RE News – March
Upcoming Events in the Next Few Months
March 27-39 Thunderhill Regional SFR Opener
Link to register here. We’re two weeks away from the March SFR Season Opener at Thunderhill. It’s shaping up to be an exciting weekend. We’re partnering with the SCCA Reno Region for a joint venture; they will be running two sessions: one Time Trial and one Track Day. In addition, Formula Ford Crossflow and B Sedan will each have their own groups. Current entries look strong.
April 24-26 Thunderhill Major/Regional
Link to register here. We’ve worked with both Cal Club and Oregon Regions to create a schedule designed for anyone aiming for the Runoffs. The weekend kicks off with a Test Day on Friday, April 23, followed by two days of qualifying and racing. April weather will be great. It should be a fun weekend on track.
May 15-17 Thunderhill Open
Link to register here. On May 15-17, Thunderhill will host a completely new event. Thunderhill Open is even more than a traditional race weekend, it’s a full festival experience. It’s spectator event and will have vendor booths. The event will feature Spec Miata, Western Touring Car, Rush (a new sports racer), Spec E30 & E46, and World Speed’s Formula Awesome. Road Racing will follow a heat race format with winner-take-all prizes, and the Grassroots Drift Competition will be brought to life by Matt Field and Drift Cave. Evenings will include live music and social gatherings. It promises to be a weekend full of racing, excitement, and good times.
May 29-31 Thunderhill Spec Racer Festival
Link to register here. May 29-31 brings the Spec Racer Festival to Thunderhill. Organized by SCCA National Time Attack, the weekend will feature our Group 6 Spec Racers as the only road racing class. Attendees will have a Test Day on Friday and can look forward to prize drawings and a Spec Racer dinner on Saturday night.
Focus on less Crash Damage
Changes to the SFR Regulations
In 2025, we received numerous complaints about crash damage caused by poor judgment on track. Racing is an expensive hobby, and no one wants to load a car into the trailer damaged. To encourage cleaner, safer racing, we’ve added several important updates to the SFR Region Supplemental Regulations.
Race Starts
Many crashes occurred when drivers “jump the green flag” at the start, often resulting in 4–5 wide cars entering the first turn. To prevent this, drivers must now stay in line with no more than half a car’s width of the car in front. Starters will call a “no start” if anyone is out of position and will record the number of the offending car.
Racing Room
We’re here to race, this is not a track day, which means close car -to-car positioning. Each driver is responsible for deciding when to go, when to hold back, and how much racing room to allow. To support cleaner racing, the Regulations now include a standing policy: “The Region has adopted a standing policy that drivers at fault in the event of body contact may be penalized as outlined in the GCR. All cars involved in body/wheel contact or failure to provide racing room during an event, MUST MANDATORIALLY self-report and stop at Impound at the end of the session”.
We’ve heard that drivers often don’t want to spend the time filing a protest against another driver. Under this new regulation, the Tech Steward will review the facts/videos and determine if any action is necessary. You do not need to file a protest.
Event Operations & Logistics
Event Schedule System
In 2025, we introduced a scheduling method for all sessions called “follow by.” The idea was to eliminate unnecessary gaps between sessions while still allowing extra time when needed, with the goal of maximizing track time for all drivers. However, having both an official schedule and an estimated schedule caused confusion, as many viewed the estimated times as official. For 2026, there will be only one official schedule.
- Green flag start times are estimates, not fixed
- Times are set “no sooner than,” meaning you may arrive early for grid but will never be late.
Drivers will need to be aware of who is on track according to the schedule sequence. While a fixed-time schedule may seem simpler, it conflicts with our goal of maximizing driver track time.
Loading Process
The basic load-in process for events will remain the same: Workers → Shops → Entrants. There is, however, one change and one addition:
- Change: If you are a driver who is part of a Shop but transport your own car and paddock with the Shop, make sure your Shop has your name on their load-in list. Shops will submit their Driver lists to our office, and the information will be available in the event staging areas.
- Addition: The Driver acceptance email sent prior to the event will include a diagram of the staging area showing where Shops should line up.
Worker Appreciation Fund (WAF)
The WAF fund provides meals for our workers, and your contributions make a real difference. A good lunch and dinner are a small payment for the value the Workers bring to all of us as Road Racers. When you enter, please donate as much as your budget will allow to the WAF.