About this event
Porsche Club of America Diablo Region Track Day at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Friday, March 19, 2021
Limited size run groups, lots of track space, tons of track time
"Have Fun, Be Safe, Drive Fast"
THIS EVENT IS FOR PORSCHE CARS ONLY - All event details can be found at www.diablo-de.org
UPDATES:
3/9/21: The registration issue has been resolved. If you encounter any issues registering please contact ciopyk@comcast.net
3/6/21: There is an issue with the registration page, asking for either the Participant or Instructor Quantity Field. This issue has been reported to MSR. If you were planning to register and could not complete your registration due to this error, please email ciopyk@comcast.net to let me know what group you were planning to register for.
3/3/21: We are now wait listing Advanced drivers. There is no charge to be on the wait list. We expect to have the final disposition on this wait list by March 8.
3/2/21: We are currently wait listing people who register for the Intermediate run group. There is no charge to be on the wait list. We expect to have the final disposition on this wait list by March 8.
2/9/21: Beginner Lead-Follow run group is sold out. Anyone who has already registered for Beginner Lead-Follow is on a wait list, while we work out the total number of participants we can handle.
General Event Information:
This event is open to all Porsche drivers.
We are a Porsche club, not a driving school or a driving business. We run several safe, fun and friendly track events each year. We do not race, time trial or time laps. We limit this event to 25 cars per run group so that we can offer plenty of room on track and lots of track time. The DE team will review all registered drivers and will confirm the run group classification for each driver based on overall track experience. During the event the DE team will work to accommodate drivers wishing to change run groups, subject to approval by our Chief Driving Instructor (CDI).
We are offering a limited number of spots for Lead / Follow Instruction. That means if you have not yet been cleared to solo, you will have the chance to get back on track with us this year, subject to availability. Reservations for drivers who need instruction on a first come, first served basis. All Instruction will conform to the Porsche Club of America Lead-Follow instruction protocol, where student (non-solo certified drivers) will drive solo in their car, but will be following a certified instructor who is driving their own car. Both instructor and student will communicate using radio equipment.
We expect to run four run groups: Beginner Lead-Follow, Beginner Solo, Intermediate, Advanced/Instructor. The Beginner Lead-Follow group is expected to fill up quickly.
At this time all participants registering as Beginner Lead-Follow will be placed in a wait-list, while we confirm the total number of Instructors for this event. This wait list will be cleared on a first registered/first cleared basis.
IMPORTANT: Helmet Rating Requirements:
You are required to bring an approved helmet to this DE event as Laguna Seca does not offer helmet rentals.
Helmets must be certified for one of the following standards: SA 2015, SA 2020, FIA 8859–2015, or 8860-2018. No other helmets types/ratings are allowed.
The Snell Foundation updates the safety standards for helmets every 5 years. In October of 2020 the newest iteration of helmets that meet the newest standard (SA 2020) started to become available at local and on-line retailers worldwide. Our minimum DE standards require that helmets used in HPDE events be of the current standard (which is now SA 2020) or the one immediately prior (SA 2015). Helmets meeting the FIA 8859–2015 or 8860-2018 standards are also approved for DE use. This means helmets with an SA 2010 sticker or pre-2015 FIA sticker will no longer be suitable for our events going forward.
COVID-19 Related Changes:
Due to Covid-19 restrictions and requirements, this event will be run differently than pre-Covid-19 Diablo PCA DE events:
- We are unable to provide in-car instruction due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Instruction will be via Lead/Follow (Student following an Instructor driven car)
- All participants will need to read, sign, and return specific waivers that will be provided before the event.
- Event details, such as the DE 101/201 class, meals at the event, and general event logistics, will be communicated to registered participants as we get closer to the event date.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Private Instructors/Coaches:
Private instructors/coaches are not allowed at this event.
Passing will be with mandatory point-by in all groups:
We take safety very seriously, and will “black flag” any participant who disregards passing protocols or consistently fails to give point by's, including denying access to the track with no refund of registration fees if deemed necessary by the safety officer.
Sound Limit Strictly Enforced:
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca enforces a strict sound limit. This is expected to be a 92db day, so please make sure your car will pass under the sound limit prior to arriving at the track. Porsches with the PSE (Porsche Sport Exhaust) option WILL EXCEED THE SOUND RESTRICTIONS when at full throttle at Laguna Seca, even if the PSE option is turned off! Please read the Laguna Seca sound restriction information on our DE website (http://www.diablo-de.org) to learn how to keep under the sound limit and avoid being denied driving at Laguna Seca. No refunds if your car fails to pass the track sound checks.
