Drivers meeting

[Wayne]

How does your region handle drivers meetings? How many do they have during a typical weekend, what time of the day are they held? Are they informative, helpful, etc?

Edited to add: Forgot to ask about the National Anthem, when is that played at your races? Does everybody pretty much stand at attention??

I know these are hard hitting issues. Just curious how other regions handle these things.

Wayne

[This message has been edited by Wayne (edited June 28, 2005).]

[Eagle7]

Usually in a letter we get at registration.

I can only remember two drivers meetings in the last two years.
1) "We're experimenting this weekend with different flags than in the GCR". "Oops, Topeka (or was it Denver?) overruled that".
2) Impound all after qualifying - "We're combining this run group with another, so listen close for a new schedule".

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Marty Doane
ITS RX-7 #13
CenDiv WMR

[ITANorm]

We only have drivers' meetings if there is a change after the supps are distributed. (Maybe one or two a year - and that's for the 3 tracks and about 16 race days - that I regularly go to).

National Anthem: Hallett and St. Louis do one, Memphis does not. The two that do, have them immediately before the first actual race of each day. Everyone - pretty much - faces the flag, removes their hat, etc. The only exception is the drivers on the false grid who are already belted in - and they usually do the hand-over-the-heart thing while seated in the car.

[joeg]

Most experienced Chief Stewards prefer to minimize "driver's meetings".

This is good.

In other words, if something major comes up--grouping issue, track flooding, etc.--call everyone.

If things are running smoothly, a letter in the entry packet reminding people that "passing under yellow will not be tolerated" is quite sufficient.

[zracre]

I have noticed that we generally only have drivers meetings at the ECR races and, like stated above, if there are changes to the supps. When we do have them they are generally nice and informative to answer any questions. I won an ECR race at Sebring a few years back as people did not listen at the drivers meeting that the finish line is timing and scoring (I think they forgot to state that in the supps) I pulled a dive bomb pass at 17a and 17b knowing it would ruin my run down the straight because the t&s is in 17....always pays to have good info...

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Evan Darling
ITA Integra

[planet6racing]

Area 5 tends to have driver's meetings at least once per weekend at lunch time. They just regurgitate the letter that was handed out at registration. Almost word for word. It's a waste of my time, mostly because I can read (and have read) the letter myself and I don't need someone reading it to me.

I've only heard the National Anthem on the bigger weekends, like the June Sprints, etc.

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Bill
Planet 6 Racing
bill (at) planet6racing (dot) com

[RSTPerformance]

In the Northeast it seems that most events have drivers meetings, they repeat many things word for word, however I do not feel that it is a waste of time as it gives drivers an opportunity to see each other as well as ask questions...

Why do people like being huddled in their trucks all day???


Raymond

[RSTPerformance]

Oh and the National Anthem is played at most events... Sometimes it doesn't happen but not to the fault of not trying to make it happen.

Everyone stands at attention except that one F500 or RX-7 that is reving the engine for no reason who didn't realize that it is playing

Raymond

[bldn10]

Hey, Norm, you must have been in the can because at our Memorial Day weekend event we did indeed play a tape of the Star Spangled Banner prior to the Group 1 races. I hope to continue to do so. Unfortunately, there is no flag at the track.

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Bill Denton
87/89 ITS RX-7
02 Audi TT225QC
95 Tahoe
Memphis

[Wayne]

I run in two different regions. One region has a drivers meeting right in the middle of lunch every day whether we need it or not, and most of the time we don't.

I also view this as a waste of time. People are trying to choke down their lunch, rest a little, get the car ready, and now they have to go to a non-value added meeting. Many times folks like to go to town for lunch and get away from the track food. These meetings just add more stress to a race weekend.

At our last double race weekend they announced over the loud speaker on Sunday that there would not be a drivers meeting that day. The cheers from the paddock were deafening.

The second region does not have a large group meeting (unless something out of the ordinary comes up) but they have a drivers meeting in in-pound right after the race. I believe this came about because the stewards were tired of chasing people down in the paddock to resolve issues that came up during the race.

This is good way of doing things as the drivers don't have anytime to cool down (temper) after the race, before climbing out to see their adversaries face to face. Makes for some interesting conversations.

[ITANorm]

Originally posted by bldn10:
Hey, Norm, you must have been in the can because at our Memorial Day weekend event we did indeed play a tape of the Star Spangled Banner prior to the Group 1 races. I hope to continue to do so. Unfortunately, there is no flag at the track.

I was in the car, on false grid - next to an RX-7 with the engine running.

[Wayne]

Oh yeah, forgot about the National Anthem. They have it everyday at our regionals, usually after lunch. We always stop what we are doing and face the flag at attention for the Anthem. If we can't see the main flag from our paddock, we face the one hanging on the trailer. I had to grab my son by the neck and yank his butt out of the chair at our last one. It's not acceptable to not stand at attention in our camp.

Oh, and it is usually the Baby Grand drivers that are reving their engines in their paddock during the Anthem... "Hey Bubba, what's that song their playing over the loud speakers?" "I don't know Clarence, but we've gotta get this thing cleaned out, rev it up some more"

Wayne