Interesting thread. For those of you with strong regional divisions, just so you know, there are divisions like MIDIV and SOWDIV that are much stronger in national than regional races. 200 vs. 100 entries. That was true even before SM went national.

To Andy, regarding SM participation decline, around here, the numbers are slightly down. I can tell you many hardcore SM racers that were around since the beginning have stopped racing, or race maybe a couple of times a year now. We had a very successful cross-sanctioning-body regional racing series that went away after SM went national. Things are most definitely not the same. National guys only do nationals, and they save their car and their money for the Runoffs so they won't do regionals unless they have a spare car or need to tune on their Runoffs car.

To those in SFR and up in the Northeast where you get 300-400 regional entries at great tracks. Stop complaining about where the Runoffs are (if you are, I believe most of you don't really care). You don't know what you have until you come race a regional with us at MSRH or TMS. If I lived in SFR, I wouldn't give a rats behind if you moved the Runoffs to Miller MP, when I can have great racing, lots of entries, relaxed atmosphere at a regional at Laguna, Thunderhill, and Sears Point...and I can make a "long" tow to a track in the PNW for fun. Same for you guys in the northeast with your great tracks and great # of entries. Actually the guys in the SEDIV don't have it bad either with great regional series and great tracks (at least one of them). CENDIV had it good until the split I think...b/c they have great tracks and had great entries, but that looks to have changed. For the most part, it's us in the plains and south plains that are screwed, right Travis?

I think the Runoffs are for people with big egos (racing egos...we all have one after all), or people looking for a pro-ride, or people whose classes are all but dead, and the Runoffs are the only time the really get to race. I say eliminate them altogether (as a championship, you can still have the race there if you want), have a few big races around the country just for fun (ARRC, Spec/IT Fest, etc.)...it is what we're in this for after all right? Imagine if you free all those racers from a 2 week commitment, all the extra money they'll have, and they'll actually have to decide what class to race in (if they really want to race), or just do HPDEs if they don't have to take into consideration making it to the Runoffs.