Question about tire & driver's school?

[Joe Murray]

Driver's school is 1 week away, it's on Friday and Saturday with a regional on Sunday.

First question: If I pass driver's school you are allowed to race on Sunday, is three days of racing to much for novice?

Second question: I was thinking of using Falkens street tire for driver's school and Kumho victoracers for the regional, to help with the cost of the three day race fest. Is this a good idea or should I use the Kumho's for all three days?

Third question: How many races can I get out of 1 set of tires?

Thanks for all the great advice on this site!
Joe

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ahondafor?

[joeg]

You generally need two successful schools before you can race unless you get "signed off". Inquire early with your instructor about this.

Use your good race tires throughout the school if you want to demonstrate your ability to get waived. That means running cleanly and PROGRESSIVELY faster.

Save your Falkens for the rain--if it rains!

I trust your Kumhos are race and not autocross tires. They will last the weekend if they are a race compound and you do not "flat spot" them.

Good luck

[whenry]

If you are a phase I student(this is your first school) you will not be allowed to run the regional. SCCA requires 2 drivers schools before you can run in regional races. The only exceptions are prior racing experience, professional schools or double driving schools.
Use the race tires for school. You will get tons of track time(more than you will ever get again) and you should get used to the way that the car will handle on good tires. Also street tires unless shaved will probably not hold up to even the speeds of a school or the abuse of a school(you will spin or go off course at some point)
Make sure that you have the car as prepared as possible(ie reliable) and take competent crew with you if possible. You will either be in the car, debriefing with your instructor or getting ready to go back on track and you personally will not have time to work on the car. You must finish 80% of the entire school to get credit. Also remember that Roger Penske will not be leaning on the fence watching for his next drivers and you do not want to be on first or nickname basis with the Chief Steward during the weekend so take care of yourself and remember that you cannot win a drivers school.

[planet6racing]

Joe:

I'll assume your school is like mine was: Classroom Thursday night, Friday was School #1, Saturday was School #2, Regional race on Sunday.

That said, if the Kumho's are new, put them on and run them if it's dry. They should last the whole weekend, but don't expect to use them after that. You'll want to be fast at the school, but save the racing for the actual race.

As I said in the other thread, sign up for the waiver! This will really help with your tire question and you still have nothing to lose!


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Bill
Planet 6 Racing
bill (at) planet6racing (dot) com

[Joe Murray]

Thanks. I'll go with the Kumhos. The car is well preped and a good crew. Bill I will sign up for the wavier.

Thanks again everyone.
Joe

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ahondafor?

[gran racing]

Sign up for the waiver? Why give up some of the most fun you'll have racing???? I absolutely loved the schools and know many people that feel the same way. Even if you can get signed-off after one, don't. If you do, go to the second school anyways. You'll learn a ton and will have a great time. Besides, you're already at the track anyways.

At least for a few of the starts, try starting in the very, very back. What a blast! You'll have a chance to pass a bunch of people. As for tires - I have a car that is very hard on tires. Still working on car set-up and a FWD car. But, if you kill the tires after this weekend I would be very surprised. Is this track that hard on tires? Make sure you rotate them after each day. That will give you some more tire time.

Seriously though, you may very well have more fun at the schools than at the race. All of the practice starts....

Good luck and enjoy! Like everyone else says, remember it is a school not a race. You get no points for getting the fastest lap while hitting a wall.

[cherokee]

I did my first school at the beginning of the season...with a brand new (not shaved) set of Kuhmo's If it is a doubble school you will be able to run on sunday...that is how my school was setup. We started out with RPM limits that went up as the sessions progressed. My tires easly lasted the entire event...and races after that. I put 387 track miles on my car that weekend. (I set the trip odo) You will be doing lots of driving and be running like crazy the entire time. Besure to bring some one to help. Don't worry about being fast...instructors are looking for you to be safe...wave faster cars by (they look for that it shows you watch your mirrors) and pass at carefully...remember if you stuff it you will not pass school.

Above all HAVE FUN and you are not racing at school...that is a biggie you don't race at school.

[Racy-Stacey]

"You dont race at schools"

LOL... You should tell that to the RX-7 rookies that i watched last year at Buttonwillow going through their school..

Cars were spinning and going off and OMG.. it was funny.. They were alright no roll overs but omg.. Boys and adrenaline and race cars...LOL dangerous mix.

Hope you had fun at your racing school..
toodles,
Stacey_B


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Toodles,
Stacey_B AOL IM: SCCAStaceyIB 1990PGL SCCA STSL "Girls Do It Better" Cal Club T&S, BWRP,WS,Lag,Hallett www.scpoc.com : www.probetalk.com Racing is my life. Winner One Lap of America 2003- SSGT2 class 1996 Ford Probe GT.

