Larry Herman

It is probably because the PCA club racing program has morphed from it's original idea as a step up from DEs and the old PATTS program (time trialing) into full-blown race weekends. The original idea was to have a racing venue where you could take your street/DE car and race it against other Porsches. The expectation was that you would be able to drive it there, and then home again unscathed, as many still do with DEs. When I started Club Racing in 1995 almost no-one towed. Then I was a "big dog" with my Suburban, open trailer with tire rack and pop-up tent. Now in 2008 I am a piker with my Diesel pickup and 24' enclosed trailer.

It was the "drive it to the race" mentality that cemented the ironclad 13/13 rule into place. The situation is totally different now, with the extreme levels of race trqansportation that we see at the events. The growth of our program has obsoleted the quaint idea of racing street cars. Now even the rules have changed so that it is no longer possible to drive a "street car" to the race, as the mandate of rollcages makes our cars illegal for the street in most states.

The rules certainly lag behind the current status of our events, but I see a slow progression to keep up with what is inevitable. Already small concessions have been made in the 13/13 rule in that in order to be consistent and allow racing, there will occasionally be contact that is unavoidable and "un 13-able". Removal of door panels and rooflliners is acceptable in the stock classes now for the ability to increase roll-cage dimensions, and therefore safety. Maybe soon stock cars will be allowed to gut the interior for proper mounting of larger fire-bottles and less combustable products in the interior.

PCA may be walking down the center of the road right now, but they started on one side, and we are slowly dragging them over to the other.

SundayDriver

Thanks for a great history about how this came about. It does really clarify why is seems confusing today.

RSRRacer

Damn, Larry, in 1995 I was racing........ an 80cc motocross!!

Wll maybe I am a bit older than that (it was a 250 ;-)) but thanks for the retrospective.

BostonDMD

Fellows, thank you all for contributing to my education......

Gary R.

Well said Larry. I think PCA should reintroduce "Street Stock" classes to bring back the "drive it to and from the track" crowd but all someone needs to do is come to a race like "The Clash" at the Glen to see where Club Racing is now. I look at all the tractor trailers, RV's, etc. and it amazes me..

Larry Herman

Gary, I don't think that you can turn back the clock. Technology marches on, and the cars keep getting faster, and safety becomes an overriding concern. The days of racing with leather helmets and crew cut shirts are long gone. To be safe with what we know now-a-days, you need full cages with crossed braced side bars, full containment seats, 6 or 7 point harnesses, H&N devices, and left & right side nets. That is not longer a car that can be driven on the street.

bobt993

Yes Gary and remember as you look across the crowded paddock that we are in a recession.

Gary R.

I like my leather helmet. I think the propeller on top gives me downforce!

944Cup

In 6 years of administering a "modified" 13/13 rule for the 944 Cup, I believe having some form of oversight and enforcement rule for contact is very effective in adjusting the attitude of racers and reducing metal to metal incidents. It makes racers accountable for their actions.

The Cup rule does not apply to single cars incidents. Never like to see a race car end up in a guard rail, but that's on the driver. But when a racer runs into another racer, then it becomes an incident in need of review and possible action.

While races can sometimes sort these incidents out among themselves, as a standard practice it oftens proves to be inadequate. I have often seen drivers and NASA drop incident reviews if both drivers call it a " racing incident".

In many cases these drivers are often worried they may get blamed for the incident and decide that dropping the matter may be in their best interest. But this apporach doesnt change the attitude, but rather allows a driver to continue to run into cars and having no action taken against them.

Have seen drivers who were mounting up the number of incdents they were involved in but never got action taken against them because they were able to smooth it out with the other driver. But that driver continued running into cars. Just needed to make sure they ran into some else.

While its important to man up on each incident and talk to the other driver about an incident, the drivers are not in a good positoin to make an unbiased decision on blame and seriousness. The vast majority of incidents I have reviewed, drivers believe the other guy was at fault or just try to minimize the incident to avoid possible action.

And if drivers are allowed to sort their own incidents, you have no handle on often they are banging up other cars. All metal to metal should be reported and looked at for no other reason then to get a body of work on drivers not properly controlling themselves or their cars.

And of course no rule works very well, no matter how well written, unless fairly and consistently enforced.

There a significant difference in the level of of review and enforcement for incidents from one scantioning body or class to another. Suggest picking one your comfortable with.

MarkSchu

Larry - good info...it seems that "stock" racing now only refers to the drive train, body, and basic set up (suspension) of the car. To me it is a class that is more "affordable" than full GT...at least your engine lasts longer than 25 hours!

I like the basic concept of the 13/13 rule only because I don't want to race in a situation with another person who thinks he is Greg Biffle and wants to play bumper cars door handle to door handle down the front staight. I think folks need to go to NASA or SCCA if they want to race in that fashion. On the other hand, I have not had a 13 for incidental or one car contact and I am sure once I do I will sing a different story.

John H

Can't speak for SCCA as I have never raced there, but NASA does not condone contact. My experience has been that there is very little if any contact at NASA races. The difference being that if it is minor (i.e. little to no damage and no corner workers complained) and nobody pitches a fit, there are no penalties. And no penalty if it is a one car incident. I have seen them issue warnings to those who are the subject of complaints even where there is no contact. It is nothing like what I see when watching the SCCA runoffs on Speed.

sechsgang

I am kind of scared of the 13/13...the amount of "legal" jargon that seems involved is just a headache if something goes wrong. Hell, seems like a criminal proceeding to me! That said, it does promote a very safe feeling while racing that few other rules could give. I guess all I would like to have change would be the single car offs (if you go out and happen to mess your car up, you already have a problem, getting that 13 just makes the weekend even worse) and then to allow for some sort of extremely light contact (I know, I know, hard to judge) in certain situations. O