Thank you for volunteering your time and effort to help our new drivers enjoy their first day at our event. What you are doing is an important component of our Be Safe and Have Fun approach to HPDE.
Can you remember your first day at an HPDE event? I can. I was nervous and questioning my decision to put my newly acquired Porsche on the track. I had many questions, but there was no way I was going to be that guy and ask them in front of a hundred people at the drivers meeting. My instructor was great but very busy and after our in car debrief he was off to his next assignment.
That's why we've asked individuals who aren't instructors to answer questions from our first day drivers. Your role is to answer their questions and make them feel comfortable. Everyone has questions in the beginning; you have been there and most likely asked those questions or at least heard the answers. You may not know the answer to every question, but you know who does know the answer.
An excellent resource for the new driver are the links in the event information email. The information in those links was developed over the last fifteen years. Hundreds of hours have been spent discussing and documenting what the requirements are for a safe and fun event.
You will receive contact information for your novice driver shortly. Please contact them via email and ask them to read the documents referenced in the event information email then set up a short phone to call to answer any questions that they have after reading the documents. Schedule a place and time to meet them during the morning of the first day of the event and finally, check in with them in the afternoon to see how their day is going.
If you have questions, comments or suggestions for improvements, please contact paddockreporter@ncr-pca.org.
Thanks again!
Updated July 09, 2025
The PCA National Drivers Education Committee has updated the Driver Education Minimum Standards.
The section of the Driver Education Minimum Standards document to take particular attention to is the use of a Head and Neck restraint system commonly known as a HANS device, is now mandatory for both student and instructor when a five, six or seven-point harness are being used. Exceptions and detail for some Four-point systems are also listed in the document.
"The participant should BE AWARE that the addition of such a seat and harness system results in the occupant being fastened upright in the vehicle. Therefore, in order to have a COMPLETE SYSTEM, a properly padded roll bar or roll cage is recommended, and an approved head and neck restraint device is required. A head and neck restraint device certified as meeting the standards of either SFI 38.1 or FIA 8858 or its successor is required. The use of such a harness system without roll protection and a head and neck restraint device may result in an unsafe environment and is not a COMPLETE SYSTEM. Roll bars or cages and their installation must meet PCA Club Racing Standards.
When using a head and neck restraint device, it is recommended that one follow the SFI Recertification process for the head and neck restraint device. The instructions for this can be found on the device. Additionally, it is recommended that the straps be replaced every five years."
NCR Chief Instructor and DE Committee comments:
* Functioning three-Point belt requires the same fitment as provided by the stock seat.
The North Country Region Drivers Education team will be using text messages to augment the PA announcements for schedule changes and other significant operational issues during the Club Motorsports events.
Due to FCC requirements, you have to opt-in to the service. (We checked with MotorsportReg and this service is separate from the SpeedWaiver opt-in). If you did not opt-in during registration, you need to enable the service for North Country Region Drivers Education Club entry in your account details at MotorsportReg.com by following the link below.
We opened the 2024 Season with two fantastic days at Lime Rock Park. Great weather and and lot's of track time!
Click below to see all the photos!
The final event of the NCR/NER driving season will visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway(NHMS). It looks spectactular in the fall and we expect over two hours of on track time per day.
For many of us this is the track where we had our first taste of HPDE. The clubs have visited NHMS yearly until last year and we are back for our season ending event in 2023.
The technical, twelve turn, 1.6 mile track rewards drivers that look ahead and have smooth inputs. Here are three of the twelve turns.
Turn 3

The Bowl

Turn 10

March 9 (Sat) HMS NCR/NER
May 6&7 (Mon,Tue) Lime Rock Park NCR
May 24-26(Fri,Sat,Sun) Thompson NER
June 14-16(Fri,Sat,Sun) Palmer NER
July 3-5(Wed,Thu,Fri) Calabogie NER
July 18-20(Thu,Fri,Sat) Club Motorsports NCR
August 9-11(Fri,Sat,Sun) Watkins Glen NER
September 5-7(Thu,Fri,Sat) Club Motorsports NCR
September 27-29(Fri,Sat,Sun) Palmer NER
October 5&6 (Sat,Sun) NHMS NCR
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