Last Monday, August 4, a die-hard group of JCNA'ers hit the track at Pocono Raceway with CART, a Connecticut-based group of racing enthusiasts. This was my first time at Pocono. Unfortunately, we were running the south course there. The north course looked much nicer, but was over-run by a large contingent of Miatas from Delaware.

This event had its good and bad aspects. For those with track experience, it was good. Basically, they opened the track in the morning and let everyone get as much track time as they wanted. Because of the rain, the track has sections that were covered with dirt or were a bit slick. But it was fun to get out and run as much as you wanted. Ray Sharp from our club had his first Jaguar track experience, driving his '71 XKE OTS. Ray spun out at one point, plowing the fields, so to speak.

The bad part was that for the novice there was little instruction or guidance. One poor fellow showed up with a 1998 XJR sedan. He'd never driven on a track before. After just a couple of laps with an "instructor", he was let loose to drive the track, mixed in with many much faster race-prepared cars. He lost it at one point accellerating onto the main part of the track, spun out and hit the NASCAR concrete wall, in all likelihood totalling his car. Fortunately, he walked away from the crash. But that closed the track for over an hour, and when they were just ready to reopen the track, the rains came, putting an end to the day.

Gary Hagopian had been instrumental in encouraging a nice turnout by JCNA members. You could certainly get your money's worth out of this, as track time was almost unlimited. But for those who needed basic instruction, this was not the place to be.

CART (Connecticut Autocross & Rally Team) is running a race day again on Friday, September 5. Check out CART's website at: www.cartct.com But remember, this is best suited for those with at least some track experience, as instruction for "novices" is minimal.

As an aside, any novice who might be interested in a track experience should check out the Empire Division (JCNA affiliate) Lime Rock race weekend. Good basic instruction is given for novices, and a separate novice class runs on the track with in-car instructors. I had my first track experience there, and the quality of the program is excellent for novices.

Steve Weinstein, JTC-NJ
JCNA Slalom Committee Chairman
JTC Slalom Chair
'72 E-type 2+2
'70 XKE FHC

Submitted by NE52-32043 on Thu, 08/21/2003 - 15:11

Gary,

By the way, I wish I could make the event on Sept. 5. However, I'm taking my son off to Michigan this weekend and my daughter off to Maryland next week. Then there's the JTC Fall Tour to Saratoga, the Adirondacks and British Invasion the middle of the month. With all that, I need to find a few days in the office to earn a few bucks to pay for all this fun and frivolity! So, no Pocono Sept. 5. It's the salt mines for me. :-( But I'm looking forward to seeing you and Sue in Stowe and showing off the new Ser. II E-type.

Regards,
Steve Weinstein

Submitted by NE52-32043 on Thu, 08/21/2003 - 15:02

Gary,

I think you misunderstood me. Personally, I think the efforts that you and others make at LR each spring are outstanding. I learned a lot there and more than appreicate what you did for me, Carol and many others. Your sons also. I think the Empire Division Lime Rock weekend is a model of what our HPDEs should be, both for experienced and novice alike.* It is truly a credit to you and your family, as well as others who pitch in, that you volunteer your time and experience to help train the uninitiated.

My concern with Pocono was that CART seemed to have a little too loose of a system for letting cars on the track and really didn't pay attention to rank novices. I liked the fact that we had lots of track time. But I would have gladly surrendered some freedom of unlimited track time in favor of like groupings -- slower cars in one group, faster in another.

I wouldn't expect CART to run the same training that Empire runs now at Lime Rock. But on the other hand, for safety sake, someone with NO track experience whatsoever should not be on the track alone having had no instruction at all on how to handle an emergency situation. I'm not against events with minimal or no instruction. But, if basic instruction is not available, it behoves the sponsors to screen out the rank beginners and encourage them to get some basic training before entering an event like that. Just my $.02.

Steve Weinstein

*My one comment on this -- and I don't want to poke a stick in anyone's eye, but... -- I personally think that the Empire Division made a big mistake putting Works XJRs on the track with the "green" (novice) group. I understand that Jaguar corporate helped sponsor the event in exchange for track time, but those cars should have been on the track in their own group, and not interferred with those who were trying to learn to race. I know that Empire needed the support, but if the same thing happens next year, I hope they will find a way to rearrange the schedule to allow the Works cars on the track in their own groups, not mixed in with cars trying to race.

