SCCA's Club Racing program is designed to fulfill the need of the "amateur athlete." It is a comprehensive, nationwide program featuring races held throughout the year that cater to the driver that perhaps prefers to test his or her skill on a part-time basis, rather than compete full-time on SCCA's professional circuits. Nevertheless, because the competition at the club level is so fierce, many professionals also participate in this program to further hone their skills and compete at SCCA's Valvoline Runoffs®.
The amateur racing program is administered by SCCA's Club Racing Department. A full staff of SCCA personnel handle the needs of the amateur race car driver, developing a full schedule of 235 Regional events, along with approximately 50 Driving Schools and another 65 National races.
To contact Club Racing via e-mail, send general messages to Jamie Palermo. If your message is of a technical nature, send it to Sven Pruett, or if it is regarding Club Racing Licensing, contact the Licensing Department.
Club Racing is indeed an integral part of SCCA. Of its 50,000+ members, more than 49 percent are involved on the amateur level, either as drivers, crew, workers or officials. More than 8,000 SCCA members hold National and Regional competition licenses allowing them to compete within SCCA's Club Racing programs.
How Club Racing Works
Club Racing is the backbone of the SCCA with a program for almost everyone. Club Racing offers the opportunity to experience the excitement by climbing into a race car and competing against other amateur drivers or working on a corner within inches of all the action.
Competition Driving
Amateur Club Racers begin their racing careers by participating in two Driving Schools. Successful completion of two schools means the amateur driver is eligible to compete in Regional races. There are over 2,000 SCCA members who hold regional competition licenses and who usually only compete at races in their own area of the country. After six Regional events, the SCCA Club Racer is ready for National competition.
Each year the SCCA regions put on approximately 65 National races throughout the country. National events, culminating with the Valvoline Runoffs®, are the most prestigious within Club Racing. Many National races are spectator events and the Club Racers have the opportunity to put on a show in front of crowds of people. National club races are only one step below SCCA's Pro Pacing Series, and many of the Pro drivers in SCCA series, as well as other series, came out of the SCCA Club ranks.
Among the largest Club Racing events held each year are the June Sprints® at Road America, the Rose Cup at Portland, the Winter Nationals in Florida and the Double National at Pocono. The biggest event in Club Racing each year is the SCCA Valvoline Runoffs®.
Workers and Officials
Getting involved as a worker or official is as easy as going to a local event and volunteering to help. Workers are issued a license just like the competition drivers, and can work their way up through licenses by participating at different events and gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to hold a national specialty license. SCCA licensed workers help staff most of the motorsport events held in the United States in one capacity or another.
The Future of SCCA Club Racing
Today the Sports Car Club of America is one of the leading sanctioning bodies in motorsports. SCCA plans to continue to be a leader in the field of motorsports as they move into the new century. SCCA is based on membership and participation and the plan is to continue to provide the members the best benefits of any organization in the motorsports industry. If the growth of the event over the past several years is any indication, the SCCA Valvoline Runoffs® will continue to be the leader in amateur motorsports competition. The amateur racer is excited and proud to be a part of this prestigious event, ensuring that the Runoffs will remain the top event in amateur motorsports for years to come.
This page content taken directly from http://www.scca.org/amateur/club_racing/
