Lime Rock events

[ner88]

Do many drivers have a problem attending events that would require being there on Friday?
Given notice and a good event would you schedule it and plan ahead?

I've been told that if qualifying on Friday was required many drivers would not attend.

[JLawton]

I'm in a lucky situation where I get a ton of vacation time and don't live too far from LRP. So I would be OK with it but I think I'll be in the minority.

[StephF]

Thanks to my ever-lousy work schedule, I haven't been able to fit LRP in for years. And I haven't taken vacation time for it due to the expense and one race format that we usually have there.
I could be persueded to try it again given the right circumstances though....what do you have in mind Jerry?

[gran racing]

I won't say that it doesn't frustrate me to take a day off just for qualifying. If there are only a couple of LRP events per year, I'm not sure it would totally prevent me from going but would make me think twice. I'd prefer a Sat. only, short qual session (15 min total), then a race. If the region needs to purchase both Fri & Sat, maybe make Fri a

[THawkbh]

Being that there is no racing allowed on sundays, it does make sense to race on friday as well. However, if we race 2 days, i feel there really should be double regionals like we get at other tracks. The entry fees at lrp aren't cheap and in return we get 1 race and have to miss a day of work.

On the other side of the argument, I'd rather be at the racetrack than at work.

[ner88]

LRP is a two day rental, no racing on Friday.

[THawkbh]

I've been told that if qualifying on Friday was required many drivers would not attend.

LRP is a two day rental, no racing on Friday.

Racing as in no races and no qualifying? or are we assuming qualifying is not considered a race under lrp rules? or does the rental include sat/sun and not fri/sat?

[67ITB]

I have no problem attending Friday events at Limerock.

But my situation is sort of unique, I live less than an hour away, and have more vacation days than most.

Matt

[lateapex911]

I gotta say, I always raise an eyebrow when I read and hear comments about entry fees being high. I walk around the paddock, and I see not one or two, but DOZENS of motorhomes costing HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars. Yea yea, "I got it used". and "it saves on hotels"... whatever, LOL, I'd love to see the math.
The bottom bottom line isn't how much the entry fee is...it's way more complicated. For guys who live where I do, it's cheaper by far to run Lime Rock than other tracks, even if the other entry fees were nearly free because of gas. Conversely LRP is really expensive for those distant.

I think events succeed or fail based on a number of factors, but the biggest one is scheduling...TIME is for most of us, the dearest resource. Family pressures mean we just can't do three weekends in a row. And a small cadre of workers can't either. I bet THAT's the main worry for any region. We're very lucky here in the NE having so many tracks, and so many events to chose from, but racers and workers aren't an infinite resource. But yea, nothing new about that.

[JLawton]

I gotta say, I always raise an eyebrow when I read and hear comments about entry fees being high. I walk around the paddock, and I see not one or two, but DOZENS of motorhomes costing HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars. Yea yea, "I got it used". and "it saves on hotels"... whatever, LOL, I'd love to see the math.
.

No sh*t, huh?

My expenses for a weekend run over $1,000 (total expenses divided by the number of races I run). Whether I pay $250 or $350 it's not going to be the deal breaker for me. But if I have to make a choice on my schedule between a triple at NHMS or a LRP event? I'm going to NH. But I think NER has done an awesome job of cramming as much racing into a weekend as you possibly can. The June LRP event is a good example.

Yeah, Jerry gets grumpy once in awhile but he does listen. But he is in one of those "no win" situations where you can't make EVERYONE happy.

[gran racing]

The bottom bottom line isn't how much the entry fee is...it's way more complicated.

You're right, it's way more complicated. I will absolutely say that in my family, how much the entrance fee is matters. Not saying that is necessarily should in some instances, but it does. I don't know how much I paid in fuel to get to Summit Point last weekend, nor do I want to know. (I just imagine Jake going to Mapquest the moment he reads this then doing his little calculation. Grrrrr.) I can tell you that my wife was pleased when I told her the entry fee for three days of racing there was less than one day at LRP. A part of people who have similar thinking is due to perceived value in the product we're purchasing.

While not ignorant of the various costs to attend a race further away, I think human nature is to hide some of the costs like I mentioned above fuel. Much like many of us do when it comes to the build versus buy evaluation.

