When I attended IRDC's novice driving school, lo those many moons ago, I was lucky to have bonded particlarly well with my instructor. After completing the school he became a mentor who helped me navigate all of those tricky and complicated situations that have become second nature to Senior Conference drivers but are not simple or intuitive to Novices at all. As a result I was able to learn quickly and hopefully earn a position of mutual respect among my racing peers. When Senior drivers in ICSCC feel that they can safely race hard in close proximity to you without compromising their safety or your own, you have recieved the ultimate compliment. In this way my mentor became my peer and close friend and I have earned the friendships of a whole lot more great people as well. My advice to ANY new Conference novice would be to listen very carefully to advice from your License Director and if at all possible have him guide you to a mentor that will help you reach your goal of becoming a peer amongst some of the best drivers in the Northwest - ICSCC Senior Race Drivers.
Now if you want to get even farther into the economics of wheel-to-wheel track time, think about running two race groups. On the advice of the afore-mentioned mentor, I entered two race groups on my upgrade day. He felt the best thing in my case was to get as much seat time as possible out of race week-ends so I could reach an acceptable level of proficiency more quickly.
The upside of running two groups? You presumably already have a car and it's specifically for racing - why not race it? All of the cost of prepping a car for the week-end is the same. Cost of loading, unloading, towing to the track is the same. Time you need to be at the track, essentially the same. The second class you enter is also discounted from your first entry - at IRDC races it is $150 for an additional 85 minutes of potential time. That equates to $1.76 per minute, which as you can see from above is a steal for doorhandle to doorhandle track time. Most importantly - you gain real racing experience twice as fast.
The downside? Everything on your car has a number of hours it will survive under the stresses of racing use. If you race twice as many hours at each week-end, everything will get used up twice as fast. If you think your motor has 100 racing hours in it until it needs freshening, it will last three yers instead of six. Consumables like gas, oil, brake pads and rotors, rod ends, tires, etc, etc, etc will all eat your racing budget at twice the rate. You will definitely be busier on race week-ends. Even if you get a really good split like having a car that fits in Groups 3&6, 1&4, or 2&5 you will still have about half the time to shmooze, rest, fix, prep, and show up at pre-grid than someone who is running one group. If you are dead set on winning a championship in a tightly contested class, you might want to have the extra time provided by running a single class to make sure your car is perfectly set up (or as perfect as your skills can produce). Last, but not least, rarely is one car front line competitive in two classes. Club Spec Miatas are VERY competitive in their own class, but must be wheeled pretty expertly to be at the front of ITA for example.
For me, I have enjoyed running two groups every week-end so much that even after all of these years I have never actually attended a Conference race that I only entered one. I know lots of people who enter a single group and feel that is the perfect situation for them. This is something you will need to evaluate for yourself taking into account your expectations and needs. Hey, maybe a mentor could help you with that decision when you get there .....
mad
