The path to doing wheel-to-wheel racing in SCCA is easier than ever, thanks to SCCA Race Experience. The program is open to, “Anybody,” says Jon Krolewicz, SCCA Senior Management of Program Development. “The target audience is someone who says, ‘I want to try or start my wheel-to-wheel journey. Maybe that’s the person who is going to get their racing license. Or it’s the person who says, ‘This is on my bucket list. I can rent a car and not worry about getting medical or ton of paperwork done.’”
The program offers experiences in both sprint and endurance formats. Jon says SCCA Race Experience provides a low barrier to entry to tasting wheel-to-wheel racing, just like many popular entry-level endurance racing series. Drivers must bring a car that will pass SCCA safety tech and full driver gear, and self-certify their medical situation.
Unlike other entry-level endurance racing series, though, SCCA places a heavy focus on instruction, but not to the extent of a dedicated drivers’ school. That’s because times have changed.
Jon says SCCA had 60 schools during the 1970s. In the 1990s, it dropped to about 25. This past year? They had seven. Yet, with track time more accessible than ever, including with such programs like SCCA Track Night in America, drivers’ educational needs have changed.
“With most people, by the time they go wheel to wheel, they pretty much know how to get around a race track,” Jon concedes. “They understand things like apexes and braking points. So, when you want to go race, you don’t have to learn how to drive … we can just teach you how to race.”
Photo by Amy Brown.
The day starts with a short classroom session. Then the instructors go out with their students on track to put them in situations they need to learn to navigate. Examples include double-file restarts and navigating traffic through turns. Instructors customize the experience based on the backgrounds of the drivers. After each session, they debrief with the students to discuss how they handled what was thrown at them.
“I’m a big believer in that you give a person a set of tasks to practice and then come in after observing them and talk to them about it,” says Jon. “It works a lot like an SCCA regional drivers’ school.”
Rob Wilmoth, a long-time time trialer who has competed in the Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge Presented by Grassroots Motorsports, got his first taste of wheel-to-wheel competition in a Club Race Experience. He borrowed a friend’s B-spec Honda Fit to participate. Rob was impressed by the quality of instructors and other seasoned racers who participated in his sessions to teach him the ropes of wheel-to-wheel racing.
“The ratio of newbies to pro racers and coaches is like 2:1,” says Rob. “So, they could make a newbie sandwich and put us in weird passing situations. It’s 100% situational, developed to allow people to experience it in a safe, controlled fashion.”
Rob then went on to offer an example of the tactics used to develop racers.
“There was a Spec Miata that I was actively racing against,” Rob recalls. “Every time he started pulling away from me, an instructor would jump in front of him and block him. It was frustrating to him … but it was awesome. It gave him a great experience of getting blocked and what’s actually going to happen in a race.
“For me, I could out-brake him and out-corner him,” Rob continues. “In some of the tighter sections, I was able to get around him. Then, when we would get back to a straight, he would blow by me. The instructors just sat back and watched. They’re like, ‘Hey, it’s good, clean racing–we’re going to leave them alone.’”
Jim Hess stepped away from racing roughly 15 years ago to get his kid started in the sport. Now, he’s ready to return with a Spec Miata his son helped him find.
“My original plan was to hit up a drivers’ school – in SCCA those are few and far in between – and then this opportunity popped up,” Jim says. “It was an opportunity to shake down the driver and the car in what turned out to be a fun environment.”
Part of that atmosphere stemmed from the instructors.
“Jon asked, ‘How did you do?’ I said, ‘Well, I found the early apex to every corner,’” says Jim. “It was a good chuckle. He asked, ‘Okay, what are you going to do next time?’ I said, ‘Well, little adjustments.’ It’s that kind of environment: supportive, where you can make mistakes, and get some feedback. I found it fantastic.”
Photo by Amy Brown.
The instructors worked hard to meet the drivers at their levels, according to Jim.
“The theme the instructors repeated was ‘challenge by choice,’” says Jim. “Go at the speed you want. Learn at the speed you want. If you want to get aggressive and push it in a corner, go for it. If you want to be at the back of the pack and do your own thing, you can do that, too.”
The SCCA recently made it so that a Race Experience can count as a drivers’ school toward an SCCA wheel-to-wheel license, depending on the driver’s background. Obviously, someone new to getting on track will need more education, but for seasoned drivers, such as Rob or Jim, the Race Experience becomes an easier way for them to start doing door-handle-to-door-handle competition.
This program isn’t new. It’s been around since the early 2010s. Regions have been reluctant to adopt another group for their weekends. Jon wants regions to know that the demand is there once prospective racers learn about it. Anna Crissman, Regional Executive of NCR, offers more candid advice to other regions.
“We’ve got to change,” says Anna. “What we’re doing right now is not going to lead to success. We’re seeing numbers not going up for regional racing. There’s not as many ways for people to get into the system. We need to be feeding new members into the process. If we don’t the [wheel-to-wheel] program is going to go away.”
