USERA Announces Race Format Change

[Ken Grammer]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USERA Announces Race Format Change

DANVILLE, VA. (July 3, 2006) – The United States Endurance Racing Association announced today a race format change designed to reduce costs for small teams entering the USERA Carbotech Endurance Championship. USERA events will now be divided into multiple race segments with a break between segments. The break will allow teams to make driver and tire changes and to add fuel without the added expense of additional crew or refueling equipment. Teams will be able to compete in the Championship with very smaller crews or for many evens, a single driver will be able to handle both the driving and break alone.

Beginning with the next round at Nashville Superspeedway, USERA will operate each race as a segmented competition. Segment One will consist of the traditional two-by-two start and last from 50 to 80 minutes. There will be an intermission of 15 to 20 minutes to allow teams to make drivers changes, refuel and change tires. Segment Two will be restarted in single file order based on the finishing order from Segment One.

“We’ve learned that smaller teams can’t afford a full pit crew and therefore feel they can not compete with the larger teams,” said USERA President Ken Grammer. “The new format helps level the playing field for the smaller teams while reducing costs for everyone. It also adds more excitement by keeping competition close for the start of the second segment.”

The new format will also help Spec Racer crews make safe mid-race refueling and driver stops. Spec Racer teams typically have to remove the rear body cover to refuel. With the introduction of the new segmented format, Spec Racer teams will have time to safely remove their rear body panel and refuel.

Race 4 of the 2006 USERA Carbotech Endurance Championship takes place this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway beginning with a one hour Qualifying Race on Friday afternoon. The race will be Saturday afternoon starting at 5:30pm.

About USERA
Founded in 2005, USERA manages the Carbotech Endurance Championship which consists of three hour or longer endurance races culminating with a season ending Driver and Team Champions. Classes include Spec Miata (SM), Mazda MX-5 (X5), Spec Racer (SR) and Touring Car (TC). For more information on USERA, visit: www.usenduro.com

Media Contact: Ken Grammer, President 434-797-1866 office; [email protected]

[Knestis]

I'm sorry but you've managed to pick a format that pretty much destroys any interest we have in running USERA events, Ken.

If the Spec Racers need to remove their bodywork to refuel, then they need to remove their bodywork to refuel. They're all in the same boat within-class, and they take that disadvantage with their relatively quick laps as they try for overal positions. Any team that can't refuel safely is suffering from problems that they create for themselves so penalize unsafe actions rather than creating rules that kill the aspects that MAKE an endurance race.

Having run club enduros since the mid-'80s, I do NOT think that I'm alone in the opinion that we only need a handful of rules to govern these events safely, while honoring the tradition of endurance sports car racing - drivers out of the car and nobody working on it while fueling, hand-held fuel jugs or dump cans only, penalties for spilled fuel or a few other specific unsafe activities (e.g., crew under the car without jackstands), a radar gun on pit lane to enforce a speed limit, a limited number of crew over the wall, and protective clothing required for those people appropriate to their jobs.

Minimum-time stops, one-tire-only changes in the hot pits, and all of the other silliness fail to keep people from rushing and doing stupid stuff and penalize the teams that do their homework - big or small.

K

[Bill Miller]

Ken,

I have to echo what Kirk has said. You have taken endurance races and made them back-to-back sprint races w/ the 2nd race having the start based on the finishing position in the first race. The only thing you're not doing is handing out a trophy for the winner of the first race. Pit stop strategy and the ability to execute a smooth, efficient pit stop w/ fueling and a driver change is one of the key things that makes endurance racing exciting.

As far as spec racers go, I've been to endurance races where these cars run (24 hrs of Moroso, EMRA 4hr at Summit Point, etc.). They're able to refuel the cars and accomplish driver changes pretty fast. The extra time required due to removing the rear bodywork is offset by the fact that you've got an open cockpit and driver changes are faster (no window net to remove or reattach).


I strongly urge you to reconsider your position on this.

I also don't see how this is going to reduce costs. Are you suggesting that teams will need less people, and will now leave members of their team at home? On all of the endurance teams that I've been a part of, most people have multiple jobs. It's not just about who does what when they go over the wall. Not to mention that there are plenty of key roles that don't require you to go over the wall.

[Conover]

Ken,
I also don't see how this is going to reduce costs. Are you suggesting that teams will need less people, and will now leave members of their team at home?
[/b]

You could leave me home, because that sounds kind-of boring. . .

