14 year olds !?!?

[Greg Mercurio]

Of course. There's currently a driver who tools around in a SM, and used to tool around in a CF until it became obvious to all concerned (including a BUNCH of Stewards) that he needed a different car/class/hobby. Trouble is it cost 3 racers their cars before the Stewards had the sack to do the right thing.

But please don't try to convince me that the 85th percentile 14-16 YO's have the emotional maturity or emotional development of the 85th percentile of "adults" because it won't fly.

Yes there are exceptions on both sides of the curve. How many of them from the ends of the curve will we see vs. the fat center?

[Rennie Clayton]

Of course. There's currently a driver who tools around in a SM, and used to tool around in a CF until it became obvious to all concerned (including a BUNCH of Stewards) that he needed a different car/class/hobby. Trouble is it cost 3 racers their cars before the Stewards had the sack to do the right thing.

I think I spotted your problem there.

But please don't try to convince me that the 85th percentile 14-16 YO's have the emotional maturity or emotional development of the 85th percentile of "adults" because it won't fly.

If I've given you the impression that I'm trying to convince you of any such thing, I apologise. I don't believe any driver which lacks the appropriate emotional maturity or development should be permitted to race / drive, regardless of age. I do believe however, as you point out, that there are potentials for exceptions, and that those exceptions should be afforded the opportunity to demonstrate these qualities in a controlled environment within the context of stringent guidelines rather than being told, carte blanche, to "stay out of our sandbox".

My concern is that most folks, when presented with such an attitude, will do exactly that. That sour taste never goes away, just as it hasn't for me with NASA. And sentiments like that don't exactly cleanse my palate with regard to SCCA either, to be brutally honest. We can talk all we want about needing to "analyse" the problem we have with low participation numbers, but until we fix that attitude, the problem ain't going nowhere...

Yes there are exceptions on both sides of the curve. How many of them from the ends of the curve will we see vs. the fat center?

The driver weight poll is in another thread, Greg...


Cheers,
Rennie

[Cole Morgan]

Alexander Rossi and John Edwards.

http://www.skipbarber.com/news/artic...articleID=1474

http://alexanderrossi.com/

[Daryl DeArman]

Greg,

I'd argue that the 14 year olds who would even consider F1000 have had success in the serious levels of karting, they don't represent the 85th percentile of 14 year olds. They are the 99%+.

[Paddy O'Brien]

I am sorry, but the idea of of some 14 year old "phenom" drafting my atlantic at 150 mph in his dads shiney new F1000 car as we head into the kink at RA scares me to death. Most local karting clubs do not allow 14 year olds to race the full 125 ICC/moto shifters with the adults, but the kiddies are welcome in SCCA where you can go wheel to wheel at 160!!! Those of you who think it is a good idea to let kids race just go out to a local kart race and watch the 100cc juniors, if it is half way competitive, there WILL be at least one desparate move and resulting crash on the last lap alone, just imagine the carnage if you triple the speed! I raced a local midget series that opened the rules to permit quarter midget drivers as young as 13. At first it wasn't too bad as the one or two that ran were fast and pretty clean because they were being watched. My last year in that series was 2001 by which time there were at least six "future NASCAR stars" and they all took insane chances in traffic to try and beat the other kids and thier dads totally encourage that "competition", the number of yellows for crashing doubled at least. I was taken out of 5 races in a row by some zit faced mouth breather attempting an impossible pass because the leaders were getting away and dad told him he HAD to win. I quit that series because I got tired of paying for the crash damage, the kids really don't care about crashing because they are immortal and dad will fix it, no big deal.

[Dan Aleckson]

Most race series that allow 14 -15 year olds race have a class just for them.... bandallero in southern cal.. Gokart 14-15 year olds dont race agains adults .. sprint cars in cal. you have to be 16yrs old and emancipated.?? if Scca had a jr. class spec car just for them then I dont think it would be a problem.. just my two cents .. Thanks Dan

[Cole Morgan]

Why is everyone assuming that all 14 yr olds are loaded with cash and that their dad doesn't care if they tear their equipment up? The whole reason that these kids would run F1000 is because it is cheaper than a $350K FBMW budget. I have had bad experiences with older drivers who were slower, but I don't meet a new older driver at the track and automatically assume this guy is gonna take me out. I don't feel comfortable with some of the Atlantic drivers who draft my FC down the straght @ 145 and park it in the turn and a majority of them have the attitude, "I'm in a faster car so I should be in front". They are grided in the middle of the FC field for a reason, more money than talent.

