History

by Randy Lervold, High Desert Region PCA

A look back

It was late in 2018 that Doug Atkinson had talked to a fellow Lone Star Region member about sim racing and how PCA members could enjoy it. He was told that PCA drivers were already using sim racing to learn tracks, especially Circuit of the Americas (CoTA) in Austin.

Doug contacted PCA Executive Director Vu Nguyen about the feasibility of a national program for PCA sim racers. Vu assigned recently hired PCA Marketing Director Jim Hemig to “see if it might be worth pursuing”. Jim was convinced it could be a good activity for PCA members. Jim provided a surprising bit of information: the Peachstate Region had already started doing sim racing among drivers in their region under the guiding hand of longtime Peachstate member, Andrew Ellsom.

Andrew, Jim, and Doug talked on the phone about some ideas for a national sim racing activity, where the concept was fleshed out. Then PCA members Mike Nyden and William Yu joined in, and the original PCA Sim Racing Steering Committee was formed, which has expanded and continues to this day.

In February 2019, Doug presented the idea at the Winter National Staff meeting to the Zone Representatives and the PCA Executive Committee (EC). The proposal was accepted, and PCA Sim Racing was off and away! A Mission Statement was then drafted, which set the stage for the program’s culture we all now live by and appreciate…

PCA Sim Racing provides a quality sim racing experience, including opportunities for all levels of driving experience, competitive intensity, and sim racing interests, in a friendly environment for all Porsche Club of America members.

The experiment worked

Though the PCA Executive Committee (EC) agreed to respond to member interest initially by supporting a sim racing program, it was considered a bit of an experiment. We are most pleased to report that the program has now shown its value, and the PCA Executive Committee considers it now a regular part of the array of activities it supports for the membership.

However, with our new status comes the need to remove the training wheels concerning our expenses. As PCA members, you’re aware that the majority of PCA activities and events you participate in all carry fees. This is because PCA programs are expected to be as self-funding as possible. Having graduated from the incubator, we had the same expectations for 2025, and now 2026.

A great experience, yet balancing our budget

The time had come for us to begin generating revenue to help balance our budget and enable us to provide all the services and features you want. We have worked on this for nearly a year now: we have surveyed the drivers and surveyed the fees for the various paid Leagues that offer broadcasts and live race control on iRacing to make sure that we have a solution that works for all stakeholders.

We announced the PCA Sim Racing Grid Pass program in 2025. This new program is optional and will have an annual fee of $48. The 2026 Grid Pass entitles the holder to participate in Series 15, Series 16, and the Team Racing Series. All will have race control and broadcasts of every race. All other PCA Sim Racing activities continue at no cost to participants who do not opt-in for the Grid Pass program.

In terms of getting closer to balancing our budget, there’s more to it, though. There are two potential sources of revenue to help cover our expenses: our program fees, which are exactly what the Grid Pass is, and external sponsorships.

The bottom line is that, between our Grid Pass program, external sponsorship from time to time, and PCA covering the rest, the PCA Sim Racing program’s growth will be on solid financial footing.

The 2026 Plan

The 2026 schedule of events will be similar to 2025, with a few refinements and additions.

2026 GridPass activities include:

Series 15
Series 16
Team Racing Series
Special Series (unannounced)

PCA Sim Racing registration activities, no Grid Pass required, and all these events remain free to registered PCA Sim Racing drivers:

Onboarding & Entry League
eDE Trackwalks – Chris’ Classroom (Mondays)
eDE Driver Education Sessions (Mondays)
Arrive & Drive (Tuesdays)
Arrive & Drive Bot Sunday’s
Summer Tour & Zone Group Racing

Important message for Onboarding and Entry Class drivers!

You DO NOT need to purchase a Grid Pass until the year after the year you are classed in:

Pro Class
Club Class
Sport Sport
Challenge Class

– Your PCA Sim Racing Steering Committee