Messenger Archive (2003-present)

How long does it take to get a competition license?

Generally, if you have no previous racing experience, you need to attend the 3 day Competition Drivers School in April and two subsequent race weekends. Assuming all goes well, you would be issued the full Competition License following the second subsequent race.

How much track time will I get?

There are 10 on track sessions for a total of over 2-1/2 hours in your race car.

What sort of driver’s gear will I need?

You will need a complete set of driver’s equipment including an approved helmet, gloves, shoes, driver’s suit, and maybe Nomex® underwear (depending on what type of suit you get.) The complete list of required equipment is listed in the RMVR General Rules.

Do I need any racing or driving experience before I sign up for the school?

No. As long as you are 18 and have valid state driver’s license you can participate.

What if my vintage race car is not ready by the time of the school?

You have four choices:

1. You can take the school in an acceptable street car.
2. Attend a professional driving school (i.e. Bondurant, Skip Barber, Go For It, Faasst Precision Driving, etc.)
3. Wait until the following April to attend the RMVR school.
4. Attend another Vintage Motorsport Council (VMC) affiliate club school and then be observed

What age do I have to be to attend the school?

18 years old with a valid state driver’s license.

Will I fail the school if I spin or go off track?

No. We understand that mistakes will be made, but safety is most important. We will teach you the skills to maintain car control.

Will there be any tests or will I be graded for my performance?

No and no. We will provide feedback and instruction but there is no formal assessment. Please note, however, that the club reserves the right to expel anyone who in the Chief Driving Instructor’s (CDI) sole judgment is ignoring instruction or procedure or is driving in a reckless or irresponsible manner either on the track or in the paddock.

If I have previous racing experience, do I have to attend the school?

No. If you have raced within the past five (5) years, RMVR will issue you a provisional license and assign an observer to monitor your first race or two. Based on the recommendation of your observer, you would be issued a full competition license accordingly.

If I have a competition license from another racing organization and want a RMVR license, do I have to attend the driver’s school?

No. As in the above, we would issue you a provisional license with an observer for one or two race weekends

How much do I have to race to maintain my license?

None. As long as you maintain your membership and a current medical, your license will be renewed each year.

What if I’m not sure I want to buy a vintage eligible car before trying out vintage racing? What are my options?

RMVR does offer a Precision Driving School in conjunction with the Competition Driving School which you can take in an acceptable street car to try before you buy.

What are the tech inspections for my new race car?

You should complete an annual tech inspection for any new RMVR race car prior to the drivers’ school or your first event with the car.

Precision School

What is the difference between the Competition Drivers’ School and the Precision Drivers’ School?

The Precision School students receive the same classroom and on track sessions from the same instructors as the Competition School students. The only difference is that the Precision School will not participate in the wheel to wheel competition on Sunday.

Will I fail the school if I spin or go off track?

No. We understand that mistakes will be made, but safety is most important. We will teach you the skills to maintain car control.

Will there be any tests or will I be graded for my performance?

No and no. We will provide feedback and instruction but there is no formal assessment. Please note, however, that the club reserves the right to expel anyone who in the Chief Driving Instructor’s (CDI) sole judgment is ignoring instruction or procedure or is driving in a reckless or irresponsible manner either on the track or in the paddock.

Do I have to have the same driver’s equipment for the Precision Drivers School?

No. Uou are required to have a helmet, gloves and all leather upper shoes.

How old do I have to be to attend the Precision Drivers School?

18 or older with a valid state driver’s license.

What are the inspection requirements for my street car?

Your car will be subjected to a pre-event safety inspection. We strongly urge you to perform a basic safety check prior to showing up at the track. Items that will be checked:

1. Seat belt condition
2. Tires (minimum 1/16” tread depth on all tires)
3. Brake fluid level
4. Brake system condition
5. No loose items in the driver compartment
6. No loose items in the trunk

Will my insurance cover my street car for the school?

Some insurance companies do cover “educational” activities, but you should check with your insurer.

If I take the Precision Drivers School and then decide to buy a vintage car, do I have to go back to the school?