[THawkbh]

I gotta say, I always raise an eyebrow when I read and hear comments about entry fees being high. I walk around the paddock, and I see not one or two, but DOZENS of motorhomes costing HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars. Yea yea, "I got it used". and "it saves on hotels"... whatever, LOL, I'd love to see the math.
The bottom bottom line isn't how much the entry fee is...it's way more complicated. For guys who live where I do, it's cheaper by far to run Lime Rock than other tracks, even if the other entry fees were nearly free because of gas. Conversely LRP is really expensive for those distant.

I wonder that too. An extra hundred dollars here and there is nothing compared to what we're all spending on going racing. No, I don't like watching entry fees go up, but I also don't like paying for hotels and rising fuel costs, but if I want to go racing, I have to pay. We also have to remember that the sanctioning body is experiencing these same cost increases and in order to stay active, they need to make enough money to cover these costs. I won't run every race in a season because I just can't afford it, but the entry fee is not the deciding factor.

[anthony1k]

I wonder that too. An extra hundred dollars here and there is nothing compared to what we're all spending on going racing. No, I don't like watching entry fees go up, but I also don't like paying for hotels and rising fuel costs, but if I want to go racing, I have to pay. We also have to remember that the sanctioning body is experiencing these same cost increases and in order to stay active, they need to make enough money to cover these costs. I won't run every race in a season because I just can't afford it, but the entry fee is not the deciding factor.

Totally agree. OT but along the same lines, I find it surprising how few people contribute to the workers fund.

[THawkbh]

Totally agree. OT but along the same lines, I find it surprising how few people contribute to the workers fund.

Some people are just cheap and greedy.

[dickita15]

Totally agree. OT but along the same lines, I find it surprising how few people contribute to the workers fund.

There was a guy at our April drivers school who the chief instructor had to go find in the paddock because he did not bother to attend the classroom session after coming off the track and the topic was kind of important, how the upcoming practice starts were going to work.

The student said that for the money he paid he was not getting the service he felt he deserved.

[BruceG]

I wonder that too. An extra hundred dollars here and there is nothing compared to what we're all spending on going racing. No, I don't like watching entry fees go up, but I also don't like paying for hotels and rising fuel costs, but if I want to go racing, I have to pay. We also have to remember that the sanctioning body is experiencing these same cost increases and in order to stay active, they need to make enough money to cover these costs. I won't run every race in a season because I just can't afford it, but the entry fee is not the deciding factor.

I read recently that the cost of living adjustment(COLA) is based on an index of young singles living in urban areas(not exactly the demographic for most of us. So many of the things we use and consume as racers aren't even on the Federal charts. When the government tells me that there will be no COLA for Social Security receipiants for 3 years because costs have not increased, I have to laugh. Any of you spending less for food and housing and health care, lately?....LOL. The only area of any luck is that gas has stayed down because the economy is so poor!

[gran racing]

Thank you - I really appreciate both the comment and referral.

[lateapex911]

You're right, it's way more complicated. I will absolutely say that in my family, how much the entrance fee is matters. Not saying that is necessarily should in some instances, but it does. I don't know how much I paid in fuel to get to Summit Point last weekend, nor do I want to know. (I just imagine Jake going to Mapquest the moment he reads this then doing his little calculation. Grrrrr.)

Since you requested....you spent about $200 getting your stuff to and from Summit, not including the gas M spent touring the area and DC. (The price of happiness)
So, that means each additional race cost $100. Or if Jerry figures out a way (he will ) to make LRP Regionals 2 race weekends, it's $200 more for the additional race. Still not bad, ignoring the time spent towing, etc. But it's still way more complicated.

Some people are just cheap and greedy.

Really? I assumed most of us donated to the fund. I always, always (once in awhile I forget, but it's an accident) add $20 to my entry. And I feel guilty that it isn't more.

If one races six races in a season, that extra hundered dollars here and there per event adds up. All a matter of perspective.

Yea, but, each race, as jeff points out costs $1000 or so when you include all racing related expenses. (you might be more, Dave, with your incredible appetite for hubs and engines. (temp gauge working? ). Your six race season runs about $7 or $8K I bet. So, yea, an extra $400 (you don't race LRP exclusively) is still $400, but a small percentage of $6-8K.

I read recently that the cost of living adjustment(COLA) is based on an index of young singles living in urban areas(not exactly the demographic for most of us. So many of the things we use and consume as racers aren't even on the Federal charts. When the government tells me that there will be no COLA for Social Security receipiants for 3 years because costs have not increased, I have to laugh. Any of you spending less for food and housing and health care, lately?....LOL. The only area of any luck is that gas has stayed down because the economy is so poor!

So, are you telling the Social Security people that racing expenses have gone up, and they should reclaculate?