For those wanting some good safe track time...
Loma Prieta and Monterey Bay regions have combined to create a new PCA drivers education series, the PCA Coastal Driving School.
The objectives are a combination of excellent and thorough instruction of novices as well as track time for more experienced drivers, with instruction available. Enrollment priority will be given to Porsche owners, but the events will be filled with other car types as needed. The website, www.coastaldriving.org will be activated in a week or so, registration will be open shortly thereafter and announcements will be going out through several venues, PCA and otherwise. You are welcome to spread the word now, or once the site is up.
John Jefferies is the Chair, Hank Watts is the current Chief Instructor, Pete Siemens (LPR) and Steve Taty (MBR) are the competition directors for their regions, part of the operating committee and interface to their regions, Liz Shaw is the Registrar and Webster, Jim Thompson is in charge of tech (with strong involvement from Pete and Steve). John Cole and Chris Murray are without formal title but a definite part of the steering group.
We have scheduled our first event: 11-April at ThunderHill, Easter Sunday.
In general, the approach will feel like a typical PCA-DE series and not entirely unlike some of the local commercial clubs such as NCRC, TrackMasters, TracQuest, etc.
1. Rookies will receive instruction at each track until they are signed off for that track.
2. Known competent local drivers will, at least in the beginning, be signed off for the tracks they know.
3. New experienced drivers will be checked out and signed off as appropriate.
4. We are setting up for 4 rungroups, providing a generous amount of track time.
5. Rungroups will be Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Instructor. The intermediate and advanced sorting may be somewhat by lap times. The entire issue of organizing rungroups will be open for discussion as we proceed.
6. The schedule will support a 1-hour or so classroom session for novices after the drivers' meeting.
7. Instructor certification is currently simply the decision of the chief instructor. Qualification and training programs will be instituted soon.
8. Entry fees will vary by track. Entry fee for the first event is $145. Since ours is a preferred weekend date this compares reasonably with the CCCR Friday-at-Buttonwillow fee of $110 and quite favorably with the commercial clubs. Should we build a proper operating reserve, future events will be appropriately discounted. Instructors will be at a reduced rate.
9. Passing rules will be more restricted for the novice group, but any-straight-with-a-point for other groups.
Time to get in on a new series. This should be a lot of fun. A great group of people.
Chris