(Partially stemming from the MidWest & Central Div IT thread about PDEs)

I’m very pleased that SCCA is now starting to performance driving events. It had been an important missing stage for a novice to begin club racing with SCCA. Now that we have this tool, I’d really like to see it utilized in a manner to help grow the club further and make the transition into wheel-to-wheel racing easier.

One complaint I’m hearing here and on other boards is the lack of PDE events being held, the amount of volunteers it takes to host an event, in some areas a lack of participation (which a big portion maybe since it’s a new program), a lack of available open dates at tracks, etcetera. When the PDE program was developed, what was its goal? There are many people who do not want to progress further than HPDEs, which is fine but I’d like to think that PDEs was formed to help groom people to start wheel-to-wheel racing.

Why don’t we learn from the success NASA has incorporating PDEs within club racing events? Yeah, the quick response is there’s no room for it given the number of run groups already being run which is currently true with many race weekend formats. Why not begin utilizing restricted regionals to allow people to participate in PDEs? There are several national classes that have plenty of National ONLY events to race.

Right now, when PDE participants want to transition to club racing, it is often a confusing and intimidating process. This transition could be made much easier for people to make if they’ve already experienced what a club racing weekend is like, have gotten to know several people they paddock with that race W2W racing, workers, and many other aspects of a race weekend. There are already dates reserved, volunteers would already be at the event (heck, some corner workers could be given a break during these sessions since there is restricted passing areas), and the region could start with a very limited number of run groups. If PDEs grow, there is enough demand and opportunities to do full-day PDEs, then maybe only have Advanced Drivers run groups part of the club racing weekend (this group would also be included in the PDE only dates).