Endurance Championship Series 2008

[jjjanos]

Series rules instead of the region's rules for spec classes. We got bumped up to ITS from SM for running Kumhos at SP. But at Nelson SM could run any tire they wanted. We need to be consistent here. There maybe other instances of this type of thing but this directly effected us so it got my attention.[/b]

That's something that has to be addressed directly by the Region hosting the event.

Please include provisions in the entry process for multi car teams. SP was a nightmare for us this year. Speaking of SP can we give priority on entries to teams that ran last year and will run instead of teams that are hoping to run?
[/b]

1. Explain the problem you had as a multi-car team.
2. Priority for past entrants - that is something individual Regions decide. Nor has there been a need for it - I cannot recall a single year in which 55 cars started the event.

[Bob Roth]

Bob,

Interesting comment. I will check into it but I believe per the GCR that the system has to be closed looped. Now what I don't know is can it be broadcasted. I'll see what they say. Stay tuned.

Look forward to racing with you guys again. Bring back out your car?

Roland
[/b]

Roland, we were there in Steve Colletti's Integra. Had so much fun, Dave Volante and I bought a Integra to to dedicate to Endurance racing for Summit and Nelson (at least) next season. The cell is being put in right now !

Say another rule request is (don't make it a rule, make it a suggestion) is that pit generators be 50 feet from the rail and exhaust muffled and facing away from pits. It seems every time, the adjacent team end up with a 1970's 10 hp brigs and stratton generator that makes more noise than power and that they conveniently install it with the rusted out muffler facing the neighbors. Some encouragement in the sups might help their consideration. This is what we saw from our pits!!!! Thanks for putting the race on, we'll be there.


[attachmentid=1142]

[Knestis]

That's the generator I "accidentally" shut off during the driver's meeting.

K

[mkahley]

wow we have people crying about the way gennerators are angled. well we wouldent have had that problem if they didnt change the rule about not having trailers in the pits like have been aloud for years. And also if you had a problem you should of said something.

[Hahn63]

wow we have people crying about the way gennerators are angled. well we wouldent have had that problem if they didnt change the rule about not having trailers in the pits like have been aloud for years. And also if you had a problem you should of said something.
[/b]

First off, I don't see how the trailers in pits would change the way people use the generators. You would still have some putting them right in the pit area " so we can keep an eye on them". Second, the trailers are a safety problem, we can't have fifty trailers lined up in a row creating a big wall. Just because it was done before doesn't make it right. Nelson WAS the only place you could do it ( it won't be permitted in the future). I have never seen any other track that allowed it. Repairs that take longer than a couple of minutes should be performed in the paddock. The pit lanes are too small to have a car sitting for repairs , it's not safe!

This stuff is why our rule books and supps get so big. You have to always look at the big picture , not this isn't good for me approach. Everyone has the same rules to live by and these rules you accepted when you signed your name to the entry form. If you don't like the rules either don't run or get invovled with the planning and see how and why some of this comes up..it is an eye opener!!


Roland

[mkahley]

Sorry didnt mean to seam like i was complaning. What i wanted to get out was that people are complaning about which way the gennerators are pointed. I mean come on at that point in the day we have more things to worry about(like the race that is going on insteed of taking pic's and complaning about it later) then if our neighbor is getting fumes/noise from it I mean we are at a race track where it is loud the whole time and it does stink like gas fumes.

And I also think that if they were 50 ft frome the rail it would be in the middle of the road. If you look in the pic they are about 5-10 ft away from the road . I wouldent want my gennerator any closer so some one that hasent slept in 20 hrs hit it.

[eprodrx7]

While it is true that they have never started a full field the fact remains that we could have. I tried to get into the 12hr in 06 and couldn't because of the silly lottery entry system that was used. This year we just barely made it and were lucky at that. The problem was that a single user/email address could not have more then one entry. I run a two and some times three car team. This made for a lot of confusion and it just seemed to me that the scenario of multi car teams had never even been considered.

[GregM]

"Prettyness points" for teams with least amount of body damage at the end of each race.

Give me a few weeks, I'll come up with more.....
[/b]

Hey now Its was pretty till the tow truck got a hold of us

We just have to let Edwin know the car needs 4 wheels at all times

[terrya]

Say another rule request is (don't make it a rule, make it a suggestion) is that pit generators be 50 feet from the rail and exhaust muffled and facing away from pits. It seems every time, the adjacent team end up with a 1970's 10 hp brigs and stratton generator that makes more noise than power and that they conveniently install it with the rusted out muffler facing the neighbors. Some encouragement in the sups might help their consideration. This is what we saw from our pits!!!! Thanks for putting the race on, we'll be there.

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I havent been on this site for a while but I'll check more often, I was your neighbor So if the generator was a problem maybe you should have talked to someone about. And if you look close there was THREE of them there the big Noisey one was used ONLY for pit stops to run our lights. So for you to say it was a problem i dont get. The other 2 small Honda's were used for other things and yes they ran the whole night! just like other's and they were about 45 feet from the rail.



