Wow, I believe the complete opposite of this. Track time is track time. You paid your dues (literally), what kind of car you drive at the club shouldn't matter to anyone.

When I had an M3, I drove it with every car club I could: PCA, PBOC, Speedventures, Chin, Safe, everyone. The only clubs that denied my M3 were FCA and Mustang Club. FCA disallows non-Ferraris from their events, even when members want to bring one of their 'other' cars. Mustang Club limited that event to Ford-powered vehicles only, so I asked if I could bring my Aston-Martin. They didn't think that was funny.

Club elitism doesn't help anyone, I think. I've been shut out of PCA events when other PCA guys wanted to drive their BMWs at the event, no big deal. Cars are cars.

 

In the Northeast it is very common for PCA chapters to restrict events only to Porsches. This is often by necessity due to overbooking.
But there are still plenty of events open to all makes.

I have never heard of BMWCCA or Audi Club event being restricted.
As long as it passes tech it goes.

 

I'm not talking about Club Elitism at all - Read my reply again - I'm talking about common courtesy to legitimate club members. As what I wrote is quoted - I think it's just not right to take a slot away from somebody else who is a club member and drives the car if your only purpose is to join a club just to grab all the track time, especially if you don't own the product. Who deserves the track time more - you or me just because we pay the membership and event fee, or the guy who's driven BMWs for 30 years, has been a volunteer with the club for just as long, etc.?

Why buy a BMW and drive with PCA? Why buy a Porsche and drive with BMW? There are times when BMW sends an email to members saying "We aren't full, please invite your friends that do not have BMWs", and some Porsche chapters do the same. That's when I feel comfortable taking up a slot.

This probably varies in different parts of the country. Here tack time is tight and that's probably why CVR mandates that only Porsches be on the track at a DE. Then again, all of the chapters I drive with say the same thing in the application - it's not elitism, it's preserving the very limited slots for actual club members. In other areas maybe there is so much empty room in events, that the clubs encourage a variety of cars. I guess it just depends...

 

I instruct and drive with Porsche, BMW, and Audi. The people are fun, and the track time is good with all three. I'm not aware of having taken anyone's BMW or Audi spot by my track time.

 

The reason is that you instruct - totally different situation. All chapters of all clubs are hurting for instructors, so it only makes sense to draw from the very limited supply of instructors. It's student slots in markets like mine that I was talking about - where we have long student waiting lists for each event.

 

I also belong to all of these clubs (BMWCCA, PCA, ACNA) and have insructed with all of them in regions in many states. Each one is different, but generally, I have had great experiences with all of them. I like the Audi Club very much. The atmosphere is a little more laid back. You may get a little less track time, because they have exercises for the newbies. These are great for the inexperienced groups. But, on the second day, there is more track time as the groups are combined.

 

I see what you are saying, but my case is a little different because I actually do own a BMW and was a member of BMW CCA long before I started DE'ing.
Here I disagree. My 911 is set up specifically for DE'ing and my BMW is not. It makes no sense to DE the BMW when the 911 has the DE specific mods. The 911 is also the car I want to learn to drive on the track. I wan't consistency in my learning at this stage. I don't want to swap back and forth just because one DE is BMW and another is PCA. And honestly, I detected nothing from any of the BMW guys at their DE that they cared one way or the other that I was driving a 911. No more than I sensed that about the BMW drivers at the PCA DE's.
This may be the root issue. Here in north Texas, DE's do sell out, but I don't think its as bad.

 

FYI-

The OHIO Valley Audi Club is hosting a DE at Daytona this Decemeber in conjunction with the Florida Audi Folks...its expensive for 3-day course ($999.00), but hell, its Daytona...I'm going for sure. Anyone wanting registration info PM me and I'll forward you the email I have. limited to 100 students and 100 instructors.

 

I understand your belief, I just believe differently and I'm trying to articulate my point of view.

The guy who "deserves" the track time more is the one who got his registration in first, not the guy who owns the car with the propellor or the horsey on the hood. Volunteer status is a separate issue. If the club organizers want to favor the guys they've known for a long while, let them, I don't care.

That said, I'd be pretty miffed if a BMWCCA DE organizer tells me, "hey, sorry, we have spots in this event and you're a BMWCCA member, but we really don't want a Porsche, so we're going to wait for some more BMWs to sign up." Straight-up, I'd tell the guy I would bring my M3 instead of the 997, and then show up to the event in the Porsche. If they want to throw me out at that point, that's an issue they can take up with me in person.

But again, this may be a purely regional thing. In Florida, BMWCCA literally never holds Sebring DEs by itself, it's always under the auspices of PBOC. PCA is the biggest marque presence, with FCA a distant second.

Here's a pic from 2004 of my old black grocery-getter amid a bunch of cars with their engines on the wrong end. Also notice the white C4 vette.

 

Just looked at that pic again: there's a Miata as well as a Mustang in there too. Like a great big happy PCA family!

 

If its more seat time in the NY area you want, then give www.trackmasters.com a try.

Others that are just as good are:

http://www.pdadrivingschool.com/

http://www.scda1.com/

 

Miata, Mustang & Corvette