FRCCA ALIVE AND WELL Come out and drive into the FUTURE of Formula Car Racing

[John Heckman]

Despite some rumors the FORMULA RACE CAR CLUB OF AMERICA is alive and well! The ownership may have changed but the club is doing fine and has a full schedule of events for the season.
The club is encouraging more Formula Fords, Vees and ALL Wings and ALL other FORMULA CARS to join in the fun and loads of track time available to them. We would love to see the Formula Mazda guys come out with us too.
The club has a new owner (John Heckman 570-669-9589) and a new address (150 Willow Lane Nesquehoning, PA. 18240).
The club is moving in a very positive direction with more new members than it has seen in several years despite the economic times. The club is looking to increase its NE and Mid Atlantic Regions and then in the coming season is looking to increasing its membership and racing activities to the SE US and the Mid West.
The club is far from under; it has a new and rejuvenated life and MISSION to the formula car community, to bring back the life and respect it once had SO come out with us and drive into the future of formula car racing!

[RobLav]

John,

Do you eventually foresee paralleling the SCCA formula car tier?

I'd be willing to run my new FB car if you had a specific class for it. It just seems a bit willy nilly right now concerning the higher performance formula car classes.

Does the rear wing structure count as the rear crush zone?

The anti-capitation system is confusing in the drawings. I'm sure my Citation will pass this requirement with the tube structure well over the steering wheel.

Rob

[John Heckman]

Rob,
Funny you mention Formula B I actually had a manufacturer talk to me this weekend about them. Yes we will run Formula B. Let me put it this way I don't know any of the guys in Formula B you bring them and we will get a show on.
Remember when you are reading that rule book (the FRCCAs) that the car tech rules in there are for the Spec Classes in the FRCCA ALL other classes run SCCA rules. Including your FB and your Citation.

This is a point of confusion I am trying to figure out how to overcome right now. I really want the SCCA formula car classes to run with us. The Mission of the club is to promote ALL formula car classes not just the FRCCA spec cars.

The answer to your other question concerning the SCCA I think would be a bit presumptuous of me to answer. The SCCA has been around along time and is well respected including by myself, however; I will say that I don't think any of the formula car classes really get a fair shake today outside of the FRCCA, at least that I know of. It seems the formula cars always loose out to the fendered cars because of numbers it doesn't matter that you pay for the same track that they ( fendered cars) do, yet you get less and less time on the track and crunched more and more together in a class.

That said I do want to see that the FRCCA grow and formula cars right with it. As I said I know the club has in the past seemed to only run the FRCCA spec classes and I need people like yourself to help get the word out that we are in business for YOU the FORMULA CAR guys, and you are all welcome to join us and growwith us, the more we have the more different tracks we will get.
Thanks,
John

[ric baribeault]

over the years, for one reason or another, there seems to have been confusion regarding this club. this is by no means a shielded attempt at negativity towards other clubs or administrators. no one works harder for formula car drivers than lindsey wolfer of formula pro racing or mike sauce in scca. but in reality, this is the only club that is for, and about, open wheel formula cars. everything about this club is geared and done with us in mind. anyone who has ever been called to the grid at watkins glen in mid october in a torrential freezing downpour and sat for 28 minutes while 2 sedans that spun 4 laps earlier were cleared off the track, knows that the special nature of our cars is not always considered in the decision making process, elsewhere. i strongly urge any open wheel driver to give this club a chance.....ric

[Fprodget]

I retired from SCCA club racing in 1986 after running various cars from HP to FF from 1974 thru 1986. I am returning to the sport this year in a crossle ff racing with the FRCCA club. I worked as a voluteer at three events for them late last year to sort of check them out and was quite pleased with what I saw. Safe competitive driving and lots of track time.....The atmosphere was like that of a club race in the early 70's. I hope to see other new drivers there with me in the next few months.

[RobLav]

John,

Thanks for the informative reply...

I agree that SCCA has recently been lacking in "customer satisfaction" - at least from my perspective - and the wings and things group in NER has become a skeleton of what it used to be. The 8 or 9 run groups per day really kills track time. I'd much rather run in larger groups to keep the total number of groups down around 6. But it's a cyclical problem - we don't show up partially because track time is low, and track time is low because we don't show up and the tin tops take up more groups.