But, there’s hope. The SCCA Race Experience has generated rave reviews from at least two drivers who now look to enter the racing ranks on a regular basis. And those racers are encouraging others to follow them. From there, the sport grows, and prospective drivers now have an easier path to go wheel to wheel in SCCA.
Photo by Amy Brown.
Comments
The biggest challenge to getting started isn’t the instruction. I can find licensing schools all over. The biggest challenge is getting the car fully caged. Its a pretty expensive proposition and then you’re left with a car that you really should trailer to events. What is the big difference between this and the normal drivers school? The program seems similar from the descriptions I’ve found. It mostly seems just the need for a medical certification.
You can rent a prepared race car instead if you’re not ready or willing to do a cage in whatever you’re using now
theruleslawyer said:
The biggest challenge to getting started isn’t the instruction. I can find licensing schools all over. The biggest challenge is getting the car fully caged. Its a pretty expensive proposition and then you’re left with a car that you really should trailer to events. What is the big difference between this and the normal drivers school? The program seems similar from the descriptions I’ve found. It mostly seems just the need for a medical certification.
Interesting thing I learned recently: NASCAR has no medical certification requirement.
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
No point in looking for medical issues if the only reaction is “walk it off.”
In reply to Jesse Ransom :
When I got t-boned at the OLD hairpin at Sebring during a SCCA Regional race, I didn’t pay one dime for the ambulance ride, or the ER visit. I don’t think there’s a single race organization out there that I can say that about.
racerfink said:
In reply to Jesse Ransom :
When I got t-boned at the OLD hairpin at Sebring during a SCCA Regional race, I didn’t pay one dime for the ambulance ride, or the ER visit. I don’t think there’s a single race organization out there that I can say that about.
Nice! Any NASCAR-sanctioned event (from top to weekly) will provide secondary insurance to its license holders – including crew members – that covers what their primary insurance doesn’t.
NASCAR is a real sanctioning body with real talent in every area of the very top level, but they’ve spent years cultivating a “we’d just as soon have a fistfight as a race” image, and I’ll mock them for it every chance I get.
My initial comment was about JG’s observation that their licensing doesn’t require a medical certification, not about how they handle injuries, but that is interesting, and I think it’s pretty great.
Tom1200
PowerDork
11/14/24 1:37 p.m.
JG Pasterjak said:
theruleslawyer said:
The biggest challenge to getting started isn’t the instruction. I can find licensing schools all over. The biggest challenge is getting the car fully caged. Its a pretty expensive proposition and then you’re left with a car that you really should trailer to events. What is the big difference between this and the normal drivers school? The program seems similar from the descriptions I’ve found. It mostly seems just the need for a medical certification.
Interesting thing I learned recently: NASCAR has no medical certification requirement.
Up until about 5yrs ago I was still doing the occasional motorcycle race; whether it was road racing, motocross or desert racing, none of the sanctioning bodies ever asked for a medical certification. That includes the couple of AMA Pro/Am weekends I did.
As a time trialer that would like to try sprint racing this appeals to me. Things I don’t understand and why I think SCCA road racing is dying. Low car counts beget low car counts. Gridlife GLTC with 40+ car fields looks fun, so more people want to race in it. 5 car fields with an aging membership doesn’t interest drivers, workers, or spectators (as if).
Cut the number of classes waaaaay down. Have 2-3 different BoP’d classes for production cars and maybe 2 BoP’d open wheel classes. Why not run on a 200tw tire, it would encourage more cross over from time trials and the other way around. And of course keep spec miata/b spec, maybe even add a 2-300hp spec class with a couple cars BoP’d limited prep car options. Think 350/370z vs s197 vs base C5 and on a lower grip/cheaper 200tw tire.
If you can make a class that welcomes cars people have already built for other series with minor adjustments… why not, that’s how gridlife did it.
I think 90+% of the people I’ve driven with would agree the most exciting racing is seeing large fields, multiple varieties of vehicle with balanced performance, minimal aero, and a just adequate amount of grip.
Feel free to tell me I’m full of E36 M3 but that’s my 2c.
^ my understanding is that this is what the ST classes are supposed to be. I’m not sure what it is about the rule book or racing that prevents lots of cars from entering, but it does seem that car counts are pretty low.
I’m just not sure that “run what ya brung and maybe you’ll win something” is what SCCA will ever be. It’s a tight rule book and there are great drivers in just about every class, even the small ones. It can be pretty intimidating/humbling for people who don’t want to put the time and money into the sport. I’m starting to think that maybe they should position themselves as the premium competitive series between the endurance racing/grid life crowd and actual pro racing. Gridlife/Champ/Luckydog etc. filled a vacuum in the market. SCCA needs to decide if they want to be more like those, or just exist in their own category.
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