Maybe I should start a whole topic about guys that are "Too old to be racing!" and we can rant about how they are a hazzard and shouldn't be out there. The scarey part is they are, these kids arent and everyone is a psychic about what is going to happen.

[Thomas Copeland]

Cole, I agree that this shouldn't be an issue about talent and ability. There are quite a lot of fast young drivers out there. But I remember an old saying (really old) that for every Emerson Fittipaldi (this was when he was young of course) there are probably 500 better and undiscovered drivers still swinging on ropes in the Amazon. But that's not the point or the issue.

It's about responsibility and accountability. It's also about what can happen if the worst case scenerio occurs. I can guarantee to ya in this day and age of political correctness they (they being both right and left wing special interests types, congressmen etc.) will barbeque this sport if some young kid should have the worst thing happen to him. And don't think that they won't. They will. This will not be a small news item if it were to happen. There will be a criminal probe and an investigation. There always is. People will ask questions. Where were the adults? What were they doing and what were they thinking? There are plenty of angry people in this country that will jump on that bandwagon and they will not understand why it was allow to happen.

Congress or states could then pass laws that will mandate the minimum age to race will be something like fifty! (more like 21). Because they always take the extreme measures first. That is of course, if they don't decide to do a Switzerland on us and ban auto racing all together or seriously restrict it. There are groups already that would like nothing better. They see auto racing as a dumb sport and a resource waster. So why even give them that chance? I see no upside to this idea at all.

[jim morgan]

Cole,
Your point is well represented except for your spelling. You are on a national forum pay attention.
Points of emphasis;

1) is this an age discussion
2) ability discussion
3) maturity discussion
4) or guys pissed off that any one less tha 18 has someone else paying the bills

My plan with Cole was to run regionals for a couple of years to get enough experience. Towards that end I bough a FSCCA car as an (relatively) inexpensive car for him to learn in.
He ran my FC,he showed speed,car control and maturity enough that to run him in regionals would jeopardize him and other regional drivers. The FSCCA car proved in my experience to be a dangerously unstable platform so we moved on.

In our first year of national racing we faced issues of #2 and #4 only. By year 2 we only dealt with #4.

I have not seen a young racer in SCCA who does not enter the arena with respect for the danger and who does not seek advice from older drivers. We should encourage youth. If you want reckless go to a "Pro Series" where South American disease runs rampant, money X no ability = crash damage

SCCA needs youth to survive. The F1000 may be a fast platform to start,but a serious review at driver school should suffice. After all the typical 2 day SCCA shool is enough to novice a no experience older guy with his homemade teched race car why discriminate against a 14 year old with 5 + years experience in a purpose built car with a support team and a driver coach.

[RussMcB]

Why is everyone assuming that all 14 yr olds are loaded with cash and that their dad doesn't care if they tear their equipment up? The whole reason that these kids would run F1000 is because it is cheaper than a $350K FBMW budget.<snip>

You may be right about the dad caring part, but any 14 YO with access to enough money to run F1000 would certainly be considered loaded with cash in my book.

[Cole Morgan]

You are correct Russ, they would be.

[jtspitler]

Everyone assumes that the younger generation ie 14-15 year olds are going to hope in a F1000 although this may be the most appealing class that may not be where they go. There are other classes that may apeal to them like SM, SRF etc.

Johnathon Edwards ran Skip Barber at 13.

National level karting 14 min age for Spec Moto 125cc run with adult
ICC 15 min age. ($7000.00 motor package to be able to run up front, you need 2, $1,000 rebuild every 1.5 to 2 hrs of run time).

Maybe SCCA needs to look at this in a manner in whitch they have special schools for the young ones. Schools that can focus on the on track skills and abilities and offer more specilized attention.

The majority of you are concered of them wrecking the other guy. I think you need to give some of these young drivers more credit. There are those parents that have had a sense of responsibility and brought there drivers up properly and the understand EVERYTHING! But they are not no it alls.

Thanks

[Thomas Copeland]

You know what....I changed my mind again...(I'm allowed to do that ain't I?)....

After reading this on the smoking gun website maybe we should drop the age right down to 7. After all they seem quite capable and mature enough to handle a motor vehicle.

