Tarheel Cup Series to go to a Sprint Race Format

April 28, 2021

As you may have seen at CMP in late March and will see again at VIR next weekend, the Tarheel Cup Series and (at least for May) the Atlantic Pro Cup Series have abandoned the Enduro (multi-driver) format in favor of a Sprint (one-driver) format. Below is the explanation of why we feel this is in the best interest of the two series.

In mid-December, a notice and a chart was put out by SCCA’s home office presenting sanction fees for 2021. Halfway down in the text of the notice was an explanation of a significant change to sanction fees. Prior to this, all racing was billed under one sanction fee of $56.25 and was charged just once on each car/driver for the entire weekend, regardless of how many races a car/driver entered. For 2021 and beyond, that was to be modified to break out ‘Regional’ racing from ‘Enduro’ racing. Henceforth, each type of race (Regional, Enduro) run during the same weekend would be charged a sanction fee of $56.25, effectively doubling the fees for car/drivers that entered both types of race in the same weekend. In addition, any compliance fees due from SRF and SRF3 entries for Regional races would also be charged again for an Enduro entries, adding another $30. One could assume that at least some of this is due to increasing insurance costs, but the notice did not say that.

So what defines an Enduro race? GCR Sec. 3.1.2 states that “All races, except US Majors Tour events, are designated Regional races.” And, in 3.1.2.D “An endurance race is a single race that may allow multiple drivers in the same car.” Therefore, any race that merely allowed a second driver would incur the second sanction fee on all entries, even for those without a second driver. SEDIV apparently does more Enduro racing than almost any other division in SCCA, so those of us involved in the leadership of the Enduro series across SEDIV raised the red flag and a Zoom meeting was called in mid-March with the highest level of SCCA’s staff. In response to our objections, SCCA lowered the additional Enduro sanction fee for 2021 from $56.25 to just the amount attributable to insurance ($37), and dropped the second $30 compliance fee for racing on SRF’s and SRF3’s altogether. This is only for 2021. For 2022 and beyond, it’s assumed the full fees will be added ($56.25 + $30). Within days of that meeting, in late March, SCCA also announced its new SCCA Endurance Championship program.

In reviewing posted TCS results from our own website from 2016 to 2020 inclusive, less than 10% of TCS entries actually opted for second drivers, so do we raise entry fees on the two shorter series just because a second driver is permissible, or do we drop the Enduro label and run them as Sprint races under the Regional sanction fee? We decided to abandon the multi-driver Enduro format rather than raise entry fees. For now at least, the two-minute mandatory pit stop for TCS and APC will remain. But the opportunity will continue for drivers to get in another race that is 50% longer than a typical SARRC race, and if you choose it as your third and fourth race, be able to get it at a substantial discount. ECR will remain as our Enduro series and the only series that will allow co-drivers, at least for now. What isn’t changing is that all the TCS, APC, and ECR races, whether run as Sprint or Enduro, allow almost any car with fenders to enter. So jump in and enjoy some affordable extra seat time.

North Carolina Region

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