Submitted by ghagopian@jcna.com on Wed, 08/20/2003 - 14:02

Steve,

You're right when saying that more instruction should be our goal. If you check the form I sent, you'll see that it states that instruction would be on an "as available basis", since CART generally doesn't, and I didn't know who, besides me, might be there and willing to instruct the Jag group.
A very few short years ago, before John Berger started pushing, there was precious little instruction at our Lime Rock event. Recently we have been striving for an instructor in every novice's car. This has been John's doing, not an easy thing when you have nothing to offer the person for taking out to instruct. Other groups with whom we run, such as the SCDA, offer all instructors, FREE track time! CART has few volunteer instructors for that very reason. I'll be instructing again at the Sept 5th event, and have assured Ray that I'd be with him every step of the way. CART has committed to have 5 of their guys to help out as well. I'm sure that the Sept 5th results will be "Fun at Pocono"!
Note that I posted the Pocono story on jcna.com, with pictures that included the crashed XJR, on Aug. 13th. Let's hope the weather and driver performance meets our expectations.
Please come!

Gary Hagopian

Submitted by warren.hansen@… on Tue, 08/19/2003 - 23:29

Steve wrote: "Warren, I generally agree with you, but I don't think we should shy away from events that are oriented toward more experienced drivers. However, when we know that an event is not going to offer the proper training and precautions for inexperienced drivers, we should let people know that."

In that case, okay, Steve; but then there have to be enforceable standards for participation. Not just pay your money and devil take the hindmost. What I'm wondering about the Pocono gig is, where were the flaggers when all these NASCAR types were crowding the slower cars, and presumably intimidating the novices?

Warren Hansen
70 E-Type FHC "Silver Bolide"
96 X300

Submitted by pascal@jcna.com on Tue, 08/19/2003 - 13:00

some groups and events are more instruction oriented than others.

the level of instruction at LRP makes it great for beginners and yes it seems that they are making it even more like a school. 2001 was my first time on track and I did a few laps with an instructor before going solo. I was comfortable since the red group is fairly slow and it worked. Now it seems like the instructors spend more time with novices which is good.

Chin, the group I run with in the Soughteast, does the same thing for novices. at least half a day with instructor before taking a check ride with the chief instructor.

Novices get at least one session with only novices on track to get used to it, then the track goes green for all. it works well.

Pascal Gademer
South Florida Jaguar Club
72 E-type 2+2
00 XKR Coupe
99 XJR

Submitted by NE52-32043 on Tue, 08/19/2003 - 10:14

Warren,

I generally agree with you, but I don't think we should shy away from events that are oriented toward more experienced drivers. However, when we know that an event is not going to offer the proper training and precautions for inexperienced drivers, we should let people know that.

In this case, I think that the sponsors would have been better served by splitting everyone into two groups -- slower cars and faster cars. Rather than having cars like mine, or the XJR sedan or Ray Sharp's OTS on the track with a NASCAR race car or trick-out Porsche, alternating a slow group and fast group in the track for 20 or 30 minute sessions would have made much more sense. It was a bit unnerving to have that NASCAR fly by on my right side like I was standing still even though I had my foot to the floor.

Steve Weinstein

Submitted by warren.hansen@… on Mon, 08/18/2003 - 19:37

Good to read your report on this event, Steve. I was afraid that after the negative things that ocurred maybe there would be no recognition given that this had even taken place! The moral of the story is that motorsport is inherently dangerous. It's entirely too easy to get swept away with the fun of it all and lose sight of the potential for danger and real harm. It seems to me that as we are doing this as a group, not as individuals, we should not be running in events that do not have the safeguards built in that will minimize exposure to danger for those that have little or no experience in high performance driving. The Lime Rock model is a good one to follow, especially as it has been evolving toward more in-car instruction. Separate classes based on level of experience (as well as experience on the particular track being used!), availablilty of in-car instruction for both Novice and Intermediate classes, mandatory classroom time for all Novices and for those coming to a particular track for the first time, and knowledgeable corner workers would seem to be the minimums for any JCNA sponsored/endorsed HPDE.

Warren Hansen
70 E-Type FHC "Silver Bolide"
96 X300