A good idea from the SCCA???

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/track-night-in-america-is-like-happy-hour-for-track-r-1692330256

Finally, someone thought to do something other than cheap nachos and drink specials in the afternoon. Once a month during the warmer, longer days of the year, participating tracks open up at 4:00 p.m. or so for track time. Participants can get three twenty-minute sessions for $150 and are broken into groups by experience level, like any other high performance driver's education event (read: track day, bro).

Gingerman's been doing this for years (and it's cheaper), but this opens up lots of other tracks.

Heck, I might even renew my membership now!

I like the idea, the problem for me is that the closest events are still far enough away from where I live to make it a 1 1/2d event anyway. But that's a problem associated with my geographic location more than anything else.

I might have to check out one at the Corvette Museum this year.

I wonder if cmp in Kershaw will participate ?

Hmm, NCM is close enough to make that work... good excuse to take something other than the BMW to the track, since the cost is lower.

Yep, we have been discussing this program with the SCCA for a while and are extremely happy to see it come to fruition. This should be a great way to introduce newcomers to the sport and also allow the rest of us to sneak in some track time.

We'll be at the Palm Beach event early next month.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/news/straight-from-the-office-to-the-track/

In reply to David S. Wallens:

bringing a co-worker should be encouraged.

David S. Wallens wrote: Yep, we have been discussing this program with the SCCA for a while and are extremely happy to see it come to fruition. This should be a great way to introduce newcomers to the sport and also allow the rest of us to sneak in some track time. We'll be at the Palm Beach event early next month. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/news/straight-from-the-office-to-the-track/

Damn. Checking the article and links shows no cmp ir vir. Can you guys get them on board? I want topparticipate!

Great idea. Implementation is going to be hard. I wonder how dark it will be by the time people get thru the anal retentive bureaucracy of tech, waivers and so on. There is no way not to check people's cars when it's a "no experience necessary" open invite because otherwise you will have flying soda cans, iPhones and pocket change causing crashes... and there is no way to check everyone quickly if they are trickling in from work.

As an instructor these things also scare me because people who just show up like they are at an indoor kart facility do not take it seriously enough to listen and they are not fresh from a good night's sleep. I'm not risking my neck in someone's car who just showed up from the bar to rip on his new vette. It's a recipe for disaster. NASA tried something similar and ended up with a dead instructor at Jefferson.

Skepticism aside... if they do it at Pocono I'll pay to blow off some steam on a weekday evening if I can use my competition license as reasonable proof for me to skip the hassle bits and go drive.

Sounds like Hyperfest, hopefully they have a better execution of safety. I remember a instructor jumping in my car without any type of inspection....

What is it going to cost. At Gingerman it's $50 from 4:30pm (I think) until sunset in the summer on thursdays. Uf it's SCCA Business as usual it'll be $150, if it's under $100, then hats off to them and I hope it comes to SE Michigan.

Also what are the requirements? Note the pic on the Jalopnik article is of a Boxster with factory roll over protection. That's a great sign, but I fear once the SCCA get's involved it will mean the broom test which will outlaw Boxster's, NC Miata's etc.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

Article says $150 for three 20 minute sessions.

I think I'll pass. I can get more track time per dollar with the local organization and there is no membership fee.

love love love this!!!! Being in retail, weekends off take an act of congress, but I can take off any day during the week. Plus I'm less than an hour from NCM.

it'll be useful for shaking down a new setup the weekend before a race.

Very cool. I will be attending the Portland event.

Dusterbd13 wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: Yep, we have been discussing this program with the SCCA for a while and are extremely happy to see it come to fruition. This should be a great way to introduce newcomers to the sport and also allow the rest of us to sneak in some track time. We'll be at the Palm Beach event early next month. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/news/straight-from-the-office-to-the-track/

Damn. Checking the article and links shows no cmp ir vir. Can you guys get them on board? I want topparticipate!

I'll ask the powers that be.

captdownshift wrote: In reply to David S. Wallens: bringing a co-worker should be encouraged.

That was very much discussed at MSX. Bring a Buddy.

Sounds pretty awesome. Almost like a Cruise Night with a race track involved.

I looked at the site and it looks like there is nothing nearby.

I'll bring the Miata or Z4M out sometime to NJMP, too bad I can't bring the Lemons cars.

Our 20-20 track day. $20 for 20 minutes on the ice program this year was quite successful.

Gingerman used to do 2-3 track evenings per week until a couple of years ago. They cut back as the turn out was to low to pay the corner workers. They still do evening "test & tunes" but you have to check their website for the scheduled evenings. Also the price has gone up but then what hasn't?

bgkast wrote: Very cool. I will be attending the Portland event.

I'm going to TRY to actually make this......

just checked... events... as in more than one!

May 15, June 12, July 3, and August 21

Absolutely a great idea, cost is a bit high but I'm under the hope they would come to their scenes and price it around $100 as well as open it up to more tracks (summit point would be nice of those who might have some pull)

There are several mentions about "street cars" only. Does this mean that Improved Touring or similarly prepared race cars are not allowed or not recommended??

devina wrote: There are several mentions about "street cars" only. Does this mean that Improved Touring or similarly prepared race cars are not allowed or not recommended??

We'll have more of a clarification in the next issue but, yeah, for this program just street cars--like real street cars that drove there. The idea is to keep things very welcoming to newcomers and I can see that. Plus some tracks will be dealing with noise restrictions.