[Ken Grammer]

I should clarify that the format change was NOT implemented because of, or for, the Spec Racers. The format change just happened to be worth noting for SRF drivers who had been requesting a rule clarification regarding refueling for the SRFs.

The format change was made because regardless of how you and I may feel about the true nature of "endurance" racing (and I am agreeing with both of you here), teams have not been entering our events. And the number 1 reason given has been "cost of crew".

It is also worth mentioning that the format change was actually one of a number of suggestions I received from our teams and drivers. The point being that unlike other race organizations who have a long history of ignoring input from their members, we actively engage our members in our decision making process. We understand that our members are investing heavily in our series and need to be consulted when we make these types of changes.

So while you may see this as a step back, we see this as listening to our customers (both current and potential) and being willing to make changes to help both the series and drivers succeed.

[Knestis]

Okay - I can see how "cost of crew" becomes a very big deal if someone wants to run the entire USERA series. Dragging the 12 people we had at the Summit Point 12 hours out to Portland would be tough. That argument holds less salience if the conversation is about "pick-up" local teams that want to run real enduros, which is where I was coming from.

Warning - Academic hat is on but then, I'm an academic...

It will be interesting to see how this pans out but I'd respectfully suggest that the problem is the age-old one of "the country is too damned big for club-level national championships." Travel and accommodations are hellish even for "professional" teams, so we see the balance of many series' fields made up of part-timers, who only do the events close to home.

It might be that the solution is a semi-national endurance series, rather than a national semi-endurance series - if that makes any sense? Bust the points into East and West championships, with points apportioned by the number of races - or hours, whichever approach emphasizes the kind of competition that the series values.

Ultimately, it would be wonderful to see existing club enduros, from Thunderhill to Homestead, running under a common banner. USERA already has a cooperative deal with NE Ohio SCCA for that Nelson race - simply extend that kind of thinking to the rest of the calendar.

No - it would not be easy to run the entire national series. Make a big deal about any team that decides to but it seems a shame to give up on the idea of "endurance" to encourage what will ultimately be a TINY number of teams willing to drive all over the US of A. Even with the change in format, if there is even ONE team that does all of the races, I'll be pretty amazed.

Keep the pressure on to make it work. I ran the NASA 3.5 hour enduro at VIR last year (solo) with a crew of 1, after driving the car to the track...



Maybe there are more of me out there, interested in filling up the field for their local event, if the race is something other than what amounts to a double regional, that they can run any number of times in a season.

Bummed about VIR not making sense anymore,

K

[Bill Miller]

Kirk,

Keep in mind that Summit Point was a 12-hour event, and that 4 of those 12 people were drivers. I don't suspect that for a 3-hour event, you'd need any more people than would help you w/ a regular Regional. Figure for a 3-hour event, you get by w/ half that (2 drivers and 3-4 crew).

Ken,

Not for nothing, but isn't this supposed to be a 'professiona'l series? I understand wanting to attract the budget-concious racer, but in all honesty, they're not the ones that are going to be committing to your nation-wide series, they're going to run the races that are close to them. The serious teams are not going to run these events w/ only 2-3 people (including the driver). And I sure hope that you're not going to adopt that format for the 12-hour at Nelson Ledges. Given the format that you described, that means that there will be approximately 2 hours of mandatory pitstop time out of a 12-hour race.

[evanwebb]

Can we get real about thie idea of this being a professional series? I mean, no teams of people are going to be making a living off this thing. It's a tarted-up amateur series that offers prize money. WHich is fine, by the way, buit not exactly the ALMS. so, I really don't think a whiole lot of people are going to be chasing this series around the US because it's really just for fun, and maybe you could break even if you win everything in sight? Anyway, I agree with Kirk and Bill, this is not an endurance series, it's more like the BTCC (but with much less money involved) with multiple sprint races in one weekend. I have no interest in such a goofy format...

[RacerBowie]

I have to agree. I was much more interested in this when it was just an endurance series, to the point of mapping out how far it was to each track on the schedule and looking into runing 4-5 events next year.

With this new format, nevermind. It just doesn't interest me like the longer races. Strategy is everything, especially with all IT classes lumped together. Now, a good portion of the strategy is gone.

[Marc]

Ken,

While I certainly do understand the need to attract more entries, and I applaud your efforts to keep this series vibrant, I have to agree with the general sentiment that this is not what endurance racing is all about.

