There is no reason to sign someone off at Watkins Glen, and assume they know Lime Rock or Mosport well enough to solo there if they have never driven the track. There is also a different between your first solo and knowing wtf you are doing.
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How do you figure? I have never been to several tracks and I’m not only signed of to “solo” but I’m signed off to wheel to wheel at ANY track hosted by the SCCA.
Licensing goes by the sanctioning body, not the track.
I’ve run with 3 different PCA regions, 2 BMW regions, and 3 other track groups. They have all had similar, but different “coloring” conventions for their groups. I’ve been at events with 3 run groups, and others with 4. How many events have you done or organized?
Let me know what region you are with, I want to make sure I am not on the same track as you. There is no reason to sign someone off at Watkins Glen, and assume they know Lime Rock or Mosport well enough to solo there if they have never driven the track. There is also a different between your first solo and knowing wtf you are doing.
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The chief instructor of my region is very strict about passing people into higher run groups. You don’t have to have run a track to know what you are doing. Part of the requirement of being singed off is demonstrating that you can pick up the line quickly and don’t drive over your head. You also have to demonstrate traffic management and by able to point out flag stations among other things.
That being said, they will not pass people off into higher run groups that have not been to many tracks, but once you have advanced that is the run group you run in.
They also have no problem with letting some one in a higher run group ask for an instructor if it is the first time to a track in fact the encourage it but it is not required.
personaly i have been to 4 two day events and hope to double it this year i will be attending my first BMW event this april and then will be doing NER and NCR events.
How do you figure? I have never been to several tracks and I’m not only signed of to “solo” but I’m signed off to wheel to wheel at ANY track hosted by the SCCA.
Licensing goes by the sanctioning body, not the track.
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After 1 1/2 days at Watkins Glen for my first event, my instructor signed me off for the afternoon to solo. Does this mean I’m ready to solo and “wheel to wheel” at any track?
After the first day of my second event at Watkins Glen, my instructor signed me off again. Does this mean I’m ready?
After the first day of my 5th event (1st at Mosport), my car was a disaster mechanically and I hadn’t had more than a handful of full speed laps and I was still not totally comfortable with the track. My instructor hopped into a different car with me and we finished the event learning the track. Had I not had an instructor, full speed laps at an unfamiliar track in a different car than I’m used to could have been unsafe. However, I was signed off at Watkins Glen, I guess I should have known all the proper lines and breaking zones at Mosport because someone told me I was ready to go solo.
IMHO, there is a difference from Wheel to Wheel racing and DE. You need a school and significant seat time before you are a racer. Anyone can attend a DE and get signed off with little to no experience. My Father has been racing for 2 years and still takes an instructor at a new track whenever possible. A little experienced advice is never a bad thing. I’ve been solo at every track I’ve been to, I still request an instructor the first day for that very reason.