2010 GCR now available

[Knestis]

I... Man, some folks will whine about everything.

...and I guess I'm not able to explain my concern.

Old and jaded,

Kirk

[Marcus Miller]

Just to make sure; that wasn't pointed your direction
I totally agree with the concenrs over club leadership and some very questionable dceision making; I don't understand the venom hurled Carlie's direction... as a businessman, and part time competitor he saw value in doing it; if the other side will play ball...

back to the garage

[zchris]

Here it is

TOPEKA, Kan. (Dec. 31, 2009) – Sports Car Club of America announced a multi-year partnership in which SafeRacer will become the title sponsor of the National Club Racing program. The approximately 70-race National program will be referred to as the “SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series” beginning in 2010.

“SafeRacer has supported the Club Racing program in various ways over the last several years and we’re excited that it has expanded its support to become the sponsor of the National Racing Series,” SCCA President and CEO Jeff Dahnert said. “One of our main focuses this year will be on developing partnerships that not only support SCCA’s business, but its participant members as well.”

As part of the sponsorship, SafeRacer will provide $15,000 in certificates to be distributed to class Champions in the nationwide point championship. The nationwide point Championship combines divisional Championship points and bonus points for the number of racers a driver finishes ahead of to crown one overall point Champion each year.

In addition, SafeRacer will offer direct product discounts to participants in the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series.

“We are a company made up of SCCA racers and we’re excited to be able to support our fellow racers with the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series,” SafeRacer CEO Charlie James said.

Racers competing in Nationally-sanctioned events will replace the traditional “SCCA Club Racing” decal with the new SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series decal as part of the program. Decals will be available soon at no charge for the first set and will be required for all races after March 1, 2010.

[RacerBill]

So now we are going to have Triple Crown Champions, Super Sweep Champions, nationwide points Champions and Runoffs Champions?

[IPRESS]

This is my third attempt on this one. I am doing my best not to brow beat the living S out of the whole lot!
Running a dang, free sticker, that is a very small advertisment for a very good sponsor is not the huge deal you guys are trying to make it into. If it had been me being the sponsor I would have wanted company name a lot more prominent than those little stickers.
Baker should have come up with some sort of idea like this for y'alls pet HNR and this board would be singing SCCA's praises.
First off Greg, don't worry about something being crooked, Charlie & Mike at Saferacer are about as honest as they come. No ones palms are being greased. We need every promotional and sponsor dollar we can find in this day and age.

This attitude from the "nath" makes me think Bert Levy was writing about real modern day folks in his books.

[924Guy]

Maybe I just haven't been around long enough to be cynical; personally, I think it's great that a sponsor is willing to step up, recognize, and provide such support for our little hobby.

[RacerBill]

I think that Mac has it right, that we may be reading between the lines where there is really no writing. And it is great that someone has stepped up to help our sport.

But I also remember the contention between sponsors such as CocaCola and Pepsi at NASCAR events and even (IIRR) AT&T and NEXTEL/SPRINT at NASCAR events. However, we are not talking about megabucks here (yeah, even a couple of hundred bucks is mega bucks to me), and we should wait and hear from some other suppliers (Racer Parts Wholesale, Pegasus, Continental, etc) and see what their take is. Do any of us receive sponsorship from any of these vendors?

I, myself, tend to shop around at different vendors, purchasing needed items from different sources (some vendors carry items that others do not). But where I have a choice, I purchase from Continental Motorsports. My reasoning is that their selection is good, and their prices are fair. But the most compelling reason is because they stepped up and took over the stand at Mid-Ohio when the previous vendor decided to leave. Jim and Jeannie are there for us, the racers, just about every weekend. More than once, I have been able to get a needed part that kept me in the game that weekend.

I hope that my fellow racers step up and recognise the support that SafeRacer is showing SCCA (that's us!).

[gran racing]

Mac, I don't think any of us are saying anything negative about SafeRacer as it relates to this deal. At the same time, IMO it goes back to what Greg said before. There's a difference between a contingency and this type of sponsorship in CLUB racing. Pro racing is another thing. The $15K in rewards given out, I personally would have rather it be done in another manner than based on winnings (if done as a series sponsor). Let some of the back to mid pack drivers benefit from this as much as the front runners. Heck, in most cases they probably need the help more anyway.

we should wait and hear from some other suppliers (Racer Parts Wholesale, Pegasus, Continental, etc) and see what their take is. Do any of us receive sponsorship from any of these vendors?