The Start Time needs to be moved up.
we will be back for 08

[ontheapex]

I haven't seen or heard anything official, but the Homestead 12 hour is not on the 2008 schedule, there is, however, an enduro on the 29th of December, 2007 at Moroso.

[Hahn63]

I haven't seen or heard anything official, but the Homestead 12 hour is not on the 2008 schedule, there is, however, an enduro on the 29th of December, 2007 at Moroso.
[/b]

I have seen that. I have heard a bunch of rumors from a 24 to a 12 to double 8's and 4's .

Guess I need to call them and see what they are thinking.

The next question would be IF it fits the series should it be included as the start of the '08 series or should it be skipped and picked-up at the end of the year( meaning dec. '08)?


Roland

[Knestis]

If you're asking for personal opinions, I'm going to have a hard time pulling together an effort for a December race at this point in time. There are several contributing factors that argue for pushing into the "real" 08 series, presuming it runs again:

** It's a new event

** It's in Florida and we've had a hard time recruiting drivers from that far South.

** Anything before the new year starts still falls into the 2007 season for most drivers, and if they haven't budgeted for it, they've spent all of this year's dough.

K

[ontheapex]

I spoke to the Florida Region RE, there will be NO 12 hour race at Homestead. Although the venue is great (Homestead is a fun track), it is just to far south for many folks to make the trip, track time there is EXPENSIVE, and there were problems getting schedules nailed down with track management as well. No word yet on what the format is for the enduro(s??) on 12/29, but if past history (the longest night) is any indicator, it should be fun. I don't think anyone at Florida Region expects the year end event to be included in any series this year, but if it works out well, 2008 could probably be included if everyone wanted it to happen.

[Knestis]

If it's a "real enduro," it should be on the series schedule. Whether any of us really want it on there is less important than building a series that represents the geography that you want to cover. Some folks might think it's OK to leave FL out because it's a long way to travel but them's the breaks sometimes.

This also might bring up the question of dropping events, or similar ideas to mitigate travel. I think it's a shame to do that kind of thing. If the ECS is viewed as an "east coast championship," then any race that fits the parameters of the vision should be included. If it wants to be a "mid-Atlantic" championship, that's a different thing. Or an "amateur national championship series" - again, that's something else.

Define the vision and stick to it.

K

[Hahn63]

My thought was to wait and add it (if it qualifies) at the end of '08. This championship will encompass as much of the United States as possible, but it will expand slowly from the east to the west. I will not water down a series because of location. As the name says Endurance Championship Series, doesn't say any boundries or for that matter organizations.

Roland

[Bob Roth]

This may have already discussed but if not, is there a way for series regular to get preferred entry? We are building a new car for the series but I am concerned about the odds of getting an entry for Summit, which would be our first likely race.

thanks
bob

[Hahn63]

This may have already discussed but if not, is there a way for series regular to get preferred entry? We are building a new car for the series but I am concerned about the odds of getting an entry for Summit, which would be our first likely race.

thanks
bob
[/b]

Bob, That is going to be the biggest sticking point of all. I will see what I can do but the regions have the final say in this area. Once we have a strong series , say 30 plus cars we could have some pull at that point.


Roland

[Knestis]

This is a great point. If we have a bunch of cars registered and committed to the the series, we are more likely to be able to negotiate some consideration. It's not going to be easy but it's worth working on.

K

[Bob Roth]

Here is an idea. I think you have to create an incentive for the tracks to work with and also this series wil stay around a while longer if there is some money involved to pay for the necessities. While doing this, I think its important to avoid writing checks back to racers as I think then it starts looking like a business or lottery

The model that occurs to me is something like a Series points fund, where series cars would pay in say $500 to join series. Say $50 to $100 goes to series expense, $250 goes to the track fund, and the balance goes to tire fund.

For the expenses of the series, you would have some money to make this work, and also to fund trophy's worker ammenities, you name it.

For the Track fund, what I would suggest is to make a deal witht he tracks is that you will pay them equally out of the fund for race miles done if their race sells out and they have a SCCA capacity field. That way, if only Summit sells out, and then there was 10 series cars, they would get $2500 from you.

The tire fund would subsidize free tire serivices (Mount, Balance, Disposal, and maybe a 10% discount on tires) at the track.

I would limit it to 25 cars. What the drivers would get is guaranteed entry, funded series support, and assured tire support at the track.

[jjjanos]

Random comments on going over 12 Hour supps last night.

1. SRFs are in.
2. 1-minute minimum refueling stops are still in.
3. Entrant still must be a driver, however, teams that need to withdraw will be allowed to do so less a handling fee as long as another entrant takes the place of the withdrawn car.
4. Pit lane speeds will kept reasonable. This may be via actual measurement if a roadside radar panel can be rented or it will be subjective. To sum up - slow down.

For those concerned about getting an entry - it takes several days for the event to fill and the event has yet to start the full compliment of 55 cars. If you want to run, then plan on running even if the field fills.