drivers working races

[JLawton]

I am posting this for Leigh McBride

Andy Bettencourt says:
How about we change the direction and really try and come up some solutions. Lets lay out YOUR specific needs and see if we can help you solve them.

Telling people that they can't be too busy isn't accurate nor is it productive. People give their reasons, let's address them and come up with solutions instead of shouting them down.

What Andy says! I've been reading this thread with interest. I am one of the Co-Chiefs of Flagging and Communications for NER. I presented some information at the NER annual meeting last weekend on our flagger numbers (recruitment and retention). The numbers and trends are pretty dismal, but they are what they are, and we need to find productive solutions. This is not a problem specific to NER but rather exists through SCCA. No region seems to have been able to come up with a complete "fix". But I'd like to share my take on the situation with you. After all, you (drivers) are the reason we're around!

We realize that many factors influence whether an individual will choose to come flagging on any given day or weekend. People may want to spend time with their families, have responsibilities at home or work, have other interests, or not be able to afford to make the trip. These are all perfectly valid reasons. Most of these variables are out of the Flag Chief's hands. The one thing we can control is whether they have a good enough time flagging so that if they have the opportunity to flag, they will want to flag. I personally do not suggest or support that drivers augment our flagging pool on weekends they are racing. Most drivers don't want to be flaggers (even on their non-racing weekends) and that is fine, I have no problem with that. We all have our own interests. But­-and this is a big but­-I know there is a pool of drivers out there, however small, who want to and can (and some do) flag on some of their non-racing weekends, as they are able. We have about 5 drivers who put on their flagging hats when they aren't racing and they are valued members of our community.

Recruiting new flaggers is a difficult task. Our best recruitment tool continues to be the experienced flagger who brings a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker along. What I am proposing is that drivers join us in recruiting new flaggers as they are able. I'm not talking about crew or spouses coming out to work a session or two (that's not fair to the drivers and doesn't really help the flaggers out much). I'm talking about having drivers bring, the way so many of us flaggers have, a friend, neighbor or co-worker to the track specifically to flag (or bring themselves on a non-racing weekend). A couple of drivers have already done this for us, but we need more. If only 2% of the 700 drivers in NER brought one new person to the track just to flag, we would consider that a huge success. That would give us 14 new flaggers in one season, which is a lot. Last year we had 19 new flaggers all season, 14 more would almost double that. It would then be our responsibility, as flaggers, to do what we can to make them want to come back again and again.

Leigh



Leigh McBride
Co-Chief, Flagging & Communications
New England Region
[email protected]

Well said Leigh.

I don't think getting drivers to work on their race weekends is answer. Look what kind of car I drive. I spend the whole friggen weekend working on the damn thing!! :eek: We don't ALL drive Miatas.......