I'm going to play my "born in Texas" card.

 

Over in SCCA/spec miata land, the first COTA race sold out in 20 minutes. 85 car max per group.

 

Yeah, it looks like almost 450 total entries in 1 hour. The DLB site was overwhelmed and is still sluggish. Should be a good reference for the PCA club race, regarding how the track handles club racing yahoos.

 

If this was TWS your statement would be true. There are plenty of DEs and no huge need to have a DE with the club race if enough racers show up and pay their $$$ to fill the schedule.

Except the most popular events each year this is generally not true and club races are not break even events for the regions. For the most part, the regions need the DE support to put on these races (both at the race event and throughout the year).

At COTA there are no PCA DEs right now. Everybody and their mother is foaming at the mouth to get a few hot laps out there. Given that DEs are the cash cow that funds most of the clubs other activities (including making down payments to COTA) I would argue for a DE group at the race.

No matter how you organize this, there will be people on waitlists who don't get to drive. Some will be members of the hosting region and others will be from thousands of miles away. No way around that.

Just don't do what SCCA did and have a false start registration that is annulled creating an angry group of guys that were in before they were out

 

Or just mix it up, a dozen DE cars with each racing drovers group. Yellow runs with Cup cars of course, they have the fastest DE cars.

Just kidding. I think at least one DE group is the right thing to do. Just can't leave all of those members out, it's easy to make the case if your out of region and want a spot, but think of what the local leadership would have to face if they excluded them?

 

Great job getting a race there. Just wish it was Nov-Mar date. May is a tough month with Lime Rock at the end of April and The Glen at the end of May.

 

For those curious about what SCCA is doing, here is what the schedule looks like.

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/...plementals.pdf

Each race group gets one 15min quali, and one 30min race each day. Not much track time IMHO.

 

Shout out to Globe and everyone else who is making this happen.
I'll see some of you ladies in Feb.

 

No matter how nice you are to me, I'm not riding with you again.

 

^Chicken!

 

Here's the opinion of just one DE'er. Hopefully it counts for something with those who have to make the difficult call.

I've attended 42 straight DE's with the regions hosting this Club Race at COTA. I've been in the top DE run group in those regions for 4 and a half years (and 35 of those 42 DE's). I became a PCA instructor in 2012. I plan to start club racing in 2013, but not in time for COTA. I am just as able to enjoy and conquer a COTA lap as anyone else in this thread. And some day soon, I will drive in a race with current club racers and I will be a worthy competitor.

From my perspective, there's a very thin line between the solo DE drivers that would qualify for a COTA DE and rookie club racers that would enter a COTA club race. So let's not separate the two programs - especially in Texas - into what they used to be 10 or 20 years ago. Please consider them as the closely related and integrated programs that they have become in 2013.

 

I'm just worried for Boyd's safety and trying to be a good friend.

 

I won't have a car ready for this event but I would be willing to help out any way that I can.

 

You're responsible for Grid Babes and Beer.

 

Try and find some better looking ones please.