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The beauty of not running L1 is not having to deal with the ridiculous ProSolo Pax. Last year if you wanted to consistently win in L1 for the Pros, get a ride in a competitive FSP car, for the PAX was WAY too soft. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

agreed except FSP runs L2. If you wanted to win L1 you needed a HS car.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Yeah, I forgot the mix of L1 / L2. Regardless, the pax determines too much about the class, but I'm not sure there is a better way to do it either. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

I never have understood about L1 and L2. Is it divided up depending on what car class you would regularly be in? Also, I understand that they use a different pax. Where would I look for that pax schedule?

At any rate........................

Hello! H Stocker here!!! :D Sounds like pax would sway in my favor.

I guess being in ladies class for several years, I'm more accustomed to pax than you guys, and accustomed to not getting to compete against others in HS. That being said, there's also something to be said for going heads up in open, so long as one realizes the reason for being there is to improve skill sets among HS drivers, not class placement.

My reasons for considering Tour had more to do with understanding more how Nationals are run. My main concern re Pro is the launch. Not sure how great my reaction time would be.

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SCCA Solo Triad Award Recipient 2014
SCCA HSL National Champion 2012
SCCA DSL National Champion 2013
SCCA DSL National Champion 2014
NCR National Driver of the Year 2012
THSCC Heel of the Year 2011
Former Club Secretary
http://www.petscompanioninn.com

Time to hit the drag strip. Bernie should be up for that.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

L1 = all stock classes except SS +ST, STS.
L2 = all other classes

Top L1 + top L2 driver go into ladies challenge, + next X # (depends on total # of L1+L2 entries) of ladies with the smallest margin behind their class leader.
PS "pax" is called PS Index. Usually posted some time in Jan.. 09 index can be found in the PS supplimental rules on SCCA.org

Don't worry about reaction times! There is always practice starts on Fri afternoon and a PS novice introductory class including start instruction.
Starts are just another fun aspect of PS format. There is hardly anyone who has consistantly excellent reaction times.

Gwenie, going to the CCR event on the 13th? HUGE new lot, should be a good one.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

That is what Friday's practice starts are for. Honestly a Tour is not run that much different than most local events. You have an assigned grid spot though so you need to check the grid sheets for your slot. You are gridded by class and then numerically in class.

Prosolo can be a bit more hectic because you switch grid spots between heats because first heat is run in numeric order by class. Second and Third heats the grid spots are determined by class standing from the previous heat. Prosolo is much more exciting to watch and participate in especially when you have a good announcer.

Again this is all IMHO but I would never travel for a tour like I did going to Toledo last year for the Pro. The site is very nice and the surface is excellent, I will probably end up driving all 700 miles back there in 2010. I am starting to see how this Nationals thing is a sickness.

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2010 Honda Fit Sport
Couple of bicycles

So, do you choose a number when you register, and if so, which is better, higher or lower? Or, do you just use the number you've been locally forever?

So, I'm guessing grid workers must tell you where to grid. Sounds like DC and Toledo might get added to our schedule in 2010.

Chuck, thanks for the explanation on L1 and L2.
We'll have to look at CCR. Didn't remember about it but will see if Bernie wants to go. Is that the one at Carolwinds?

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SCCA Solo Triad Award Recipient 2014
SCCA HSL National Champion 2012
SCCA DSL National Champion 2013
SCCA DSL National Champion 2014
NCR National Driver of the Year 2012
THSCC Heel of the Year 2011
Former Club Secretary
http://www.petscompanioninn.com

The Carowinds site is gone - apparently, that lot got torn up during a construction project. Which is a pity, it was a great site. Anyway, this one is at the ZMax dragway near LMS. Here's some info on the event, along with a picture of the site. It's been a couple weeks since we talked about it, but Chris and I should be going down in the S2000.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

It doesn't really matter for a Pro since the grid order changes based on your current position after your first heat. There are all sorts of other sandbagging games but if your class is well subscribed and has good competition, it's very tough to get away with.

