open letter
05-27-2003, 01:53 PM
#196
Race Director
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by ArnaudWeber:
<strong>I just did the 3 days racing school at Laguna. After the school, most students are granted a letter of compliance to get a regional SCCA license.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Wow. That's scary. When I did my 3 day school in '89 it fulfilled half the requirements (the school portion). I'm no elitist, but I don't like the idea of someone with only a 3 day commercial school being granted a license - especially when you can still race on your permit with the school requirements completed/waived. I wonder if Skippy is just saying it fulfills the licensing requirement since you can race on your permit with the school requirement completed....
Are you going to get your license (if you don't have one already)? I'd be curious how the regional licensing administrator handles this.
<strong>I just did the 3 days racing school at Laguna. After the school, most students are granted a letter of compliance to get a regional SCCA license.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Wow. That's scary. When I did my 3 day school in '89 it fulfilled half the requirements (the school portion). I'm no elitist, but I don't like the idea of someone with only a 3 day commercial school being granted a license - especially when you can still race on your permit with the school requirements completed/waived. I wonder if Skippy is just saying it fulfills the licensing requirement since you can race on your permit with the school requirement completed....
Are you going to get your license (if you don't have one already)? I'd be curious how the regional licensing administrator handles this.
05-27-2003, 02:23 PM
#197
Drifting
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Geo-
I did the Panoz 4-day school. After completion of the course, I paid an extra $150 to Panoz and recieved a form to fill out and send into SCCA. A couple weeks later I recieved a full regional license...no rookie or novice designations. Noted, I didn't actually use the license until a year later after racing with BMW CCA 2-3 weekends. Frankly, I felt like the Panoz school prepared me for SCCA racing quite well. We performed rolling starts, off-line passes, and then a full "race" before the weekend was over.
I did the Panoz 4-day school. After completion of the course, I paid an extra $150 to Panoz and recieved a form to fill out and send into SCCA. A couple weeks later I recieved a full regional license...no rookie or novice designations. Noted, I didn't actually use the license until a year later after racing with BMW CCA 2-3 weekends. Frankly, I felt like the Panoz school prepared me for SCCA racing quite well. We performed rolling starts, off-line passes, and then a full "race" before the weekend was over.
05-27-2003, 02:40 PM
#198
Burning Brakes
"Skippy Skool" licensing does not prepare you well for SCCA-land. Most other SCCA racers who you'll be on track with, myself included, would have prefered that this licensing avenue had never opened. Best advice - do the Skippy Skool licensing thing if you'd like, but then do a real SCCA school someplace, before you arrive at an SCCA race weekend, and find yourself woefully unprepared for what you'll encounter.
The Skippy Skool-only graduates I've encountered have just been scary on-track. A good question for Skippy, Panoz, Russell, etc: How many students do you 'fail' ? Do they only 'fail' if their check fails to clear the bank ? It sure seems so. Students fail SCCA schools all the time, or are directed to take further schools if their performance is not up to par. We're not looking for gifted racers who can cut laps below existing records at SCCA schools...we're just looking for new racers who have a clue, and use their heads. Some of the Skool graduates appear head-less.
Helmüt Tester
SCCA Nat'l & SCCA Pro-licensed racer
SCCA School Instructor
HPDE school Chief Instructor
World's Smartest Guy
Famous Weinerschnitzel Chef
Astronaut, Pundit & Juggler
The Skippy Skool-only graduates I've encountered have just been scary on-track. A good question for Skippy, Panoz, Russell, etc: How many students do you 'fail' ? Do they only 'fail' if their check fails to clear the bank ? It sure seems so. Students fail SCCA schools all the time, or are directed to take further schools if their performance is not up to par. We're not looking for gifted racers who can cut laps below existing records at SCCA schools...we're just looking for new racers who have a clue, and use their heads. Some of the Skool graduates appear head-less.
Helmüt Tester
SCCA Nat'l & SCCA Pro-licensed racer
SCCA School Instructor
HPDE school Chief Instructor
World's Smartest Guy
Famous Weinerschnitzel Chef
Astronaut, Pundit & Juggler
05-27-2003, 02:49 PM
#199
1st Gear
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Apparently frank took your guys advise to the heart. A little birdie told me he showed up over the weekend at Willow Springs to race in a specmiata. I'm not sure if the car was rental or not.
He did pretty well for the first race. Qualified 5th. Although, all the top drivers are in Buttonwillow doing SCCA pro weekend. He did posted a decent lap time at 1:41s
However, he did prove your guys are right. He always said he has awesome car control skills and can get out from any situation. Guess what, he got smack in the side by another driver, when he went spinning and stop at the middle of the track.
Luckilly, he is ok. I don't know if his ego even bruised.
