So You Want to Be a Race Car Driver
SCCA Classes for the Novice Competitor
Finding a Car
The SCCA Driving School Experience
What are the NERRC and NARRC Series?

Steps to Becoming an SCCA Driver

• Join the Sports Car Club of America. This can be accomplished by contacting the SCCA national office in Kansas or contact the membership chairman in you region of the country. In New England, the membership co-chairman is Paul Krysiak. In other areas of the country, the road racing facility in your area should be able to point you in the right direction.
• Order a copy of the SCCA General Competition rules. This the overall rulebook governing SCCA Road Racing. It contains information on driver conduct, safety, and on track procedures. (Car preparation rules for classes of competition are contained within their own rule books) The GCR can be obtained from SCCA headquarters.
• Obtain a Driver's Novice Permit. To obtain a Novice Permit, you should contact your SCCA regions New Driver Licensing contact person. This person will send you an information package which includes all the necessary forms, paper work, and instructions as to what you will need to obtain your Novice Permit. PLEASE READ EVERYTHING IN THE PACKET CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE ALL THE FORMS, ESPECIALLY THE MEDICAL STATEMENT, ARE FILLED OUT COMPLETELY. Incomplete paperwork will delay the receipt of your permit and could cause you to miss a school, so it's highly advisable to give yourself at least three months time in order to get your permit. (Note: Your doctor will most likely require an office visit in order to examine you before filling out the medical form(s) and you may need certain vaccinations, so plan on this cost as well, depending upon your personal medical coverage. You also need two passport photos, which should be budgeted, although they are relatively inexpensive.) New England Region SCCA New Driver Licensing Contact: Pat Travers, 67 Mapleton St, Cranston, RI, 02910, (401) 461-9219
• Complete 6 hours of track time at an SCCA Drivers School. If you have completed a competition course at an SCCA approved driving school (such as the Skip Barber school) some of these hours may be waived.
• As mentioned after completing the 6 hours of Novice training track time, you get your Novice License/Log Book. Once you successfully compete in two Regional SCCA races, you can send your completed Novice Log Book into the National Office with a copy of your medical statement (filled out when applying for the Novice Permit) and the licensing fee to get your Regional Racing License.
• After completing four Regional Races, you can obtain your National Racing License for another $50.00. Whichever level of license you have, you renew it annually with your membership. Plus every two years, based upon your year of birth being an even or odd year, you have to submit a new medical form, so plan on that office visit fee. (Note: While it is possible to complete everything you need to go from Novice Permit to National License in one year, it's more likely to take you two to three years, depending on how many Regional Races you compete in per year.)

SCCA Classes for the Novice Competitor

What follows will be a brief description of some of the classes available within SCCA Road Racing. These classes have been chosen based upon their popularity within the New England Region of the SCCA, the price of purchasing a used racing vehicle within these classes, and the classes suitability to a beginning driver. Sometimes it seems like the SCCA has a million different classes for competition between Pro, National, Regional, and Club level classifications of vehicles. Every class is someone's favorite and if I've offended anyone by not picking their favorite, I'm sorry. But in my opinion, many of the classes that I have omitted are not good for the novice/beginner racer to learn in, nor are these classes economical to the racer with limited funds.

Improved Touring

Formula Vee

The Formula Vee (FVee) race car is an open wheel racer with engine, drive train, and suspension from (or based on) the VW Beetle. Formula Vee first appeared in the 1960's and quickly became one of the SCCA most popular classes, both for it's affordability and it's promotion of individual creation and design. A brand new fully assembled Formula Vee (minus engine) costs in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $12,000, but most Formula Vee manufacturers sell basic and intermediate kits for the price conscious racer. The difference between the basic and intermediate kit is the amount of VW parts that the manufacturer gives the buyer and the concept of the kit is that it might be more cost effective for the racer to assemble the car themselves and buy the remaining parts on their own. These kits range in price from $5000 to $9000. Because of the popularity of the Formula Vee class, there are plenty of good quality, older Formula Vee cars available for sale to the novice competitor. While these cars may not be as competitive as newer Vees, they are definitely cheaper (usually $4000 to $7000 in price) and the maintenance costs are reasonable. Plus organizations like the Eastern Motor Racing Association (EMRA) have multiple classes of Formula Vee racing where the cars are grouped by age in an effort to create even and fair competition.