Lots of people try to play the numbers game for a Tour and it generally goes as follows:

Low #: If it rains mid-heat, you are usually at a huge advantage. If you get nervous sitting around watching all your competitors post times, it might also be a slight advantage.

High #: If it rained in an earlier heat or you get a sudden cloud burst during your heat (i.e. drying conditions), the last person on course has a distinct advantage. If you need the extra motivation from watching other people post times and like knowing what you have to run, it can be a slight advantage.

As usual, I think it's another situation where you should try to run whatever # you normally do and just f'ing drive. Weather is such a crap shoot that it usually boils down to dumb luck. If you fall into one camp or the other regarding your own "nervous" or "motivational" mental state during runs, it might help to pick a number that makes you the most comfortable.

I do think you should try to make it out to at least one Tour if you are planning on going to Nationals. It is mostly like a regular event but there are enough differences (mostly a more rigid structure and operation) that it would be worthwhile. I don't think a divisional has quite the same flavor FWIW.

Jim

You guys are the bomb! This is exactly all the info I wanted when I started the thread. Rain tires were just my opening line for a foot in the door. Keep this primer going, please. What else do we need to know?

PS, the CCR site looks great. Gotta decide.

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SCCA Solo Triad Award Recipient 2014
SCCA HSL National Champion 2012
SCCA DSL National Champion 2013
SCCA DSL National Champion 2014
NCR National Driver of the Year 2012
THSCC Heel of the Year 2011
Former Club Secretary
http://www.petscompanioninn.com

One more tidbit about numbers: Much like any local club, people generally run the same number event to event and year to year. There are no number reservations within in the SCCA and the numbers are claimed at each event on a first come, first served basis.

If you want to be courteous, before laying claim to a number by signing up, it wouldn't hurt to look over some past events to see what numbers people are running. It also wouldn't hurt to extend your search back to previous years since despite there being a core group that attends most of the events in a given area of the country, there are still those that only show up to reasonably close events within their surrounding regions.

Besides, I know you'll be scoping out your competition anyway.

Jim

Is it a "requirement" that drivers and co-drivers run as numbers xx and 1xx? I've never seen it done anyway.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

Yes it is a requirement that with a 2 driver car that one driver registers as # XX that the second driver registers as #1XX. The XX driver will run first in numeric order with first drivers. The second drivers will run after all first drivers have run in their 1XX, 1YY, 1ZZ number order. First drivers can run a single digit # i.e. 3, but their second driver would still be 103, not 13. Each driver registers seperately but there is a place on the application where uou indicate that you are a driver of a two driver car.
Two drivers of the same car in two different classes i.e. Driver 1 in AS, and Driver 2 in ASL register as two single drivers with any 2 digit # of each's choosing: Driver 1 = AS 32, Driver 2 = ASL 67. (driver 2 would NOT use ASL 132, and each driver would register as a single driver car.)
For example at Lincoln this year I ran AS 89, my codriver Alan ran AS 189 (2 driver car) and Donna ran ASL 89 (single driver).
You cannot have more than 4 drivers total in two classes (2 drivers in each class) in the same car at a national event, no 3 driver cars nor 3 classes entered.

_________________
SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Really late to the party here, but. . . .

If you lose sight of the fact that this is suppose to be fun. If you lose that the next question is "What's the point?" Competition is great and even spectating is a blast because you're all but guaranteed to see some of the best drivers in the country.

As far as wish Nationals to attend, I'd recommend Dixie as a good tour to go to for a taste of Nationals. It's well run and given the lot is similar to what we run locally that's one less variable to deal with as you pick up on the logistical differences between a local and national event (registration paperwork, assigned grid spaces, etc). Plus, in the scheme of travel it's relatively close.

Then pick two Pro Solos to go to. Arkansas is an awesome site and DC is just a great event—I'm really hoping for the big lot this year.

Tire thing is covered above. The only other thing I'd recommend is checking your airbox.

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Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.