By Heyward Wagner, Sr. Director of Experiential Programs
www.TimeTrials.SCCA.com

The Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials National Tour stop at Thunderhill (clicking the link will take you to the registration/schedule/info page) is less than a month away – April 13 & 14 – and we already have more than many drivers registered with lots and lots more asking questions.  So many, we thought it might be of value to send a quick email to answer some of the frequently asked questions.  Here we go-

What kind of experience do I need?  Technically- none, but some is better than none.  If you have never been on track before, you may want to get to a Track Night event before you do this just so that you are not overwhelmed with learning it all.  Just so happens, there is one on Thursday.  And, the general car control you learn from autocross, karting or Rallycross will help with comfort, too.  So, if you are a true novice, getting to a few events between now and then is a good idea, but not required.

Will I be on track with people who are a ton more experienced than me?  We run these event similar to a Track Night, where we group people by their experience and comfort level so you will be with people who are at your pace and development, be it novices or seasoned track drivers.

Are there instructors?  We will have coaches on site to help with questions, tips and advice and to ensure your experience is best possible.  If you are looking for a bit more, we have two partners that can help you day of the event- you can get in-event video analysis and coaching from our friends at Racers360 or get your feedback in real time with the digital driver coaching from ApexPro -Check ’em out.

Wait, in my street car? Can I get insurance?  Absolutely- SCCA Time Trials National Tour events are approved for on-track insurance from Hagerty. It takes just seconds to get a quote and you can have your policy set up in under 5 minutes.  To get your quote, visit Hagerty’s Track Insurance page.

 Do I have to have a roll bar?  That’s a firm maybe- we, of course, always recommend roll bars and other track appropriate safety gear, but bars are required for:

• Convertibles that are older than 2005 AND do not have factory roll over protection (NA/NB Miatas)
• Convertibles that are newer that 2005, have more than 4 cylinders and/or forced induction and do not have factory roll over protection (Turbo Solstice, Mustangs)
• Any car running in an Unlimited class

It’s always a good idea to check the specific safety rules to make sure you are covered, or send me what you have an I will let you know.

 What class am I in, anyway?  Great question.  You can go to the Class My Car page and follow the steps to learn where your car is classed.  If you aren’t seeing it, I’m happy to help.  Don’t get to stressed about it, though.  We will have some prizes for the class winners, but the event focus is much more about you challenging yourself, developing skills and having #funwithcars.

Didn’t see your question? No problem, just email me – hwagner@scca.com – and let me know what you are wondering- always happy to answer!-h