Porsche Club of America Diablo Region Track Day at Thunderhill Raceway

3-Mile Circuit

Friday, March 20, 2026

Limited size run groups, lots of track space, tons of track time

"Have Fun, Be Safe, Drive Fast"

THIS EVENT IS FOR PORSCHE CARS ONLY

Event details can be found at Driver Ed — Diablo PCA

Updates:

Important Dates:

Regular registration is open from Friday, February 6, 2026, at noon to midnight on Sunday, March 8, 2026.

Late Registration (+$100) starts on Monday, March 9, 2026

Registration ends at midnight on Monday, March 16, 2026.

No refunds after Sunday, March 8, 2026.

Joint DE 101/Groundschool - Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Porsche Redwood City, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (lunch is included)

General Event Information:

This event is open to all Porsche drivers. Only Porsche cars are allowed at this event.

We are a Porsche club, not a driving school or a driving business. We run several safe, fun, and friendly track events each year. We do not race, time trial, or time laps. We aim to limit the number of cars per run group, offering plenty of room on track and lots of track time. The DE team reviews all registered drivers and confirms each driver's run group classification based on overall track experience. During the event, the DE team will work to accommodate drivers wishing to change run groups, subject to approval by our Chief Driving Instructor (CDI).

We expect to run five run groups: Beginner w/Instruction/Beginner-Solo, Intermediate, Advanced, Track Performance Group, and Instructors

Make it a two- or three-day weekend: Golden Gate Region is hosting their HPDE2 - March of the Porsches on Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, 2026. Click here to register for their event.

Drivers Who Require Instruction:

If you have not been approved to drive solo on the track, please register as Beginner w/Instruction where we will provide an instructor for you. Reservations for drivers who need instruction are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Participants registering as Beginner w/Instruction may be placed on a waitlist until we confirm the total number of Instructors for this event. The waitlist will be cleared on a first-registered/first-cleared basis.

We expect to finalize the Beginner Instruction participation list by Monday, March 9, 2026.

IMPORTANT: Helmet Rating Requirements:

Helmets are required at this event. Helmets with a printed manufacture date expire at the end of the 10th year following the year of manufacture. Snell SA2015 helmets manufactured in 2015 have been granted an extension to June 30, 2026. Snell SA2015 helmets manufactured in 2016 shall be valid through December 2026; helmets manufactured in 2017 shall be valid through December 2027. The manufacture date of the helmet is located inside the helmet near the Snell sticker. You may bring an approved helmet to this DE event, or you can rent one on the day of the event from Thunderhill Raceway. Motorcycle helmets are not allowed. Click here for PCA's current helmet policy.

Passing will be with mandatory point-by in all groups:

We take safety very seriously and will “black flag” any participant who disregards passing protocols or drives in an unsafe manner. If deemed necessary by the Safety Officer, CDI, or Driver Education Chair, access to the track may be denied with no refund of registration fees.

Safety Inspection Information:

Per PCA guidelines, all drivers must certify that their car passed a safety inspection by an authorized person within 30 days of this event. The safety inspection form can be downloaded from our DE website (Driver Ed — Diablo PCA). All drivers must complete this safety inspection form to verify that their car is ready for the track. A well-maintained Porsche should have no problem passing tech inspection if it has good brakes and tires, no oil leaks, and no defects. If in doubt, have the experts look at your car.

The following sponsor is offering free tech inspections:

Kahler's in Dublin – by appointment. only
- Contact them at service@kahlers.com or by phone at 925-829-2050

Pre-Event Meeting

Drivers are invited (strongly recommended) to attend our DE Introduction briefing called DE 101/201. We will be doing a joint DE 101 and Golden Gate Region Ground School on Saturday, March 7, 2026 (location and time TBD). There will be a discussion on driving Thunderhill Raceway and an opportunity for drivers of any level to share their experiences, ask questions, etc.

Instructors

All instructors will need to drive their car on the track and must have been certified by a PCA Region to provide instruction. The Diablo Region DE team will review all Instructor sign-ups.

We are also allowing non-driving instructors to register for this event.

Private Instructors/Coaches:

Private instructors/coaches are welcome to attend our events once approved by our Chief Driving Instructor (CDI). If you are bringing a coach to provide you instruction, please be aware that your instructor will need to:

Contact our CDI to discuss their participation and obtain approval.
Need to register on MSR as an ‘Instructing Only’ instructor, and also list your name in the ‘Are You Sharing a Car’ section of their registration form.
Will not drive their own cars on the track (unless they have registered as a Participant and paid the Participant fee).
Adhere to all Diablo PCA and track operator requirements.

Private instructors/coaches who show up on the day of the event without following the pre-registration requirements are not guaranteed to participate in this event. Please contact the CDI if you have any questions.

Two Drivers Sharing One Car:

If two different drivers are planning to drive the same vehicle, BOTH drivers must MUST be qualified to drive in different run groups (i.e., one driver must have enough DE experience to run in a higher run group than the other driver). Both drivers will not be allowed to drive in the same run group.

No passengers or guests are allowed in cars during hot lap sessions.

Run Group Selection (Run group classifications may change depending on the number of cars registered for the event):

Beginner - Drivers with 5 or fewer track days, or who have not been cleared to drive solo, must register as Beginner w/Instruction. Drivers who have been cleared to drive solo may register as Beginner-Solo.
Intermediate - Drivers with 19 or fewer track days who have been cleared to drive solo may register as Intermediate.
Advanced - Drivers with 20 or more track days or Instructor experience may register as Advanced.
Track Performance - Drivers participating in the Club Race on March 21-22, 2026 must register as Track Performance.
Instructor - Drivers with Instructor experience may register as Instructors.

Registration Fee: $500 for Beginners Requiring Instruction, $450 for Beginners driving Solo, $450 for Intermediate and Advanced Drivers and $450 for the Track Performance Group.

Early registration will close at midnight on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Beginning on Monday, March 9, 2026, a procrastination fee of $100 will be charged (excluding instructors).
All registrations are considered preliminary until confirmed by the DE Committee. You will be notified once your registration is confirmed, if you are wait-listed, or if we were not able to accommodate your registration for this event.
All Beginners w/Instruction and Beginner - Solo will be wait-listed pending registration of Instructors.
All refunds are subject to a $75 cancelation fee. Sorry, no refunds after Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Instructors who will also drive their car are $175, Instructors not driving are free.