Safety Inspection Information:
All drivers must certify that their car has passed a safety inspection by an authorized person within 30 days of this event, per PCA guidelines. The safety inspection form can be downloaded from our DE website (http://www.diablo-de.org/home.html). All drivers must complete this safety inspection form to verify that the condition of their car is ready for the track. Well maintained Porsches should have no problem passing tech inspection if they have good brakes, tires, no oil leaks and no defects. If in doubt, have the experts look at your car.
The following sponsor is offering free tech inspections:
- Kahlers in Dublin – by appt. only
Contact them at service@kahlers.com or by phone at 925-829-2050.
Instructors
All instructors will need to drive their car on the track, and must have been certified by a PCA Region to provide Lead-Follow instruction. The Diablo Region DE team will review all Instructor sign-ups. No non-driving instructors are needed for this event.
Garages/Parking:
Reserved garage parking at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is no longer available for our DE events. Parking at this event will be subject to the track’s requirements and restrictions.
Run Group Selection:
- 4 Run Groups: Beginner Lead/Follow, Beginner Solo, Intermediate, Advanced/Instructor
- Drivers with 5 or less track days, or have not been cleared to drive solo, must register as Beginner Lead/Follow <SOLD OUT>
- Drivers with 19 or less track days and have been cleared to drive solo should register as Beginner Solo or Intermediate (wait list)
- Drivers with 20 or more track days or Instructor experience can register as Advanced (wait listed)
Two Drivers Sharing One Car:
If two different drivers are planning to drive the same vehicle, BOTH drivers must reside in the same household, per COVID-19 requirements, AND must be qualified to drive in different run groups (i.e., one driver must have enough DE experience to run in a higher run group than the other driver). Both drivers will not be allowed to drive in the same run group.
No passengers or guests are allowed in cars during hot lap sessions.
Registration Fee: $385 per driver
- Registration will close when the maximum driver count is reached, or on midnight March 10, 2021, whichever is earlier.
- All registrations are considered preliminary until confirmed by the DE committee. You will be notified once your registration is confirmed, or if you are wait-listed, or if we were not able to accommodate your registration for this event.
- All refunds are subject to a $75 cancelation fee. Sorry, no refunds after March 9, 2021.
- Instructors are $175
Event requirements
IMPORTANT STUFF
Laguna Seca
1. Registration is Critical – priority for acceptance into this limited Event is decided by date of registration. In the unfortunate Event that you register but we don’t have a place available, you will not be charged for registration or a cancelation fee. Your credit card is not charged at time of registration. It will be charged on a space available basis as we confirm you into the Event and prior to the Event taking place.
2. Drivers are invited (strongly recommended) to attend our DE Introduction briefing called DE 101 / 201, which is typically held two weeks prior to the Event. Due to COVIC-19 social distancing requirements, this will be a virtual event. We will have a discussion on driving Laguna Seca and an opportunity for drivers of any level to share their experiences, ask questions, etc.
4. Final Event details, schedules and instructions will be emailed to you about 1 week before the Event.
5. Only one participant and one family member are allowed per registered vehicle.
6. Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, has exhibited any COVID-19 symptoms, or has had close personal contact with anyone else who is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms within two weeks of the Event is not allowed to attend the Event. The symptoms of COVID-19 may include, without limitation, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell is not feeling well, experiencing a cough or fever, are requested to stay home.
7. No later than two weeks prior to the Event (i.e., by no later than March 5), you must provide the Event registrar with the full name, residence address and cell number for you and any family member who is attending with you, and with the vehicle registration identification number (the VIN number not the license plate) of your car (or of your tow vehicle if you are towing your car). We will provide this information to Laguna Seca, which will be checked before you are allowed to enter the paddock.
8. All participants and any family members attending the Event must provide a driver’s license or other photo ID to gain entrance to the paddock.
9. Participants and guests must provide their own face masks. You must wear your mask when checking in at the gate. Masks must be worn at all times when outside of a vehicle. Gloves are also recommended.
10. Temperatures will be checked with No Touch Thermometers upon entry to the paddock. Those recording a temperature of 100.4° F or higher will be turned away.
