specifically, when is the first Club Trial in our area? This sounds like a very fun program -- a chance to basically do competitive lapping on a road course, without the... challenges... of wheel-to-wheel racing. Sorta like this weekend's SCCA autocross event on the road course at TMS, without the cones.

[onething]

Exactly like this weekend's event without the cones and with instructors

[altiain]

Apparently there aren't any in our area yet.

I'd love to see something like this, or a variation on the time trials and "time attack" events you find out on the west coast. Lapping days are fun, but I'm a competitive bastard by nature, and time trials would be right up my alley.

[Kestrel]

Exactly like this weekend's event without the cones and with instructors

I think only the first level -- PDE -- has instructors. The second level -- Club Trials -- appears to be timed competition, open to street and modified/prepared cars. The site is vague about when/where Club Trials will be held. I get the impression that they may run in conjunction with their normal Road Race activities. That would/could be cool, but might also make for a long day... or long weekend.

Well, I'm hoping that someone "in the know" -- someone like, say OzCop? -- will chime in with details.

[rx7gslse]

I was diggin everything except for the part about an SCCA liscense being required...

Isn't that a big chunk of change just to get?

edit- nevermind... that's just the two highest levels... Ok, I'm in!

[IPRESS]

Guys at the last SCCA BOD meeting I never heard a peep about this. Maybe Phil was awake, if I dozzed off, and heard something.
If you guys think that there would be a decent demand for this type event, I will push for it from the racers side. Phil can work the Solo side. We always seem to have a big gap in our race schedule between June and September so maybe at some point something like this could fit. I am not up on the Solo calender although there seems to be a ton of events from several different organizations crowding the calender. The BOD has been more receptive to new ideas and events lately. I know that the wishes of the SCCA board is to get as many members involved as possible.

Mac

[altiain]

I think there would be support for it. It seems to me that NASA and Driver's Edge seem to have no trouble filling their local events, and the Maverick Region PCA DE/CLub Race events almost always have a waiting list, so I see no reason why SCCA couldn't fill a few slots as well.

I don't think the demand would be high enough for these events to be standalone, at least at first, but I think they could be successfully piggybacked onto existing club race dates with little or no additional expense. Find a way to slot the Club Trials in during track downtime, and it wouldn't take too many entries to recoup the additional organizational costs.

[onething]

Didn't I read somewhere they were going to require you to run with your top up in the DE events?

Sorry Kestrel I couldn't resist.

[Kestrel]

If you guys think that there would be a decent demand for this type event, I will push for it from the racers side. Phil can work the Solo side.

IPRESS, I was under the impression that this was a new, sanctioned, fully-backed SCCA program, not one that we had to build "decent demand" for or work different "sides" to see if it could be done. I'm amazed that nothing has been said in the SCCA BoD meetings about this new program. Why would the SCCA announce this new program in their national magazine, and then leave it up to each region to "work it all out"? I guess I'm being naïve.

So I'll step back and ask:

• Is this a [real] new program being offered and officially run by the SCCA... or just an idea in someone's head?
• If it is an official SCCA program, when and where are the first events scheduled?
• If it is an official SCCA program, how much is the entry fee?
• If it is an official SCCA program, where can I get more information on the particulars (rules, tech requirements, classes, event schedules, etc).

I was assuming that by announcing the program, the SCCA already had the rules worked out, and [at least] a few venues selected and secured. Well, we all know what happens when you assume anything...

If we -- as Solo II drivers wanting to give this new "program" a try -- have to drum up demand or defend the possibility of success of this "program", I'd have to agree with altiain. Adding this to a typical SCCA Club Race would be the least demanding, least risky (to the SCCA) way to give this "program" a try.

BTW, I'm not moaning at you IPRESS... not at all. I'm excited about what I read in Sportscar Magazine, and I'd really like to give Club Trials a try. I'm just astonished that while the program has been announced nationally, the people in the trenches that'll have to make the program work haven't even been talking about it!

[Kestrel]

"Didn't I read somewhere they were going to require you to run with your top up..."

Must... resist... temptation... to... respond...

Must... resist... temptation...

Must... resist...

[Majik]

Must... resist... temptation... to... respond...

Must... resist... temptation...

Must... resist...

Even you not responding is longer than alot of posts!

[IPRESS]

Sorry to say that I don't make every BOD meeting, and this could have been talked about when I was absent. Hey I don't take anything with SCCA personal, as I have been one of SCCA's biggest critics (and continue to be). The great thing about SCCA is that it is a club, and the worst thing about SCCA is that it is a club. OZ COP where are you? Can you shed any light on this topic?
Mac