A Seven-Year-Old Designated Driver

Cops: Drunk Nevada man turned wheel over to his young son

OCTOBER 31--Meet Alfredo Martinez. While the Nevada man should be saluted for knowing that he was too drunk to get behind the wheel last night, he probably should not have tabbed his seven-year-old son as his designated driver. Martinez, 37, was arrested after Reno cops spotted his car weaving across lanes and stopping suddenly. When officers pulled over the vehicle before it could enter a highway, they found a plastered Martinez in the passenger seat and his son behind the wheel. Martinez, directed the boy to drive him home because he was too drunk to do it himself, cops said. Martinez is facing a felony child endangerment rap.


That kid has maturity and talent beyond his years. Bet he'll will end up being the next American F1 World Champion.

[Jim Garry]

A thought here.

I believe that in order to hold an SCCA competition License, you must posess a current valid state driver's license. If it is under suspension, no competition license no matter how old you are.

That's how it is in Solo. So I agree with you.

Jim

[Purple Frog]

I have been mulling this over since the PRI show. It was one of the hot topics on the show's floor. I think I even reported it here in my post-show report. Since then I have brought it up numerous times in conversations with almost all the racers I meet, and even some workers. Don't know what I really think.

I have to admit my first reaction was "Oh great! Junior gets out of his wreck and goes back to the trailer and rolls out the spare car, while I go home and work for three months to put mine back together."

I think my first reaction was incorrect. Selfish and biased on my part.

Cole was ready to race in 05, but he was an even better racer in 06. Now in 07 he even pulls into the pits when the water gets too hot, instead of pressing on regardless of being in the lead. He must now be getting too old.

Living in Florida I am experiencing first hand what rath insurance companies can do to life. I predict that the insurers will have a hayday with this, and our rates will go up again. But let's face it racing is expensive. Post war road racing in the US started as a sport mostly for the privledged. Racing a Ferrari or Jag in the late fifties or early sixties was not a blue collar sport. Classes such as FV and FF opened the sport up to a wider group during the 60's and 70's. But even today racing is expensive. If the insurance goes up there will be plenty still able to pay it.

I do not believe in the sixties we would be having this discussion. Why? Because the sport was much more dangerous then. The sport is now exponentially safer. Better barriers, safer cars, HANS devices, runoff areas, etc. have all resulted in a sport far less deadly than 40 years ago. Safe enough that many more folks consider trying it, or letting their children try it.

I wish every state had the waiver setup that LaRue expounded on. That would help the insurance/legal issues a lot.

I'm enjoying the discussion and see the merits of both sides.

I'm strongly leaning towards being on the side in favor of letting younger kids race.

Maybe it's because i know I'll be so far behind them...


But, I'm still trying to picture a 14/15 year old in a 700hp modern GT-1 car.

[Cole Morgan]

Froggy even I know a new Quicksilver is expensive, and since Papa Bear is back in the saddle, I figured it was better to have an engine for the rest of the year.

[FVRacer21]

So far there seem to be some themes running here

1. There are some 14 and 15 year olds capable of driving racecars - no argument there.

2. There are serious legal questions that need to be reviewed.

3. There are alternatives where there is more supervision and training (the BMW series sells it self as a F1 training ground for young drivers..)

4. We should tighten up driving evaluation in the SCCA - whatever the age.

5. Some young drivers could end up there because of parental pressure.

Now to make the argument that we need to allow 14 year olds because they have no place to race is no different that me arguing that I should driver someone's FA because I can do a better job than they could. Life is tough and we shouldn't just change a rule because someone complains (Oh I am sorry, we are talking about the SCCA here <grin>). If we are going to do something, it should be because it is good for the Club, not the individual.

As a National Instructor, we had a kid at Lime Rock school last year. I don't know if he was 15 or 16, but had gone through a Skippy school and I think even ran a race in their series. His family went out an bought him a FF and we did not sign him off, mostly due to his attitude, but his racecraft was not there either. Now we did what was best for him and the Club. The rule was, if we did not feel comfortable running with him then how could we let him race others. This is a heavy burden to put on volunteers and I hope we don't take it lightly. However; there are some people, like the middle aged drivers mentioned above, where you wonder "who signed these bozos off?".

Without data to support the blanket opening of the age group in racing, why not suggest doing a trial in Solo and Time Trial events first? Most of us "old timers" started this way and we might not loose so many racers, if they work their way up rather than just jumping into racing. Or are we just looking to be a stepping stone to the Pro ranks? In that case I would argue, just like junior league baseball, that we have a 14 - 16 year old only group for F1000 at Nationals.

