2010 NARRC Series Feedback

[Dave Zaslow]

1. There should be no more than 12 designated NARRC races at 6 circuits over 8 weekends:

· Lime Rock Park, Lime Rock, CT – LRP (1 single NARRC race and the season ending NARRC double points race)
· Pocono International Raceway, Pocono, PA - PIR (1 double NARRC race weekend)
· New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Louden, NH - NHMS (2 double NARRC race weekends)
· New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt Circuit, Millville, NJ - NJMP-T (1 NARRC race)
· New Jersey Motorsports Park Lightning Circuit, Millville, NJ - NJMP-L (1 NARRC race)
· Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY - WGI (1 double NARRC race weekend)

Only the best six (7) race finishes will count towards the championship. Of course the regions are free to have other non-NARRC regionals.

2. NARRC races should not be held less than three weeks apart.

The regions scheduling committees must take that into account when putting together the schedule and negotiating with the racetracks.

3. All NARRC races should all be restricted regionals.

The purpose of this is to give the majority of our entrants more track time. Non-NARRC races can be unrestricted regionals.

I think we can do this with the following seven run groups that had at least 10 unique entries in 2008:


:

• SRF, EP, FP, GP, GTL
• FC, FF, FV, NCF
• GT-1, AS, ITE
• ITA, C, 7, SPO
• ITB, S, R,
• SM, SPU
• SSM, STU

Yes, that means 10 different entrants could have signed up for 10 different races, but we’ll get to that later. These are also the only classes available to have a champion because

Other classes that would fit into these 7 are fine; otherwise they take too much track time away time for minimal entries.

For 2011 and beyond we would need to see the number of entries in 2010 for all classes. If they make it to 10 unique, they are in. If those that are there now go away, so be it.

4. Championships should only be awarded in competitive classes .

I don’t think that all classes deserve to have champions. Many have few competitors. I am asking for 10 unique entrants in the course of a season be a qualifying criteria for a champion to be declared.

5. Track time should be maximized.

The examples below are minimum requirements.

If the track is open 9AM to 6PM a one day single should have a 20 minute qualifying and a 30 minute timed race, minimum. If racing can start at 8 then do a 40 minute race.

A two day single should have the same schedule as a single, with the 2nd qualifying being a qualifying race for the second day’s 15 minute mixed group warm-up and 45 minute (minimum) race.

A two day double can either be done as two singles or as a two day single with the qualifying race scored as a regular race.

6. Eliminate “Bonus Points” for visiting some number of tracks or running some number of events.

The (ahem) point of these incentives was to get people to travel or enter one more race. Maybe they did but there was not a big change in statistics. You want points, you run races.

7. You must earn at least 800 points to be declared a champion.

You have to race more often or you have to do very well less often. In 2008 there were only 6 classes that had more than 5 drivers enter 5 races or more (ITA, ITB, ITS, SM, SRF, SSM). This will be tough as it does away with the bonus points and there is one less finish to count towards the total.

8. Give meaningful awards.

A fee will still be collected from all entrants of the events listed above. This fee is used to pay for all NARRC year-end trophies and awards. Trophies and awards will go to all 23 eligible class champions. If any money is distributed it will be proportional to the champion eligible classes number of entries, and rounded to the nearest $10. Some portion of the NARRC fee will be retained by the series for administrative and publicity purposes.

Please feel free to repost in other forums, but feedback should go to Andy Bettancourt.

[ner88]

Sorry Dave, I don't see anything in your post that interests me.
Looks like the same old dead series.

[lateapex911]

Dave, why do you give NHIS two double NARRCs?

[dickita15]

Dave you forgot the fast formula cars.

[Dave Zaslow]

Jerry,

I am not trying to recreate NARRC, just make it a better competition for those who recognize it as a worthwhile goal. I think we need a divisional regional championship. Maybe that means adding Summit and Beaverrun. I think a NARRC regional should be different than any other regional.

Jake,

I am looking at the 2008 season for which I have a full excel spreadsheet. New England had two singles and one double at NHMP. The double had 1/3 more entries. This year they have two doubles and a single. The one double already run has also been ahead of the single by about the same percentage. I thought the large core of New England Region racers would like having four NARRC points opportunities grouped into two weekends.

Dick,

The bar I set was 10 unique entrants in a class. The FA's only had 3, the FM's only 4 in 2008. 2009 shows 5 FA's and 2 FM's so far. As far as I am concerned they are playing elsewhere or not at all. Either they fit into one of the seven run groups above, or they go to an unrestricted regional or a national event.

All,

Remember that this is not just an IT issue, but one that we need to reach out to all the classes. I've looked at the SM and SRF sites and don't see much discussion. There is no NARRC.com Forum. If you know of other discussions I'd like to take a look.

DZ

[Racer Chris]

Dave,
Don't even consider the possibility of SRF being grouped with Production! It isn't recommended by SCCA and is just plain dangerous. The only other class SRF could be combined with IMO is Spec Miata.
I like running my prod car with SM, SSM, or any IT class much better than with SRF.

[wdether]

Dave,
Don't even consider the possibility of SRF being grouped with Production! It isn't recommended by SCCA and is just plain dangerous. The only other class SRF could be combined with IMO is Spec Miata.
I like running my prod car with SM, SSM, or any IT class much better than with SRF.

Dave,
I agree with Chris, SRF and Prod does not make a good match. I also think SPO would be better with GT1-3, AS, and ITE. SPU could go with ITA, C, & 7.

Having fewer race groups than the customary nine, that are the norm now, is a good idea and would provide more track time.

[ner88]

Dave, that's my point, we do need to recreate NARRC, it doesn't need band-aids it needs major surgery.
The points system doesn't work, the schedule sucks and it's not drawing racers.

[lateapex911]

Two items, some probably covered already, but:

I just looked at the schedule out of curiosity. FIVE NHMS events! F that! That's nuts.

Last year, I thought "Why not see if I can win the NARRC Championship?" It rewards consistency, and finishes above all else, and that hasn't always been my strength. So, that was my focus. I went to NHMS a few times. Not a fan of the track, like my buds who hang there though, so it was cool. I went to Pocono, ONLY because of the whole wacky points. I hate, despise and abhor Pocono. But I had to go to earn the points.

So I reflected after the season about my 'fun' level, and of course, I had fun. It's racing! And winning the NARRC was cool, and even though there weren't 50 guys in my class, the one guy who was my 'rival' is a really solid racer and wrench, so beating him was the challenge.

But this year, I decided other challenges beckoned, like conquering new tracks and traveling to cool tracks.

And it's been a great season, lot's of fun, and I feel as though I'm growing as a driver/team boss/wrench/bottle washer/rig driver. And I'm not going to the same track 5 times just for points.

Different strokes, etc, but to me, in many classes, the NARRC thing has become a game of showing up and finishing well, rather than enjoyable racing at interesting tracks.

Some of that could be fixed, but I realize that some of it is just the way it is.

But FIVE races at NHMS!?!?!? sheesh.

[ner88]

I said it before, 5 races, 5 tracks.

[Robert Zecca]

Can't we all just be friends!

My car is quickier than your car.

[ner88]

Can't friends disagree?