Too Many Races

[Ron]

Does anyone else feel like there might be too many races being held almost every other weekend or even the same weekend. At Road Atlanta this weekend the ITB field for the SARRC was 8 cars. Not bad, but I wonder if this was the only race in the southeast for the month of February more cars would show. Look at your schedule and see how many times there are 2 sometimes 3 race weekends in the same month. I would travel to Florida if there were not so many chances to race nearby. I know this sounds counter productive but I want to run with 35 ITB cars not 8.

Ron Sattele
ITB "over weight" Mustang

[zooracer]

not only that, but there are really 3 different races at the same track on a weekend. I am now trying to decide whether to race the SAARC or the ECR, or even the CCPS at VIR or Road Atlanta.
I want to enter in the one with a bigger turnout. Would SAARC races have more cars in them?
I went to the CCPS at kershaw and there were two other ITB cars.
Not much fun
matt

[apr67]

I think (in the SE) their may be too many races.

But I have to tell you, I wouldn't tow from S. Florida to Atlanta for just any race. I only make that trip for the ARRC. And depending on the behavor of the event organizers even that is in question.

We really have (IMHO) a SEDIV North and South, with Atlanta and Savannah being in the middle. A race in Miami and VIR should have very little effect on anyone, especially if its a regional.

[OTLimit]

I have contended for many years that there are too many races. In Midiv, in order to make a real run at the (overall, all classes) Driver of the Year, you have to be willing to run at least 8, and probably more like 12 or more, Midiv regional races. But no one region is willing to cut a weekend for fear that they might lose the few people who can't be there on their other weekends....

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Lesley Albin
Over The Limit Racing
Blazen Golden Retrievers

[racer-025]

Lesley,

Here in Atlantic Canada (Derek's #51 home track) we have 5 events. We find that 5 is enough and it makes more time for family, etc. Also, we can fit SCCA or CASC events in between if we want to. 5 local events seem to work out well.



[This message has been edited by racer-025 (edited March 01, 2005).]

[Ron]

I would love to see a race weekend really matter in the points race. I might even go all the way to Homestead once a year to find a big field. In the south east there are guys that are close to me in the SARRC points that I never race against.

[Knestis]

I don't mind at all having the option of traveling - or not - on any given weekend in the SE. That said, I'm not running for SARRC points or anything like that, prefering a low-drag, high-fun schedule.

K

[Catch22]

Well Ron, the only thing keeping me from agreeing with you is the fact that all of these weekends tend to be well subscribed. It'll be hard to convince the division to reduce the number or races when there are so many people showing up to do them.

I think the lowest subscribed weekend I've seen in 3 years was AMS last year, and it still had over 100 entries with a hurricane looming over the southern horizon.

My opinion (as you know) is that the problem in ITB and ITC in the SE division isnt the number of races. Its the number of crashing Spec Miatas. My first year in ITC (3 years ago) we typically had about 7 cars in a SARRC race. Last year that dropped to about 4 or 5 and in the first race this year we had 2 cars. Strangely, at the ARRC, when we don't share the track with SM, 17 to 20 cars show up.
Hmmm...

Thats my take on it anyway, and being on the verge of parking my own car until some changes are made, I can understand why folks are chosing to stay home.

As far as meaningful points races are concerned, thats what the SIC double points race is for. You really can't win a championship unless you go to this race and do well. I just wish the SIC rotated to different tracks because I dislike Roebling Road.

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#22 ITC Honda Civic
3rd Place 2004 ARRC
1st Place 2004 ARRC Enduro
www.motorpride.com/Catch22

[Ron]

I would have run the SIC if we had not crashed the car in July at Road Atlanta and had to prep for the VIR 13 Hr. race. (and crashed there also). and I agree with the Miata point!

[Mike Spencer]

Originally posted by Ron:
...had to prep for the VIR 13 Hr. race. (and crashed there also)...

Ron -

I was at the 13-hour (not driving) and saw your Mustang. Was it as bad as it looked?? (Hope not!)

As far as your point, I wholeheartedly agree. I've just gotten into this craziness (finished the double school at Roebling a couple weeks ago). My hope is to see more than a handful of cars in my class.


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Mike Spencer
NC Region
ITA/7 RX-7 #60
1990 RX-7 Convertible (street car)

[Ron]

Well, we had to replace the front clip, again. The car is back and running fairly well. We are still trying some new stuff. I can't leave it alone.

[instigator]

Ron, the only way to get more cars at a given event for your class would be a cash prize were only that class of cars competed with one another. I know PRO IT pays at the end of the year and the ECR seires does too, but at the end of every race ther is a pay out for 1st through 5th. Races held once a month at different tracks in your area of competition.

Car looked good this weekend. I am sure Dayton was happy to see his old car on the track again.

Kurt,
IT7 #00 @ #59

[evanwebb]

Hey Ron, what exactly happened (and how and why) during that crash at the VIR 13 hr, from your perspective?

[JeffYoung]

Matt, in the SEDiv, the SARRC series will attract the most ITB cars, followed by the ECR (but that's a LONG race) and then CCPS. I think typical ITB fields in SARRC average about 10 cars, with a huge spike for SARRC/MARRS at VIR in May when the boys from the Mid Atlantic come down, and for the SIC when the boys from Florida come up. I think there were 56 ITS/A/7 cars in my run group at VIR.

[Knestis]

Originally posted by JeffYoung:
Matt, in the SEDiv, the SARRC series will attract the most ITB cars, followed by the ECR (but that's a LONG race) ...

I thought it was only 90 minutes? I'm not even bringing the fuel jugs.

K

[Catch22]

"I'm not even bringing the fuel jugs"

Or the horsepower.
<ducking>

[JeffYoung]

90 minutes in a British car is an exercise in "what's that noise?" "what's that smell?" "is that a fire?" "will the brakes work?" "is that smoke mine?". It's a long time, for me.

Can you really go 90 minutes on a tank? Pretty cool.

[Catch22]

We were doing 2 hours on a tank in Kirks car during the 13 hour. Thats with the stock VW tank and fuel pump.

Of course, it was stock everything else as well.

[zooracer]

Yes, my swift gets like 30mpg out on the track. I didnt use half a tank at the ccps race of 45 min.
Of course, its pretty much bone stock except for headers.
I may go ahead and enter into the saarc instead of the ccps. I was going to continue the ccps as I got first at the first one (only two other cars, and the first place BMW hadnt paid to enter the series). Might be cool to actually make some change while racing...
I thought it would be quite a while longer before I was making money in the pro ranks...
matt