We've been very successful at both the long enduros (12 hours) and many of the shorter ones (3-4 hours), and it doesn't take a large crew to do it. We typically run at least two 12 hour races each year, and a few of the shorter ones, and usually with just a couple of "significant others" as crew. As someone mentioned above, all it takes is doing your homework.

The new format turns the race into a series of linked sprint races, and removes all/most aspects of the "team" concept. My personnal feeling is that endurance racing is one of the few forms of motorsports where the "team" really comes into play, and that's where the fun/challenge is for us. There may be faster drivers, faster tire changers, faster mechanics, faster windshield washers, etc. out there, but putting the whole package together, with some good planning, strategy, and a little luck mixed in is what makes enduro's fun.

Thanks for listening,
marc

[fulscaltyz]

I WAS interested in an edurance series. This is not endurance racing. I am a small time club racer. I can only do a couple of races a year. I had planned to runlimerock but I don't think so now. It has just become an expensive double race weekend now. Can we put the endurance back into what I thought was a great idea? Why not give all the cars dry breaks?

[Ken Grammer]

We looked at making dry break systems mandatory but at about $1,500 per car, the cost simply didn't match the concept of keepingf costs down for a "low cost" series.

Nashville this past weekend was the first race for the split segment format. The new format gave both drivers equal time in the car and made for an exciting race by kepping the leaaders close together. Segment two was a very exciting race and I don't think that would have happened otherwise.

We will be watching this closer as we approach the next few events.

[fulscaltyz]

You don't have to make the dry breaks manadatory. They could be optional.I think they are a minimal cost when you have a national sereis like this. How about a spec tire instead?

[RSTPerformance]

Ken-

If people need 20 minutes to make a pit stop why not make a 20 minute manditory pit stop? This would still allow for some stratagy. Many endurances races have a 5 minute manditory stop. I think that is the perfect lenght to accomidate the "low budget racer" however if your group feels that isn't enough time then make it 20 minutes.

The only part that I DON'T like about your format with a "restart" is that any lead you may have made on the competition (be it 5 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute or 2 minutes on a long track) is lost. I understand that a 1 lap lead wouldn't be lost as you would still be 1 lap down at the "restart" but generally the "top dogs" are all fighting for maybe 1 second a lap which in 1 hour is only 1 minute. If something happens in the first race (say you spin) then you havn't really lost anything as you will get a chance to re-group at the restart. if a team has a slow driver (1 second of the pace) then the team SHOULD be at a disadvantage. Your setup makes it so you don't need good drivers who can maintain a fast pace. it also makes it a sprint race/crash fest for the teams still on the lead lap.

Just my thoughts...

Just curiouse.. how many "repeat" competitors do you have at each event? Did you survey them to see how they felt with the new format? What were the actual competitors thoughts?

Raymond "either way you have a tough battle ahead where you wont please everyone" Blethen

[Ken Grammer]

Our core group of teams have all been repeat customers this year. And we've been working closely with those teams to improve the series, increase participation and grow. In fact, it was a suggestion from one of our repeat drivers, with input from our other teams, that led to the format change.

Yes, we could have made the length of the break shorter. But my thought was that if we were going to impose a break, we needed to give single driver cars time to handle their pit stops safely. Anything less then about 10 minutes requires additional crew help and therefore defeated the purpose of the segmented format.

The new format worked well last weekend. It kept guys in the race who would have otherwise been out of the chase.

Find someone to share your car (or share theirs). Pay $225 each and enter at the Sportsman level. Try out the new format. Worse case is that for $225 each, you leave with about twice the track time you would have gotten at a sprint race. You also get to meet our staff, talk to other teams and see first hand what we are providing and where we plan on going.

Portland for the west coast is being run with an SCCA regional... making it a great opportunity to get great track time, get an SCCA and a USERA event in one weekend, and have a great time... WHILE becoming an ACTIVE voice in what we are building!

I hope to see you at an event soon!

[Knestis]

... WHILE becoming an ACTIVE voice in what we are building![/b]

Well, there's no missing the emphasis on that point, is there? :P

With apologies to Jerry Maguire, "You had me at 'VIR enduro'." I WAS active. Ask the guys at the May CMP ECR who got to hear me babble about it: my quote was, "I'd like to have a codriver but I'm running it solo if it comes down to it." It was a done deal - money budgeted, another race on the schedule replaced. I still have the file folder on my desk with the USERA rules etc., but the improved format popped my little bubble.