Formula 500

A Formula 500 (F500) racing car is something of a cross between a Formula Vee and a Go Kart. These open wheel, open cockpit cars are powered by a snowmobile engine. They are generally faster in a straight line than a Formula Vee, but don't corner quite as well. As with Formula Vee, the affordable F500's are older cars, which will not be as competitive as a newer one. But again, the maintenance costs are fairly low, so a F500 should provide it's owner years of reliable fun, barring any major accidents.

Club Ford

The Club Ford category was created as a home for older Formula Fords that were no longer competitive against newer and more up to date Formula Fords. Since Formula Ford has always been considered a stepping stone to higher levels of Formula Car racing throughout the world, there are plenty of Club Fords out there in the racing world. On the down side, they will cost in the $5000.00 to $10,000.00 range and require more maintenance than a Formula Vee or Formula 500. As with the Formula Vee's, organizations such as the Racing Car Club of America (RCCA) have designed multiple classes of Club Ford racing based upon a vehicles age. So the novice racer with a Club Ford will not be at a loss for places to race/drive their vehicle.

Showroom Stock

Showroom Stock is affordable from a car preparation standpoint. Since there are a very limited number of modifications allowed, the cost to prepare a Showroom Stock vehicle is low. But since these are cars from the current and previous four model years, it is not exactly inexpensive to buy a car to prepare. And eventually the car will no longer be eligible for the Showroom Stock class. A more economical solution for the beginning racer would be to buy an existing Showroom Stock racer that has about two years of eligibility left and use those two year to practice and refine your driving style. After the two years are up, the driver could convert the car to Improved Touring S, A, B, or C specifications, use it for non-racing practice sessions, possibly race it in a regional only Improved Touring class (i.e. ITE) or, if the registration has been kept up on the vehicle, remove the safety equipment and sell the car as a road vehicle.

Spec Racer

The Spec Racer was originally introduced by the Renault automobile company as an entry level class where all the cars were equal. The class was an immediate success and provided racers both new and old with plenty of close racing. When Renault pulled out, SCCA Enterprises took over the production (and maintenance services) of Spec Racers and recently introduced a change in engine from the Renault engine to a Ford engine designed by Roush Racing. By January 1, 1997, all existing Spec Racers will have to convert to the Ford engine from the Renault. Because of the classes popularity, there are plenty of Spec Racers out there to be bought, but also because of the popularity, they are not exactly cheap and new ones cost in the neighborhood of $20,000.00 (not exactly an entry level price). You might be able to find a used Spec Racer with the Renault engine for a lower price, but you'll probably have to spend an additional $3000.00 to $5000.00 to convert to the Ford engine. But once you have the car, since you can't really modify it in any manner and because of the low maintenance costs, the cost per year of the vehicle in the long run (5 to 10 years) could end up being less expensive than other classes. (Note: As stated, I have considered the cost of buying a used vehicle in the chosen classes. I have briefly mentioned maintenance and operations costs, but these differ depending upon the class, the amount of racing one plans to do, and the amount of money you're willing to spend on tires. The operation and upkeep costs of the classes I have chosen are comparable, but all things being equal, a specialized racing car (such as a Club Ford) costs more to run than a production based vehicle (such as a ITC Rabbit)

Do I Buy or Do I Build?

This is the age old question facing the novice racer. Do I buy my first car or build it. Hands down, buying is the quicker and cheaper alternative, but then again, driving your own creation gives a satisfaction untopped by anything.

• Safety is paramount! Most of us are not professional welders or car construction experts. So before you buy a car, arrange with the seller to have it inspected by a respected racing chassis shop. (There are plenty listed in Pit Talk and other Racing Trade papers such as Speedway Scene every month). The shop can tell you if the car, and the safety equipment on it are sound. The shop can probably also tell you if the car has been in any serious accidents and been bent back into shape.

• Make sure the car complies with the Safety standards for the class and track you want to compete in. Again the professional shop can help you with this, if you provide them with the rules beforehand. If the car does not comply, the only driving you'll be doing with it is off and on the trailer. Again, this should be done prior to purchasing the vehicle.

• Try to obtain a history of maintenance, racing activity, and accidents on the car. For SCCA cars, most of this is contained the cars Log Book (which you will need in order to enter the car into competition!). You want to stay away from cars that have been in multiple major crashes.