No. In order to obtain an RMVR Competition License to run your new RMVR eligible race car you will have to join RMVR (if you haven’t already), submit a medical form, and be issued a provisional license. A personal instructor will be assigned to you when you then enter RMVR events.

Who do I contact if I still have more questions?

Contact the Chief Driving Instructor at driving-instructor@rmvr.com.

When filling out the donation form, please fill in the following:

• For “Gift Designation”, choose “Transplant Program Fund”
• For “Gift Type”, choose “In Memory Of”, and fill in Laurel’s name
• Please check the box “Send acknowledgment of honorary or memorial gift to”, and fill in Chip’s info as follows:
  Mr. Charles T. Hane
  8460 W Rice Place
  Littleton CO 80123

Donation Form: University of Colorado Hospital

If you prefer, you can download a printable donation form instead of donating online.

You always promised yourself you would go racing, right?
This is the best racing school value you’ll find anywhere, bar none!
Two school options—something for everyone!

Photo Credit: DNA Media

RMVR Competition Drivers’ School

This program is intended for those who already have (or will be purchasing) an eligible vintage race car and who are seeking a full Competition License to regularly race with RMVR.

During this three day school, you will participate in 10 classroom sessions and 10 on-track sessions where you will:

• learn to exercise precise and expert car control
• get specific instruction from a team of expert driving instructors
• learn about vintage racing and the vintage racing ethic
• share in the joy of racing in a safe environment

Photo Credit: DNA Media

Pricing, detailed instructions, and a complete entry packet are in the Competition Drivers’ School Application Packet (PDF).

Or

RMVR Precision Drivers’ School

Perhaps you are not currently ready to buy a vintage race car, but you want a quality track experience. You want to gain track skills and see if you like it. Participate in our Precision Drivers’ School using your own street car!

During this three day school you will:

• receive the same instructions as the Competition students, except that you will not be on track Sunday for wheel-to-wheel competition
• learn to exercise precise and expert car control
• get specific instruction from a team of expert driving instructors
• learn about driving the High Plains Raceway track, which will help you on future lapping days
• share in the joy of racing in a safe environment

By the end of the weekend, you will be equipped to safely and confidently drive on track and at speed.

Pricing, detailed instructions, and a complete entry packet are in the Precision Drivers’ School Application Packet (PDF).

Additional questions? Looking for more information? Check out the Drivers’ School FAQ or contact Chief Driving Instructor Lynn Fangue at driving-instructor@rmvr.com, or 303-263-7920.

This is your chance! Do it now!

Competition Drivers’ School Application Packet
Precision Drivers’ School Application Packet

Photo Credit: DNA Media

The track is a 2.2-mile course with challenging elevation change, long straights, and a mix of corners including a high-speed Turn One. Passing is possible most everywhere on the track, making it great for Trans-Am racing. The elevation is 4,900 feet and requires re-jetting for those coming from lower elevations.

This event features the Historic Trans-Am Sedans that ran in the Trans-Am series from 1966 through 1972. Included in this special run group will be the 5-liter Camaros, Mustangs, Barracudas, Javelins, and Firebirds and the 2-liter and 2.5-liter championship winning Porsche 911s, Datsun 510s, and BMW 2002s that raced hammer-and-tong with the Alfa GTAs. The two-liter (U2) cars will be racing side by side with the five-liter (O2) cars.

This year we are also featuring the late model Trans-Am cars that ran in SCCA’s GT1 and GT2 categories. These fire-breathing cars tore up the tracks across the US in the 1970s and 1980s and are very exiting to watch. The pits are open to spectators who can meet the drivers and get a up close look at the race cars. Pueblo’s concession stand will be open for breakfast and lunch.

All other run groups including FV, FF, CP through GP cars, small sedans, sports racers, Indy and F5000 cars and the “whole lot” will be running and are welcome. Exhibition and modern racecars will also be in attendance. Guests from local and regional car clubs are invited to join in the fun during this 9th annual running of the Trans-Am Invitational. Contact event chairman Keith Davidson at transam@rmvr.com, 303-312-8882 (work) or 303-526-2807 (home) for additional information. Guest drivers should contact the race chairman to verify car and driver eligibility and get on the guest list.

