Note From The RE

As I’m writing this to you, there is an amazing flurry of thoughts running through my head.  We’re all experiencing something that we’ve never been through before - a time that clearly has no road map for us to follow.

No matter what any of us think of the Coronavirus - it’s my personal duty as your RE to put all of you first.  Your safety, health, and well being is my first priority. With that - I am erring on the side of caution, and sticking with the motto of “better safe...than sorry”.

We had an emergency Board meeting last night, and with a 6 to 1 vote, we voted to postpone all of our events in April.  This includes the Rallycross events on 4/4- 4/5, and the Autocross on 4/19. Please note - that I used the word POSTPONE.

Both programs will work with the Farm Show to reschedule these events, and as we have a better idea of when we can fit these events in, we will let you know.

Please know that myself and the Board are trying to make the best decisions we can with the information we have available to us.  I’m here for all of you if you need anything. My email address and phone number are on the website, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with me!

Keep It Classy Susquehanna
Melissa Mauro

From the Editor's Desk

What a wild ride this is so far, right? In the midst of everything that's going on with a pretty serious disease, crazy weather (but hey, I'll take this early warm weather) and whatnot... I'm pretty glad we've got a strong leader like Melissa and awesome club chairs to get us through this in one piece. Quarantine sucks (a lot), but thankfully there's a ton of work to be done to prepare for racing season, and if you run out you can always take to the racing simulators to keep your edge... Meanwhile, special thanks to all our mechanic and essential employee friends out there, who are working despite the risks!

Looking forward to being at least 6 feet away from you all at the next event (and hoping cones can't carry COVID-19)!

Jake Limm
Club Communications / General Mischief

Staying Updated with SCCA National

You can stay informed on a National level with SCCA’s dedicated COVID-19 page here. 

The Director's Chair - Interesting Times

For most of us, one part of our lives that's effectively closed for business is the SCCA part.  Events at both the national and regional level are being postponed indefinitely or simply cancelled.  The operative phrase is that this is being done "out of an abundance of caution." I'm sure there are many who would say it's all overreaction that comes out of a Chicken Little mindset.  After all, they ask, what risk of exposure is there in a race car on a track or course?  While there's is a certain validity in that question, it ignores the social component which is one of the central facets of SCCA events.  It also ignores the close interaction of the volunteers who make our competitions possible.  

SCCA is a club, made up of diverse members with an interest in motorsports - and in each other.  Whether at a race, autocross, rallycross, or membership meeting, we socialize. Social interaction is an unavoidable component of every SCCA event; an SCCA event without that social component is little more than a car show, and a pretty lame one at that.  

So that "abundance of caution" is not a case of paranoia or Chicken Little; it's a matter of leadership looking out for the well-being of members and taking regretful but responsible action to avoid exposing them unnecessarily to a pandemic.  For those of you who still believe we're acting like Chicken Little, I would ask whether you'd prefer we act more like Chicken Little or Typhoid Mary. The answer is obvious to me; it lies in the responsible middle ground between the two, and that's what we're doing.

Jack Burrows
Area 2 Director

Track Night in America Update!

Want to get to some of the biggest courses in America, but don't have the luxury of a full racing sponsorship? Track Night in America is a program making the big names in racetracks available to the average racer with an appetite for speed! They have just posted their event schedule, with events as early as April 7th -- register now, before you miss out!

Safety First!

Have you heard about this one? The corona virus? What is lost in the popular press coverage about this new virus, is how little attention we pay to our health in general. Same goes for SCCA drivers to some extent. When is the last time you inventoried your safety equipment? With our racing season just around the corner, it is time to take a good look at your personal safety gear, required or not. Helmet, belts, gloves, driver suit? Do you need a roll-bar, roll-cage or padding upgrade? Now is the time to check all this equipment before you go through your next tech session at the track or at our upcoming autocross tech day. But, it does not stop there. It your car's seat solid & safe? Brakes good? When is the last time you did a front to back, side to side, top to bottom nut & bolt check? You would be surprised how many fasteners come loose over the winter! Seatbelts get frayed! Helmets age out! Just say'n! Have a fun & SAFE 2020 season.

Alan Lesher

March Regional Meeting - Cancelled!

* Cancelled *

This month’s membership meeting has been cancelled.  As of today, we plan on having our April at its normally scheduled date/time/location, but will keep you informed as things progress.
 

News from SCCA

2019 Rules