12 hours of Nelson

[RSTPerformance]

Well... I respect everyones thoughts and after much thought I agree that having a novice on a team certainly adds risk to the team, and I would not pay for a ride on a rental if one of the members was a novice, HOWEVER... I don't think that an experienced team should be turned away just because they are willing to give a "novice" a try. An enduro is a great way to get someone into SCCA racing whom wants a good value (track time) for the buck.

I do agree an entire team of novices should not be allowed as they might be a risk to others and/or themselves as a collective group lacking experience. I also might agree that when we have the demand (as a club) that some races of higher level should have some restrictions on experience. I am not aware of any current SCCA races that have full fields though.

Lack of experience in driving alone is NOT a good reason... A sprint race has far more risk/action and people travel just as far and spend just as much money on an entry. I think a novice is more likely to vet in trouble Ina sprint race than an enduro. I hate to say it (and do not keen to degrade or insult) but I think an enduro is more like a super long practice session as a majority of the race most people are just making consistant solid laps, not battling door handle to door handle. Endoros are a TEAM effort not a driver effort.

To me the risk is not on the novice but rather the stewards. The stewards should Be doing thier job and should pull a novice or expirenced driver off the track if they are a hazard. As a steward I have done it, nope it wasn't fun but I agree, safety is number one.

Stereotyping a "novice" as a bad driver is poor business and As I hope someone has realized for the future hurts entries and will not help bring back this or any race to the stature it once had. I would say this if was our friend or not.

Please feel free to continue a debate, I think the people in this region read this and I hope will use the feedback for future events and members... Let's face it by the time another event comes along like this our friend will have a full regional, so my complaining really won't help me, but maybe the next guy.

Raymond "am I way off on this?" Blethen

[Bill Miller]

Well... I respect everyones thoughts and after much thought I agree that having a novice on a team certainly adds risk to the team, and I would not pay for a ride on a rental if one of the members was a novice, HOWEVER... I don't think that an experienced team should be turned away just because they are willing to give a "novice" a try. An enduro is a great way to get someone into SCCA racing whom wants a good value (track time) for the buck.

I do agree an entire team of novices should not be allowed as they might be a risk to others and/or themselves as a collective group lacking experience. I also might agree that when we have the demand (as a club) that some races of higher level should have some restrictions on experience. I am not aware of any current SCCA races that have full fields though.

Lack of experience in driving alone is NOT a good reason... A sprint race has far more risk/action and people travel just as far and spend just as much money on an entry. I think a novice is more likely to vet in trouble Ina sprint race than an enduro. I hate to say it (and do not keen to degrade or insult) but I think an enduro is more like a super long practice session as a majority of the race most people are just making consistant solid laps, not battling door handle to door handle. Endoros are a TEAM effort not a driver effort.

To me the risk is not on the novice but rather the stewards. The stewards should Be doing thier job and should pull a novice or expirenced driver off the track if they are a hazard. As a steward I have done it, nope it wasn't fun but I agree, safety is number one.

Stereotyping a "novice" as a bad driver is poor business and As I hope someone has realized for the future hurts entries and will not help bring back this or any race to the stature it once had. I would say this if was our friend or not.

Please feel free to continue a debate, I think the people in this region read this and I hope will use the feedback for future events and members... Let's face it by the time another event comes along like this our friend will have a full regional, so my complaining really won't help me, but maybe the next guy.

Raymond "am I way off on this?" Blethen

Raymond,

On one hand, you say 'safety is number one', but on the other you mention how races don't have full fields. It sounds as if you would be willing to compromise safety in the interest of filling the field. If that's not what you meant, I apologize for putting words in your mouth, but that's the way it comes across.

And there are restrictions on driver experience at every National race. No National license, you don't race. I don't agree w/ the National / Regional license distinction, but it's there. And who would you consider to be more experienced, someone that runs 2 races a year, just to keep their license, or someone that runs 8, 10, 12, or more races a year?

I think maybe you're a bit too close to this issue, and seem to have lost a bit of your objectivity. I also disagree w/ your assessment that an endurance race is 'one long practice session'. Sure, consistency is key, as is not using up the car too soon, but when you've got people that are still on the same lap, after 12+ hours of racing, I think that's a bit more than casually clicking off laps.

To me, having someone with no racing experience on a long (12+ hour) endurance team, is a real baptism by fire. As Matt pointed out, you're throwing a LOT more at them than they saw in school. You could just as easily overwhelm them, and turn them off to racing.

This comment has me scratching my head.

I would not pay for a ride on a rental if one of the members was a novice,

I thought you had said that your friend w/ the novice permit was the car owner for the car that you were going to run @ Nelson. Are you guys not paying for that ride?