September will be a busy month for me as I head to Lincoln, NE for the Solo Nationals. I’ll be at that event from 9/5 to 9/10. I’ve never been to the Solo Nationals and am really looking forward to it. Later in the month, I’m headed to Virginia for the Runoffs. The Runoffs will be held at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) this year (and next) and I’ll be there from 9/23 to 10/3. I’ve been to VIR several times. It’s a fabulous facility that will really test the mettle of the competitors. As I have a brother who lives near there (Durham, NC), I get to pull double duty and visit with him. Another bonus…..staying at his place will save me (and the Club) a lot of money.
Since I’ll be on the road most of the month, I may not be able to write an update for October. Hopefully, it’ll be a much easier month. I am scheduled to get my left hip replaced on 10/13 (not a Friday) so I’ll be able to walk, golf, bike, flag, etc. with MUCH less pain. Wish me luck…..
Video Conference Meetings:
- Club Racing Board (CRB) (8/2): As we just had a face to face meeting in KC on 7/28, this Zoom call was more procedural in nature. We reviewed the letter log and continued the conversation on the G2C initiative (Green to Checker). I updated the CRB on the work the EVAC has been doing. The results of CRB rules changes can be seen here.
- Electrified Vehicle Advisory Committee (EVAC) (8/10): The revised SCREV is being reviewed by the Experiential programs (Time Trials, Track Night in America, Solo, Rally Cross). While this review is happening, we are working on a variety of things in the background. The Broch Evans Motorsports EV race car (previously a Formula Mazda) will be entered in AMod at the Solo Nationals. The car will also be at the Runoffs but only as a static display. It will be exciting to get this car in front of SCCA folks so they can see it for themselves. We are also working on training materials for members so they know how to interact with an EV that has entered an SCCA event. More on that to come later.
- EVAC (8/23): This was a secondary meeting among some of the EVAC to discuss data acquisition systems for the EVs in Club Racing. We met with the folks from Aim as we are considering mandating such systems in all of the EVs in Club Racing. This would make it easier to monitor voltage, power, current, etc. in these cars. Its early in the process and we wanted to make sure we had a handle on it.
SCCA Events:
- CRB (7/28): As one of the liaisons to the CRB, I attended their meeting in KC. Many topics were discussed with an emphasis on long term, strategic thinking about the Club Racing program as a whole. Data acquisition to monitor performance was highlighted as this will become even more important as we move forward. Green to Checker (G2C) was discussed at length. How do we as a group (drivers, steward, workers, etc.) pull together to make sure we have more green flag laps? A variety of options were mentioned as a part of the solution. Some routine house keeping was done as well. They updated language on officials, discussed burden of proof in compliance issues, talked about the future of T1 and how do we fold FIA GT4 cars into Club Racing. I updated them on how the EVAC was coming along on our rules packages. This progressed into a broader discussion about EVs in Club Racing.
- BoD (7/30): Like all face to face, BoD meetings, we were updated by all the managers so we could get an assessment of each program. All the programs had bright spots and challenges. This is nothing new. The good news is that the bright spots outweighed the challenges and I am optimistic about the Club’s future. The national staff is working hard to make events better, help make the regions put on better events and make a member’s experience better. We also got a review of the financial standing of the club (pretty good considering the high cost of travel these days). We were told by the marketing folks that we are “refreshing” our logos and graphic standards. As this hasn’t been done in quite a while, it’s probably overdue. We were also told that we are trending upward in terms of full time members…..that’s always good news.
- WMR Major (8/20, 8/21): I signed up for this event so I could help out my home region (WMR) while enjoying some fun at Grattan Raceway. Once again, rain followed me to a race course. Saturday’s schedule was marred by a session being red flagged just as the heavens unleashed a torrent on the track. With lightning in the area, the Chief Steward had no choice but to stop the clock and allow the workers to seek shelter as the storm passed through. 20 minutes later, the skies were clear and we could go racing again. The day continued with the usual awesome, all attendee dinner. Maybe I’m jaundiced but I will stack up the dinner menu at WMR events against ANY other track food option. Sunday’s races were held under nicer weather conditions. As it was the last Major east of the Mississippi, this was the last chance for drivers to qualify for the Runoffs via the Majors path.
Be sure and visit the GLDiv website for information about all of the SCCA programs within the division. We have schedules, official’s contact info, standings, etc. for all the SCCA programs.
The various national schedules for 2022 are starting to coalesce and they can be found here:
Pro Solo/National Tour, Time Trials National Tour, Hoosier Super Tour, Enduro.
Please take a few minutes and make sure your contact information is accurate in the SCCA database. It’s important to have the correct information there so the club knows how to contact you. Log in to your my.scca.com page and check.
As I mentioned previously, there is a new path to getting your annual waiver. You can now get it through the Member Account Portal (MAP). Follow this link to get the instructions. There is also a story about the program here. I’ve done it and it only takes a couple of minutes. Be prepared to upload a headshot picture of yourself.
Just a quick reminder, if any region out there wants to have an “Ask the Director” session during your monthly meetings, please do not hesitate to contact me so we can schedule a visit. I retired last summer so have plenty of free time and would thoroughly enjoy the chance to visit with your members.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have about any facet of the GLDiv. I want you to make the most of your membership and I will help out in any way possible to make that happen.
Dayle Frame
