Kumho Tropical 9 hours at Homestead

[Jay Mauney]

Hey Guys,

I am sorta outstepping my bounds here - but less than 3 of our BOD members and several of our corner workers have decided that there will be no 12 hour presented by our region in 2008. We have scheduled a Double SARRC for the weekend that is traditionally the 12 Hour. I am thinking single SARRC one day and the ESC the next - test day on Friday as usual.

The anti 12 Hours members have these issues
Low participation (28-30 entrants)
lack of worker interest
too hard (not enough volunteers)

I really know all these problems can be solved. I have 10 individuals, beyond the normal 8 that run all our races, ready to step up and do the work to revive this race - maybe in a shorter version like the Atlanta region is hosting. I think I can at the most fit into the schedule a 9 Hour race.

If I go to the BOD with a proposal the missing ingredient in our plan is the participation. I feel that our entrant numbers have remained around 30 due to late announcment of the race date year after year (and it is held at the bottom of the North America). Last year we gave out almost $10,000 in cash and prizes so we have vendor support and can put on a great event.

If I could take 25 "intent to runs" and Kumho remains onboard (Roland??) I might just get this race back on the schedule. I have 8 intents within the present group of revivalist. This is my first attempt to poll everyone and I have not asked the regulars from our region that run every year.

Please let me know if you guys (outside our region) want to come back down here. Also I'd love to hear your suggestions for improvements if you want to come. Rounding up and maybe sponsoring a real corner marshal(s) from your region would be key to changing the situation as well.

Ofcourse if enough of you respond yes the next step would be to send in an actual standard intent to run. So don't commit without full thought.

Jay Mauney
Florida Region BOD
Publicity Director
eTorque Express Publisher
2003 and 2005 12hour Champ
[email protected]
561-745-3044 home

[mdoyle]

Jay, out of the region but not by much, CFR-
Just bought a car (with family and out of the state) to run the K-ESC this year and if the dates are right I know I can talk to the rest of my team into towing the car down. We are going to run the first race next month in ATL but I know for the trip down a little longer race would be better.
AS72/SSC (for now) 32

[Knestis]

You'll get no bigger fan of club endurance racing than me but I'm one of those who's had zero luck finding drivers interested in doing the Homestead race in past years.

You're certainly correct that geography is an issue - VIR or Summit can draw from north or south. Homestead just doesn't have the spread of possible entrants available without substantial travel. It's a long way but people travel from the far northeast for the ARRC so we know it can be done. We can get past that with enough planning and upside to the commitment.

I think April-ish is a pretty good time for this race but that's late notice again at this point. We'd need the race to not bump up against other long ones and would need to know when it will happen right quick, in order to have ANY hope of getting an effort together for '08

If there are southern drivers looking to rent and three of them called me this weekend to commit, I could send an intent form on Monday. If I can fill the seats, we're there but that's been the real challenge...

K

[titanium]

Jay, after skipping the last two years, I was planning on returning to the event this year.
Buddy Hendricks from Horsepower TV is 100% on board as my co-driver.
Grand-Am Street Touring driver, Steve Sliwa, is a pretty good bet to drive also.
Just make sure 'P1' is one of the classes that can run.

[Cobrar05]

I don't have the budget for a race much longer than the Road Atlanta race. If you offered something of 6 hours or under, I would have two cars for you.

[Jay Mauney]

Hey Guys,

Dates on the ?6 Hour? would be April 18- 20 (Friday - Sunday) and Homestead may have a test day on Thursday.

A 6 hour race would be easier to push through the opposition than a 9 hr so lets start thinking in terms of a 6 hr. Does it matter if the race stays in daylight hours - I love the aspect of night racing?

As far as the haul it is 3 hours from Sebring but the run from West Palm -due east of sebring - on I-95 or better yet the turnpike is only 2hours. The Homestead facility itself is truly world class where as our northern track in West Palm is pretty rough - no garages, 40 year old surface, bad lighting...

I am encouraged by your responses but I am still looking for that magic out of region 17 car commitment. Can those of you that are interested get the buzz going on this - just ask a few people and have them respond if interested.

Jay Mauney

[Knestis]

... no garages, 40 year old surface, bad lighting... [/b]

Waitaminute - when did the subject change to Nelson Ledges?



