There is a rumor floating around the enduros are somehow going to be eliminated from the PCA club racing program.

I can confirm that the rumor is completely untrue. Frankly, I don't know how the rumor got started.

Schedules at individual races, which would include the decision as to whether to hold an enduro in addition to the sprint race(s), are made by the individual event chair, working with the steward assigned to the event.

Frankly, the current national club racing stewards are all in favor of enduros, in addition to sprint races (Monte Smith and I wrote the first "Enduro Protocols" over a bottle of single malt at his home one night, so I've got some investment in these types of races). We'd even like to see longer enduros but understand that the mandatory driver change for any enduro longer than 90 minutes most probably limits the number of participants, since many drivers don't want to share a car.

Bottom line is that enduros are here to stay in the program.

There is another rumor floating around which I am pleased to say is based on fact, that is that PCA club racing has suspended enforcement of the single car 13/13 for almost all incidents in 2009 and has rolled back the probationary period for those racers who received them in 2008. Check out the latest issue of Club Racing News, which is on the PCA web site and should be in your mail boxes shortly for more information.

See you at the track!
Bruce Boeder
PCA club racing national chair

 

Hopefully Zone 1 will have an enduro at WGI this year rather than the 4 sprint race format proposed earlier this year.

 

Bruce-

I for one would be in favor of longer enduros. 90 minutes isn't an "enduro" to me. I think a 3 hour race would be great at the 48 Hours next year....

 

Why can't a single driver stay in the cockpit for longer than 1.5 hours?

 

That was a great issue of CRN. Very informative. Michael Wingfield did a great job on it.

 

Gotta make the bladder gladder.

Plus safety. IMO, very few club racers are in the physical condition the pros are, necessary to stay in the car that long.

 

+1

 

While I agree with this in general, I think 1.5 hours is a bit short. At least get up to 2 hours....

Most longer endurance races won't let the driver do more than 3-4 consecutive hours in the car. Yes, level of fitness is a safety issue but it's also a personal issue. People shouldn't do more than they can handle. I think PCA Club Racing participants (by and large) are self-policing enough to know when to say when. However....people's personal fitness level shouldn't dictate whether we have longer endurance races....

At Sebring this year, I talked to Bryan Henderson about PCA doing a longer race (like a 12 hour) at least once a year. We all love watching/going to the Daytona 24 Hour, Sebring 12 Hour or the Petit LeMans races but many of us can't compete in them for various reasons.

I think PCA should take NASA's (25 Hours of Thunderhill) or the SCCA's cue (13 Hour at VIR, 12 Hours at Summit Point, 24 Hours at Nelson Ledges, 6 Hours at Road Atlanta) and do our own big endurance race. Having participated in most of these, I can tell you that you won't have more fun or get more seat time in a racing weekend than doing one of these races.

I think it would be successful and would get a lot of participation at the right venue (centrally located, good track, etc). I really think we should push for this.

 

Peter, I don't disagree. However, I suspect that limitations on liability play a role in PCA CR decisions like this, and sometimes the lawyers like to protect folks from themselves. Yes, it does seem that other clubs like NASA and SCCA have gotten past this.

 

If time in car is the issue with PCA, a compromise may be to split the longer enduro (ex. 3 hour) over 2 days. The 2nd day we would be gridded based upon our places at the end of the first day. This will also help the racers that don't want another drover to drove their car. It is not perfect but a compromise without having to alter the current enduro protocol.

Charlie

 

I go racing to get away from lawyers. "Lawyers" isn't a good enough reason for PCA not to try.... seeing as both NASA and SCCA have gotten past it.

 

IMO this is no bueno.

 

I agree. But some Clubs are more influenced by Lawyers than others...a lot more influenced!

 

NASA has three hour enduros. Three hour enduros is a time issue more than a legal one.

 

Well....what did Bryan say when you discussed it with him?