A Weekend at the Races

A Tribute to the Workers, Without Whom.......There Wouldn't be Races!!!

Thanks to Wayne Armbrust for providing the following information.........This is what it took to run the weekend's races......

Total worker count including folks in Registration, Stewards, T&S (Timing and Scoring), Start, EV, Grid, Tech, Pit, F&C, etc. is around 110. F&C (Flagging and Communication) Corner workers averaged 44 per day for the weekend. We had volunteer workers from several regions, some of whom traveled well over 300 miles to spend the weekend on a corner station. We had people from North and South New Jersey regions, Susquehanna, various parts of Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia Blue Ridge Region, among others. As far as workers in the WDC Region, the Region also sees activity in Solo Competition, Rally Cross, Rally, and Club Racing out of approximately 2500 region members there is likely to be around 150 to 200 or so that volunteer to help out with Club Racing at some point through the race season. There is probably a core of nearly 100 (plus or minus) that are the regulars. The F&C Group has a roster of about 60 with 35 or so volunteering on a regular basis.

The Labor Day Weekend races consisted of practice on Saturday and races on Sunday and Monday. There were 284 drivers registered. The races on Sunday and Monday were divided among 10 race groups of cars. Each race group had several different classes and ranged from 16 cars in a race to 47.

The workers are as dedicated as the drivers. And, yes, they pay their own expenses the same as the drivers. The comaraderie and friendships among the workers are similiar to those among the drivers...if not more so. Regularly the drivers' show their appreciation by buying the workers lunch or having parties after the races.

When I mentioned to Stan, yes, that Stan, the worker philosopher, That without the workers there wouldn't be races....he responded, And, yeah, we'd look pretty stupid out there waving flags at an empty race track! Point taken, Stan.

Grand National Stock Car? NASCAR clone?

What great cars these are. Looking at the two photos above, with nothing nearby to establish a scale, it would possibly be hard to determine just how large or small these cars are.
The cars weigh about 1,550 pounds, are powered by Yamaha R1 motorcycle engines with about 180 horsepower; and yes, they have six-speed transmissions. Watching them on the track they seem lightening fast...and they are.
The power to weight ratio is about 8 pounds per horsepower. If your family sedan weighs 3,500, you'd need about 440 horsepower to equal the Baby Grand.

What's the Purpose of This Web Page.....

It's kind of hard to explain to folks who haven't been to a road race...what it's like. Most people who have no interest in racing usually associate all racing with the NASCAR reports they see during the evening news: Spectators jammed side-by-side in crowded grandstands.
When I try to explain to friends that it's sort of like going out into the country....and describe the track as being hacked out of farm land....well, it's kind of hard for them to really appreciate how neat some of the tracks are.
Summit Point is the perfect example of the tracks of old. Tracks that are what I would call true road racing tracks. Many of the recently built road racing tracks seem so sterile...hey, tracks like Summit Point some folks might say, They have soul. They have character. I'll let you be the judge of that.
Also, wanted to try to show the enormous effort that it takes, from mainly volunteer workers, to put on a safe and successful race.

How many classes of cars are there? It all seems kinda confusing?????

There are approximately 47 classes of cars recognized by the Washington Region that usually race in ten race groups, a group consisting of one or more classes.
In theory, cars are grouped in a class because of their equal performance potential. That's why in a class there might be Volkswagens, Hondas, Volvos, and so on all racing against each other. Depending on the class, allowed modifications vary with the showroom stock class allowing few, if any modifications.
Then there are the formula classes where the cars all look like variations of Indy racers.
There are also spec classes like the Spec Ford class, where all the cars are identical and are purpose built for racing.

Washington DC Region of the SCCA

From their Website and used with their permission. Thank you, Heidi.

The Washington D.C. Region was the first region to join the SCCA, back in 1948. We hosted the earliest races at Andrews Air Force base, the old Marlboro circuit in suburban Maryland, and presently Summit Point. The Region currently sanctions the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series (MARRS), one of the most popular regional amateur racing series in the country, one of the largest Solo programs in the country, RallyCross, and Time Trial events.
The D.C. Region is 2,000+ members strong, making it one of the largest regions in the country. Drawing from the District of Columbia and Maryland, plus large portions of Virginia and West Virginia, our membership is diverse in interests and background.

The Straightpipe is the region's award winning publication. It brings you news and results of region events, plus timely technical articles. Members may post classified ads offering goods and services to other D.C. Region members for little or no cost.

Sooooooooooo, you want to race at Summit Point? You want to be an SCCA racer? What does it take?

First off, the obvious. You have to have a car that meets a class requirement. Second, the car must be safe and pass a tech inspection; it must be safe and race worthy. You must have all the safety equipment....the car and you. You'll need a fire-proof suit, socks, gloves, and a helmet.
Then what?
A physical.
OK. I have all of the above, what do I do then?
Unless the rules have changed, you'll have to go to two drivers' schools. At each school you'll need to log at least three hours track time and be considered safe and competent. After completing the two schools, you'll be issued a novice permit. This allows you to race in Regional races. Yep, you'll put three novice stripes on your car.......and have at it. After two races you'll be issued a regional license assuming you've behaved. Hey, if you get that far you'll know the rest of it.
OK. Hey, I want to try it...but, you know.....I'm just not sure....I don't want to buy a car and everything and not know whether or not I'll like it or be able to ...you know...race.
Fine. There are many companies that will rent you a car. Yep, just showup and drive.
Or, you could start with a few track days....use your own street car on a race track. This is a safe, inexpensive way to find out what it's like to go sort of fast on a race track. Do a Google search for more information.