I’ve often thought a requirement to participate in a minimum number of accredited HPDEs, professional driving schools or time trials should be a requirement before a person could go to the next step in racing. The minimum number would be dependant upon the school type and of course the individual driver. I understand that every driver needs to be signed off at a license school, but that is not enough. Before I’ve thought that SCCA would never go for the idea because it did not have HPDE / track days designed how to drive a track, but now it does. There are simply too many things for rookies to be learning and for a huge majority of people it just is not possible to gain the needed experience at the licensing school. If you look around the paddock at the people most say to watch out for and don’t have control of their cars, they are often the ones who jumped to club racing too quickly. It is said so often but is so true – seat time is extremely important not only to be quick but also to be safe.

I look back to the first session I was on the track and my instructor told me not to forget to look in my mirrors and flaggers often. I couldn’t help but think screw you, I’ve got way too many things going on right now. Over the past few years I’ve been on the other side instructing at HPDEs and quickly learned that feeling is very commonplace. I can’t even imagine if I were out on the track in a school or racing with very little seat time. For that matter even after several HPDEs where I was one of the faster guys in my HPDE run group and then getting my competition license, being out on the track during a qualifying session / race was pretty crazy stuff.

I’m curious to get your thoughts about SCCA implementing a similar policy. I understand there is much more to this but wanted to start the general dialogue.

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Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si