Chris Z

[jtspitler]

Lets take it one step further. You remain on your novice permit until 15 (with min race req)at 15 you get a regional permit and at 16 you can apply for your national permit.

Force them to get the track time.

The clubbers will stay (long term) The others won't.

[EYERACE]

eye agree with spit on the thought......a tiered system for age challenged youth. maybe a simple rule like > if under a certain age, even if you've done the skippy 3 day thing that can get you an scca whatever license, because of the age, the driver must complete at least one scca school too before going on track with the rest of us.

a change of scca policy to no national license for anyone if right out of a private school for anyone is to my liking......pay your dues in the proverbial sense to the scca seems parochial but also reasonable.......hey! .....skippy doesn't care who or what you are in general, you will do some lapping days [cuz skippy wants the money] before being allowed into their race series - this does seems a reasonable idea for skippy if a total beginner - but they seem to apply the policy across the board. it's a business so why not the same thing out of the scca. instead the thing we the members seem to be getting is the scca is 'doing business' by cutting deals that could allow in near total beginners even at the national level. is that in the best interests of the members?

[smcqueen]

My two cents worth...

Interesting comments about cart racing. Some members have obviously not raced F125 shifters at 100 to 120mph.

I have recently moved from carts to FSCCA. Takes some getting used to at first, size, grip, and wings. After my four regional races I feel pretty comfortable. We have several other cart racers 16-21 years old moving into FSCCA in our region. I have no problem driving close with these guys and girl. I would have concerns bringing in 14 year olds particularly in something as fast as an F1000. As previously mentioned, IKF does not currently allow under age 16 to run with modified F125 shifters because of many of the concerns already discussed. Most issues are not with driving skills but rather judgment. Judgment is developed through experience. Experience should not be gained at the expense of others.

Why the big hurry. If in pursuit of a professional racing career, then the paths are there through Skip, BMW, and others. If not professionally pathed, then additional experienced can be gained through the carting ranks. Cart road racing can provide the necessary experience on the same tracks, at nearly the same speeds. Cart road racing will teach similar lines, drafting, and passing skills not necessarily achieved in cart sprint racing.

two cents is up

scott
semi-retired cart racer
full time FSCCA racer
old guy

[Ian Lenhart]

I would think a 14-15 year would get more exposure racing karts vs. regional SCCA racing. What's the big incentive for getting the 14-15 year olds out of the racing karts. Race karts on the weekends and test formuala atlantics during the weekdays.

In Response to Cole's comment:
"Why is everyone assuming that all 14 yr olds are loaded with cash and that their dad doesn't care if they tear their equipment up?"

RE: It's not that Daddy doesn't care, but its the kids who may not understand how hard Daddy worked to make that buck. I'm generalizing since this is not true for some, but take a close look at all of the spoiled unapprecative kids at your local karting events living out daddy's dream. I laugh when when the kids get done with a heat race and go right over to the HD flat screen mounted off the side of the toter home and start playing video games.

Ian

[Daryl DeArman]

I would think a 14-15 year would get more exposure racing karts vs. regional SCCA racing. What's the big incentive for getting the 14-15 year olds out of the racing karts. (snip)
I laugh when when the kids get done with a heat race and go right over to the HD flat screen mounted off the side of the toter home and start playing video games.

Agreed. They can get more exposure racing karts than they will in ANY SCCA class at ANY LEVEL.

The difference is that some of them that want to progress to the next level don't have the budget for BMW but would for F1000. If 14yo's are permitted in F1000 you may see some of the larger kart shops (SSC??) start a team taking more of Dad's money while trying to move them on to the FBMW or ProMazda ranks as the funding is acquired. Having more young hot-shots come into SCCA with teams will increase the exposure--see F2000 Pro series....

Obviously YOU have been to a Kart race lately

[jim morgan]

Eye,

We pursued your path 3 day skippy, Scca Driver school , novice races(you were there), 4 regionals and off to the great cheating national.

From the parenting side I was thrilled to get cole out of carts and into a FC for safety reasons alone I am amazed more kids aren't seriously damaged in karting or maybe we just don't hear about it.

[thunderracing91]

I would think a 14-15 year would get more exposure racing karts vs. regional SCCA racing. What's the big incentive for getting the 14-15 year olds out of the racing karts. Race karts on the weekends and test formuala atlantics during the weekdays.

