NASA or (vs.) SCCA or Both ?

[93 LX 5.0]

I feel like my head is going to expolde!

I am trying to understand and figure out the best route (pun not intended) for me to get onto the track. It appears that HPDE is the same as PDX (y/n) ? NASA seems to have HPDE at every event ? Can someone be a member of both (access to more events)? I tried reading through some of the rules, SCCA I think, and if I read it correctly, all vehicles require a window net ? Is autocross/solo a good starting point ?

I have visited both SCCA and NASA's websites trying to undersatand the differences between the two, yet they seem to be almost identical. To increase the choice of tracks/dates, can one be a member of both ? Does the license from one carry over to the other ?

Plain and simple I just do not know where to start. Can someone help ?

Thanks,
Frank

 

[hotrodnut]

I took a school back in the 70s at Road Atlanta when Terry Earwood was the instructor (he's now Chief Instructor at Skip Barber) and he told me to go to as many Autocrosses as I could to learn car control at slower speeds and no other cars on the track to distract you.
Where I was at that time, they had a sports car club, corvette club, SCCA and even the Clemson College doing Auto-x events pretty much every weekend.
Most areas throughout the US have some sort of Auto-x events at least once a month.
I thought it was a good place to start.

 

[roketman]

Join the BMW club ,Audi club ,Nasa,PCA .They all do loads of track events .That should keep you very happy!

 

[PeteInCT]

+1 on what Rocket said.

If you want to limit the insanity, go with Audi or BMW first (I am wedded more to the Audi NEQ here in the NorthEast because of my heavy involvement with the club and I formally drove an Audi). In the NorthEast the PCA club requires that you drive a Porsche but I don't think all chapters have the same rules. And you don't need a window net...

 

[adam81]

When I started I just went to local tracks, or tracks I wanted to run at, websites. I pulled up their calendar and found out who was running there and when. I then contacted those clubs/organizations/etc and found out how to sign up. There are a lot of different groups running track events in any given region/track/etc. A lot of times when you sign up for events with a certain organization you become a member and then have discounts to future events/gear/etc. That's what I would do.

What state do you live in and what tracks are you wanting to go to?

 

[93 LX 5.0]

Thanks for all of the advice. Sometimes the obvious eludes me. I'm in East Tn, between Knoxville and Chattanooga, I think that would make ATL closest. I'll do some checking on other tracks close to me over the next few days.

Thanks

 

[PJWANNABE]

NASA-SE is a good group of people. They will start you out in HPDE1 and you can progress up to HPDE4. After that you can enter Time Trials or get your competition license for wheel-to-wheel racing. If you just want to drive and do not plan on competing, try groups like Hooked on Driving, Chin Motorsports, and Rezoom Motorsports.

 

[2012YellowBoss]

NASA-SE is a good group of people. They will start you out in HPDE1 and you can progress up to HPDE4. After that you can enter Time Trials or get your competition license for wheel-to-wheel racing. If you just want to drive and do not plan on competing, try groups like Hooked on Driving, Chin Motorsports, and Rezoom Motorsports.

Good advise. Have you ever run with Rezoom? If so how were they, I will do Daytona with them but as of now I do not see it on the 13 schedule. I will do the HOD this year again and PBOC since I got solo qualified with them thanks to a good word from Mr. Gilbert ;D

 

[PJWANNABE]

NASA-SE is a good group of people. They will start you out in HPDE1 and you can progress up to HPDE4. After that you can enter Time Trials or get your competition license for wheel-to-wheel racing. If you just want to drive and do not plan on competing, try groups like Hooked on Driving, Chin Motorsports, and Rezoom Motorsports.

Good advise. Have you ever run with Rezoom? If so how were they, I will do Daytona with them but as of now I do not see it on the 13 schedule. I will do the HOD this year again and PBOC since I got solo qualified with them thanks to a good word from Mr. Gilbert ;D

I have not run with Rezoom yet but plan to since they have dates at VIR and Barber this year. I heard good things from people that have. HOD is trying to get a date at VIR in the fall, but nothing is concrete yet.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Get a Snell 2010 Helmet and do as many have suggested --- hit every group you can for track events and most will require nothing more than an approved helmet ( some will also ask that you install a fire extinguisher and many Vendors have ones that attach to your seat frame ).

Agree wholeheartedly with the poster that suggested hitting all the autocrosses you can. Great place to learn technique, car placement , grip, etc. and it carries over to a road course -- you just have to take the fundamentals to a higher speed. Good luck the fun is about to start.