The weekend kicks off on Friday with practice and track orientation but advance registration is required. If you want to practice on Friday, please contact event chairman Keith Davidson at transam@rmvr.com, 303-312-8882 (work) or 303-526-2807 (home) for Friday practice registration information. Saturday will include one practice and two qualifying races. Two extended races will take place on Sunday to emulate the endurance-racing format of the Trans-Am back in the day.

Trans-Am guest speakers will be featured at a track-side dinner Saturday evening June 12, 2010 including drivers, team members, and officials who participated in the Trans-Am series.

Spectators are invited to join this special barbeque dinner and participate in the story telling and reliving of the special times involving these special cars. See the track-side dinner section on this page for tickets to this event.

Information for registration, lodging, and directions for this special event can be found by following the links on this page. For additional information, please contact race chairman Keith Davidson at transam@rmvr.com, 303-312-8882 (work) or 303-526-2807 (home).

Previous Trans-Am Invitational Programs:

• 2009
• 2008
• 2007

Eligibility

The Historic Trans-Am Group features the sedans that were eligible to run in the SCCA Trans-American Endurance Racing Series during the years 1966 through 1972. Thus group has the following historic rules limitations:

Application & Registration

Race participants may register online or by downloading event entry forms (Note: 2010 Event Entry is not yet available) from the RMVR web site. Guests with Log Books from other Vintage Motorsport Council (VMC) member clubs should complete the Request for Entry form and mail it to RMVR with entry fee. Carry a completed Tech form with you to the track. Invited guests not holding a Log Book from other VMC member clubs may be eligible to participate in the exhibition class. Exhibition cars and their guest drivers must contact race chairman Keith Davidson at transam@rmvr.com, 303-312-8882 (work) or 303-526-2807 (home) to inquire about qualifications for this event.

.RMVR uses the AMB transponder for timing and scoring. All race entrants are strongly encouraged to utilize a transponder for this event. Event Entry forms must be received two weeks prior to the race.

Cars participating in the Historic Trans-Am Group must meet the eligibility criteria. Drivers must hold a current vintage competition license from a recognized vintage racing club. At registration, each driver will be required to present their competition license (or student log book), proof of a current medical exam, and a photo ID. All cars will be required to pass a technical inspection at the track. For more information, please look at RMVR’s General Rules and Safety Requirements.

The track will be available for Friday June 11, 2010 practice with advance registration. Friday practice registration must be completed received prior to June 1, 2010. Those unfamiliar with the track are strongly encouraged to register for Friday practice to learn Pueblo’s challenging road course. For practice registration details, contact race chairman Keith Davidson at transam@rmvr.com, 303-312-8882 (work) or 303-526-2807 (home).

Track-Side Dinner

This event will include a special track-side dinner Saturday evening June 12, 2010. Dinner activities will begin at the conclusion of racing around 5 pm Saturday evening and will continue until dark. Dinner will include open beer and wine bar. One dinner ticket is included with each race entry. Additional dinner tickets are available for $15 and should be indicated/ purchased during completion of the event entry form or by contacting RMVR at 303-319-3062. Dinner tickets will not be sold at the track and must be purchased in advance.

Jess Neal #42 1970 Plymoth AAR Barracuda 1

Track Description & Directions

The track at Pueblo Colorado has been used by RMVR for many years and is a favorite of many drivers. Check out the following links for more information.

• Pueblo Motor Sports Park
• Scott Gaylord’s Hotlap (PDF)
• Chip Hane’s Hotlap (PDF)

To get to Pueblo Motorsports Park, take I-25 to Pueblo and take the Highway 50 exit West. Head west approximately 3 miles to Pueblo Blvd. At the traffic light, turn South and take the first right into the Park. Stay on the paved road to the drag strip and road course. For tickets and more information, contact the race chairman Keith Davidson.