• Look at the cars finishing record. The win record is not important. As a beginner, you need track time and hence reliability in your car. A race winner has usually led a much harsher life than a mid-pack finisher.

• Look for neatness, cleanliness, and attention to detail. Deviations often mean that the current owner or builder may have had to cut corners.

• With a used car, it is usually a good idea to have the engine rebuilt or replaced. So make sure to save some money for this.

The sage advice of many a professional who's been through it before is: Buy your first car. You'll be on the track quicker and spend less money up front to get there. Plus many a project car has been abandoned midstream due to lack of funds or interest. (But if you truly must build, then be true to your heart and build away. But make sure your wallet is fat.) After reading the advice of a number of professionals in various publications, I have compiled the some important tips regarding the purchase of a used racing car.

Renting

Another alternative to Buying or Building is Renting. You can rent from a professional shop or an individual.

• The Pro Shop rentals are more expensive and often have a more limited selection but may be a better value overall because of the arrive-and-drive situation you will find yourself in with car and crew waiting for you. In choosing a pro shop to rent from, ask for names of previous renters and question them as to whether or not they were satisfied with the rental company and would they rent again.
• Renting from an individual is much like buying a car. Look over the car for safety equipment and soundness with a skeptical eye. And the agreement you sign with the individual is more flexible than the pro shop. Make sure you understand what you're getting for your money and who pays for what. Again, you can contact past renters or fellow competitors for information on the car/individual.

Finding a Used (Racing) Car

• Talk to people at the tracks at which you wish to compete or during racing weekends. This includes competitors, officials, and track personnel. These people are around racing and will oftentimes have the inside scoop on who's selling and more importantly, what you're likely to get from the sellers.
• Regional Trade Publications: The key word here is 'Regional'. The SCCA's Sports Car magazine has a great classified section, full of cars of all sorts for sale, but if you look at the phone numbers to contact, you'll find that most are no where near New England. You'd have better luck within the classified sections of Pit Talk or Speedway Scene.

What are the NERRC and NARRC Series?

If you are a race driver or worker and have never looked hard at the race series NER is involved in, than this article is for you. Let's do the basics first. A driver goes to driver school to earn his permit. After getting signed off with the right amount of track time and adequate performance, the driver (notice I didn't say "he") has to complete the licensing requirements. To do this the driver must finish, successfully, two regional races for a Regional license or four regionals for a National. There is paper work involved and permissions, etc. (If you are pursuing your license talk to the Chief Instructor or Driver Licensing for exact requirements.)
Now that is all done and it is time to go racing. But do you just pick some races and go to the track? Maybe you should look at what will give you the best reward for your efforts.
NER is involved in two race series at the regional level, the New England Road Racing Championship (NERRC) and the North Atlantic Road Racing Championship (NARRC). NERRC is an NER run series. All of the races are NER events, six at New Hampshire International Speedway and one at Lime Rock Park. The points from all seven finishes are used to calculate your finishing position. There are also points for running both tracks.
The NARRC series is held by the regions in the northern part of the North East Division, NER, NNJR, NYR, and Mohud. There are 14 races this year. The best eight count towards your finish. You only have to run five to qualify for a trophy, but most people will run more. The races are all of the NER regional races, NMHS and LRP, and specific ones at Pocono and Watkins Glen. All of the LRP regionals are NARRC races. Again there are points for running each track. If you look at the schedule in Sportscar, you will see the NERRC and NARRC abbreviations after the event. (maybe NA or NE).
You may have already figured out that if you run all of the NERRC series, you have already qualified for points in NARRC. Run another race and you will have the maximum number. Run more and pick up points for other tracks and better finishes. In a hotly contested class, some racers will run all fourteen NARRC races to get the highest points to choose from.
Then, when you win, GO TO THE BANQUET and get the applause and trophy you deserve. In 2005, why not have a game plan and follow it through.
In closing, I have not mentioned National racing. A Nationally licensed driver, who runs only Nationals, can start four races, finish three and go to the National Runoffs. Or / and he can do all eight National races in the Northeast Division and win the NESSCA championship. NESSCA also has a rating system that compares all drivers across classes to determine the best ten drivers. Want info on NESSCA, call our own Peter Roberts, the head of NESSCA at 860-678-8356.