First thing that came to mind was SPS. (The company that runs the SCCA merchandise website.)

[dickita15]

From the press release:
“As part of the sponsorship, SafeRacer will provide $15,000 in certificates to be distributed to class Champions in the nationwide point championship.”
I wish I could say more, unfortunately I have a responsibility now not to discuss contract terms but the word part here is very important. I think it is great that a company like Saferacer has stepped up to become a title sponsor for the National racing series and in doing so will hopefully help in the effort to reclaim some of the luster it so richly deserves. I need belts this year and know where I will buy them now.

[cooleyjb]

This is my third attempt on this one. I am doing my best not to brow beat the living S out of the whole lot!
Running a dang, free sticker, that is a very small advertisment for a very good sponsor is not the huge deal you guys are trying to make it into. If it had been me being the sponsor I would have wanted company name a lot more prominent than those little stickers.
Baker should have come up with some sort of idea like this for y'alls pet HNR and this board would be singing SCCA's praises.
First off Greg, don't worry about something being crooked, Charlie & Mike at Saferacer are about as honest as they come. No ones palms are being greased. We need every promotional and sponsor dollar we can find in this day and age.

This attitude from the "nath" makes me think Bert Levy was writing about real modern day folks in his books.

Here's my take. I have nothing but respect for the guys at Saferacer. They are a good group of guys. I do run a small business that 'competes' with them on a very small scale. If I were to offer a contingency package it would include the terms that I was to be the only race apparel dealer on the car. I don't have the ability to do what Saferacer has done so I applaud them for stepping up and doing it. My issue is with the SCCA. They've now required me to a put a sticker on my car that I will get NOTHING from. The 15K goes to the top finishers and in SRF I'm not a top national guy. The other money that is going to SCCA will do nothing to lower my fees or make it cheaper for me to race. If they're going to 'offer' a 10% discount, whoopeee, they've had that forever.

Maybe I just haven't been around long enough to be cynical; personally, I think it's great that a sponsor is willing to step up, recognize, and provide such support for our little hobby.

I think it's great that they did as well. However it's a contingency package that we're getting as racers, not a sponsorship from them. A sponsorship package benefits all the racers, a contingency package will only benefit a small portion of the actual competitors.

From the press release:
“As part of the sponsorship, SafeRacer will provide $15,000 in certificates to be distributed to class Champions in the nationwide point championship.”
I wish I could say more, unfortunately I have a responsibility now not to discuss contract terms but the word part here is very important. I think it is great that a company like Saferacer has stepped up to become a title sponsor for the National racing series and in doing so will hopefully help in the effort to reclaim some of the luster it so richly deserves. I need belts this year and know where I will buy them now.

That's the problem. This is MY club too but I don't get any info on how the deal went down or what we are gettting. This is one of the many issues that there are with the club. This isn't NASA where it's a for profit model. This is my club and at the amateur level I don't want to whore my self out to anyone, even if they're a good group of guys like Saferacer.

Since you're on the board, how about answers to these questions.

What does the last place guy at the Mid America National in SRF get from Saferacer?

Like sponsors in other racing are they going to have a presence at every National? Koni was at every Koni Challenge Race.

What do the regions that put on the national events get from this? They are actually taking the financial risk and manpower to put these one.

What do the cornerworkers, grid crew, stewards, tech, etc. get from Saferacer? They are volunteering for a amateur level club and now we have a professional sponsor.

Why wasn't this put out to bid? I can think of a few orgnizaitons that would have put up a decent amount of money to get title billing.

[JoshS]

The other money that is going to SCCA will do nothing to lower my fees or make it cheaper for me to race.

How do you know that?

