Many motorsport enthusiasts want to go wheel-to-wheel racing, but the path from where they are to where they want to be can be challenging. It’s not just a monetary issue, either. In recent years, Region-led SCCA® Drivers’ Schools have gone from plentiful to few and far between, making it a challenge for those on the outside looking in. Recently, though, SCCA introduced (or reintroduced, depending on how you look at it) the Race Experience, and Grassroots Motorsports was there to take it in.
In a recent article on its website, Grassroots Motorsports followed along as an experience track-day participant entered a North Carolina Region-led SCCA Race Experience weekend.
“The program offers experiences in both sprint and endurance formats,” writes GRM’s J.A. Ackley. “[SCCA’s Jon Krolewicz] says SCCA Race Experience provides a low barrier to entry to tasting wheel-to-wheel racing, just like many popular entry-level endurance racing series. Drivers must bring a car that will pass SCCA safety tech and full driver gear, and self-certify their medical situation.
“Unlike other entry-level endurance racing series, though, SCCA places a heavy focus on instruction, but not to the extent of a dedicated drivers’ school. That’s because times have changed.”
The article explains that thanks to programs like SCCA’s Time Trials and Track Night in America®, most people looking to go wheel-to-wheel racing already have on-track experience; consequently, the schools they take that leads them down the road to obtaining an SCCA Full Competition license need to adapt with the times.
“With most people, by the time they go wheel to wheel, they pretty much know how to get around a racetrack,” Krolewicz explains in the article. “They understand things like apexes and braking points. So, when you want to go race, you don’t have to learn how to drive … we can just teach you how to race.”
The article’s protagonist, Rob Wilmoth, fits this description to a tee. Having competed in GRM’s Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge, finding his way around a racetrack wasn’t the issue – his experience in real-world racing conditions, meanwhile, was lacking, making the SCCA Race Experience the perfect opportunity to expand his horizons.
“The ratio of newbies to pro racers and coaches is like 2:1,” Wilmoth said of the SCCA Race experience event he attended. “So, they could make a newbie sandwich and put us in weird passing situations. It’s 100% situational, developed to allow people to experience it in a safe, controlled fashion.”
Wilmoth’s foil, another Race Experience participant, was Jim Hess. A racer from 15 years ago, Hess was looking to get back into the game and couldn’t resist this event.
“My original plan was to hit up a Drivers’ School – in SCCA those are few and far in between – and then this opportunity popped up,” said Hess. “It was an opportunity to shake down the driver and the car in what turned out to be a fun environment.”
Drivers can learn more about the growing SCCA Race Experience program by clicking here, with Region leaders encouraged to submit a question on that page if they would like more information about how they can host a Race Experience in the future.
Photo by Jon Krolewicz