He did pretty well for the first race. Qualified 5th. Although, all the top drivers are in Buttonwillow doing SCCA pro weekend. He did posted a decent lap time at 1:41s
However, he did prove your guys are right. He always said he has awesome car control skills and can get out from any situation. Guess what, he got smack in the side by another driver, when he went spinning and stop at the middle of the track.
Luckilly, he is ok. I don't know if his ego even bruised.
05-27-2003, 07:01 PM
#202
Instructor
Bummer if he did crash 
If you think the description above is Wild West for getting a race licence, here in New Zealand you do 2-3 hours classroom instruction (and test) and about the same driving.
I've got a National Race and National Rally licence from that. I can compete in almost ANY motor race in New Zealand (short of the Rally of NZ, which needs international licence). To be fair, you are strongly encouraged to start in clubman stuff and be at the back of the pack!
If you think the description above is Wild West for getting a race licence, here in New Zealand you do 2-3 hours classroom instruction (and test) and about the same driving.
I've got a National Race and National Rally licence from that. I can compete in almost ANY motor race in New Zealand (short of the Rally of NZ, which needs international licence). To be fair, you are strongly encouraged to start in clubman stuff and be at the back of the pack!
05-27-2003, 09:17 PM
#203
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What does "Boyashaka" mean?
Forget that, what does "FELU" mean?
I suppose there is room on the pyramid of speed.
<a href="http://www.nsxfiles.com/s2k_laguna.htm" target="_blank">http://www.nsxfiles.com/s2k_laguna.htm</a>
With mad props to Doug Hayashi.
Forget that, what does "FELU" mean?
I suppose there is room on the pyramid of speed.
<a href="http://www.nsxfiles.com/s2k_laguna.htm" target="_blank">http://www.nsxfiles.com/s2k_laguna.htm</a>
With mad props to Doug Hayashi.
05-28-2003, 03:32 AM
#204
Instructor
Boyakasha = Ali G saying.
<a href="http://www.boyakasha.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.boyakasha.co.uk/</a>
<a href="http://www.whoisalig.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whoisalig.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.boyakasha.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.boyakasha.co.uk/</a>
<a href="http://www.whoisalig.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whoisalig.com/</a>
05-28-2003, 04:23 AM
#205
Burning Brakes
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Professor Helmüt Tester:
<strong>"Skippy Skool" licensing does not prepare you well for SCCA-land. Most other SCCA racers who you'll be on track with, myself included, would have prefered that this licensing avenue had never opened. Best advice - do the Skippy Skool licensing thing if you'd like, but then do a real SCCA school someplace, before you arrive at an SCCA race weekend, and find yourself woefully unprepared for what you'll encounter.
The Skippy Skool-only graduates I've encountered have just been scary on-track. A good question for Skippy, Panoz, Russell, etc: How many students do you 'fail' ? Do they only 'fail' if their check fails to clear the bank ? It sure seems so. Students fail SCCA schools all the time, or are directed to take further schools if their performance is not up to par. We're not looking for gifted racers who can cut laps below existing records at SCCA schools...we're just looking for new racers who have a clue, and use their heads. Some of the Skool graduates appear head-less.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">SCCA has been granting licenses in this fashion since at least the 70's and maybe before. They seem to have survived it.
<strong>"Skippy Skool" licensing does not prepare you well for SCCA-land. Most other SCCA racers who you'll be on track with, myself included, would have prefered that this licensing avenue had never opened. Best advice - do the Skippy Skool licensing thing if you'd like, but then do a real SCCA school someplace, before you arrive at an SCCA race weekend, and find yourself woefully unprepared for what you'll encounter.
The Skippy Skool-only graduates I've encountered have just been scary on-track. A good question for Skippy, Panoz, Russell, etc: How many students do you 'fail' ? Do they only 'fail' if their check fails to clear the bank ? It sure seems so. Students fail SCCA schools all the time, or are directed to take further schools if their performance is not up to par. We're not looking for gifted racers who can cut laps below existing records at SCCA schools...we're just looking for new racers who have a clue, and use their heads. Some of the Skool graduates appear head-less.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">SCCA has been granting licenses in this fashion since at least the 70's and maybe before. They seem to have survived it.
05-28-2003, 08:00 AM
#206
Drifting
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Okay, I just went through the licensing process to race SCCA. No way would I do it differently. I rented a SRF at last falls SCCA school. THe school kicked *** with tons of track time, and little BS classroom. As Mark and the esteemed doctor have pointed out, you need two SCCA schools before you can race on your novice permit. I got the second one waived since I have so much DE experience. So I raced a double weekend on my novice permit last month and now can get my full regional license.