A couple thoughts:

In my view, using SCCA rules for classes like FB is a good start. However, if more guys like me show up at more FRCCA events and fewer SCCA events, there might no longer be an FB class in SCCA. So I think you'd eventually need to write the rules in your organization. It would also clarify any confusion that people like me have.

It also seems to me that having both you guys and FormulaPro racing is a bit divisive. Forming some sort of umbrella structure together might help with the sorting of the market. Between the various vintage organizations, you guys, FormulaPro, and SCCA... the market for formula car racing is all over the place. If you are going to take on the SCCA formula car market, your focus should be quite clear - are you modern or vintage? Are you more open or spec oriented? Regardless, you must supply a good amount of track time PLUS good racing. But I'm sure you already know everything I've said here.

Having just left the NER Assistant RE position, I know the inner political and financial workings of an SCCA region. If you build a solid organization with clearcut objectives and good value, we will come. Frankly, I think the competition would do all of us some good.

How do you manage the workers?

Thanks for the correspondence.

Rob

[John Heckman]

Rob,
You know in some things you certainly gave me some things to think about, Some I know the answers to and some only time will tell.
First I am not out to put anyone out of business in any form. I am out to better Formula car racing. I think it would be very nieve of me to think I could ever draw all of the SCCA formula cars. SCCA has a prestige that the FRCCA has to earn.
I agree I need to do something with the rule book to be very clear on classes. We are not vintage. I do look to run the modren cars and a very special spec class that is very affordable. I think there is room for both types of classes. We run about 1.5 to 2 hours of track time per classification now.
I really can not speak for Formula Pro; I have had some email conversations with Lindsey and we are looking at some talks. That said, I don't see any immediate changes coming and I don't think Lindsey does either. Not that we have any disagreements,but he has a certain goal for the FPR and I for FRCCA. They do cross in some places, but in other areas I think we have very different goals. I honestly don't know how many cars FPR draws and I don't know that it matters to me. Lindsey has my respect and well wishes. He has something established that is working for his members and that is the important thing. If his members what to run with us too both them and Lindsey are always welcome.
As far as workers we have a mix of volunteers and paid when we need them. Our volunteer staff is well trained (not to imply that our paid people aren't).
Given your depth within the SCCA I would really like to talk to you sometime. If you ever have the time my phoine is 570-669-9589 and my cell is 484-547-3537.
I can understand your dissatisfaction with your region in SCCA it sounds much the same as MARRS.
John

[RobLav]

Thanks again for the correspondence John.

Overall, my satisfaction with NER is not as bad as I may have made it sound. Sure I wish we had more formula entrants, but the big unmentioned piece to all this is fun - and that requires people, and I like most of our people.

I'm down right now with the flu (maybe that is why I am ranting...), but I'd like to talk on the phone soon.

Rob

[John Heckman]

Hope you feel better soon I had it over Christmas no fun. Give a call when you alive again.
John

[swiftdrivr]

Check out the post in FF/General discussion, about an annual FF festival. I'd like to know if other clubs would participate. Jim

[Larry]

Two years ago I thought "What the hell," and I gave FRCCA a try. What I found wa a group of folks that encouraged open wheel racing instead of discouraging it (Hello, DC Region?). Not only that, but they worked hard to try to find ways of accommodating drivers instead of arguing about tech issues or whether your seat belts had expired. FRCCA is what club racing should be. Safe, fun and competitive, with LOTS of track time.

Larry Oliver
International Racing Products

[FV55]

Its the same over and over and it goes way back. I think AJ started this for some of these reasons. I've been an SCCA member since the mid 80's and put up with it because that's All I knew. Then late 2008 I ran into John Heckman and he convinced me to give the FRCCA a try, didn't promise me anything, no sales pressure. I had looked at several clubs and here was a chance to not run with fender cars and they offered a school near me, so i jumped in. It's all about good safe fun racing, lots of track time and very flexible to make it work, I got yelled at once because the track was open for my class during practice and i was not out there yet! I crewed for a GT1 car last year under the SCCA and they wern't going to let us run because I had made the 5 into a 51 with electric tape and didn't have vinyl die cut numbers- True Story!
I will be in the garage today getting some of the last things done and I'll be at the FRCCA Opener at Pocono next week!

If you have a formula car, any formula car, you really need to consider the FRCCA.