In Response to Cole's comment:
"Why is everyone assuming that all 14 yr olds are loaded with cash and that their dad doesn't care if they tear their equipment up?"

RE: It's not that Daddy doesn't care, but its the kids who may not understand how hard Daddy worked to make that buck. I'm generalizing since this is not true for some, but take a close look at all of the spoiled unapprecative kids at your local karting events living out daddy's dream. I laugh when when the kids get done with a heat race and go right over to the HD flat screen mounted off the side of the toter home and start playing video games.

Ian

I always wondered about them kids/dads that have the best of the best. When my dad and I were doing the karting scene we had some really nice equipment. On the other hand I had to work for it and if something got tore up or if it was my fault messing something up we didnt get to race because it cost that much more to fix. Whenever dad was working on the karts I was working on the karts. We did it 50/50 as a team. I really think thats the way it should be. It just killed me going to races and seeing the other kids sit there and watch daddy and the crew work hard long hours to get his kart together just so he/she can go drive it. How could you learn anything from that? Maybe I was just mature for my age or something.................

[EYERACE]

exactly jim.......ya'll did it right.....Cole was fast right out of the SCCA blocks and then only got better. he paid dues, you guided him well up a scca "internal ladder"

no one so far in here has said i'm wrong so apparently i'm right about the scca having a path where one [even a 14 yr old] could do some certain private schools and then pick up a scca national license such that one would go directly from whatever private school [example?: sebring or moroso private school in march] and then the scca daytona national in may......that bothers me .....because......

the exact math details escape me.... so..... maybe the age is a little off and how many years ago is wrong too but the basic story IS true > about three years ago someone about 19 after completing a single motorcycle school at moroso in the early part of the year was handed a license so that they raced in the daytona bike week races a month or two later.....and died at daytona when they lost control exiting the chicane......makes an argument for some sort of paying dues rather than paying a private school and then paying a national level prep shop

and what's that jim?..........there's cheating going on? Nooooooo........oh well, only if they "cheat legal" like all the rest of us do.

wow....5 pages....it must still be winter.

[Rick Kirchner]

Well, I'm putting my systems hat back on.

Just what is the SCCA trying to achieve here? Does anyone in Topeka EVER ask that question before starting off on something? I'm having a hard time believing its a legitimate quest for long term membership. Has the club done any market research here? What do the numbers say (I'd bet my left nut there's no real research yet). Shouldn't there be some kind of tie in to "Speedfreakz"? Or is that program pretty much a failure? Does anyone on the national staff know how to do a cost/benefit analysis?

Is this just an attempt to scrape off a little bit more of the "pass thru" as a young driver moves up the ranks? A means of taking some market share away from Skippy and the ilk? They could start by removing their support of the profesional drivers schools. That would do a couple of things - one, force the club to create a more effective school system, and two, eliminate to some degree the premium first contact the professional schools get. And they could stop accepting the Barber/Russell/FBMW, etc advertising in Sports Car - just write it out of the contract for petes sake!


A lot of the clubs initiatives fail because they are just not well thought out from many different perspectives. If you doubt me, go back and pull random issues of sports car out of your pile and read some of the musings of previous presidents. Then compare with what really happend. I just got done reading Johnson's interview several years back in Grassroots Motorsports. It was a real laugher!

I really haven't much of an opinion on this issue, other than it's deja' vu all over again from a management standpoint.

[M.L.Sauce]

Rick- First I agree with about the drivers schools.SCCA should work harder at creating a better school system to allow an easier path to SCCA Club Racing.All this talk of 14 year olds, who initiated this? Certainly not the BOD.Personally I would not be in favor of 14 year olds racing in our club unless it was a specific class and specific race group.We don't have room for another race group in our program so until the program is modified I think it is highly unlikely.It would affect too many regular racers adversely.We have done nothing except had a few discussions and no conclusion made.I personally wonder why many subjects are discussed to death and assumptions made creating animosity and cheap shots at the National Staff.I realize it is the winter and few are racing but give the staff a break.You have to take a chance at success occasionally.Sometimes we are going to fail but that doesn't mean we should stop trying.

[Rick Kirchner]

Mike I wholeheartedly agree that at times leadership has to take a chance - actually, a calculated risk. My point is that if you look from a historical standpoint the club appears to be in this mode more often than it should be, and there doesn't appear to be a lot of calculation involved.

Maybe it's due to the power sharing arrangement among various groups, the spread-out nature, etc, but it appears the SCCA jumps from one big concept to another.