There's a time-honored axiom of business, that one should first keep the customers he already has. However, there's another equally sensible position that says, "If you keep doing what you're already doing, you'll always have exactly what you've got."

What you've got right now - being a little indelicate, I admit - is a series for four guys (aka the "core group of teams," I guess). That's how many have shown up at more than one event (considering the CMP double as not being two trips on the schedule). Most are on one team and half of them have the same last name. There were FIVE cars at Nashville? I have a hard time believing that's the extent of your target market.

Meanwhile, the Summit 12 and VIR 13 (the enduros that I have the most recent experience with) are oversubscribed and have to do lotteries or landrush entry procedures, the NASA 3.5 at VIR had over 40 entries, and the Feb. ECR race there started 75(!) of the almost 90 cars that registered. That's a potential of 180 drivers at that event alone. Hmm?

You're headed to my old stompin' ground at Portland (where I've run at least a half dozen races of 4 hours or more) and I've had emails from past enduro teammates out there about the USERA coming to visit. They are as bummed about the format change as I am. The ICSCC 4 hour at PIR last fall had more than 40 entrants.

There exists a HUGE demand for a real series of club endurance events in this US, and USERA could be the organization to make that a reality. Please - there are a lot of us out here who would be ACTIVE, given the kind of races that we want to run. Get in touch with the guys in the NE who are working to build a standardized set of safety guidelines for long events, work with existing events to put them under the USERA umbrella, and find holes in the schedule for new events at new venues. Think hard about setting free the dream of "making" the series national and LET it succeed nationally.

It can work but the effort really needs to broaden its perspective beyond saving money on Puskar Motorsports' hotel bill.

K

[Ken Grammer]

I apologize if that last point was overly direct. I hope everyone understands that the lack of participation in a series, a series that people said they wanted, is quite frustrating.

I understand your point. But step back and look at what races drivers are actually entering right now. Few long format races break even. Summit Point being one of the exceptions. Others struggle to get a couple dozen cars to attend. I can point to two that struggle to break the 30 car barrier (one struggling to get to 20). Yet 45 to 90 minute ECR events with imposed five minute pit stops have record entries. NCR had 104 cars start an ECR event earlier this spring.

So while you and I may prefer "true" enduros, drivers seem to be saying they want (or need) the shorter format.

We'll see if that is the case. It could be that no one wants to travel with so many local racing options availabe to them.

I'll close by saying that if, at any event, the entrants wanted to drop the segmented format... rest assured we would do so. After all, it is the prefered format!

[Knestis]

... I'll close by saying that if, at any event, the entrants wanted to drop the segmented format... rest assured we would do so. After all, it is the prefered format!
[/b]

Encouraging words, Ken - thanks, and keep up the hard work.

K

[Wes]

Ken, we are going to NL as parts of the NESSCA series. How do you plan on doing this new format with this 12 hr race? I have been watching this series evolve as a possible option next year. The change in format had me baffled but I think I understand now that I know it came down to opinions of your core drivers. I suppose it make sense from their perspective. I do think you need to think hard about the comments in this thread because for your series to survive you obviously need more competitors. Tha is probably the most imortant thing. How can you operate the enduro so 4-5 crew members isn't an advantage? We've had trouble doing 2 min stops but others didn't. Are there other techniques besides minimum pit stop length you could use? Shouldn't your target (ave) team be 2 drivers and 1 crew member? The restart feature is really going to turn people away. Travel might be a bigger expense than crew so the East/West thing makes sense with maybe a year end championship. Good luck, we will look you up @ NL.

[Ken Grammer]

Good question... and the answer is we aren't using the segmented format for the 12 hours. That wouldn't work since we are running with the Neohio Region. We knew that when we made the format change.

Oh, and the whole reason for the format change was SPECIFICALLY designed to provide what I think you are asking for... a format where a six crew team doesn't have an advantage. Two drivers and 1 crew member can be very effective (and be all that is required) with the new format.

And back to the Nelson Ledges event this weekend... If anyone wants to enter, you may enter through USERA for $450 until our entry deadline next Monday. Where else can you get a 12 hour endurance race for less then that?

Thanks to eveyone for asking your questions. I'm learning a lot about perception that will help as we move into 2007.