2007 NCC Driver Schools

[1996 328ti]

There may also be no interest in the general community to have more events, and may be the whole discussion is moot.

I think there are people who would like additional schools although there are people not willing to volunteer. It took sometime for us to find a registrar and we still don't have a coordinator. Obviously there seems to be a higher demand for PCA schools than CCA. I don't think any chapter does more than 4 weekends. We do not have big waiting lists even though our schools are smaller. There is a handful of us who go to Mid-Ohio, VIR and the Glen. I'm not sure how many more people would go if it was a chapter event. People are spoiled with Summit being 60-90 minutes away. 4 1/2 hours to VIR or the Glen is nothing for me. 7 hours to Mid-Ohio is a hike. But I make it once a year.

[dbonner]

I think there are people who would like additional schools although there are people not willing to volunteer. It took sometime for us to find a registrar and we still don't have a coordinator. Obviously there seems to be a higher demand for PCA schools than CCA. I don't think any chapter does more than 4 weekends. We do not have big waiting lists even though our schools are smaller. There is a handful of us who go to Mid-Ohio, VIR and the Glen. I'm not sure how many more people would go if it was a chapter event. People are spoiled with Summit being 60-90 minutes away. 4 1/2 hours to VIR or the Glen is nothing for me. 7 hours to Mid-Ohio is a hike. But I make it once a year.

Yes, 1996 328ti and a handful of other NCC members among us do want more than 4 schools at Summit, and regularly attend 2-4 additional schools per year at VIR, Watkins or Mid-Ohio (still hope to get there!), or even other club events at Summit Main (Ferrari has a great one. When was the last time you received a passing signal from a late model Ferrari? ). After initial skepticism and some dissatisfaction with limited individual driver time on the pad, I have become a big believer in the benefits of the skippad at Summit in NCC schools. But I agree with FT that many drivers outgrow the Jefferson Circuit and like diversity among tracks, and bigger tracks. The opening of the Shenandoah Circuit has added new variety to the Summit offerings, which is good, but NCC still typically has two schools per year on Jefferson, which does encourage many more experienced students to seek schools elsewhere, whether TarHeel at VIR, Marque Madness at VIR in June (combined with Audi/Mercedes but prepare to leave on Wed. for a Thurs./Fri. adventure), or Genessee Valley at Watkins. This of course has repercussions on adequate evaluation and grooming of students for Instructor evaluation in the NCC which is another subject entirely. So would more NCC members attend an NCC Drivers School at VIR or Watkins than do now at other clubs' schools? Certainly! But would they subscribe in sufficient numbers and could we get NCC instructors and administration to participate in sufficient numbers to organize a school at another superior venue? Doubtful. It's been discussed before, and dismissed as unworkable. Our tripartite participation in Marque Madness (led by Audi or Mercedes not NCC) at VIR is as far as the NCC has gone down this path. And even then, Marque Madness isn't even on a weekend, so combined with the 4 hour drive to Danville, severely discourages NCC Member participation.

All this said, I think FT's yearning for an official NCC DS event at another track is sound, is shared by me (and I believe a growing number of us within NCC), and is something the DSSC should seriously consider for 2008, if not 2007. Hang in there.

[OwnedbyDuncan]

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All this said, I think FT's yearning for an official NCC DS event at another track is sound, is shared by me (and I believe a growing number of us within NCC), and is something the DSSC should seriously consider for 2008, if not 2007. Hang in there.

So get off your butt and volunteer. Talk doesnt get the sheep in the next field. As I said if you want out of the area drivers school you need to do the work. The board and DSSC need to see its is feasible. First big problem is instructors and getting the chief instructor on board. Chief instructor runs his own business and he closes it for schools. And the idea of out of the area driver schools may compromise the chapter's hunt for a new coordinator. A handful of folks interested doesnt make a school or event economically feasible for the chapter. Call and find out how much it costs to rent Mid Ohio or the Glen for three days. Wander how the new registar feels about more schools.

Did you miss the part that putting on a school is a royal PITA for the coordinator, registar and chief instructor? 3-4 weekends with all the out of region schools is plenty.

And I can remember when all we had was the big track at Summit Point.

Dave Apker
Former DS coordinator And no I am too busy training my collies and running herding trials to do it again

[1996 328ti]

School evaluations usually show that people want more skid pad time, not track time or different tracks.

[dbonner]

So get off your butt and volunteer. Talk doesnt get the sheep in the next field. As I said if you want out of the area drivers school you need to do the work. The board and DSSC need to see its is feasible. First big problem is instructors and getting the chief instructor on board. Chief instructor runs his own business and he closes it for schools. And the idea of out of the area driver schools may compromise the chapter's hunt for a new coordinator. A handful of folks interested doesnt make a school or event economically feasible for the chapter. Call and find out how much it costs to rent Mid Ohio or the Glen for three days. Wander how the new registar feels about more schools.

Did you miss the part that putting on a school is a royal PITA for the coordinator, registar and chief instructor? 3-4 weekends with all the out of region schools is plenty.

And I can remember when all we had was the big track at Summit Point.

Dave Apker
Former DS coordinator And no I am too busy training my collies and running herding trials to do it again

Excellent points. These obstacles explain why there isn't more impetus for people to get "off their butt to volunteer." Enjoy your collies.