[dickita15]

Cooley, sorry not sure what your name is.
I will give it a shot. First yes, I am not going tell you the all details that I know about the full deal between Saferacer and SCCA, I can’t. Being on the board now there is a fiduciary responsibility to the club and details of contracts are not something I can reveal. But that is how the club works. It elects a board, hopefully people they trust, and that board amongst other things directs the president and staff. It is not possible to let 50,000 people vote on every small detail of the day to day business.
While I did not have a vote on this deal, my term actually started about 16 hours ago, I am pleased with the deal. I wish it was more and maybe if this sponsor feels good about his return on investment the next deal will be bigger. It is a step in the right direction.
You say we are not business like others but we do have to be run in a businesslike manner. The stakes are too high, we all have too much invested in this sport for it to be run like the local garden club.
Most of my fellow directors I had not met before last month when I got to spend three long days in Topeka debating all manner of issues but despite some agreement and some heated discussion for the most part I think they are all very concerned about doing the right thing. They come from various backgrounds so that colors their opinions but they are not dumb and they are all working to do their best.
I do not know exactly how Saferacer is going to promote their series involvement but I would doubt they are going to have a physical presence at all 70 or so SCCA nationals. If you have a local company that supports you at the track that you want to support you certainly may but if not consider supporting someone who supports your club.
Enlisting a title sponsor for national racing is a good thing in my mind. There is a direct benefit to those that earn contingency but there is also a benefit to the club and particularly club racing from Saferacer’s support. This benefits everyone who is involved in club racing, the drivers, the workers and even a lowly IT driver like me. Is this deal huge or a salvation, no of course not, but it is a good move in the right direction.
By the way Solo has had a similar deal with Tire Rack for years and I do not hear anything negative about that not did I hear anything negative about the Pro It sponsorship deals or its predecessor the OMP Challenge.

[Knestis]

So (and I'm not hurling venom in anyone's direction, just questioning the structure of the deal), every National driver is required to wear stickers, and the benefits of the deal accrue ONLY to "class Champions in the nationwide point championship." If I don't run the stickers, I'm out of compliance with the GCR and will be penalized - as opposed to simply not being eligible for the prize. I have all that right?

K

[JoshS]

So (and I'm not hurling venom in anyone's direction, just questioning the structure of the deal), every National driver is required to wear stickers, and the benefits of the deal accrue ONLY to "class Champions in the nationwide point championship." If I don't run the stickers, I'm out of compliance with the GCR and will be penalized - as opposed to simply not being eligible for the prize. I have all that right?

K

Kirk, I think your "ONLY" is wrong. The only detail that has been revealed is the money that goes to the class champions, but it seems that there's more money than that and the club must have some plan for how to use it. Presumably it gets used in a manner that is to the benefit of all national racers, but that is just an assumption.

[IPRESS]

WELL SO MUCH FOR MY IDEA TO GO TO CHARLIE AND SEE IF THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING FOR THE REGIONAL ONLY GROUP!
You guys are something else.

Dick good luck to you, I can't wait to tell R. David how giddy my fellow IT racers are and appreciate the good things the people in charge do for us.

[dickita15]

Technically Kirk anyone running National races must run the required SCCA series sticker, that includes the name of the series title sponsor, in place of the previously requires SCCA Club Racing sticker.
National point leaders will receive contingency awards from part of the sponsorship. Anyone involved in club racing will benefit some from other parts of the program.
I would assume that a driver could be penalized for not running the series sticker in the same manner as last year, probably a logbook notation.
Mac, I would suggest giving feedback to you director is always a good thing, of course this deal had no negative effect on IT at all although it is conceivable that the support of club racing from an quality sponsor may have some positive effect.

[gran racing]

Dick - regarding ProIt and the Driving Impressions / other sponsor relationships, that series is being billed as a "Pro" series. That's the big difference between the two. As far as the Tire Rack deal, I'm not familiar with that but obviously you have a point or maybe some expressed the same feeling.

