The tech requirements are more burdensome than what I'm proposing for driver fitness declaration.

 

@Manifold Just pointing out the peterp supports an improvement but states that it can only happen at year end: That is not accurate based on other fixes / changes that have been made during the year.

 

True, point taken.

 

Re being “fit” to participate in HPDE: Does personal responsibility not exist any more?

 

There are more than a few club racers who have trouble getting in and out of their cars without assistance, but we don't want to talk about that.

When was the last time anyone had their safety gear checked by PCA? The last time PCA looked at any of my gear was ten years ago when I was a rookie.

I'm driving in the Champcar 12 Hours of Thompson race this coming weekend and every single race you have to show them all of their gear.

CPAP use is the greatest risk, though.

 

So take out your cool suit box and hard wire a CPAP machine in there instead. You may dehydrate or overheat, but at least you won't fall asleep in the car while doing it.

 

Regardless of the activity, whether AX, DE, HPDE, TT, CR, the bottomline is I still haven't seen any data on how many people have fallen asleep, if any, whilst on track. Anecdotally, I've never seen anyone falling asleep in nearly 30 years of motorsport from karts to cars. IF anyone has seen this phenomenon, would you please share?

 

Whilst I've never fallen asleep while on the racetrack, I have dreamed about being on a racetrack many times while sleeping. Does that count?

 

Surely, "whilst" couldn't have thrown you off, could it? Or is it Shirley?

 

I never get thrown off when it comes to tough words, I learn from Rennlist, and don't call me Shirly!!!!

 

Hahahahaha,

 

Yup, great line. I still work it in to conversations when and where possible...never gets old.

 

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

 

Funny story, my daughter (21 now) was in a spelling bee in 3rd or 4th grade or something like that and made it to the finals against some 3rd or 4th grade boy (pencil pocket protector type). Only two of them left for all the marbles.
I used to be a Dead Head back in the day, followed them around the world numerous times, etc. (Yes, I know how much Todd loves the Dead). Obviously, my kids listened to the Dead for years growing up, especially when they got their own channel on Sirius/XM.
Anyway, her final word, for the win, was Grateful, and even after they used it in a sentence, she spelled it G-R-E-A-T-F-U-L. She lost and came in 2nd.
To this day, I have yet to let her live that down...

 

I think folks may still feel that the sleep study report somehow "confirms" that CPAP is no longer needed or recommended, and that PCA/PCA CR must realize that after a careful review.

I don't think that is the case.

This relates to the first paragraph in the letter the OP received from PCA CR and posted in this thread.

This sleep study report does NOT state that CPAP is no longer a recommended “first line” therapy or “no longer necessary.” It appears to recommend CPAP as THE “first line” therapy.

The reporting physician may have taken into account RDI, BMI, neck circumference, O2 nadir and other health factors (including results from prior sleep studies, CPAP data, et cetera) that are not reflected in the report, but may have been available at the time recommendations were made.

I think that it is possible that if the reporting physician had written a summary letter that stated that he or she believed the OP's ability to race with OAT is sufficient, and this letter was provided to PCA CR, then PCA CR may have written a different first paragraph.

Folks should realize that "CPAP data," may not be so simple as one might initially believe. In the context of PCA CR, according to the OP, what is requested is "compliance data."

That is information shows usage-- and as I have stated before, it appears that:

1. In trucking, one suggested threshold is 90 nights of data, showing at least four (4) hours of use for 70% of nights. One might guess that the certified examiners have SW tools to take raw data and yield a "yes or no" answer to this, but it seems clear that those examiners have some "authority" to look at other health factors in making their determinations.

2. Again, it seems clear that in trucking, examiners have all kinds of flexibility for situations where a candidate's level of OSA has led to CPAP rx, but the candidate does not have 90 days worth of data to provide.

I hypothesize that all of this OSA/CPAP activity in trucking was in part catalyzed by the emergence of commercially available home sleep testing capabilities-- perhaps more so by that than the terrible accident that injured Tracy Morgan and the resulting litigation.

In any case:

1. I encourage the OP to make careful decisions regarding current and future OSA rx.

2. I encourage PCA CR to re-think its approach to OSA as it relates to licensure.