Any Females Interested In Joining A Novice Ladies Class?

[Lauren Kane Porta]

I would like to make a ladies novice class this season. If I can get two more women, then one of us will get a jacket at the end of the year

[Leonard Cachola]

Lauren, make sure you've read and understood the rules on eligibility for Novice class in the Supplemental Regulations. You can't have participated in more than three days of autocross in the past three years to participate in Novice class.

[Anthony P.]

I guess that makes it hard to compete in novice for the year. I thought it used to be you could run novice until you trophied? The only other ladies class is pax ladies. Seems like a place to have someone "get their doors blown off". is that really the only option?

[Craig Naylor]

The till trophy-ed rule went away when we implemented a "novice" year end trophy. So it's probably been 5-6 years now. Had that rule remained the winner of the jacket would have been the person who managed to stay one place out of trophies all year, as winning one would boot you from the class, and therefor the jacket. To put it in ladies terms, you would have to be the perpetual brides maid, always falling short of ever being the bride. Hardly seams an award worth winning right?

The three event rule was to prevent another Elkstrand from ever winning a jacket. (Just kidding Steve!)

Any class can have a ladies class, not just novice and Pax. But yes they all have the same 3 entry need, so an Indexed group is beneficial to pull the numbers together.

Leonard....the rule is actually 3 per year for the past three years, so conceptually one could have run 9 times if well planned and still be eligible.

I do see that we need to address a term used though. Lauren has attended (and worked) many events she has not competed in, and SCCA defines anyone on site as a participant, as we a no spectator rule in our insurance. So a spouse, child, friend, who attends a 4th event, but never turns a wheel on our course, as written can't run novice either. I suggest we change the word participant to another word, such an entrant.

[Anthony P.]

Makes sense Craig. have other ladies wanted to compete in something other than their respective open class or pax? It seems like a fairly significant jump.

[Leonard Cachola]

So a spouse, child, friend, who attends a 4th event, but never turns a wheel on our course, as written can't run novice either.

That would be near impossible to enforce, though I do see the need to change the wording if participant implies more than what the rule intended.

[Leonard Cachola]

respective open class or pax?

You know, it is possible for Lauren to run BSPL or CSTL instead of open. She just might the only one in it.

[Sean Fenstermacher]

So a spouse, child, friend, who attends a 4th event, but never turns a wheel on our course, as written can't run novice either.

That would be near impossible to enforce, though I do see the need to change the wording if participant implies more than what the rule intended.

I think non-registered guests (as you need to register to drive) would simple be labeled as non-participants. Non-participants' attendance of an event as a guest or spectator should not be counted toward their experience as a competitor. The very notion of such is ridiculous.

There is language in the Solo Rules that mention non-participants, btw

[Steve Ekstrand]

With Christine running open, PAXL wasn't that scary in 2014.

[KJ Christopher]

Kencey will run PAXL in 2015. Would be nice to build up a class.

[Sebastian Rios]

I think the PAXL competitors used to often run in different groups, is that still the norm?

[Steve Ekstrand]

I didn't pay much attention, but I think they tried to avoid running in the same heat with PAX because the Berry mobile would have 4 in a car. Same deal with STC when we'd have 3. The girls seemed pretty flexible as long as competition runs were on the same side of lunch.

[Craig Naylor]

Unless she qualifies under the intended Novice rule of participatory driving.... just run PaxL. While she may not be likely to take a jacket her first year... how many in our midst have run for 10+ years without one. This way she would at least have competitors to compare how she is doing. There's a lot of guys who run year after year where that's their best hope too... to slim the margin with those in front of them.

[Rick Brown]

I didn't pay much attention, but I think they tried to avoid running in the same heat with PAX because the Berry mobile would have 4 in a car. Same deal with STC when we'd have 3. The girls seemed pretty flexible as long as competition runs were on the same side of lunch.

When we have 8 groups, we assign L classes separately. Otherwise they generally run with the open class, however they are free to move to another group due to too many drivers in a car or babysitting needs, etc. Usually the whole L class will move as a group. Just work it out among yourselves and then let the Event Chair and Timing know.