Photo Courtesy of Gregory Pfaff

If you know Road Atlanta, you probably know that 10am-12pm on Sundays is known as “quiet time,” marked on event schedules as “NO RACE ENGINES.” There is plenty of speculative lore surrounding this policy, mostly tracking back to an early 80’s rock concert, but what is known for sure is that this is matter of law – race engines cannot be run during quiet hours. What to do with that time on a race weekend?

Wait – what about Street Engines? An excellent question! Within that question lies the core principle of Atlanta Region’s Shush! Sessions – NO RACE ENGINES! That means YOU have a chance to get on track in your STREET CAR and experience on of the greatest tracks in North America!

Shush! Sessions are open to drivers of all experience levels. You will get two 20-minute sessions on track in either the Novice, Intermediate or Advanced group. Plus, because these events happen as part of Atlanta Region SCCA Road Racing events, you will also get gate passes for you and a guest to check out the racing that afternoon. We also have coffee on hand, and you can probably snag a doughnut if you arrive early enough.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Shush! Sessions are run within the policies and procedures of SCCA’s Track Night in America program. If you’ve done Track Night, you are set for a Shush! Session (provided your car is appropriately muffled). If not, or want to refresh, here are some key links:

• Rules and Regulations: https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/pages/rules-and-regulations
• FAQs: https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/pages/faq-2
• (OPTIONAL) On-Track Insurance: https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/pages/track-insurance-2

WHAT’S DIFFERENT FROM TRACK NIGHT?

• Or course, sound requirements for Shush! Sessions are stricter than Track Night in America
• Entry fee is only $100 for SCCA members, $125 for non-members (become a member today!)
• Because we only have 2 hours to work with, there will be 2 sessions per group
• There is not a paced session – so some performance driving experience (e.g., on track, autocross, karting) is preferred.

SO HOW QUIET IS QUIET?

It can be tough to know for sure if your car is Shush! Session eligible. And, unfortunately, as this is a matter of law, we can’t be very flexible. BUT if you show up and the car is just too loud, we will be happy to offer you a refund or credit for a future event. That said, here are some good ways to gauge if you are going to be ok:

• You have a factory exhaust system, and your car is not a performance package vehicle
• You have an aftermarket exhaust system that includes catalytic converter and muffler(s)
• When driving on the street a a wall or guardrail ends or begins, there’s not a loud echo from your car

STREET CARS ONLY? CAN MY CAR HAVE NUMBERS ON IT? WHAT ABOUT ROLL BARS, RACE SEATS, AND HARNESSES?

Again, a bit of a judgement call, but…

• No car will be refused for properly installed safety equipment alone – we want you to be safe and responsible
• Numbers on what is CLEARLY otherwise a street car are fine, but the more it looks like a racecar, the harder it is to justify
• When in doubt, license plates count! If it has a valid and current plate, that helps a ton!

SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE

7:00 AM – Gates Open – Pick up your gate passes at the Registration building
9:00 AM – Shush! Sessions Check-in Opens
9:30 AM – Drivers Meeting
10:00 AM – Paced Laps
10:20 AM – Group 1, Session 1
10:45 AM – Group 2, Session 1
11:10 AM – Group 1, Session 2
11:35 AM – Group 2, Session 2
12:00 PM – Stick Around – Racing is about to begin!

Got questions? Ask us at shushsessions@gmail.com.