OK, now I'm beginning to see why SCCA has lost a lot of Corvette drivers
from Solo2. I got my first taste of National Council of Corvette Clubs
(NCCC) action in Greenville, SC, yesterday.
We got 12 runs (you SCCA drivers read that right) in one day! The course
was fast but no faster than SCCA spec S2. They used a TOTAL of 32 cones
on course so a driver could choose his/her own line, at will. They DID
have some nice straights and didn't feel like they had to "disguise"
them, either. They had some real tight stuff but not heavily coned so you
didn't feel pinched in. Course times sound short being in the 32-40
second range but because most of the course was exploring higher speed
corners than typical S2 courses it ran quicker.
Some observations about the way this NCCC event was run. Tech is REALLY
thorough.. They actually jacked up EVERY car to check wheel bearings.
They also had a torque wrench to check the lug torque. In my group I
needed to have a mounted fire extinguisher which I didn't have because
SCCA doesn't require it. But they were really helpful and actually found
a guy who had a spare to loan me for the event. That was really great!
Otherwise I would have been headed home.
The NCCC guys could learn something from our region in the way they grid
cars. Having a long line of 10-20 cars that have to be continually moved
up is a pain. Put them in numbered grid spots so you can park the car
until the next time to run. Also, designing the course so 2-3 cars can
run at the same time will speed up the event. We were running 3 laps at a
time which was great fun (hadn't done that since SCCA in Las Vegas in the
late 80's). They had 65 cars and the event started at 10 and didn't
finish until after 7pm.
FWIW I really enjoyed the event, the people and the course. As with any
marque club event, the level of competition isn't quite on a par with
what we see in SCCA competition. Taking your car up against all other
types adds a competitive dimension unique to SCCA and is one of its
strengths.
What SCCA can learn from NCCC. Be friendlier and eliminate 2/3 of the
cones on course to let everyone chose their own lines, more. Get some big
car guys designing courses. One of the reasons that the courses at Topeka
are so popular is that Roger Johnson (Texas) designs one of the courses
every year. He's a big car guy. BTW having a big car friendly course
doesn't mean having outrageous speeds and no tight corners. It just means
not "channeling" the course so there is only one line to drive.
Another thing that is real popular in NCCC is the showroom stock Street
tire classes. Some of their hottest drivers run here and put up VERY
respectable times. It shows that street tire technology has come a long
way. SCCA could take a page out of their book, here.
I would like to see you Corvette drivers return to SCCA and challenge you
to put SCCA in your mix of event participation. Your competitive level
will get pushed and you will run stronger at NCCC events, too.
Unfortunately, preparation allowances DO vary from SCCA, somewhat. Just
changing your shocks bumps you into Group 2 which is roughly similar to
SCCA Street Prepared.
I'm not one to pit SCCA against NCCC and get into a "who's better"
waste-of-time discussion. I'm definitely going to put some NCCC events
into my "must do" list of events, each year.
Ben Thatcher
86 Corvette BSP (SCCA), 2E (NCCC)
Atlanta Region SCCA Solo2 co-chair
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