“The overwhelming benefit for our members is the satisfaction that a teacher feels when a student does well, or when somebody says, ‘My older son went through this program, and now we think it’s important for our daughter to do the same,’” Paul Malecki said when asked about why a Region of the Sports Car Club of America® should host a Tire Rack Street Survival teen driving school. “It just makes one feel a lot better about life.”

Yes, SCCA members have fun with cars, but they are also the most qualified to teach others, especially youngsters, how to be safe with cars. That’s exactly the mission of the Tire Rack Street Survival teen driving schools, a program that actually spreads across several like-minded clubs, including the BMWCCA and Porsche Club of America.

Tire Rack Street Survival goes beyond typical high-school driver education programs, which put more focus on classroom theory and parallel parking than controlling the momentum of a two-ton vehicle at speed. The primary emphasis of the Tire Rack Street Survival program is a hands-on driving experience in real-world situations, using their own cars, to teach young drivers about its handling limits and how to control them.

SCCA Regions are some of the biggest supporters of the program, hosting 45 schools in 2019. COVID saw that number fall to zero, with the program slowly rebuilding in the years that followed. In 2022, 16 Street Survival schools were hosted by SCCA Regions – considering young drivers continue to get their licenses, this lifesaving program is as necessary as ever. Luckily, the Street Survival program is experiencing growth once more, with SCCA Regions hosting more schools in the first six months of 2023 than took place all last year.

SCCA’s Mohawk-Hudson Region is one of the SCCA Regions that stepped up to the plate, with Malecki, who chaired the event, noting that the good that comes from hosting a Street Survival school extends beyond teen driving safety. “For the Region, it is an event for bonding between different groups in the Club: racers, flaggers, Solo, and Time Trials participants, etc.,” Malecki noted. “It provides a social nexus that is critical to the continued life of a club; something more than just the same old group doing their same old thing.”

Every day in the United States, approximately eight teenagers die in a traffic accident, and many more are injured. The goal of the Tire Rack Street Survival program is to reduce the risk of that happening – and unlike many things in today’s society, there’s a clear step you and your Region can take to help out.

There are many benefits to SCCA Regions hosting Tire Rack Street Survival schools. For starters, there is overwhelming proof that it makes young drivers better on the street – which means driving gets safer with every school hosted. And for the Region, Liqui Moli donates $100, and FCP Euro contributes $200 for each school held, helping offset the cost to the Region. Also, SCCA’s Solo department offers discounts to Regions hosting a Street Survival school on an autocross weekend, while SCCA Foundation provides instructional workbooks, instructor and volunteer shirts, and other materials needed to host a successful program, as well as financial support for site rental or other expenses.

If you or your Region are interested in hosting a Tire Rack Street Survival teen driving school, reach out to Melanie Murray, SCCA’s National Coordinator for Tire Rack Street Survival, at (843) 224-2449, or StreetSurvival@SCCA.com.

Another Way to Help

A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, SCCA Foundation’s mission is to support the Sports Car Club of America by providing inclusive opportunities for motorsports competition, safety, education, and historical preservation.

Donations from Club members empower SCCA Foundation to continue efforts such as the Tire Rack Street Survival program, which offers life-saving advanced driver training for teens. Your donation will help the Foundation grow this crucial and life-saving program. There are also opportunities for additional corporate sponsor participation.

Head to the SCCA Foundation’s website to learn more about the organization, and to make a donation.

Photo by Gregory Pfaff