RedCelica

Im exploring the idea of getting a competitive racing license, and trying to see if that is even a direction I want to go. After pouring over the article here: http://www.windingroad.com/articles/...e-of-contents/ I am of course at a cross road of choosing the sanction I wish to go. Obviously it doesn't matter once you have the license, but getting there is the hard part. By comparision, what club are you a member of and why?

RyanDavies

NASA's competition license costs an insane amount of money and time to obtain.

The SCCA license can be obtained in a weekend.

I've held a competition license with the SCCA and I am likely going to end up jumping through hoops merely to get a TT license with NASA without throwing away a year doing HPDE parade laps.

RedCelica

So the comp license with SCCA doesnt permit you to do NASA TT?

ndogg

Whatever one will have more people in the class you are shooting for.

s2000sccaracer

Another option is a private racing school, like Skip Barber, Bondurant, Bertil Roos, etc. Just check that the sanctioning body will accept the school. I did the Skip Barber school at LRP in the mid 1990's. I started racing with SCCA in 1998 and had to finish 2 races, without incident, to earn the full license.

While the private schools may seem more expensive, you are using their car and don't need to worry about maintaining your car during the school. You save on towing, fuel, tires, repairs, etc. You can focus on the school. If your car happened to break down during the school, you may not be able to finish the school. I once crewed for a friend doing an SCCA school in a Spitfire. Before noon on the first day of the school, the flywheel shearing off from the crankshaft. We were able to fix the car while he was in the classroom and during lunch break, with him only missing one track session, which he was able to make up later. If he did not have a crew, he would have been done.

dan_uk

depends what car/class you want to race in unless its spec miata of something that can run in both

BlueBarchetta

I do not know the SCCA rules inside-out. However I find it unlikely that any sanctioning body will grant a full license in a weekend, with that being your only experience. Perhaps a novice or provisional.

In any case, the NASA requirements are clear and spelled out in section 13.1 of the CCR's here: https://nasa-assets.s3.amazonaws.com...282/2015.3.pdf
If you have an actual current SCCA license, you may be granted a NASA provisional license by essentially filling out the paperwork and having the physical done.

Further, per 14.2, if you have a current SCCA license, you can be granted an on the spot waiver.

Back to the OP's question
Like Dan uk says, first determine what class you wish to race in. Mostly the SCCA and NASA car classes do not match up that well. If you are going to prep a new car, you should research both organizations locally, and see where you can get the most people to run with.

In NASA, you can go thru the hpde/TT then comp license ladder. Or do the full school, which lasts 3-4 days. This can vary a bit by region, and schools/classes available.
In any case, it's likely that achieving a full license with either group would take about the same commitment. After all, both groups are looking to release competent, safe drivers into their race classes

Mahjik

Unfortunately, if you know a few people, this can happen (and does often). I know several who maybe had one or two HPDE days (days, not events) and got a SCCA racing license in a weekend. Granted, they didn't really know how to race or drive a prepped car at a high level, but that apparently isn't a requirement.

josserman

NASA seems to have more younger people into cars and modifying them
SCCA seems more about large trailers and old timers who've raced together for 30yrs

Sorry if my bluntness offends anyone

RyanDavies

Novice license, yes, but allows you to compete. It isn't two days of HPDE (which does little to prepare one for racing, at all). It's an intensive school, with a simulated competition environment throughout the weekend, along with many classroom sessions.

NASA is the opposite. TONS of HPDE days. An investment of many, many, many thousands of dollars before you'll go wheel to wheel.

Just depends upon your goals. HPDE days are not enjoyable to me, and I can't imagine they are for folks who are interested in competing at the highest level.

I percieve the level of talent in SCCA SM to be far superior to any other amateur racing class in the country, which is far and away the major draw to SCCA. The opposite exists in both clubs if you run a class that is undersubscribed / uncompetitive. I'm sure this will be an unpopular point of view, but my perspective definitely skews to SCCA being an environment that favors top competition, while NASA is more about getting new and uncomfortable folks to feel comfortable driving a car around a track.