Team DI Pro IT at Summit Point

[dave parker]

I was sorry to hear the Pro IT was canceled. I spoke with the Race Chair about this Friday evening. She told me that it was a mutual decision between her and Terry Hanushek that was based on low entries and keeping the 100 plus volunteer workers in the heat for an extra hour on Sunday. As a driver I struggle with the canceling of this race, but as worker and region volunteer the decision made sense. If one takes the time to analyze the dynamics involved it all adds up. The Pro IT was scheduled at this race because it is the second least subscribed MARRS weekend of the series (the August MARRS being the smallest) this allows some room in what is already an overcrowded paddock. The Pro IT was the last run group of the day, because it is not part of our regular series. Finally, the high heat (near 100 degrees) did not help the situation any. Hopefully the Pro IT will return to Summit Point in the future.

To clarify, there were TWO ITR cars in impound after Sundays race.

cheers
dave parker

[Gregg]

To clarify, there were TWO ITR cars in impound after Sundays race.

Actually there were three finishers (made sure my vision--which understandably could have been affected by the beer and the heat--didn't deceive me), Two MARRS regulars and one car I hadn't seen before.

http://www.nescca.com/nescca_main/crrresultssp5.pdf

As I was perhaps the biggest proponent in WDC of inviting the series to one of our events I was quite saddened to see this happen, especially when we fielded two MARRS run group of IT (and SRX7) that had over 30 entries each and some of the best racing of the weekend.

Just a quick show of hands for you series regulars that didn't enter, was the reason:

1. Economics?
2. It's gonna be hot as hades?
3. There's gonna be a Pro-IT Race at Summit Point? (ie. promotion issues)
4. It's too far to travel?
5. I heard the paddock stinks?
6. I heard the track stinks?
7. I just had a race a few weeks ago and I'm spent?
8. The wife would kill me?
9. WDCR wanted to charge my credit card right away?
10. I planned to go but nobody else had entered when I last looked?
11. Something else

Thanks!

[RSTPerformance]

Gregg-

this year wr havnt run the series for several reasons... Babies, weddings and a new race car on the way are just a few outside influences. other reasons included a very attractive NARRC series this year, other events with stronger ITB fields, and the fact that SM does not have a split start with the rest of the IT cars.

I really want to race Summit as that is where my earliest memories are when my dad went to his first driving schools back in the early 80's... However canceling an event after the drivers arrived is a low blow. I might consider one of the big NASA events instead. I am stunned at the poor decision by Terry and the other person involved. At least get creative and combine the event into other races... Did people really have to pay more to enter the regional race?

Raymond "hoping this doesn't kill the series, Team DI has put way to much into it for us to screw it up" Blethen

[tdw6974]

--Just a quick show of hands for you series regulars that didn't enter, was the reason:

1. Economics?
2. It's gonna be hot as hades? a
3. There's gonna be a Pro-IT Race at Summit Point? (ie. promotion issues)
4. It's too far to travel?
5. I heard the paddock stinks?
6. I heard the track stinks?
7. I just had a race a few weeks ago and I'm spent?
8. The wife would kill me? Hmmm? she did order our Monument
9. WDCR wanted to charge my credit card right away?
10. I planned to go but nobody else had entered when I last looked?
11. Something else Had Booked rooms entered. Car was ready, BUT our driver had work conflict that resulted in us with drawing. We are headed to a FATT on Monday July 19th At this point track has only 2 cars entered. TW

Thanks![/QUOTE]

[gran racing]

If I attended any event regardless of how close it is, I'd be more than annoyed with it being cancled. Then if I towed 7 hours bringing family, possibly taking time off of work, all of the other related time and expenses? Do what needs to be done to help the workers even if that means reducing all run groups track time. But this is not the way to do business.

[Doc Bro]

I spoke with the Race Chair about this Friday evening. She told me that it was a mutual decision between her and Terry Hanushek that was based on low entries and keeping the 100 plus volunteer workers in the heat for an extra hour on Sunday.

cheers
dave parker

So, the Team DI Pro-IT series is a series about the workers......

I just thought the series was about adding car counts to nationals under the guise of being a driver's series.....


R

[Greg Amy]

Man, if I'd driven all the way down to Summit, only to find on Friday that the race was canceled, I'd be RIPPED...

Trust me, I know what the weather was like; I was outside all day at NJMP: brutal heat and humidity. And I'm sure it was even worse down there.

You know I'm a volunteer. And you may know I've worn the whites before. But if it was acceptable to keep the whites out there for an extra hour for a large race group, then I fail to understand how that suitability/safety is changed for a small group. In the end, it's an hour doing exactly the same thing (but with a small group a possibly much lower potential for carnage/running/exertion).

Just sayin'.

