The Benefits of Joining a Club

One of the other threads got me thinking about this:

Through my SCCA membership I've managed to do so many cool things. I got involved primarily to compete I'm also a Motorsports fan. 

The list is long but I've managed to work with and meet some of the most iconic names in the sport. I've also had the privilege of working behind the scenes at Indy Car, IMSA, USAC and NASCAR events. Everything from tech inspection to spotter to corner worker. 

My favorite naturally was being paid $600 for the day to drive people around a race track in a manufacturer's car and basically scare the death out of people who would then turn around and get back in line to be scared again.

So what kind of stuff have you been involved in that was made possible by the club you've joined?  

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.

SCCA has led to being track side for multiple F1 races in many countries and meeting all of the drivers on the '22 grid, a fender off a 458 Ferrari WEC car, working the 24H of LeMans, a side job working for Texas Motor Speedway and LV Motor Speedway, standing on the wall at the corkscrew for an IMSA race, some great friends, sitting in the sound booth for a Billie Joel Concert,  chance to see some of the best motorsport equipment on the planet both new and vintage, oh and a random picture with my intervention team and Paris Hilton. 

Now I still have an open invitation to work just about any race on the planet. 

AROC regionally has some really good events.  So specifically about AROC Detroit- members get free unlimited fun runs at the end of events, as well as discounted fees to go to track events.  Some regions are really active, others not so much, so you should check what your region does.

Not quite as active as BMW or Porsche club, but we had fun when we were active.

Oh, AROC = Alfa Romeo Owners Club, and you don't have to own an Alfa to be a member.  Here at AROC Detroit, most of the autocrossing members didn't have Alfas. 

As a long-time SCCA national tech inspector in the DC Region I got to meet many well known drivers when I worked SCCA nats, IMSA, Trans-Am, Pro-Atlantic etc. My wife worked registration and race weekends made for a great family time with the kids camping at the track. Now as a PCA member my wife and I enjoy drive and dines, c&c, and other social events. Belonging to a club gives you a wealth of knowledge regarding your car. 

Made several life-long friends through SCCA, PCA, etc. 

David S. Wallens said:

Made several life-long friends through SCCA, PCA, etc. 

I stopped saying "racer friends" a while ago because almost every one of my friends I met through motorcycle racing, SCCA, vintage or PCA..................racers are good people.

SCCA has been great, as somebody who got into motorsports for a love of cars but without alot of personal friends/family that were in the sport already SCCA welcomed me in, gave me an opportunity to explore my passion and through volunteering a sense of belonging and purpose.  

I met a lot of cool people over the years in various NASA/SCCA paddocks. Truly a good crowd, most of the time.