Finding A New Beginning Through Autocross

Written by David Bocchichio On Sunday, April 4, 2021 my 17 year old son Liam and I had a chance to attend our first Regional Solo at Devens Airfield, in Ayer, MA.  To say that we were a little nervous would be putting it mildly.  After attending several local events last year, on smaller lots in our home state of Connecticut, we at least understood the basic process. But the scale of everything up at Devens was so much bigger and I had my son in his own car to worry about.  However, after what our family has gone through over the last year, we felt ready for anything. 2020 Turns Life Upside Down March 2020 went the same for us as it did for most people across the world. Our lives were put on hold due to Coronavirus lockdows.  Things began to spiral out of control for us soon after as weird health issues that had been plaguing me for many years suddenly worsened.  In the fall of 2020 I was finally diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, putting an end to a lifetime [...]

By |2021-04-13T15:20:44-04:00April 13th, 2021|Autocross, Featured, Racing Life|
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CRE – TT – TNiA: Understanding the Differences

When it comes to getting out on a road course, SCCA offers three ways car enthusiasts can experience the fun of driving on a dedicated race track. From the entry level Track Night in America series of events, to Time Trials competitions, and the most recent Club Racing Experience that prepares drivers for full wheel-to-wheel racing action, there are plenty of opportunities and ways to get out and have #funwithcars. However, for those new to SCCA and motorsports, understanding the differences between each of these events may be difficult. So we're here to break it down and make it simple. Two easy to understand charts that quickly answer the questions about what's similar and what's different. Breakdown the Similarities and Differences The one thing all three events have in common is that they are held on dedicated road racing courses. Unlike Rally events that are on rally tracks (dirt and gravel courses) or Autocross events that are typically held on parking lots or airport tarmacs; CRE, Time Trials, and TNiA are all scheduled at tracks like Thompson Speedway, Lime Rock Park, or Palmer Motorsports Park. Beyond that, some aspects of each event may crossover [...]

By |2021-04-20T10:53:24-04:00April 5th, 2021|Featured, Racing Life, Road Racing|
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SCDA Announced as 2021 NER CRE Title Sponsor

New England Region SCCA announces this season’s Club Racing Experience (CRE) program sponsor is Sports Car Driving Association. Club member and pro-racer Elivan Goulart owns and operates this well-known high performance driving events group. Last year’s sponsor Boston Mobile Tire is returning as the CRE program booster providing valuable gift certificates to all participants. There are four SCDA1.com sponsored CRE events scheduled in 2021: May 1-2 at Palmer Motorsports Park May 15-16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway August 7-8 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway September 11-12 at Palmer Motorsports Park Welcome SCDA SCDA provides driving enthusiasts an opportunity to experience high performance driving in a safe and controlled environment. SCDA events are strictly driver educational events, and are non-competitive. SCDA welcomes everyone from novices with no track experience, as well as seasoned track drivers and racers. Founded in 1995, the Sports Car Driving Association (SCDA) welcomes everyone from novices with no track experience, to seasoned track day drivers and competition licensed racers. SCDA President Elivan Goulart took on the group’s leadership and continues to grow and expand its offerings, and share his passion as a racer. Starting in karts at the age of 12, [...]

By |2021-04-02T12:49:45-04:00April 2nd, 2021|Featured, Road Racing|
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Desire to have #FunWithCars starts young!

Written by James Ray Volunteer grid worker Greg Holt is a great example of someone whose passion for race cars started early in life.  He shares an old family photo showing him sitting in the cockpit of an older cousin’s micro midget sprint car.  Greg’s father, Henry, can be seen holding onto the roll bar, like he is worried Greg might take off!  Another more recent family photo shows Greg as a young father and playing with oldest son Eric’s slot car racing set.  Many of us catch the fever young in life and it never leaves us.  We just want to have #FunWithCars! For those unfamiliar with grid workers, they are the ones wearing white helping position the race cars in starting order before each on-track session.  Volunteer grid workers provide valuable service by checking driver safety gear and verifying each car displays a current-event tech inspection sticker.  They look at driver harness belts and HANS straps to ensure they are fastened, check that helmet and gloves are on, window nets are up, and (for open cockpit cars) that the driver is wearing arm restraints.  As race cars [...]

By |2021-04-13T15:19:03-04:00March 26th, 2021|Featured, Racing Life|
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Building a B-Spec: Part 2

Cages, Seats and Engines When we left JB and Steve before Christmas, the two new B-Spec builders had both acquired their donor vehicles and begun stripping them down to turn into racecars. The ordering frenzy for parts had started, as well as the research on how best to build and fabricate the roll cage and fit a race seat inside the gutted shells. Engine decisions were also looming - stick with the donor stock or rebuild?  Go Local or Ship It Out When it came to choosing a fabricator for the roll cages, both drivers had multiple factors to consider. The convenience of a local shop, or the hassle of transporting to one farther away? Costs, availability, and turn around times? And the extent of what needed to be accomplished? JB opted to stay local and commissioned Flatout Motorsports to do the cage for his Sonic. “The car was sent to Flatout the week of Thanksgiving. The decision to send it to them was all about time. The few installers I talked to said they could not touch it till March so it was an easy decision. We estimated 6-8 weeks, giving [...]

By |2021-03-07T17:01:42-05:00March 6th, 2021|Featured, Racing Life, Road Racing|
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