our region had extended passing in red and black. there are instructors in both red and black as well. worked out fine with each group.

 

Enjoyed the side by side drill when we did it.

My opinion:
I didn't see a huge amount of 2x2 passing during our expanded passing events. But the rule added two very good things to DE as a consequence:

-lets us "legally" give late passes, whether or not we go through the turn 2x2.

-Codifies the rules allowing passes in wide sweepers, like the "outer loop" or "the octopus" where some groups always allowed judicious passing, but most do not.

 

I recently attended a Friday At The Track (FATT) to get the car dialed in and they had implented the same passing rule. Seemed to work well.

 

Extended passing is great. Our chapter has run a few events this way now. Initially, my observation only, it seemed like the car being passed waaaaay over slowed to let the passer. Ultimately the first few DE's it was a little shakey for most and the result was a slower run group. But, this last weekend, the drivers in general seemed to be much more comfortable with it. It will take some time for the mind shift to effect everyone.

The result will be a much more efficient way for the very fast (talent or hp) to get around the slower cars avoiding trains. Admittedly trains should be rare at that level but they do happen. Particularly at our home track, Summit Point, where there is no passing from turns 6 thru 9. If a few GT3's get behind a 944 they are going to sit there until they get thru turn 9. Other tracks may not have this issue I imagine.

As we all get used to it the passer and passee should be able to share the corner without losing too much speed. I saw big improvements from everyone on the track.

Thumbs up

 

+1 on the White drivers. We are always encouraged to ride with an instructor once we leave the instructed groups.

One suggestion, I can't remember whose it was, was to put an X on your car if you had a student with you indicating you would not be participating in the extended passing. Seems like a good idea to me as long as people follow it as a rule.

 

I think we're going to try that with 4 way flashers rather than an X.






Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

Nope.....Bullseye.....

 

In theory - this sounds right, but in practice we've found it isn't. You see, not all instructors are racers and not all racers are instructors. There are some folks, yep mostly middle-age and up there, that are strictly DE instructors. In our group they insist on not being in Red. They like to be sprinkled between the white and the black and keep an eye on drivers for us while they are out there.

We do have some Black - that are true track junkies. Some of them we have advanced into a diluted Red - (Hot Pink) and let them drive with the Red Group so they can enjoy passing anywhere with a point. They have put in their seat time, have hung out with many different clubs and know what they are doing. They just don't want to instruct...

So you definitely have to keep one fast group out there with passing in the straight-aways only - or as an organizer, you'll hear lots of complaints that you never had before.