Coastal Driving School Rule Book

Your Car
  • Open Cars: Any make of car delivered with factory-installed roll over protection meets the minimum standards for PCA DE events. If a car does not have factory installed roll over protection, a roll bar must be installed which meets the "broomstick" rule (the driver's helmeted head is below a bar placed on top of the rollbar and windshield).. All sunroofs must be removed or in the closed position. The windshield alone is not considered to be factory roll over protection.
  • Chairman or chief instructor have discretion to decide whether a car is safe to run.
  • Windows must be down on both sides.
  • Rollbar/cage not required unless the car has been structurally compromised.
  • Restraint Systems: All vehicles must have, at a minimum, 3-point factory restraint systems or the equivalent.  5- or 6-point harnesses are permitted.  If the driver and passenger sides have different restraint systems types, the superior system must be on the passenger side.
  • Car Numbers: All cars must have legible numbers on both sides. Minimum digit height is 8". Numbers on glass are acceptable provided they can be identified by turn workers. If there is more than one driver using your car, you will have two numbers. We try to make the numbers similar when possible so that (for example) a single digit can be crossed out with tape. The driver is responsible for obtaining and marking the car with car numbers. 1 1/2" blue painters tape works well on many cars.

You
  • Entrant Age: The minimum age for any driving entrant is eighteen years.
  • Driver's License: All entrants must have a valid driver's license (state, country or province as appropriate).
  • Car Occupancy: If two people are in a car, one must be an approved event instructor and the other must be a registered entrant in the event.
  • Taste of the Track (TotT):  Porsche owners who are not registered for the event but are desiring to more fully understand the drivers’ education activities may register for the Taste of the Track program. This will be limited to one time for each person at each track. Under this program you will be paired with a CDS instructor and "ride along" with that instructor during one of the instructor run sessions. To register for a TotT session, see the registrar at the event and fill out the TotT registration form.
  • Clothing: All car occupants must wear a Snell approved helmet, which has the current available Snell rating or the one previous Snell rating.  Footwear must be enclosed, non-slip, with a relatively smooth sole. Hiking type deep lugged soles, or platform soles are not acceptable.
  • Eye Protection: If the car does not have a windshield, the driver must be equipped with eye protection.
  • Drivers' Meeting: All events must have a drivers' meeting prior to putting cars on the track to review event procedures and policies.
  • Novice Meeting: There shall be a mandatory session for all novice drivers, which will include track etiquette and safety procedures.

Inspections
  • Car Safety Inspection: The car owner must certify that the car is safe to run on the track and that the car has been inspected within thirty days prior to the event.
  • Final Safety Inspection: A final safety inspection of the car shall be performed within 24 hours at a site near or at the event facility.  This will include inspection of the helmet, the restraint system, all loose objects to be removed, gas cap must be tight and any other items deemed necessary by the event chair.  The car will be identified with a sticker as having passed the final inspection.

Driving Behavior
  • Passing Zones: Passing zones for all groups shall be well-defined at the Drivers' Meeting. All passing must be completed by the end of the passing zone as defined by the event organizer.  There will be no passing in the turns and under red flag conditions there is also no passing under yellow flag conditions except for slow-moving vehicles whose drivers have signaled that their vehicles are disabled.
  • Passing Signals and Procedures: All passing in the designated areas will be with the use of hand signals to direct the passing car safely around the car being passed.  It is preferred that the car being passed remains on line allowing the faster car to pass safely.  In the event of drivers who, due to a physical impairment, are unable to use hand signals, the use of turn signals to signal passing will be permitted.
  • Erratic Driving: In the event of an incident of four wheels off, spin, and/or contact, the driver must come into the pits to have the car looked over and to be queried for the cause after the first incident. After the second incident, the driver may sit out rest of session or, if late in session, following session.  After any spin or off an instructor may be required in the car at the discretion of the chair and/or chief instructor.

Other Rules
 
  • Lap Timing: Our DE Programs are not timed events. Any timing is done for instructional purposes only, and is not part of the operation of the event.
  • Event Registration: Every entrant will complete a registration form which must include an emergency contact and minimum medical information; such as, allergies, blood type, and any unusual medical conditions.
  • Entrants are responsible for any and all damage that occurs to their own vehicles.
  • NO ALCOHOL OR CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES CAN BE CONSUMED BY ANY PARTICIPANT DURING THE HOURS OF EVENT OPERATION, OR BY ANY PERSON AT THE SITE OF THE EVENT DURING THE HOURS OF EVENT OPERATION. This is not intended to prevent participants from taking medication as long as it does NOT have an effect upon the person's ability to control a vehicle at speed.