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Porsche Club of America (PCA) Club Racing events are pretty serious business - some of the participants are also professional race drivers, and they attend with a full crew, tractor trailer, spare cars and a motor home. My approach is more Spartan, but probably just as much fun. The current setup includes the 968 F Stock race car, a 20 Foot enclosed trailer, and a diesel pickup for towing. The logistics of preparing the car, towing to an event, setting up, racing and getting it all back home are pretty simple, actually. If you want to come out and play, we can always use help with the following tasks: Tow Vehicle Driver. Someone with some experience driving a truck/trailer combination (safely) is always welcome, and sometimes even compensated (!) This is particularly helpful on the long drives - Mid-Ohio, Summit Point, Mosport, etc. General Pit Assistant. This can range from simply handing me a tool to replacing brake pads to taking tire temperatures. Some General Pit Assistants have been hired just because they are good story tellers, some because they can lift 50 pounds, and some because they have hot girlfriends and can breathe. Think about it. Race Director / Radio Specialist. This is actually a very important (and exciting) job at the track. This job is primarily about radio communications - you are in the Hot Pits with a clear view of the starter's stand. The job is all about keeping the cars on the track aware of what's going on - accidents, full course yellows, and especially the starts / re-starts. When the starter's hand twitches on the green flag you'll be yelling GREEN! GREEN! GREEN! into the radio and getting us that critical jump on the pack. For Enduro races, the Race Director / Hot Pit Specialist coordinates the arrival and departure of 2-5 cars for the mandatory 5 minute pit stop, always a fun challenge. Fueling Safety Technician. This is an 'Enduro-Only' job that involves refueling the car during the mandatory 5 minute pit stop. The drill is usually helping unbuckle / unplug the driver, hold the fire extinguisher (or fuel the car while the driver holds the fire extinguisher), help buckle / plug the driver back in and clear the pit area. Now that sounds easy enough, but it requires some focus and hustle to get it all done in less than 5 minutes and be ready to hit the track again in exactly 5 minutes. The Fueling Safety Technician wears a fireproof suit and helmet (provided). Keep in mind that Porsche Club Racing events are serious racing, but also a lot of fun. The Team Northeast folks can't be beat (OK, maybe not literally), and we have a great time at the track, as well as out and about after the racing is done for the day. If you are seriously interested in Porsches and/or road racing, this is valuable experience for you... |