A number of UCR members asked me how I got into Porsche Club of America (PCA) Club Racing and how to apply for a PCA Club Racing license. This article provides a snapshot of what you need to do in order to apply for a PCA Club Racing license.
Being a race car driver was my childhood dream. PCA’s High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) program was a great stepping stone for me to get into PCA Club Racing. I joined PCA – Upper Canada Region (UCR) together with my Dad, George Wong, in 1998. My Dad and I have participated in many UCR Driver Education events every year since 1998.
After doing 10 years of HPDE events with UCR, I bought a 1990 944 Turbo S in 2007 and turned it into a race car by installing PCA Club Racing required safety equipment, which includes a full roll cage, racing seat (five year expiration), five-point harness seat belt (five year expiration), window net, etc. My race car is also equipped with a MYLAPS Car Transponder for timing and scoring during the race.
The driver requirement includes:
• A helmet must be certified in accordance with one of the following standards: Snell SA2010 or SAH2010, Snell SA2015 or SAH2015, FIA8860?2004, 2010, or its successor, SFI 31.1, or BS6658?85 type A/FR. Helmets other than Snell must be within 10 years of the date of manufacture, or if FIA, expire at the end of the 10th year after the year of manufacture.
• A head and neck restraint system (no expiration date) certified as either SFI 38.1 or FIA 8858.
• A one piece approved fire retardant driving suit which meets or exceeds SFI 3.2A/5 or FIA 8856?2000, driving gloves and shoes that meet SFI 3.3/5 or FIA 8856?2000 or its successor is required. Fire retardant balaclava and socks are also required.
With all the safety gear installed in my car and for myself, I am ready to go club racing! As a budget racer, my Dad has been supporting me as “my crew” at every Can/Am Challenge Club Race, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (also known as CTMP or Mosport) during the past decade.
Can/Am Challenge at Mosport – August 2-4, 2019
PCA has approximately 84,000 primary members and a total of approximately 130,000 including affiliated members. PCA Club Racing features more than 2,000 licensed racers, which represent about 1.5% of the total membership. PCA organizes about 30 sanctioned races per year, more than any other single-make racing organization in the world.
Click here for the 2019 PCA Club Racing schedule.
The 2019 Can/Am Challenge Club Race will be the 24th running of our race at Mosport from Friday, August 2 to Sunday, August 4. There will be a Test & Tune day on Thursday, August 1 prior to the race weekend. Registration opens on Monday, June 17, 2019.
There is also Advanced Solo Lapping (ASL) during the club race weekend for Black and Red Run Group drivers of our HPDE program.
If you have any questions on PCA Club Racing, please send an email to Terry Cassan (Director and Club Race Chair) and Renate Weidner (Club Race Registrar) at: club-race@pcaucr.org
If you would like to volunteer one day or multiple days during our club race weekend (Thursday, August 1 to Sunday, August 4), please send an email to Jackie Metcalfe (Director, Club Race Grid Captain and Volunteer Coordinator) at volunteer@pcaucr.org
How to apply for a PCA Club Racing License
The PCA Club Racing License application provides two routes to obtain a PCA Club Racing License:
1. Via an existing current full competition license with current experience from a recognized road racing sanctioning organization, including NASA, SCCA, POC, IMSA, BMWCCA or equivalent sanctioning body (no time trial), or any vintage group which is a member of the Vintage Motorsport Council.
2. Through attendance and successful completion of the PCA Club Racing School. The applicant must complete 12 or more days of race track driving training at HPDE events, time trials, race schools or equivalent events within the past 24 months. Six of the required 12 or more days must be with a PCA (or equivalent) HPDE event. A complete listing of track days shall be provided with the application. The applicant must also provide a signed certification from a PCA (or equivalent) Chief Instructor.
Note that applicants with a current full competition license with current competition experience may apply for a PCA Club Racing Provisional License. The applicants will need proof of a current PCA Membership, a completed and signed PCA Club Racing License Application form, the license application fee, a fully completed PCA Club Racing (or equivalent) medical form (no more than 12 months old at the time of submittal), a copy of the applicant’s current license(s), and a list of a minimum of six completed races in the past 24 months with copies of the ‘official’ race results. Eligibility and equivalency will be determined by the PCA Club Racing Committee.
Here are some tips on what a PCA Club Racing applicant should do:
1. Read the 2019 PCA Club Racing Rule Book
To find out which class your race car will be competing in, you should read page 43-49 (“Class Weight Tables”) of the rule book, which lists the cars in STOCK CLASSES A-M, SPEC CLASSES, MODIFIED CLASSES: GTA, GTB, GTC, GTD; and the minimum allowable weight (car and driver) in each class. Note that a new stock class “M” is added for 2018-2019 991.2 GT2RS
2. Fill out the PCA Club Race 2019 License Application Form (or 2019 License Renewal Form if you already have a license from previous year) and submit to Susan Shire (PCA Club Race License & Program Coordinator) at: pcaclubrace@aol.com
3. Fill out 2019 Competition License Medical Evaluation Form. Book an appointment with a family doctor and an optometrist, so they can sign and date the medical form.
4. Complete PCA Club Racing 2019 Technical and Safety Annual Inspection, and 2019 PCA Club Racing Vehicle Compliance Form. Take both forms to your first PCA Club Race of the year.
If you are a first-time racer, bring two pictures of your race car to the club race. When you check in at the event, a PCA Scrutineer will give you a yellow LOG BOOK, which includes your personal information and the two pictures of your race car. The PCA Scrutineer will review the two forms (Technical and Safety Annual Inspection, and PCA Club Racing Vehicle Compliance Form) and check your race car to ensure it is in compliance. If your race car is in compliance, the PCA Scrutineer will sign your LOG BOOK and the two forms, and give you an approved sticker, which allows you to participate in the race. The LOG BOOK and the two forms must be kept inside the race car during the race weekend.
Here is a link to an article that I wrote about my PCA Club Racing experience, and I hope this will entice you to get into PCA Club Racing: 2016 CAN/AM CHALLENGE CLUB RACE: The Driver’s Perspective
Check out this three minute video about Roy Tam’s first PCA Club Race experience at UCR August 2016 Can/Am Challenge Club Race. The video was produced by Roy Tam’s son, Ryan and Ryan’s friends from school.