Race length is something of an issue but the bigger one, for those of us who are some way off, is when the race ends. The Longest Day finished up late on Sunday afternoon, which presented us with huge problems, in terms of crew members having to take a Monday off work for travel/recuperation. If it finished up Saturday evening - even late - it's much more workable.

Now personally, I tend to think about a 5-6 hour race as not really an enduro but that's just my personal preference. That, and for those of us bringing renters into our programs, longer races are easier to sell AND make more sense from an efficiency standpoint.

K

[Jay Mauney]

Hey keep those comments coming - are there really only three people on this forum Traditionally this event has been held on a Saturday and I would assume that it could stay that way giving everyone Saturday Night to rest (party) and then all day Sunday to get home.

Jay Mauney

[titanium]

Jay,
Dont even try to compare Homestead with the track in our backyard.
The only thing that they have in common are alligators in their lakes

For a better comparison for our northern friends, lets' compare it to another ISC owned track.

If you have been to Daytona recently, you've seen the effort ISC put into turning the speedway into their flagship property.

When ISC remodeled the Daytona Speedway garages 3 years ago, they had the perfect model for how to do it right, at their own track in Homestead, and they STILL BLEW IT!

Imagine a ISC track without their security Nazi's.
How about a covered garage with pit lane less than 50 feet away.
Seating directly above the garage overlooking pit lane with a view of almost the entire track.
Your RV or support trailer less than 50 feet from your garage.
A challenging infield with an actual elevation change!
Plenty of run-off room for your 'rental' drivers.

Also, not a the track, but important:
Nearby inexpensive hotels and campgrounds.

[Cobrar05]

thread hijack....Rodney, are you planning to run some ITO this year? There are more and more World Challenge cars showing up in BP at Road Atlanta and VIR.

[Jay Mauney]

I am getting ready to head down to Homestead for our SCCA Double National this weekend - I will be doing some serious recruiting. 195 cars entered but lots of crashed cars last week at the Sebring National so numbers might be lower.

I have run a "primary poll" outside this forum and things are looking pretty good - verbal commitments don't mean a lot but I have more than I expected - looks like this forums tally is 6 so far with Conover making the seat sale. md72 I'm counting you in and titanium thanks for the plug on the track. It is a really fun course that has big rewards for a skilled driver. Does Buddy mean we have Coverage on Horsepower TV?! that could be a big draw and it sounds like you are looking at maybe 2 cars and Cobraro5 with 2 makes 6. Somebody pm Roland and get him involved we need his help. and he is an entry

I have a BOD meeting this Wed. Night. Guys make it happen - calls some buddies and get some more commitments

I'll highjack my on thread here - get ready for some rules changes in BP and DP. There was a meeting of the CRB today and I have some high hopes - maybe I'll have some good news tomorrow.

The Tropical 12 Hour website is still live check it out www.Tropical12Hours.com

Thanks hope were racing in April

Jay Mauney

[Hahn63]

Of course the ECS would add it to the schedule but it would need to be a 9 hour or 12 hour for you to get the draw from the ECS teams. I will help anyway I can, but I would be hard pressed to travel for anything less than a 12 hour. The track is a blast and I didn't regret going last year at all. We were treated very well. For you all up north, if you haven't gone in the past , it is a must do track, it will keep you busy!

Roland

[titanium]

Does Buddy mean we have Coverage on Horsepower TV?!
[/b]

Jay,
I haven't talked to him about that. (yet)

Just a little FYI about Horsepower TV:
The show will have a definite 'Florida' feel when the new episodes start airing in March.
They have been filming a Mopar motor build up at Buddy's shop in Orlando.
Attached are some shots from that.
Also, when Joe, Mike, Buddy and I were at the PRI show, we were talking about getting them to come to the 24 hours at Daytona and do some filming there.
Also, Mike Galley wanted to know if there was a SCCA class he could run his NASA AI Mustang.
Hmmm, I think I need to give him a call.....

Cobrar05,
I will be racing again starting in February at Sebring.
We plan on doing at least one race this year outside of Florida, but not sure where yet.

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[ICT Motorsports]

Jay,
as we have discussed in emails, there are ways to do it. Tough if it is not yet in the works. A lot of things going on at the same time and planning for a long race takes time and commitments from drivers. I would campaign at least one car, probably 2 cars. One rented to paying drivers, one our in-house team.