Scca club racing non-specatator events

[ITEGT]

[128 racecar]

My vintage racing club (VSCDA) did a marketing survey that included our new club members over that last few years, and found that the vast majority of our new racers joined after attending one of our events as a spectator. That's how I got interested 15 years ago.

I make an effort to chat it up with spectators at the events. One of them may be a paddock mate next year!

(I hide/lock up my wallet and valuables every event, spectators or not!)

Marc in Indy

[dj10]

That's it? Wow, you give up easily. I have to imagine there are some solutions which would achive both goals.

Dave,
As much as I'd like this to happen, one person can't make it happen. This is a club and thus we need bright people with some kind of vision to help see it implimented if possible. Since every track and every region is different how do we start? I would think that some kind of mandate would have to come from SCCA National. Who is a contact that we need to talk to @ SCCA? If you have to talk to the regions then I have nothing I can do because i'm only a part of Steel Cities Region and I have no say so in the Finger Lakes Region as an example. Then we have to convince the people that are afraid of spetators rooting around in their trailers that they are ALL not the enemy. Most of these people are there to be entertained and possibly learn about cars and racing from interactions with the drivers and crews.
I'm all for this and I beleive the SCCA can be so much more....

Imagination is more important than knowledge...
Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

[gran racing]

As much as I'd like this to happen, one person can't make it happen.

You're correct, however it needs to start somewhere and by someone. I absolutely think you or someone else could make an impact on this subject. Don't get totally discouraged when you run into road blocks. The toughest part I find with SCCA is how (as someone else explained it to me) it's like a big slow moving ship; it can take a while to turn it around.

I do agree we need to make events accessible to people potentially interested in becoming involved in our club. I personally don't think that SCCA should change it's approach significantly to focus on drawing in spectators who just want to watch things unrelated to club racing.

Dan, I'd start with a call to Rick Myers at the national office. Nice guy and he's open to ideas and help. Probably wait a couple of weeks until the Ruboffs are over.

[Andy Bettencourt]

My vintage racing club (VSCDA) did a marketing survey that included our new club members over that last few years, and found that the vast majority of our new racers joined after attending one of our events as a spectator. That's how I got interested 15 years ago.

I make an effort to chat it up with spectators at the events. One of them may be a paddock mate next year!

(I hide/lock up my wallet and valuables every event, spectators or not!)

Marc in Indy

But people go to Vintage races to watch the spectacular machinery. Not so much at a typical club race.

[dj10]

You're correct, however it needs to start somewhere and by someone. I absolutely think you or someone else could make an impact on this subject. Don't get totally discouraged when you run into road blocks. The toughest part I find with SCCA is how (as someone else explained it to me) it's like a big slow moving ship; it can take a while to turn it around.

I do agree we need to make events accessible to people potentially interested in becoming involved in our club. I personally don't think that SCCA should change it's approach significantly to focus on drawing in spectators who just want to watch things unrelated to club racing.

Dan, I'd start with a call to Rick Myers at the national office. Nice guy and he's open to ideas and help. Probably wait a couple of weeks until the Ruboffs are over.

Thanks Dave!
If I get discouraged easily I would not be racing. I will talk to Rick in a couple.. and I do agree we want to draw the good car people interested in the cars and the sport. Every driver & crew member is potentially an ambassador of the sport, their race series, region & their organization. I've personally made a mistake in my younger days while racing bikes @ Daytona that I regret to this day. Live and learn.

[Knestis]

Are you sure you weren't at the Wva campus K?

WV couches only have a short lifespan if the Mountaineers are winning. If they are losing, then furniture spend leisurely hours on porches soaking up spilled Hurricane.

I actually watched the couch go onto the bonfire as I down the hill. There was a huge explosion of red sparks as a half-dozen guys chucked it on there. It's always amazing to me how much you can see out in the hinterlands while on the track.

The story I heard was that the couch spent most of the 12 hours holding up spectators' butts, then near the end it gave its life for heat and light.

K

[Butch Kummer]

Having spectators or not is certainly up to each region, not the National office. It can only be implemented at the local level. If your events are not currently spectator events you need to take it up at the local level (and be willing to head up the organizational effort - complaints without a possible solution are viewed as whining).

As I wrote before, our contract with Road Atlanta requires all our weekends be spectator events (which is why we no longer have Drivers Schools or dedicated Time Trial events there). We split the cost of the extra staff with the track and share the gate profits with them after a certain (achievable) minimum is met. Our Barber weekend is also open to spectators but the track covers the additional staffing (and keeps all the ticket money). Due to local ordinance AMP will be a non-spectator track (like Roebling) but we WILL figure out some way to allow those that are interested to attend (sign a waiver and pay a nominal "guest" fee?).

Bottom line - we think having spectators is a good thing and we'll do what's necessary to make it happen. Yes we've had problems with theft, but do we know for sure it's non-racers that stole the stuff? We also now have notices in the Supps and posted at
Registration reminding folks to secure their valuables when they're on the track. Not only does having spectators attract new people to the sport (much like the PDX sessions we run during Quiet Time on Sunday) but we feel it makes our events more attractive to the average racer.

You need to get with the host region (preferably in a non-confrontational, one-on-one conversation) not the National office.

[dave parker]

WV couches only have a short lifespan if the Mountaineers are winning. If they are losing, then furniture spend leisurely hours on porches soaking up spilled Hurricane.

I actually watched the couch go onto the bonfire as I down the hill. There was a huge explosion of red sparks as a half-dozen guys chucked it on there. It's always amazing to me how much you can see out in the hinterlands while on the track.

The story I heard was that the couch spent most of the 12 hours holding up spectators' butts, then near the end it gave its life for heat and light.

K

I can tell you as a member of the "Turn Five Gang" that we had a great time watching that race seated on the couch. We then sacrificed the couch to the gods of fire and racing ritualistically, while drowning ourselves in beer.
A good time was had by all including the couch, which gave all it had to give.

cheers
dave parker

[Z3_GoCar]

Dan,

You're definetly not off the mark on your desire to open up spectating to "interested parties." I myself attended my first club race as a crew memeber at Laguna Seca, after working the swing shift at a local gas station. When a FSV team came in looking for air for trailer tires, I got an invite to hang out in the paddock on Sunday. At the time getting into the paddock required all but a security clearance. I hung out with their Club Ford guy, drank a couple of waters and thoughly enjoyed the event. About that time I started Kart racing.

[dj10]

Thanks Butch!! I can be diplomatic believe it or not. :~)

[callard]

Nothing more iconic than charging down the chute at night towards a 30 foot high bonfire
Sigh, now Elvis lives.

[dave parker]

Chuck
We appreciated you doing it to. Along with everyone else that risked the loss of their night vision charging into our fun zone.

Last report from the Labor Day Double was that Reverend Elvis was completely off his chain on Saturday night with respect to campers and bonfires. Even Reverend Elvis' security guard partner said he was "out of control". Complaints were made to the region RE and to the track manager. Sunday night Reverend Elvis was not seen anywhere on the facility. Maybe the powers that run Summit have finally figured out that this clown needs to go away.

Free Turn Five! tm.

cheers
dave parker