Getting started In the SCCA

I have been wanting to acctually start racing, but different things have been holding me back. First, what kind of buy in am I looking at. I know if I join before my next Birthday, I can get in on the first gear deal for people 24 and under. Plus regional dues, in my case, the watkins glen region. For saftey gear I know I would need a snell helmet, but what else? I would like to keep things simple and just get into solo, plus maybe open track days at the glen and test-n-tune night at the drags. Next, how would it be to put my DD thrue this. I have been to the scca site, but the info I found wasn't too helpfull.

Don't start SCCA. Start at local car clubs. It will be less intimidating, you will have a much easier chance to get instruction, there's less cost, you'll get lot more seat time and you will learn if you like it. Most of my next comments have more to do with autocross than track, but to a lesser degree they pertain to track as well.

At SCCA everyone out there is your competitor (it's all about the points!). While there are those who really don't care as much about the points and would be willing to help out, SCCA usually won't let them ride along with you (and they don't really want you to ride along with them because it hurts their times and lowers their point standings). Usually SCCA won't let the instructor ride along with you either except for their autocross classes.

Now each region has it's differences, but in general I've found that the SCCA people are more interested in point standings than just plain fun. The local car clubs are usually all about the fun and some might have a point standing on the side, but it is secondary to the fun factor.

In our area we have the S2000 club, BMW club, Porsche Club, Equipe Rapide (ostensibly a kit car club) and a couple of others. The fun factor is higher at each of these, typically courses are longer and average speeds are slightly higher (while still usually being 2nd gear courses), turn outs are lower so you have less time working the track and get to spend more time driving.

Also SCCA groups tend to be larger groups so it is harder to get to know the people and become one of "the guys".

Before the SCCA diehards say you don't know what you're talking about, I've done SCCA since the mid 60s. I've done them in several different regions and in all the years I've done this the best fun factor has always been at the local club level. They do it more for the fun!!

My experience with NASA has been as if they are a cross between the local groups and the SCCA. They have a lot of the organization and numbers but they have managed to keep more the fun factor alive.

A second note, I want to be able to do this on my standard Drivers liscence, if possible.

From your own description Mr Neon, SCCA is really not for you. The only thing you can do with them by what you are looking for is autocross, and you generally do not HAVE to be a member to participate.

Just a helmet and no comp license means you are looking at track days (HPDE's), which is a great way to start. I agree, marque clubs are probably the easiest and least costly way to do this. Second would be NASA, which has a good program of bringing you up the ladder with their driver's passport system. You can graduate to driving solo, pass anywhere on track with a point-by, with nothing more than your street car and a legal helmet. Takes a few years, though.

SCCA tends to cater more toward the amateur-pretending-to-be-proffessional type of racer. They've made noises about copying NASA's HPDE program but I have yet to see it in my area. When you reach a semi-serious level of racing, SCCA can be the place you want to be. As a beginner, however, I don't feel they are useful beyond the autocross realm (which they generally do an excellent job with).

You can use your standard drivers license on autocross but not on the track so that just reaffirms what I said about local clubs. They usually have both autocross and High Performance Driving Events (HPDE) that dont' require a competition license. Some might even help you get your competition license if you find you want to go that direction.

What everyone said. Just did a hillclimb in VT . Drivers license, helmet, long pants and long sleeve shirt.

So, basicly, a snell helmet, and a local club is I all I need to start at the bottom. Now I just need to find a local club. My second part, is how would my DD, a '98 Neon R/T, hold up with an occasional AutoX thrown into my routine driving. Basicly, I dont want to break it and be berkeleyed, FWIW.

The only thing autocross is hard on is tires. Get another set of wheels and dedicated tires for the purpose. You'd have to really be abusing the car to break much of anything else.

ddavidv wrote: The only thing autocross is hard on is the wallet.

Fixed.

Snell SA helmet for anything other than autoX

P90Puma wrote:

ddavidv wrote: The only thing autocross is hard on is the wallet.

Fixed.

Your wallet must be pretty thin to start with. HPDE next month is $300+ just for the entry fee. Add in two nights in a motel, meals, 3 hrs drive time each way for the weekend and the paltry $35 I pay for autocross feels like pocket change.

Where are you located??

I'm looking at getting Sumitomo HTR 200s. My back up set of steel rims are getting good snows put on them. As for location, I'm around Ithaca and Watkins Glen.

How cliche would it be to have a white open face helmet and sticker it to look like either Speed Racer's or Luke Skywalker's Helmets?

Buy the book "Go Ahead Take the Wheel" by David Gran. His website is http://goaheadtakethewheel.com/Home_Page.html

Great info there!