PCA vs POC Options

[Howard]

PCA is a national club with local chapters. Each seems to be a bit different, Sta Barb as stated is pretty social and very 'car preservation' oriented.

POC is a SoCal thing that reminds me of the old CalClub springing off from SCCA. Racing and beer, with occasional topless skeet shooting by Otto.

[Tobra]

QUOTE (anthony @ Mar 23 2006, 09:08 AM)

Why is it an either/or decision? IMO, for $40 a year the PCA membership is chump change. You can't beat the GGR 2-day autocross school. You get the equivalent of a $1000 driving school for $100 plus your $40/year membership.

Fine point sir

[campbellcj]

I've been a PCA member for nearly 15 years; however, as far as I'm concerned it's basically a magazine and web site subscription, and not much more, here in the L.A. area.
I am currently affiliated with the Santa Barbara region, which is one of the better ones in terms of having plenty of "whine and cheese" events, concours, good newletter, etc. There are lots of members and I'm sure lots of cool people and cars among them. However, hardcore driving events are essentially nil. It really depends what you are looking for!

I've also been a POC member for approx 6-7 years and although I cannot make it to as many events as I'd like due to work and family obligations, the driving is the thing for me and this club is all about that, period! There have been some political/personality issues over the years but from what I can tell the current regime is back to being Good People and not overtly biased towards or against one type of car or driver/event over another (not the case in years past IMO). I am optimistically hoping to do a lot more POC events this year.

[Scott Carlberg]

well said sir.

[grantsfo]

QUOTE (campbellcj @ Mar 23 2006, 11:08 PM)

I've been a PCA member for nearly 15 years; however, as far as I'm concerned it's basically a magazine and web site subscription, and not much more, here in the L.A. area.   I am currently affiliated with the Santa Barbara region, which is one of the better ones in terms of having plenty of "whine and cheese" events, concours, good newletter, etc.  There are lots of members and I'm sure lots of cool people and cars among them.  However, hardcore driving events are essentially nil.  It really depends what you are looking for! I've also been a POC member for approx 6-7 years and although I cannot make it to as many events as I'd like due to work and family obligations, the driving is the thing for me and this club is all about that, period!   There have been some political/personality issues over the years but from what I can tell the current regime is back to being Good People and not overtly biased towards or against one type of car or driver/event over another (not the case in years past IMO).  I am optimistically hoping to do a lot more POC events this year.

I agree. POC is one of the things I really missed when I moved to Nor Cal. Spending a day on The Streets or Willow with John Williamson "Otto" as my POC instructor improved my driving, cussing and beer drinking skills signficantly. DE instruction was top notch. Overall my one weekend DE event with POC was better than the 3 days and $2500 I spent going to Russell School at Infineon.

I wish we had a similar club in Nor Cal. It was very easy to get started with POC and the short track series would have been perfect for me.

GGR PCA has a decent track program it just hasnt fit my schedule well.

[brant]

PCA is what you make of it...
In colorado they don't have the POC, and for about 20 years they have fostered the racing scene in our local PCA.

TONs of good driving stuff through PCA out here.
All of the good drivers go through PCA out here.

In fact the VERY first EVER PCA club race was held out here in colorado, because the Colorado contingent was pushing national to come up with something wheel to wheel.... ( didn't drive in it, but was a spectator that day and knew right then that I had to get involved...)

We had 2 of our local PCA guys jump into speedvision Touring and GT series last year. They only ran partial season last year, but are running the full season this year.

I think PCA is what you make of it, and since no POC exists in our area all of the racers have gravitated to PCA

the wine and cheesers bitch every year out here that our local chapter is only a "racing club" and doesn't have enough "social" events.

brant

[DanT]

Check the zone 7 PCA website. There are close to 20 different DE/TT dates available this year. TTs are GGR, then LPR/MBR (coastal driving school) SVR, DR are putting on a bunch of DEs this season.
This doesn't even count the AXs. Probably another 20+ dates for those as well.
Norcal is pretty well served by the driving events available by PCA zone 7.


From now until just about the end of 2006 there is some kind of PCA/zone7 event for driving your car, in a controlled well instructed venue.
Buttonwillow, Infineon, Thunderhill, Fernley, and lots of airstrips, parking lots etc. Pick your poison.

http://www.pca.org/zone7/

[grantsfo]

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Mar 24 2006, 09:03 AM)

Check the zone 7 PCA website. There are close to 20 different DE/TT dates available this year. TTs are GGR, then LPR/MBR (coastal driving school) SVR, DR are putting on a bunch of DEs this season. This doesn't even count the AXs. Probably another 20+ dates for those as well. Norcal is pretty well served by the driving events available by PCA zone 7. From now until just about the end of 2006 there is some kind of PCA/zone7 event for driving your car, in a controlled well instructed venue. Buttonwillow, Infineon, Thunderhill, Fernley, and lots of airstrips, parking lots etc. Pick your poison. http://www.pca.org/zone7/

I just wish we had a more regular PCA Zone 7 series on Laguna or Infineon. I know those are tough tracks to get slots. Driving several hours to T Hill or Fernley is tough for me. Nice thing is that we have plenty of non Porsche clubs offering sessions at the tracks that are close to me. I'm finding myself signing up for Track Masters because its easier to go to their events than the PCA Zone 7 track events. I enjoy AX and Zone 7 is definitely the king in respect to offering a wide selection of local events.

[anthony]

In norcal we also have Trackmasters, NCRC, and probably a few other clubs that do similar DE/TT programs.

If you are willing to go during the week you can find time at Laguna or Sears with some of the other clubs.

[DanT]

Years ago we used to get 2-3 dates per year for Sears and Laguna.
That was in the days before NASA, trackmasters, traquest, speedventures, team yahoo, blah blah blah. Also Sears (infineon and Laguna) have gone up market and try to get events that put butts in the seats. Zone 7 events do not have that kind of market pull.

also just to kinda clue you all in. A day of renting the track at Laguna now runs ~$11K per day just for the asphalt. No turn workers, ambulance, tow truck, bathrooms etc. And Sears is very close to that cost now.

A lot of your trackmasters and such events are Fridays or other weekdays. GGR always goes for weekends in order to put on a TT event.

I wish we got more of those two as well, but I think the chances of that occurring are dwindling.

TH and BW were built specifically for club events...hence our tendency to be able to get those track weekends.
GGR also has a contract with TH giving us a minimum of 3 weekends per year for the next ~20 years.
GGR was the first club to use TH back in '94. We also committed money to TH for those 20 years. We purchased the guarantee for those weekends.

[jhadler]

QUOTE (brant @ Mar 24 2006, 08:43 AM)

the wine and cheesers bitch every year out here that our local chapter is only a "racing club" and doesn't have enough "social" events.

It's not that, it's just that they don't want to get dirty while socializing... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/lol2.gif)

Every race event I've ever been to, be it SCCA, PCA, BMCCA or otherwise has been a social event. Especially after the last checker. But instead of wine (or whine) and cheese, it's brake dust and beer... Instad of jacket and tie, it's nomex and baseball caps...

Still, the occasional dress up banquet (once a year for awards) is always fun...

-Josh2