Accommodations

Comfort Inn
77 South Radnor Drive
Pueblo West, Colorado
719-547-9400
contact: Alan

Directions: Take I-25 to Pueblo, Colorado Exit 101/ Highway 50. Go west 8 miles to McCulloch Blvd. Go south to Spaulding Street, then left to Radnor Drive, then left into the hotel.

Hampton Inn
4703 North Freeway
Pueblo, CO 81008
719-544-4700
Contact: Heather Thompson

Directions: take exit 102, the hotel is on the west side of the freeway.

In Pueblo
Quality Inn
3910 Outlook Blvd.
Pueblo, Colorado
719-544-5500
contact: Sara Lucero

Directions: Take I-25 to Pueblo, Colorado Exit 101/ Highway 50. Go west 1.5 miles & turn left (south) on Club Manor Drive follow frontage road then left on Outlook Blvd.

Other accommodations can be obtained by calling the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce at 719-542-1704.

History

Trans-Am 1967

• Qualifiers (PDF)
• Entrants (PDF)
• Finishers (PDF)

Trans-Am 1968

• Finishers (PDF)

Price includes shipping. If you would prefer to pay by check, please fill out this Calendar Order Form (PDF) and mail it with your check to:
Calendar Project
c/o Ethel Mitchiner
2620 Stratford Lane
Longmont, CO 80503

RMVR Home Page

Exceptions to online registration

Entry to these events will be the old-fashioned way, via mailed paper forms. You will find links to the entry forms below:

• 2010 Drivers’ School
• 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY?

A Report From The RMVR Board

June 20th, 2009

As many RMVR members know, eligibility rules have been a subject of discussion at the past several Board meetings. The importance of this subject prompted the Board to have a special strategic planning retreat on June 20th to help us put any potential changes in eligibility rules into the proper context from an overall long-term strategic point of view. The purpose of this report is to share with RMVR members our observations, conclusions and recommendations.

Background:

Several things have prompted the Board to consider the possibility of expanding years of eligibility. First, as everyone is quite aware, over the past year quite a number of our members began running cars that did not meet our current eligibility rules and did so via the Exhibition “loophole.” Secondly, and most importantly, the Board is painfully aware of the long-term negative trend of event participation at RMVR and that this trend must be reversed in order for RMVR to remain viable.

Observations:

Regarding the recent plethora of Exhibition cars, readers of Board Minutes from the past several months should be aware that the rules and procedures surrounding Exhibition Cars has been firmed up. This was done to restore the notion of Exhibition cars BACK to its original intent – i.e. cars of special interest to a specific event and entered at the discretion of that Event’s Race Chair. The Board also recognized that the recent use of Exhibition as a solution for any deficiencies in our years of eligibility was not the proper long-term solution. Thus the concept of Exhibition cars was simply returned to its original purpose with the understanding that the real problem (and potential solutions?) was more properly related to eligibility.

In our 1998 race season we had 1,284 entries, but that was the last year of Steamboat and probably not a valid comparison. However, in the 2000 race season (two years after the loss of Steamboat), RMVR had eight events and 1,061 race entries. In the just-concluded 2008 year we had 5 events with only 621 entries. Point being, regardless of how you slice it, the decline in events and participation has been relentless over the past 8 to 10 years. The Board understands this is unsustainable and must be addressed.

The Board believes the long-term decline in participation is probably due to four major causes:

• The loss of Second Creek and other tracks.
• The loss of Steamboat as a marketing tool.
• The fact that our years of eligibility have been largely unchanged for years.
• The decline in the number of available pre-1973 cars.

The good news is that the loss of Second Creek (and other tracks) will to some degree (hopefully a significant degree) be offset by HPR now coming on line. It’s clear that HPR is key to increased participation by all the Front Range clubs. And encouragingly early returns suggest that HPR will indeed represent a big positive trend and a reversal of the negative influence of previously lost tracks.

Steamboat will never be replaced. Oh that it could be! Steamboat (aside from being a pot-full of fun) was clearly a primary marketing tool in attracting members and entrants for RMVR. The Board’s conclusion is that RMVR will have to begin some seriously improved marketing for our club. We’ve got a great product and it has probably been undersold in recent years. The Board resolves to actively pursue enhanced marketing opportunities. Many ideas were discussed at the retreat and they will be pursued. It seems essential to do so to help reverse the loss of Steamboat’s marketing effect. This will be a challenging but essential effort.

