(This article was written by Dayle Frame, SCCA Board of Directors member and interim Chair for the Club Racing Board.)

I was appointed by the Board of Directors as the interim Club Racing Board (CRB) Chair back in January, and in the months that followed, I’ve noticed a few things that – if worked on together by the CRB and membership – stands to benefit the entire SCCA® Road Racing program.

It’s no secret that the CRB, along with the various Advisory Committees (ACs) that support it, are populated with members who have been on these boards and committees for quite a while. The folks who are on these committees are committed to improving the Club Racing program, and they’re doing a fine job – yet we need to consider adding new members who will bring fresh ideas and new vitality.

The point is this: A lot of members assume the CRB and its Advisory Committees are on top of every facet of the SCCA Road Racing program, but the truth is, the CRB can only work on that which the members make the CRB aware. The CRB needs your help to offer guidance on what’s important to you. In addition, the stewards program and Region management across the Club are also populated with members who have been in their post for some time – they could also use some new blood in their ranks.

It’s time to solve these issues – and no, I’m not talking about a ground-up overhaul of the system; what needs to happen is easily achievable with little more than your help. To that end, a version of this article will appear in Fastrack. Drivers were also emailed a survey (through SurveyMonkey.com) over the weekend that allows them to voice their feedback on a variety of event-related topics. If you missed this in your inbox, please check again or email roadracing@scca.com for assistance.

For the good of the program and the Club, I’m asking that drivers get more involved with the Club Racing Board. It’s your Club – why not get a better understanding of how it operates? Valuable insight can be gained by knowing “how the sausage is made,” as it were.

Here are a few ways you can consider helping the Club:

Apply To Be on the CRB and/or Advisory Committees
If you are interested in getting involved in the rule making process, please send a resume to the CRB (crbscca.com) and it will be forwarded to the appropriate Advisory Committee. Your experience, knowledge, and insight can be a valuable resource for your class, category, and the program in general.

Submit Your Questions
The CRB has a letter log system (once again, crbscca.com) to allow you to ask the CRB questions about the program. If you have a question, please submit it via the letter log system. If you think the question is worthy of asking, there’s a very good chance many more are interested in the response as well. The CRB is not made of mind readers – if you don’t ask, it may not be something that’s on our radar. If you do ask, it will be!

Consider Becoming a Steward
The Club can always use more folks entering the stewards program. The stewards are the facilitators, administrators, and adjudicators of SCCA’s Road Racing events. Stewards would appreciate more drivers getting involved in that program. The efforts of stewards make our events safe, fair, and fun. Give it a try!

Get Involved on the Regional Level
If rule making or event control isn’t your thing, consider getting involved locally. Get engaged behind the scenes and work with the Regional Executive (RE) or Race Chair to get a handle on how things are pulled together for a local race. I’ve done it for years and it’s very satisfying. The easiest way to begin is to go to scca.com/trackside – there, SCCA will get you connected with local leaders where your volunteering journey can begin.

Knowledge is power. The bottom line is, the more you know about “the system,” the better you’ll be able to navigate within it and affect change.

Feel free to contact me via email with any questions you may have about this effort, and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.

Photo by Rick Corwine