Bill Carroll FV 2009 Rookie and Champion

[turbotom90]

I am a new formula driver. I just purchased a Formula Enterprise. I am wanting to learn more about this club. Is there a webpage I can visit to learn more? I am located in the Midwest. Does this club run any Midwest tracks?

[86vd]

simply google frcca for access to the web-site

[86vd]

The 2015 season is officially here and the first event on the calendar is the
Annual award lunch held at the RAMSEY golf club ( info can be found on the FRCCA
Website all are welcome!)
A full 2015 race schedule is in place and we are looking forward to a great season
Of the usual great racing
School and shake-down and race #1 will be held at the first event in May at Pocono
Looking forward to seeing you all at the track
Don't just drive it RACE IT!

[mikey]

Interested if FRCCA ever makes it to the southeast.. pretty sure I could get a mixed group of guys to come out, that could share the track (FC, FB, FA, FE, FM)

[Clyde]

Mikey; many years ago David deSilva and his wife tried a SEZONE of the FRCCA we held an event at the Taladaga Road course. The track owners were VERY cooperative and while we did not draw enough racecars to cover the track rental they adjusted the cost in the spirit of supporting affordable road racing. The track was safe and fun. How many racecars do you think you could draw. I believe only 10 racecars from up here would make the trip. It is so much fun to have a full day of ONLY Formula car racing.
Basicly, you need 30 to 40 entrees to cover the insurance and track costs. There was many formula car racers back in the 1970 and 1980 years BUT now it is tough.

[mikey]

I think 10 off the top of my head, more with some effort I'm sure. Presuming location is Atlanta or south.. pretty much everybody I know is in FL. 30-40 cars may be a tall order though, consider the SCCA turkey trot at Sebring only drew 34 formula cars total (all classes combined).

I think the model is attractive, as noted SCCA does not really serve formula cars as well, so little track time for the effort, etc. If you can really have a weekend of all formula cars, get 3+ hours of seat time, some good racing, I think it could work. oh, and focus on camaraderie, offer reception in the evening, etc. Another thing that may work if people don't race for schedule reasons is to fit the event into one day.

[Bud Pug]

Mikey; I will let Andy Graham know of this interest, I have retired. Do you think the road course at Taladaga Motorcyle track would be a good location as their prices would be low enough so that we would only need 30 entrees. I will have Andy get in touch with you. I sure would like to see this happen.

[mikey]

sounds good.. I traded some emails with Andy last year when I was up at the Naval War College. Was going to run with you guys at NYST but the track wasn't allowed to run cars this past spring (legal battles with neighbors still).
So I never had the opportunity to meet the group during my short tenure in the NE.

[T-Tom]

Bud Pug,
The Talladega Motorcycle track is a narrow track more suitable for motorcycle racing, karts, Solo events, and testing. I mean no offence about the track, its a fun track, but I can't see wheel-to-wheel formula car events there.

[Bud Pug]

T-Tom; I agree the track SEEMED to narrow BUT we did race on it back a few years ago and there was enough, not too much but enough width to allow passing. We had a mixed field because of a low turn-out so there was plenty of passing and the drivers ALL wanted us to return. If the turn-out could have been increased we would have gone back and had another fun race day.

[farrout]

We have been running TT and PDX at TGPR for many years now. It is too narrow to be a Club Race track. Most of the turns are really not wide enough to allow safe race passing. We do limit passing to the 4 straights. The track owner also does not allow passing in the turns.

[86vd]

Hi mike,
Glad to hear your now racing down in Florida, pity the NYST thing never worked out
The furthest south we go is WV and The reality is I don't think we'll get to many takers for a 13+ hr Long haul to Atlanta unfortunately!
What kind of fields you running with down there? Hopefully the competition is good
And your having fun.
If you find yourself heading up this way keep us posted
Maybe we"lol make something happen one of these days
Andy

[mikey]

Hi Andy,
You guys ever consider VIR? I'd come up there to play.. Might be able to drag a couple guys along.

Down here it is the usual SCCA CFR crowd. A mixed run group of a couple FA, FB, FC, FM and FE all out on track together. Everybody is a podium finisher when there are only 3 in a class LOL. Pretty depressing if you're one of the 5 out of 30 that don't have to go to impound after the race.

Cheers,
Mike

[Bud Pug]

ALL Formula cars have their own class and the Winged racecars are seperated from the non-winged cars for safety reasons. Bring your racecar and join the many others that are enjoying single class racing. Call Andy at 201-665-8682