[This message has been edited by Racy-Stacey (edited October 16, 2003).]

[Racy-Stacey]

I was just thinking.. If a friend of mine was running my car for a drivers school, could they use 16" wheels? My car is listed for 14" per class spec. But since its a drivers school. Would it matter?

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Toodles,
Stacey_B AOL IM: SCCAStaceyIB 1990PGL SCCA STSL "Girls Do It Better" Cal Club T&S, BWRP,WS,Lag,Hallett www.scpoc.com : www.probetalk.com Racing is my life. Winner One Lap of America 2003- SSGT2 class 1996 Ford Probe GT.

[This message has been edited by Racy-Stacey (edited October 20, 2003).]

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by Racy-Stacey:
I was just thinking.. If a friend of mine was running my car for a drivers school, could they use 16" wheels? My car is listed for 14" per class spec. But since its a drivers school. Would it matter?

I doubt it, but different regions can act ...differently.

Usually, they care that the car has a logbook, an annual, and is safe. legal is another concern, but usually tech won't bat an eye.

If the car is going to be raced right after, then any competitors might be giving you the evil eye, but for the school, nobody should care. Get the new guy signed off and racing!



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[BUMPnGO]

Spinning and running out of track are going to happen a lot at schools..suggestion: give yourself plenty of room b4 charging those apexes..after 14 yrs as a SCCA Driver and 3 as an Instructor, I still remember what my own D.I. told me to concentrate on,i.e. "BRAKE..SHIFT..TURN

[Joe Murray]

I went through driver's school this last Friday and Saturday at Firebird Raceway in Arizona. After I got signed off on Sat. I entered a rigional on Sunday. It was a blast! I had excellent crew help from Sam Rofle and Aaron Taylor. See the link for photos.

www.tbrmotorsports.s5.com


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ahondafor?

[gsbaker]

Joe,

Congratulations!

So, how did the tire thing work out?

BTW, your photo link is broken.

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Gregg Baker
Isaac, LLC
[email protected]

[Joe Murray]

I ended up using the Falkens. They work great. We were really suprise they held up as well as they did. We changed the tires on Saturday and put a fresh set on for Sunday's race (we did scuff them first). The car felt good. I can't wait till we put racing tires on for the next event, Should be even better.

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ahondafor?

[x-ring]

Personally, I think the Falkens are great tires for practice, warm-ups, and schools. I have a set I use for all of my practice time and open track days, and while they aren't quite as fast as race tires, they aren't much slower, and one set has made it through the entire season.

I wish Victoracers lasted as long.

Ty

[SamITC85]

The link should work. The pics are on the InnerFire page. Joe failed to mention that not only did he enter teh regional but he won from the pole. A very smooth and consistent drive. Not a bad way to start his SCCA career. The entire weekend was a blast.

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Sam Rolfe
TBR Motorsports
#85 ITC VW Rabbit
#85 GP Scirocco on the way
#11 GP Scirocco on the way

[zracer22]

First, Congrats to Joe on his license and first race.

Second, does anyone else have a problem with someone being able to get a race license after only one school? I don't give a crap how good a driver is, if it is his/her first time on track in a fender to fender racing envirioment, there should be no "waiving" of the second school. There isn't a single human being alive that wouldn't benefit from a second school.

I don't blame anyone for trying to get waived, but the SCCA shouldn't be doing it.

[whenry]

It is an exception that is in the book and was rarely granted but in a settlement of suits with some of the pro schools, the one school sign off was granted. It is now routinely approved depending on the school, chief driving instructor and Chief Steward.
No, one school does not make anyone a successful racer but since you can go to a "pro" school and be signed off without ever going w2w with other cars, seen a flag from a corner station, go thru a SCCA tech, prepare your own car or many other things that are a inherent part of racing, it is not fair to require more than one school just because someone didnt pay the big bucks for a school. Luckily, you will only have to deal with this racer, hopefully, as you lap him. I have the same concerns about allowing the "double school" too.
I did both a "pro" school and SCCA school and found that both were good for me and taught me totally different things and approaches.

[Joe Murray]

I think you misunderstood. I still went through two full days w/ more than six hours of track time and competed in one regional race. I still need one more race before I get my license. The school was held on Friday and Saturday.

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ahondafor?

[x-ring]

I assume, zracer22, that you mean novice permit after one school instead of license after one school? I don't think there is any provision for granting a license after one school without finishing any races or only one race on your permit.

If so, I'd like to say that I got my permit signed after only one SCCA school, on the basis that I had been W2W racing for a couple of years with another organization. I don't see any problem with that; it's still only a novice permit. The steward at my first two SCCA races still had to attest to my proper behavior when he signed off for my regional license.

Is there something I'm missing here?

Ty