Bonster

When we get a driver that wants to move up a level, we set them up ahead of time with an instructor. We send out introductory emails to the instructor and the student to get the ball rolling before the event. It's been working wonderfully.

nkhalidi

Great idea, but in PCA's 25-minute sessions, by the time you've gotten in the train and gone around the whole 3.7-mile track twice at 3/10 pace, you've only got time for one, maybe two hot laps. There's a reason PCA events are considerably cheaper than Chin events - they pack in far more drivers and have shorter sessions. I brought up this issue in a PCA instructor-training session late last year, and there wasn't any push to change the event format.

As far as SAFE, it's not a school. It's strictly a hotlapping club: no instructors, full race cars, open passing (ANYWHERE), etc. You're free to bring a coach/instructor, but they don't have any on staff.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Suncoast PCA. It's a great group of people and track time is track time, but given the choice of what club to drive with at Sebring, my rankings go SAFE, Chin, PCA, FCA.

Bonster

***Really??? That's awesome! We have several puddle-jumper airports around here. OMG that would be outstanding! I will definitely be looking into that. How much do subsequent lessons usually cost, do you know? Wow. I had no idea it was that cheap. It wouldn't even hardly cut into my racing/driving budget. Cool!

sjanes

I didn't understand, or misunderstand anything from your original question about Chin since it was deleted before I could read it. My point was only that the posts in the thread seemed to be giving advice, not insulting you. If you have an instructor with you, and you feel you should be in a faster run group, ask him/her about it. If they feel you are ready and there is room in the group above, you get moved up. If they feel you are not ready, they will explain why.

Have fun in Florida for those that are going. It's f#$%ing snowing here

mitch236

I think your instructor may be to blame for your experience. I have been instructing for PCA for quite some time now and have never had a student in so much traffic, they couldn't enjoy themselves and learn safely. I have to believe that your experience at that event was a one time occurance at best. PCA limits the number of students on track and there should be enough room for you to play.

Now I do want to emphasize something here. Sometimes, if there is too much traffic, I will drop back on the straights and let the train go and then I can enter turns with speed. At the novice level, there is always something to learn, even when going slow.

Look me up at the next event. I would be happy to talk to you.

LVDell

Not necessarily. I have run with countless regions and some have overpacked sessions and some smaller. I have run with 55, yes I said 55 other entrants and never really had train problems. That was with Zone 2. I have run events with 25-30 cars in a session and been held up all damn day. It really comes down to the instructors, the corner workers, the DE organizer, etc, etc, etc..

I think mdrums just had a bad expereince and correlated it to ALL events now in those run groups. Hate to break it to him. If it is like that in the student groups, chances are that the upper run groups are very similar.

BINGO BINGO BINGO!!!!! You can pull back on straights, you can come in and ask for space, you can do many things, but to just hang out and go with the flow and then bitch about it nobody is going to feel sorry for you.

If you go to a PCA event thinking it is nothing but lapping days track time you will be sorely mistaken. Some are closer to that than others but like I said, they vary by region AND more importantly.......thr TRACK! Sure, VIR (1 hour away) for me is a great track and world class, but with that comes popularity, so the groups are larger. But then a track like CMP (3 hours away) is an awesome track but definitely no VIR so the run groups and entrants are much smaller. All the more track time for me!

jlucas

Speaking of Chin, are some of you guys coming to the MidOhio event over Memorial Day?

Memorial Day Holiday Monday + Tuesday (2 day event).
3 run groups and the total number of cars is limited to 80 cars. Lots of hard core track guys show up because of all the track time available.

http://www.chinmotorsports.com/event...ay.asp?eid=205

Hope to see you there.

Jeremy Lucas
Fast Tech Limited

BrokeAss

....ease up there cowboy! As one of the organizers, I can tell you it was a *very* well run event! Our region has a great reputation for running well organized, safe and fun drivers ed events.

I agree with your point that if traffic was an issue, you can always pull into the pits and get some space. If I have a quick student getting stuck in traffic, I pull 'em into the pits - give the "rubber-band" signal and wait for a good opening. The next time out, I make sure the student grids up early so we don't stuck.

mdrums

I did not voice my concern because I did not want to come off as a hot shot type of person. I just went with the flow that day...but...as you can tell it has been eating on me for many months. Idid sign back up for another DE in May and I am going to that hopeing to learn a lot and put to use what I learned at PDE. Our clubs blue group is the next level up but still an instructor in the car which is very cool with me. I will see how green goes again for me and if it is obvious that there is no speed in the group I will ask to be moved to blue and of course let my instrctor evaluate the situation.

mdrums

OK how do you know? However I must tell you I know too as I have been actually killed before!

mdrums

That was exactly the problem...and when I tell you we were going slow...you have no idea how slow we were going...I really wondered why most of the green group that day was even on a track.

LVDell

Wow, there really is a bunch of thin skinned babies around here. A little defensive are we??? Terry, if you really READ my post you would see that I stated that is was either (a) poorly run; or (b) an anomoly. I would almost always error on the side of the anomoly for an event to be perceived by a new drover to an event. Hmmmm, sounds to me like I in no way indicted you for a poorly run event but rather gave mdrums a few options as to what possible could be the reason for what happened.

Now go back a read my post again and then choose what you want to see this time, then report back.

Bonster

Dell, et., al, . . . it is really easy to misunderstand stuff on new forums and emails. You don't have the benefit of facial expressions or tones of voice . . . I've upset people before unintentionally, even though that was never the objective. Don't worry, it just happens sometimes. I think everything at this point has been cleared up, whether it be regarding PCA or Chin or where the sun rises and sets. Let's just focus on . . . WE GET TO PLAY AT SEBRING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS! WEEEEEEEE!!!! I'm just a little excited. Now then . . . I need to take off . . . going to the track this whole weekend, and Sears Point on Monday. Life is tough, but somebody has to do it.

doc2s

some regions are too conservative and if you haven't run with them before they do not take what you write in your experience seriously. at some point i was put in green having done 20 trackday at that time. it did not mtter that the chief instructor of my region had cofirmed my run group.

most regions accept a note from the chief instructor of your region and some would do a quick checkout ride on the first session.

mdrums

Are you coming all the way out to Sebring from Sacramento?!?!?! I will be at this Saturday Sebring event too. Maybe those on here that are coming to this DE should meet Friday night for dinner.