It's not so much a shot at the national staff if you look at it from a long-term historical perspective. The entire staff has rotated a couple of times, so it's not personalities.

[jgaither]

At over 100 posts, this thread is interestingly long. And as Stan says, it must still be winter.

My view: I don't want to share the track in my FF with a 14 year old. Some of them will have talent and all of them will have Dad's money behind them. A few of them will be emotionally mature enough to handle the responsibility to themelves and others in an open wheel formula car - not enough for my comfort out there. This was bad enough during FF's heyday in the late '70's & I'll include a famous Italian-American racer's son in that number.

Now I find myself operating an indoor karting center. We adopted most of our guidelines from a mentor in Virginia that has 2 of these facilities and about 5 years under his belt. We have junior karts (smaller in size and hp) for kids from 8 to 15. Yes, 15. You have to be 16 to drive our adult karts. The state of NC regulated our junior karts to a top speed that isn't challenging to kids over about 12. After clearing it with our insurance carrier, we are launching a new program called Super Juniors for ages 13-15. Those kids will have to come to a school where we will get an opportunity to evaluate their maturity and their on-track skills. If we feel good about it, we are going to let them drive the adult karts in heats with adults. If they act out or can't handle the mix with aggressive adults, then it's back to the slow machines. And all of this trouble and caution is for an indoor facility with 6.5 HP karts racing on a tight track where speeds are nothing compared to FF, FC, or whatever. Even here it will turn out to be a maturity issue. Pass with skill and judgement or just slam someone into a barrier to get around. We'll see.

jg

[jtspitler]

That indoor karting track has no relivience to what we are discussing. We are discussing young racers that have 5-8 years of competition driving under ther belt. Not all have the money to go skippy or mazda or bmw but need that step in between till those funds or opportunities arise (if they ever do).

My son started racing shifters at 9(we had 2.5 years of sprint racing up to then) with a 60cc kawaski at that time the series we were with did the 2 long track events (gingerman & gratten) at that time i did not feel he was ready for the big tracks (80mph), so we skipped them that year. The following season he had progressed in the shifter to a point that I was comfortable with letting him try the long tracks so we went to gratten, on friday practice he was out in his group (yes with adults as well) and while passing an adult this guy moves over on him and pinches him in to the guard rail on the back section (short shoot at the back pit out). He hit the gaurd rail so hard that it lifted him out of the kart and brought out the red flag ( as I did not see this happen I was on the front straight waiting for him to come around, But this is from witness's and marshall's) After a breif conversation with my son he was fine. We took our tore up kart back to the trailer and I began to fix it, I left it up to him when and if he wanted to get back in it, I could not fix it fast enough! He loves the long tracks and I can't keep him off of them but there are only a few i will let him on in the go-kart.

Now he will be 15 this summer and running full time in the adult class's at Gingerman and Gratten which we will run over 110 mph into turn 1.

My point is that some of these young drivers have been brought up right and have an uderstanding of what is involved and what it takes. And these are usally the ones that don't have deep pockets, but can get it done Not all of the young drivers are clueless and disrespectful. My son can't wait to get into his F1000 and he will this year with or with out SCCA. And if SCCA doesn't want us in 08 then I will find someone that does. And if that doesn't happen than when we are 16 and running SCCA we will almost 2 years seat time in the car. If things keep progressing the way they are there will probly be a Pro series for the F1000 not santioned by SCCA and then we won't need them, and SCCA loses again!

As far as responsible parents go there are those with clouded judgement, but not all!!

Most of you have forgotten or did not know that SCCA for a while sanction a karting series called the SCCA Constructors Cup. The beginning age was 8. When they did this you had to be a SCCA member!!

[Daryl DeArman]

Is this just an attempt to scrape off a little bit more of the "pass thru" as a young driver moves up the ranks? A means of taking some market share away from Skippy and the ilk? They could start by removing their support of the profesional drivers schools. That would do a couple of things - one, force the club to create a more effective school system, and two, eliminate to some degree the premium first contact the professional schools get. And they could stop accepting the Barber/Russell/FBMW, etc advertising in Sports Car - just write it out of the contract for petes sake!

Grabbing a few headlines saying racer Boywonder started in SCCA (even though we all know they start in karts) would be a benefit to SCCA. I think it may have come more from a "potential market if only the rules were different"....who knows...could have been Dad's, could have been Manufacturers, could have F2000 or FBMW teams, could have been within SCCA?