Under no circumstances, knowing what I know now having just gone through it, would I do a non SCCA school and then jump into the deep end with the SCCA sharks. My SCCA teachers were very particualr in explaining that the Skip and other schools teach you how to drive a race car. And the SCCA School teaches you how to race a race car. There is a HUGE difference. You can show up at an SCCA school with no track experience, lots do, but guess what, they don't get taught how to heel and toe and what an apex is and the rain line etc... you get the idea. Yes you learn all about that crap at a Skip or other school. Or you can learn that in a book or doing 15 years of DEs.
Bottom line, go to a skip or other school if you have never driven a race car and don't know how to shift and brake. Go the SCCA school when you want to race.
E. J.
Under no circumstances, knowing what I know now having just gone through it, would I do a non SCCA school and then jump into the deep end with the SCCA sharks. My SCCA teachers were very particualr in explaining that the Skip and other schools teach you how to drive a race car. And the SCCA School teaches you how to race a race car. There is a HUGE difference. You can show up at an SCCA school with no track experience, lots do, but guess what, they don't get taught how to heel and toe and what an apex is and the rain line etc... you get the idea. Yes you learn all about that crap at a Skip or other school. Or you can learn that in a book or doing 15 years of DEs.
Bottom line, go to a skip or other school if you have never driven a race car and don't know how to shift and brake. Go the SCCA school when you want to race.
E. J.
05-28-2003, 08:15 AM
#207
Race Director
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by pig4bill:
<strong>SCCA has been granting licenses in this fashion since at least the 70's and maybe before. They seem to have survived it.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">OK, I certainly cannot say for certain, but I don't believe this to be correct. When I went to racing school in '89, none of the schools I looked into could provide you with a license at the end of a 3 day school. The best you could hope for was a waiver on the school portion of the requirements. You still had to do the two provisional races.
<strong>SCCA has been granting licenses in this fashion since at least the 70's and maybe before. They seem to have survived it.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">OK, I certainly cannot say for certain, but I don't believe this to be correct. When I went to racing school in '89, none of the schools I looked into could provide you with a license at the end of a 3 day school. The best you could hope for was a waiver on the school portion of the requirements. You still had to do the two provisional races.
05-28-2003, 09:27 AM
#208
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I understood it to be the same as Geo mentions, that a Skip school, Panoz, etc ... merely replaces the Comp School requiremnt but doesn't give you a race license.
Like EJ mentioned, I would not skip the SCCA school program. I actually attended the NASA Comp School even though I did not have to because of my SCCA school + 4 races (had my Regional req. out of the way but wanted my National anyway) but I opted to for similar reasons - really wanted to be on the same page with the others (and my G-d did I want as much Comp School time as I could get). I can't disparage the Skip/Panoz/etc ... schools since I have met some folks that have been pretty successful coming from here (both w/ and w/out previous experience). I do think there is an advantage to going where the majority goes however as you'll all be on the same relative pages.
Like EJ mentioned, I would not skip the SCCA school program. I actually attended the NASA Comp School even though I did not have to because of my SCCA school + 4 races (had my Regional req. out of the way but wanted my National anyway) but I opted to for similar reasons - really wanted to be on the same page with the others (and my G-d did I want as much Comp School time as I could get). I can't disparage the Skip/Panoz/etc ... schools since I have met some folks that have been pretty successful coming from here (both w/ and w/out previous experience). I do think there is an advantage to going where the majority goes however as you'll all be on the same relative pages.
05-28-2003, 11:38 AM
#209
Drifting
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</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Adam Richman:
<strong>I understood it to be the same as Geo mentions, that a Skip school, Panoz, etc ... merely replaces the Comp School requiremnt but doesn't give you a race license.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Can't speak for Skippy, but after completion of Panoz and the required paper work, I received a full-fledged Regional license. Two double regionals later, and I upgraded to a National. Just upgraded to a Pro license.
<strong>I understood it to be the same as Geo mentions, that a Skip school, Panoz, etc ... merely replaces the Comp School requiremnt but doesn't give you a race license.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Can't speak for Skippy, but after completion of Panoz and the required paper work, I received a full-fledged Regional license. Two double regionals later, and I upgraded to a National. Just upgraded to a Pro license.
05-28-2003, 02:00 PM
#210
Rennlist Member
Maybe GR got his competition license playing Gran Turismo on Playstation. Either that, or one of his students may have lent him their car to go to the SCCA school.
I was thumbing through one of the vintage racing mags that my father-in-law subscribes to and noticed an old Esso ad with the same little guy that GR has in his logo.
This thread is definately providing hours of comedy in addition to the good points raised by the veteran racers and instructors.
I was thumbing through one of the vintage racing mags that my father-in-law subscribes to and noticed an old Esso ad with the same little guy that GR has in his logo.
This thread is definately providing hours of comedy in addition to the good points raised by the veteran racers and instructors.