I know the persons involved in the decision process and I respect them and their judgment immensely. However, go/no-go decisions like this must be made a minimum of a week in advance and adhered to, regardless of its effects, and all affected persons must be given sufficient notice.

GA

[Greg Amy]

STU shouldn't be a problem.

But by placing STU in ITR, ITS, and ITB, you lose a significant opportunity for additional "double dip" entries from competitors looking for additional track time.

Jerry's thinkin' like a "bidnessman"...I wish more SCCA organizers would do that...

[JamesB]

Well I can not speak for the flaggers, but EV would just work the schedule if there was a 9th group. Instead we got a short day, done by 3:30, 4:30 would not have killed anyone....but I guess the race chair felt otherwise.

[callard]

On Friday afternoon, when we (Doc Bro and I) spoke to John Nesbitt, the Chief Steward of the weekend, he said the ProIT race cancellation was done by the promoter and not the DC Region. The race chair did not make the decision. The workers benefited from a shorter day but were not part of the equation. Please talk to the ProIT folks about clarifying a cancellation rule for future events to avoid casting false blame.
Chuck

[anthony1k]

On Friday afternoon, when we (Doc Bro and I) spoke to John Nesbitt, the Chief Steward of the weekend, he said the ProIT race cancellation was done by the promoter and not the DC Region. The race chair did not make the decision. The workers benefited from a shorter day but were not part of the equation. Please talk to the ProIT folks about clarifying a cancellation rule for future events to avoid casting false blame.
Chuck

I was told the same thing by John Nesbitt.

[JamesB]

Chuck, I never saw him. Only story I heard was it was a mutual agreement between the promoter and the chair.

[John Nesbitt]

Just so everybody is on the same page, here is what I know, and what I told folks in the paddock.

On the way up to the track on Friday, I received a call from the race chair, telling me that the series had decided to cancel.

Later during the drive, I received a call from the series steward, Terry Hanushek, telling me that he and Darrell had decided to cancel, citing the low registration numbers.

At close of online registration at Wednesday noon, there were 12 entries. This was down to 10 by Friday morning, and reportedly others were withdrawing. Terry was confronting the prospect of single-digit car numbers circulating for 45 minutes at the end of the day Sunday. I am sure that the welfare of the flaggers was part of his calculation. I do not envy him the decision; it was a very difficult choice.

Certainly, Terry consulted the race chair since it was a DC Region event. Given the challenging economics this year, the Region had no incentive to cancel. Even a dozen entries (counting double dippers from out of town) would have made a difference to the event balance sheet. But it was at the initiative of the series that the race was cancelled.

John Nesbitt
Chief Steward, MARRS 5

[benspeed]

Just a quick show of hands for you series regulars that didn't enter, was the reason:

1. Economics?
2. It's gonna be hot as hades?
3. There's gonna be a Pro-IT Race at Summit Point? (ie. promotion issues)
4. It's too far to travel?
5. I heard the paddock stinks?
6. I heard the track stinks?
7. I just had a race a few weeks ago and I'm spent?
8. The wife would kill me?
9. WDCR wanted to charge my credit card right away?
10. I planned to go but nobody else had entered when I last looked?
11. Something else

Thanks!

It was a shame the event was cancelled but I can understand why. Economics of having only 9 cars and the heat, plus being the last race...

I didn't come down because I was sick as a dog but I had the car loaded and ready. What killed it for me besides being sick was being the last group of the day and then having to fly to San Francisco first thing Monday morning.

The series organizers will try to see about making the race earlier when the event is held further from the regular tracks based on the assumption that many of the Pro IT drivers are making a major tow to get there. It will be helpful to allow those drivers to race earlier so they can get rolling for home.

In the future I know the series organizers will make any cancellation decision well in advance of the event - certainly before drivers haul down to the track. These folks feel badly about that - Doc Bro - I know they are taking a hard look at trying to do right by your situation in particular. You can expect a series official to be in touch with you.

The assumption that Pro IT will be held with more national events to help drive more revenue to the region and avoid losing money is clearly a driving force behind the series. Last year Pro IT at regionals helped a little because of double dipping but it can also be said that it eroded revenue where there wasn't double dipping, based on prize money distribution. There is opportunity for double dipping at a national but if that doesn't happen, Pro IT still adds incremental revenue at a national that wasn't there before - expect that to be a strategy for scheduling next year. I am not a series official but I am friends with these guys and have relayed their thoughts.

I think that Summit Point should be on the calendar next year and hopefully we can schedule earlier for the race - the track is excellent and the paddock is fine. The heat - that might have pushed folks away for this particular weekend - heck, I was looking for a cool suit because of the expected brutal heat.

Let's look to a full field at Watkins Glen and remember what we learned from the unfortunate cancellation at Summit.