With regard to years of eligibility for cars, RMVR has clearly been less than progressive in terms of expanding eligibility. It is the belief of the Board that we are behind the times, that a wider range of accepted cars can help attract more interest, that more and more of our cars are getting difficult to find and to race, and that there is a good population of perfectly acceptable “vintage” cars that can and should be considered.

Conclusions & Recommendations:

The Board cannot and will not dictate expanding years of eligibility. Rather, the Board feels strongly that such an expansion should come from the members, but with advice, counsel, and urging from the Board and the Eligibility Committee. We are quite sincere in only wanting to implement change that is accepted and endorsed by our existing members. We cannot run the risk of disenfranchising existing members and have no desire to do so. That would be counterproductive, indeed.

Thus we are asking each of the primary run groups, i.e., big bore, small bore and open wheel, to consider expanding years of eligibility for cars included in their respective groups. We ask that those discussions be done with the following in mind:

• For big bore and small bore, the 1981 National SCCA GCRs may well be a good source of ADDITIONAL production cars and classifications. There are any number of additional cars that clearly fit the spirit of “vintage” sports cars included in the ’81 GCRs. And the rule book has already been written. No need to reinvent the wheel.
• It should be kept in mind that any expansion of cars or classes will NOT disturb existing classes or preparation (to the ’67 or ’72 GCRs). Existing cars will continue to run and compete as they do today and would not be required to “update” or upgrade” to ’81 GCRs. Cars would be classified and identified in our race results by what GCRs they followed (i.e. ’67, ‘72 or ’81).
• Any expansion should be done as additional cars and new classes so that it will not compromise existing cars and classes. Any upgrade to a newly established class would be purely optional on the part of the owner.
• For open wheel cars, the Monoposto Register may be a good place to start for open wheel cars. Again, the Register has already written rules for our open wheel drivers to consider.

Pros and Cons of Expanding Years of eligibility:

Clearly there is no guarantee that expanding years (and thus cars and classes) will promote more interest in RMVR. But other clubs have been able to do it. It seems silly to say that a ’67 MG is OK but that a ’68 isn’t. Or that an early Z-car is OK, but a 260Z is not. In the opinion of the Board, a more enlightened and expansive view is warranted especially towards such “continuation” cars.

Often a concern is expressed that more cars means less track time. This may not be so. Please understand that the purpose here is to have bigger grids in each run group, not necessarily more run groups. That translates as more racing fun, not less, and it does NOT imply less track time. However, it may well be, if very successful, that expansion could mean some additional run groups. Please consider that this also does NOT necessarily imply less track time. Scheduling and run group management can create solutions to an additional run group or two. Just look at our club’s own history and the experience of other clubs — many, many events with six or seven run groups are run with perfectly adequate track time. It can be done. Don’t be put off by the notion that expanded eligibility equals less track time. It just isn’t so.

Summary:

This Board strongly believes that the long-term financial health and well being of this club is partially dependant on a well thought out expansion of the eligibility. The Board strongly encourages that all interested parties be involved in this process. The general membership should be doing the bulk of the work developing any new rules that affect them. The Board recognizes that this is not an easy process and it will require significant effort. It is the board’s sincere desire that a balance be found that supports our current core car owners and yet encourages new cars and new members to join.

Each run group should drive this process. The Board and the appropriate representative from the Eligibility Committee stand ready to share our perspectives, thoughts, and suggestions. But in the final analysis, the Board will only approve what is accepted and recommended by our existing members. We are asking that any discussions consider the following:

• Take a proper broad view of the long-term health of RMVR,
• Consider the changes in the context of the vintage community,
• Seek to arrive at the best possible solution for the club, and
• Try to avoid the temptation to focus solely on the individual’s self-interest or bias and rather think about the club’s longer-term goals.

Respectfully submitted,
RMVR Board of Directors

Downloadable version (PDF): Expanded Eligibility? A Report from the RMVR Board