Dick good luck to you, I can't wait to tell R. David how giddy my fellow IT racers are and appreciate the good things the people in charge do for us

Oh come on Mac. A deal is announced with a national series sponsor (again, not contigency), people are frustrated with some of the actions SCCA leadership has done such as moving forward with H&NR being a requirement AND SFI 38.1 / FIA only; all of the IT cars being reviewed vanishing and related BS, among a few other things. People see this announcement in the just recently published GCR with a saferacer ad of a Hans device. Let me be clear here, I am NOT saying any back room deals are being made, but the way all of this came out was not overly effective. I'm sorry, but SCCA has a problem with its communication and a big perception of items happening behind closed doors and membership never understanding what's going on. No, every decision should not be put out for membership review but you need to understand we can only hold up so many straws of hay.

I TOTALLY understand Dick's position of not being able to provide us additional details, but then SCCA should have better communicated (yup, there it is again!) with it's members. When the message is full of ambiguity, you're baiting people to jump to conclusions based on perceptions.

[IPRESS]

Dave my point is, this board is made up of a lot of good guys who love racing. Not all have the same viewpoints on the different aspects of the sport. Sometimes (and it seems like it is getting to be more often) some of these good guys go nuts on subjects where they "invent" problems. This place gets negative vibes real quick.
Just in the past few months we have had the "Downfall of IT" subject beat to a pulp by the CRB haters. Now we have the "BOR is Selling out the Club" saga.
Message boards are great, but my goodness why all the negative, IMMEDIATLY?
It is easy to sit back and pick at everything the SCCA leaders do or try to do. Hell I have been a pretty harsh critic when I thought they were wrong, but it was after I new some facts to base it on.
Around here you get your pet subjects that are exempt from the usual negative grilling and somehow turn into an influence on something good turning it negative. I call BS.

The HNR seems to be that pet subject in this case. Saferacer sells the HANS and has run that ad for a long time. So you dot connectors are trying to pin the Series, and the HNR ruling for a couple of years in the future, together. (you guys had to love the part in "The Shooter" where the old CIA Op said he new where the grassy knoll guys were buried."
HANS & Issac / RSI & SFI - It has been debated back and forth on here and other forums, to the point of hurling!
I am sorry that the product of safety some of you have chosen is not going to be legal as it stands now. The politics involved and the way business decisions work sometimes gets way more involved than what the grassroots racer wants. That said it is what it is.
You guys need to seperate the SAFERACER deal from the HNR issue. It is totally seperate. I really don't see this any different than the Tire Rack deal in Solo.
My only wish is that it could be expanded to include us Regional Only guys.
Thank You for your time and feel free to go all negative again!

[cooleyjb]

Mac-

Anyone who thinks this is a HNR thing driven by Saferacer is absolutely nuts.

Anyone who is hating on SafeRacer for doing this is absolutely nuts. I think it's great that they are in the position to do this and are doing.

This black helicopter crap only gets in the way of the true issues with this program.

The issue that the 'haters' have are that we've just been forced to run a business's logo on the side of our car for what appears to be a pittance.

The Summit Racing contingency program has the ability to put up to 142,000 dollars (not vouchers from what I read on the contingency form) into competitors hands (albeit over only 8 classes) and it's a voluntary contingency of which the majority of SCCA competitors aren't elgible for so they don't even have to worry about.

Saferacer gets title billing, advertising on every car and the club only gets 15,000 dollars in vouchers for the top competitors.

Now do you start to see where this disconnect is beginning?

The other issue that some have mentioned is probably what drives me the most crazy. SCCA can't seem to figure out that communication is what makes this club racing world we live in bearable. When something as big as a title sponsor for the national series of the club gets setup we don't even get a press release until after we see it in the rules and that press release gives minimal information from what the BOD is saying. Not too helpful.

--Joe

[Greg Amy]

That's the best you guys can do? Instead of addressing fellow members' concerns directly, recognize the reasoning behind these concerns, and finding way to "convince" them, you simply revert to calling them names, alienate them, and then try to marginalize their concerns? And then you suddenly expect them to see the "error of their ways" and fall back from the Dark Side to your Good Side?

That's a religion, not a logic ("Heathans"!!!). Do note that your attitudes do nothing to alleviate these concerns; on the contrary, they make you seem gullible, unimaginative, and make the rest of us see how easy it can be to pull the wool over the proverbial eyes (whether it exists or not).

Again, I ain't sayin' anything's going on, but the more I read this topic, the actually more concerned I get...