11. Before being allowed to enter the paddock, all participants and any family members attending the Event must sign Laguna Seca’s Waiver, PCA’s Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement, and PCA’s Communicable Disease Exposure and Infection Assumption of Risk, Hold Harmless, Release, Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement. Bring your own pen to sign the Waivers.
12. Registration check-in will also be at the entry to the paddock. On the morning of the Event, you must present the Registrar with a completed safety inspection form (the driver certifies that their car has undergone a safety inspection by an authorized person within 30 days of the Event). Please find our Tech Inspection form here http://www.diablo-de.org/home.html.
13. We will supply disposable vinyl numbers for your car, which you can place on the glass of your windshield and rear window.
14. All drivers must attend the mandatory driver’s meeting, which takes place before the track is opened. We will review important information, such as passing and safety rules, the flags used by corner workers, the condition of the track, etc. You will receive your run group wrist band at the end of the morning meeting. No one will be allowed onto the track without a wrist band.
15. If you arrive to the track after the morning meeting, you must meet with a Diablo DE team member to complete the registration process, turn in your completed Tech Inspection Form, review the items discussed during the morning meeting, and receive your wrist band. You will not be allowed to go on the track until you have done this.
16. Social distancing must be practiced at all times during the Event. No social grouping is allowed while on track or in the pit lane. No more than six (6) people will be allowed in any one area and 6 foot distancing must be adhered to all times. Face masks are to be worn when you are outside of a vehicle. Paddock layout must demonstrate 8 feet of separation between vehicles.
17. All registered participants will be provided lunch. Lunch is available for purchase for all guests.
18. If you are sharing a car with someone who you reside with, you both need to register separately and in different run groups. The registration form has a section where you can provide your car sharing details.
19. Helmets are required and must meet Snell SA 2015 or 2015 FIA or newer standards. The Snell Foundation updates the safety standards for helmets every 5 years. In October of 2020 the newest iteration of helmets that meet the newest standard (SA 2020) started to become available at local and on-line retailers worldwide. Our minimum DE standards require that helmets used in HPDE events be of the current standard (which is now SA 2020) or the one immediately prior (SA 2015). Helmets which meet the FIA 8859–2015 or 8860-2018 standards. This means helmets with an SA 2010 sticker or pre-2015 FIA sticker will no longer be suitable for our events going forward. No motorcycle helmets are allowed. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca does not rent helmets, so you will need to obtain an approved helmet before arriving at the track for this Event.
20. High speed driving is inherently dangerous and all drivers and other participants in a PCA Diablo Region DE Event must accept and assume the risks associated with this sport. All participants must sign the PCA Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement. Before the Event, members of the DE team will drive around the track to look for any unusual conditions on or around the track, such as mud, water or other debris, sand bags or other objects, uneven surfaces, etc., and we will discuss any such unusual conditions during the morning driver’s meeting. However, the PCA Diablo Region and our DE team members are not experts about track conditions and safety or about conducting track inspections, and you should not rely on us to spot or notify you about every potential hazard you might encounter during this Event. You are ultimately responsible for driving safely, which includes being aware of the track conditions. We encourage you to conduct your own inspection of the track and its environs in order to spot and avoid potential hazards on or around the track, such as walls, tire barriers, mud, water or other debris, sand bags or other objects, uneven surfaces, etc.
21. Because of the risks presented by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, all participants and guests must also sign PCA’s Communicable Disease Exposure and Infection Assumption of Risk, Hold Harmless, Release, Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement. Prior to participating in the Event, you and any guests should review the social distancing rules and protocols established by the State, the County, PCA Diablo and/or the Track, which include without limitation maintaining a minimum 6 foot social distance from others at all times, wearing a face mask at all times when not in your car, frequently washing hands, and proper hygiene and sanitation practices, and assigned parking locations. Failing to fully comply with any and all such rules and protocols, or with any other instructions from PCA Diablo and/or the Track during the Event, may result in you and your guests being asked to leave the Event and in being denied access to other PCA Diablo events in the future. You will not be allowed to participate in or attend the Event if, at any point in the prior two weeks, you exhibited any of the symptoms of COVID-19 which, according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines may include, without limitation, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell. Temperatures will be taken with an infrared non-contact forehead thermometer at the entrance to the Track facility and anyone with a 100.4° F or higher temperature will not allowed to enter. Only those guests who have been disclosed on a timely basis to Diablo PCA prior to the Event will be allowed to enter the Track grounds.
Questions? Ask the DE Committee chair, Adam Cipriano (DiabloPCA.DEChair@gmail.com)
