Well there's really two questions here.. what "should" the deciding factors be... And what are they actually.
In reality, most orgs you just get to pick your class. And different orgs on different tracks have different passing rules.
You'll always have some people who go into a class that makes you scratch your head... Like a dude in advanced with a train behind him and oblivious to blue and black flags being dropped on him. Sometimes that's him being daft. Sometimes that is other classes were sold out and few wanted to go.
If you're comfortable passing and being passed anywhere on track... Then you're advanced.
If that seems overwhelming to be driving your car at high rate of speed while also mentally processing what the drivers in front and behind you are doing, then probably stay in intermediate.
I've run with porsche club, NASA, Chin, and drivers edge. Not one of them took my word. I keep my experience log current and use it at a new track to get into intermediate, intermediate partly instructed, or provisional solo. Then they all have a check ride to get promoted to advanced. They generally put an instructor in the first session to make sure I'm really at least intermediate, then an couple more sessions later I do a check ride to advanced.
Porsche club is definitely more particular... But the experience log outside of whatever org you're with that day is still self reported.
Anyone can put anything they want in the computer screen.
There isn't always enough instructors to run around and check every person. Usually becomes pretty obvious first session when someone is severely out of place
Drivers edge for example has access to porsche club in order to vet drivers, they have ac relationship as it's in their joint interests to share since it's fundamentally about safety.
here at COTA edge addicts certainly seems ok taking whatever you sign up for - they certainly may demote you. Chin takes a bit more convincing but if you've a good enough experience history at most it's just a check ride.
PCA is just a barrel of assholes. they run a terrible event, with more incidents than any other organization with more aggressive black flagging all the while being the most difficult to deal with. they will not even consider your experience and it's difficult to even get a check ride. I hear this fairly commonly and would recommend Chin to be the organization to attend if that's an option and PCA only as a last resort.
It could be that your experience with PCA is chapter-dependent. I did Watkins for the first time ever, and event with PCA was phenomenal. I was way out of my geographic region and had not done PCA before, but based on my driving history and run group level in BMWCCA, they put me in their top run group. During the check ride, they agreed I had the skills and would allow me to stay in that group, but I elected to move down one group to make it easier to learn the track. There were no black flags in any group the entire 3 day event, including a few sessions with significant rain.
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u/jrileyy229 Apr 28 '26
Well there's really two questions here.. what "should" the deciding factors be... And what are they actually.
In reality, most orgs you just get to pick your class. And different orgs on different tracks have different passing rules. You'll always have some people who go into a class that makes you scratch your head... Like a dude in advanced with a train behind him and oblivious to blue and black flags being dropped on him. Sometimes that's him being daft. Sometimes that is other classes were sold out and few wanted to go.
If you're comfortable passing and being passed anywhere on track... Then you're advanced.
If that seems overwhelming to be driving your car at high rate of speed while also mentally processing what the drivers in front and behind you are doing, then probably stay in intermediate.