From the redundant department of redundancy:

:banghead:

And you can always find someone in the paddock to change your brake pads for you :burnout:

I do that myself. I tricked you into changing them for me as it was already beer thirty.....(just kidding pal).

I'll try to get Jay to change my pads at this event. Maybe he'll even let me drive that monster of his (his car!! I'm talking about his car!!)

I do hope you'll stop by and say hey.

I used to work on my 944. I changed the timing belt, water pump, power steering pump and bracket, tune up, brakes, brake bleed and rear axle.

I'm not really certain I know how to check the oil on my Cup car. That being said, I am a pretty good judge of knowing if something is wrong with the car.

I agree that I feel better if cars are teched by someone with knowledge and that someone's run group is only one determiner in this discussion.

I attend NNJR events but I am usually a couple of hours drive away from the designated free event which is held on a single day. I am often out of town on the designated day. I have to book weeks in advance to get my car serviced (I need a loaner which makes independents shops more hassle) I don't think this qualifies as preposterous.

The topic was reducing attendance at PCA events, if they were always full the self-tech wouldn't be a topic of conversation. I attend many HOD and other self tech events and just don't see the multitude of accidents caused by drivers self tech'ing their cars.

You don’t have to go to the planned NNJR tech session.
That’s only one of a multitude of options you have.
There’s multiple shops much closer to you that can do the tech.
Guarantee it.
As long as they actually DO the tech, sign and stamp the form, you’re good to go. Any dealer or Porsche Indy should be fine. You can always check with our track chair or registrar to make sure, but you have many many options for your tech form.
You’re regular shop should do this for you no charge if you’re giving them legitimate business.

No, i personally don't think everyone should have to take their car to a pre-event tech but those exceptions need to prove/earn that they are capable and responsible enough for that privilege but that's just my opinion and means nothing. I don't think anyone in any run group with "zero mechanical proficiency" should be self-teching if that answers your question. Back to the topic of is a pre-event tech requirement hurting attendance? I have no idea but those requirements have been there with PCA for as long as I've been driving. If other groups can get insurance without it then that's a risk they feel is worth taking.

One contributor that no one has mentioned here is the difficulty getting parts and tires. My car was down for months trying to get basic parts, not attending any track days in that time. Similarly tire availability is abysmal right now, which unless you have a stock or have planned well out its not possible to jump into things last minute. Hopefully stocks build up over winter. The cost of everything is also up significantly, fuel, track insurance, cars, parts, you name it.

I guess they need to draw a line somewhere, and that's an easy distinction to make for drivers who are more experienced and (hopefully) more likely to appreciate the need for a proper technical assessment, and then actually doing it. Perhaps it's also a small bonus for those who choose to instruct?

In my region, the instructors get a huge break on the entry fee to events, but I see your point, the line has to be somewhere.

I guess I don't see the point in allowing self tech when the region offers free tech inspections. Now if free tech inspections aren't available, then that's open to argument. However just because someone drives in black or is an instructor that doesn't mean they don't jack squat about their car, or have the time/tools/inclination to do a proper inspection...

That’s not why we instruct Einstein, but then again, WTF does that have to do with self tech?
We instruct because it gives us the right to be condescending power hungry a$$hole douchebags, at least in “your” region anyway.
We also get to self tech, because we instructors have an inbred need to be better than everyone else. It’s how we get set up to become track chairs and region presidents.
They also give us instructors free slicks and pads to make us feel wanted and valued as instructors. That’s why we instruct, at least in “your” region that’s why we do it. Has nothing to do with paying it forward, or other dumb chit like that.
Hell, just last weekend at Lightning, I kicked a couple of out region drivers in the nuts, just to let them know who was boss.

I beg to differ, there are not a multiple of independent shops close to me that I would trust with my car, they are smaller, they don't offer loaners so I have to schedule enterprise or impose on family - I have tried and experimented with this option and its PIA. its not that I don't have options, its that I don't have convenient options that fit with a busy life. if there is a PCA event I want to attend then I deal with it, but I would attend more PCA events if I could self tech.

My pre track inspection is way more thorough than the free service offered by NNJR (I have not tried other PCA regions) - if there were a way to demonstrate this on the tech form (time stamped photos to prove it was done) it would be beneficial to many who can self tech their cars.

You're losing your mind, get away from the computer and get ready for HOD this weekend.
BTW, you're speling is atroshous:D

Opening Night at The Garden. Was quite the pregame. Not gonna make HOD.
0-0 half way thru first.