NASA requires a minimum of four races in 2015 to qualify for the Western/Eastern States Championships. Since the Western States Championships is in the middle of the season this might present a challenge.
NorCal in particular only has four races (two race weekends) between now and the Western States Championship.
Thunderhill Apr. 18-19, 2015
There is no May race weekend in NorCal.
Sonoma Raceway Jun 20-21, 2015.
What happens if you have a mechanical problem or other? Perhaps play it safe and visit our SoCal friends in May 16-17 at Auto Club Speedway?
What about our friends out East whose season hasn't started yet and thawing out from the snow?

Just a FYI

Hi Ken, that is a tight schedule.
It is my understanding that running TT will also fill the requirement.
At least it has in the past.
We would also welcome any Norcal 944 Racers at any of our events.

The official response from NASA is from Will Faules. I pointed out the tight schedule due to the unusual timing of a Championships race in July instead of at the end of the season (I called it ridiculous), and I was told: "With that attitude maybe you should just skip the event." He stated that the 4-race requirements were there so that "only NASA supporters get to reap the benefits of participating in a Championships event; We get to see the car in tech a few times before the big event (mainly referring to compliance here); Deterring hotshots from spanking our regulars. How would you like it if Randy Pobst built a full on 944Spec car and came out and spanked you at the Champs? Some people might say “cool I got to race with Randy”, but the majority would not like a non-NASA guy coming in and sweeping up the true amateur competitors that support the program and race in it all year long."

I was further told that "it is possible to do it all in 1 weekend in most cases." In my opinion this pretty much nullifies all the above reasons.

Faules goes on: "Can easily be done in 1 weekend with a combination of race, supersize, TT, or enduro if you cannot make 2 of the 3 weekends before the event." Running TT will only substitute for one race requirement--meaning that you can't run 4 TTs and enter a race group. 3 races and 1 TT will work.

My concern is that in NorCal, this requirement was not announced until after one event had already passed. We must make all remaining events without a DNF or DNS, OR we must enter classes we would not normally enter (or in TT where the rules and risks are completely different). If the car breaks on Saturday of our June event, we are done. Yes, we can travel out-of-region, but again, the expenses go up.

Will Faules states that I am the only one that has brought these concerns to his attention and therefore it must not be an issue for other competitors. I disagree--I know of other drivers this rule will affect. If other 944Spec drivers are considering entering the Western States Championships and have the same concerns, I respectfully ask you to contact Will Faules at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and voice your own opinion. This is not just a NorCal issue, it is also an issue for those drivers that are coming from out of region or still building (or rebuilding) their car. FYI, this 4-race rule affects every single driver in NorCal 944Spec--They must finish each of the 4 remaining races to qualify--as no one but Ken Huey showed up for the first event of the season. Because I am Ken's teammate, I must have my own 4 races to qualify.

I also find it interesting that SoCal has made the Championships a points event. Yes, you can drop races, but I think having a Championships race also a season points race is unprecedented. The race will be about twice your normal entry fee and about 4 times your normal expense. Fine, if you were planning on going anyway, but not if you were just running for season points.

Please don't get me wrong. I love NASA and have been an official with NorCal for 20 years. I have been racing with them since 1995. I love Laguna Seca and would like to run the Championships event there. I don't agree with Will Faules on this issue and feel he should lighten up the requirements to enter the race, and also, clarify the rule that says "4 races"--but does not mention anything about the 2015 season.

Thank you Ken Huey for posting this rules issue that I clarified and tried to resolve without success. Hopefully I am the only one with this issue and we will all get together in the paddock for a beer at Laguna Seca.

ioport wrote:


Since the SE Regions racers voiced concern about this as well, I brought it up to the SE Region Director just before we decided drops this season. Found out that the front office requires the represented state championships be included in the regional level points calculations. It was a deal made between the regional directors and national office as a result of splitting the one national championship into two coastal championships. You can either count each race at nationals once (2 quals & main) or the main event as a double points scoring race.

I believe that the Spec E30 race at last years West Coast Championships was also a regional points event for Nor Cal. I will see if I can verify that.

At best if every So-Cal 944 came out to race at WSC it would be a total of 10 cars max.

I personally think it is a good thing to try to persuade as many as possible to be there.

Higher car counts gives everyone more competition through the field. The top So Cal guys will be there either way.

Apparently everyone that was at the WSC earned NorCal points last year. So, I was wrong about it being unprecedented.

Although I agree that is it good to encourage racers to race, the Championships (traditionally) is supposed to be The Best of the Best. NASA has made the Championships less toward that goal and more toward just a more well-attended race.

It is great that NASA has determined that racers like myself cannot afford the money or time off work to go across the country to a Nationals Championship. I enjoyed racing against a larger field at last year's Championship event. I equally enjoyed racing the same number of cars at last year's Laguna Seca crossover event.

I don't believe making a Championships race a season points event is the right approach to encouraging drivers to race. However, the points at the Championships is not really my main concern. It is more that they have the requirement to run 4 races in the season when they also don't allow us enough races to realistically accomplish that goal. If they want to encourage us to race, then they shouldn't make it: harder to enter; more expensive; and--if you bring up an issue with the rules--tell you to go away.

Charles, if SoCal can get 10 cars there, that would be great! As it looks now, NorCal will be lucky to have 2. If anyone else wants to come from NorCal, they will have to qualify in an alternative way to entering 4 NorCal 944Spec races.