Driving dates for Aug through Dec

[ronaldtrotter]

The dates have been set and the board reviewed them.
Aug 4 AX West lot
Aug 11 AX So. East lot
Sept 8 SDR Instructors National Certification (SDR Instructors only)
Oct 13 AX West lot
Nov 4 DE West lot
Nov 10 AX West lot
Nov 17/18 Performance Driving School
Dec 15 AX West lot

Unfortunately the City makes more from car sales, the Chargers and Race Legal then us so they get first choice. This last half had very few dates available for other uses. Therefore the Car Clubs get what's left. There are four clubs working together to get dates. This is a cooperative venture with a lot of give and take. We still got a fair number of dates. Even through there were a number of back to back dates it is the best that can be done. See you at the Q.

[lrayner]

Thanks Ron for your efforts. Is the Performance Driving school also on Sunday November 18 with Friday being the evening chalk talk?

[Mark Garriott]

Is the Dec 15 event for points, or 'other car' as in previous years?

[Irksome]

Thanks for getting this set up, I'm looking forward to it.

[ronaldtrotter]

Yes Leigh it is on the 16th class 17/18 West Lot. Check and double check the dates and still get one wrong. We have not decided on the 15th yet. We are leaning towards the other car AX because it is so much fun looking at everyone's other cars.

[Curt Yaws]

Ron shuld be congratulated for getting these dates given all the grief he went through. Fall is a busy time at the Q, and car clubs are not at the top of the priority list. It's also very hard to come up with a Q schedule that does not conflict with other events that the club sponsors. Kudos to the AX team for a great year, and especially those awesome David K. tracks.

[kurquhart]

What exactly is a "National DE Instructors School"? Is it at the Q?

[Dan Chambers]

What exactly is a "National DE Instructors School"? Is it at the Q?

Kris:
From what I understand, there is interest in having our "local" Instructors certified as "National" Instructors. By doing this, any card-carrying nationally certified Instructor can [presumably] teach at any other Region or Zone event, should that Region/Zone CDI recognize the National certification. If you carry your card, you can almost assuredly teach at another venue ('course, this might be tough for MikeD, since he's not one who likes to carry any cards [....just kiddin', MikeD!] ).

Our current CDI's are organizing an event that will get us Nationally recognized as Certified Instructors.

[Kim Crosser]

Will the DE instructor school be open to AX instructors like me, who can't run our cars at DE events (although have instructed at a DE-type event at SOW)?

[Jad]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the National School is ONLY an instructor school, and should not say DE. I believe it will be for all very experienced instructors.

On Nov 3/4, there is probably going to be a DE drivers school and I think these two events are causing confusion as they are both new events and involve Keith and myself. They are both in developmental stages with more details on both to come shortly.

[ronaldtrotter]

I have been told that it is a National Certification for DE Instructors. As opposed to the DE School which is for anyone who has completed a combination of 6 days of driving events i.e. PDS 2days, 4 days AX

[Dan Chambers]

I think Jad's correct on this. It is a National Certification program ... I'm not sure about "DE" only ... and the idea is still being fully developed. Something to keep in mind: San Diego runs more A-X's and less DE's than most other Regions. As such, many Regions; particularly on the east coast, run lots of DE's at big tracks since there are lots of big tracks near-by. If it is indead called a National DE Instructor certification, it's more a semantics issue than a track-qualifications or Instructor issue. That's just my guess... based on conversations with Nationally Certified and local/regional Instructors.

Ron: nice work on the dates. Once again, you've come through with flying colors. You, and your colleagues deserve much thanks and credit. Look like the fall PDS will be just before the end of Daylight Savings? Nice.

See you all on the 21st.

[ronaldtrotter]

Hey, Keith could you settle this discussion?

As to Daylight Saving time and the PDS I'll take credit but it was just dumb luck.

[KeithV]

The September 8th PCA National Instructor Certification event is open to PCA-SDR Driving Instructors and is intended to get them Nationally Certified with PCA. It intended as a way to thank them for their work instructing with SDR to date.

As other Regions in PCA do not have the luxury of Qualcomm stadium (the largest paved lot west of the Mississippi), for the majority of them (particularly the East coast regions) autocrossing is for absolute beginners, is thought of as being significantly lower than a DE at any track, is usually held in a Vons parking lot or a school playground at weekends with top times of day in the 30 seconds range - i.e. autocrossing is not taken seriously.

For this reason the PCA National Instructor Program is not geared towards autocross instructors or autocross instructing, the program normally occurs at a big track, with mulitple car run groups and passing etc. (as in a DE).

The intent of this SDR event is to provide current San Diego Region Instructors with a driving day at the "Q" which involves student Instructor role playing, driving sessions and also chalk talk/exercise sessions on a DE track (hence the need for the West lot).

Owing to the habit of SDR Instructors registering for events and then being no-shows, I am considering requesting a nominal entry fee to be returned upon completion of the training/certification program. I do not want to bring th National roadshow down here and then find ony six instructors actually show up.

Initially this event will be open to SDR instructors only, and upon completion of the course these Nationally recognised instructors will be authorised to instruct at any PCA event (with the event chairs concurrence).

I hope that this clarifies the DE Vs non-DE issue. A natioanlly approved PCA instructor is an instructor - period.

If the number of instructor responses to this event is low we MAY open this event to non SDR instructors - which means that after his event they too will be instructors .... but that is not the initial intent.

There will be a DE school run by SDR later this year and the instructors teaching it will be the nationally certified instructors who have attended this event.

Keith V.

[Irksome]

I just loaded the Chargers schedule into my calendar, and ran into a conflict. According to this post, we are doing A/X on November 11 in the West lot. At 5:15 pm, November 11, the Colts and Chargers kick off at Qualcomm Stadium. I'm assuming that our schedule is incorrect?