Solo Novice Event Mentor Program
What is it?
New for 2025, NER is trying out an optional Event Mentor program to match novices together with autocross veterans for a single event. The veteran will be able to provide personalized instruction and guidance to the novice on how to navigate SCCA Solo Events with NER as well as how best to meet their own goals when starting out autocrossing with us. Hopefully, this opportunity will serve to help support the Novice Chief in providing the best experience we can for our newest members in order to hopefully retain them and bring them back out to our events as often as possible.
How does it work?
When you register for Solo Events on motorsportreg.com this year, there will be an additional question asking if you would like to opt in as either a Novice or a Veteran autocrosser. This is not a required program for novices or veterans, but will hopefully be a rewarding experience for both sides of the equation that choose to participate in this community building idea. Since this is a new program, we won’t necessarily be able to guarantee a 1-to-1 ratio of veteran mentors to
novices since it depends on volunteer participation, but we will do our best to achieve that goal when possible. Mentors please note that this is a voluntary position for those that are interested in helping novices at our events. This role does not replace your regular work assignment, which will still be expected to be fulfilled.
What can I expect?
If you choose to opt in, we will match together novices and veterans and send you each an email letting you know who each of you are as well as what car to look for to find each other. We do want our veterans to have the opportunity to provide the best experience they can as they see fit, so we won’t make any guarantees about specific experiences, but here are some examples of some ideas that you each might see or use.
● Answer any questions.
● Park in Paddock near each other.
● Attend the “Novice Course Walk” together or perhaps send the novice alone on the
Course Walk with Novice Chief and then do a separate course walk together.
● Attend the Driver’s Meeting together.
● Offer ride-alongs and find other ride-along opportunities with other members.
● Make introductions to others that you know at the event.
● Help figure out a lunch solution.
● Remind folks to have water and sunscreen!
● Instructional ride-alongs. Your mentor isn’t meant to replace our in-car instructors and your mentor should absolutely teach you how to take advantage of that program, but the mentors can certainly supplement and assist the instructor team with additional instructional ride-alongs to provide another point of view.
● Please note that allowing someone else to drive your car, whether it is a mentor’s car or a novice’s car is a *very* personal decision and it very much depends on what the car owner is comfortable with. At our events, there really is never any expectation or pressure that someone will allow or invite another person to drive their own car, but if an owner does choose to invite another person to that it can be a rewarding experience and add an additional layer of fun to the event, but it is always entirely up to you.
● Feel free to participate in this program as often as you would like.
We are looking to benefit members on both sides of the Event Mentor program, so sign up to try it out at our next event!
