About this event
Rocky Mountain Thunder HPDE
RMR/PCA High Performance Driver Education Event at High Plains Raceway
Saturday and Sunday September 19-20, 2026
The Rocky Mountain Region’s Club Race will be held Sep 19 – 20, 2026.
The September HPDE is run in coordination with Porsche Club Racing. Solo-approved drivers can participate. We invite anyone with HPDE experience to volunteer for corners or grid. If you or anyone you know wants to volunteer, please sign up at msreg.com/RockyMtnThunderVols
Our Rocky Mountain Region hosted the very first PCA Club Race in 1992 at Second Creek racetrack. Members of the Rocky Mountain Region take pride in this historic event. The Region has run the race at Second Creek, at Pueblo Motorsports Park and now at High Plains Raceway.
The final Sunday afternoon DE sessions will be a Time Trial event. Drivers will submit their predicted lap time before lunch. The format will place four cars with similar predicted lap times on track, separated by ~30 seconds to avoid catch-ups or any need to pass. Drivers will get 3/4 of a lap to warm up the car, tires & brakes. They will then pass the start/finish line on the front straight twice, for two lap times, and finish with 3/4 of a lap to cool down. Prizes will be awarded at Beer :30 for fastest lap (in two groups GT + Turbos and all others), most consistent lap times, and closest to predicted lap time.
This event is an opportunity to support a very worthy charity: University of Colorado Health Burn & Frostbite Center is the first and longest-standing American Burn Association-verified burn center in the Rocky Mountain Region. Donations will be made in memory of Jerry Schouten, a long-time RMR member and avid club racer. Jerry was a patient at the UC Burn Center prior to his untimely passing in 2013.
You will be able to contribute to the charity during registration and, as always, there will be lunchtime charity rides on both days of the event.
Location: High Plains Raceway, 17 miles east of Byers on US-36 (Deer Trail)
Registration: Opens August 3, 2026 at 9:11am
Event Registration fees:
Either day: $250 Each Driver
Both days: $395 Each Driver
- The club will provide refreshments for Beer:30 on both Saturday and Sunday.
- Lunches for volunteers and instructors will be provided.
- Lunchtime charity drives - drive the track at highway speeds for a $20 donation to our charity
- Saturday evening group dinner available for an additional cost of $25/person. You can select this dinner option when you register
This Event will be using Deferred Billing; your credit card will not be charged until Wednesday, September 16.
Dates: Gates open by 11:30 am Thursday September 17, before the event and remain open 24hrs/day until after the event ends on Sunday (the paddock is closed Sunday night). HPR offers open lapping 1-5pm on Thursday and all day Friday. You can register for this on MotorsportReg.com. These open lapping days are a separate charge from the HPDE event.
Check-in: 7:00 AM - 7:55 AM Saturday and Sunday Please check-in before the mandatory 8:00 AM drivers' meeting.
Drivers’ meeting: Starts at 8:00 AM (each day) in the Pavilion (or alternate meeting place).
HPDE Event Chairs: Dave Nelson (mogulmaster@me.com), Vicki Earnshaw (vicklm@aol.com)
HPDE Chief Driving Instructors: Lead CDI: Doug Bartlett (doug@dbartletts.net); Co-CDI: Dave Stribling(davestribling@porschedenverwest.com)
HPDE Registrar: Pete Jensen (804pjj@gmail.com)
Event requirements
This HPDE is an Advanced Solo DE held in conjunction with the PCA National Club Race on the same weekend. Only advanced solo drivers are allowed to participate. Driver participation is subject to approval by the HPDE Chief Driving Instructor.
To qualify, the driver must meet the following criteria:
- If local to RMR,
- You MUST be signed off as a Solo driver by a member of the RMR CDI team
- If an out-of-town HPDE participant
- You MUST be an HPDE instructor, or an intermediate or advanced driver, having driven Solo for at least 4 days on at least 2 different tracks
- You MUST provide a track driving history documenting you meet the criteria above and/or contact information for your local Region’s Chief Driving Instructor.
Shared-driver cars will be allowed provided that one driver has previously run in the Expanded Passing run groups (and is approved by the RMR Chief Driving Instructor) and the co-driver qualifies for Solo HPDE participation.
We will have two Solo HPDE run groups. There will be one Solo run group with designated passing zones. There will be one Solo run group with PCA Expanded Passing rules (further defined by RMR passing zone rules). For passing, a point-by is mandatory in both run groups, and only one car per point-by!
National PCA membership number and membership status will be verified as part of the registration process. If you do not include a valid PCA membership number (or forward a pending membership confirmation from PCA to the registrar), a $10 non-member fee will be assessed. Your priority in being confirmed for an event will depend on the date and time you register. Priority will be given to PCA members.
You must be 18 or older with a valid driver's license to participate in this event.
You are required to use a either a Snell (SA2020/M2020 or newer) or FIA (8859/8860 2024) certified helmet. You will need to wear clothing made of natural fibers such as 100% cotton. Short-sleeve shirts and shorts are now allowed. Closed toe shoes are required while driving. Helmets will be checked at Pre-Tech or Tech at the Track where you may obtain an RMR/PCA helmet sticker confirming th Snell rating. A limited number of loaner helmets and HANS devices are available.
No convertibles or open cars without roll bars, trucks, or non-Porsche SUVs.
PCA RULE: If you have added a racing-type seat in order to use 5-point, 6-point or 7-point harnesses (which must be replaced every two years or every five years depending on whether they are SFI certified or FIA certified belts, respectively), you must also have and use an approved Head and Neck Restraint device. Further, if there is to be a passenger (e.g. instructor), same must be provided and used by the right-seater.
Everyone registering for the DE will be listed as ON HOLD, subject to CONFIRMATION BY THE CDIs.
Pre-tech Inspections will be held on Wednesday September 9 at the following locations, ordered from north to south:
Poudre Sports Car
5806 S College Ave
Fort Collins 80525
970-229-0990
Wed Sept. 9th 5:00-6:30 pm (no charge)
Avanti Autobody (Grant Kennedy)
540 Main St
Fort Lupton, CO 80621
303-798-5767
Wed Sept. 9th 5:00-7:00 pm, or by appointment (no charge)
SimplyEuro Boulder
5749 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder, 80303
720-739-7018
By appointment only (no charge)
Porsche Denver West
9201 West Colfax Ave
Lakewood, CO 80215
303-238-8101
By appointment only (no charge)
SimplyEuro Castle Pines
7520 Village Square Dr
Castle Rock, CO 80108
720-580-2900
By appointment only (no charge)
Big Mission Motorsports
579 County Line Rd
Palmer Lake, CO 80133
719-375-1527
By appointment only (no charge)
If you do not have your car pre-tech'd there will be a $50 fee for Tech at the Track.
Lodging is available in Byers at the Longhorn Budget Host Motel contact # 303-822-5205.
Lodging is available in Watkins at the Country Manor Motel. Contact # 303-261-9650
Lodging is available in Bennett at the Comfort Inn.1097 Cedar Street, Bennett, CO 80102. Contact # (303) 629-6332.
Venue
