Originally posted by benspeed:
I'll throw out an idea, but like Raymond, please don't get personal slamming me. I wonder why the number of little track clubs seem to be able to pull a bunch of drivers for weekday events. Better marketing? For profit motivation?

Cheers,
I've only dabbled in the wings of event organization, but I'll take some guesses here.

First, I assume that by "little track clubs" you are refering to clubs like the local BMWCCA chapter, the local Porsche Club of America chapter, the Track Days organization, and so on..is that correct?

If so, some of the reasons might be that the guys who attend those events aren't racers per se'. Rather they're guys who spend the day lapping, often in their street car, or their "weekend" car. Their prep level is much less, and many only do a handful of events per year. Also, the events are largely one day afairs, and the attendance is usually lower (120 or so at LRP with PCA if memory serves me) than a typical regional with close to 200 drivers.

As far as running an event like this, I think the commitment level is lower. Less workers are used across the board. Timing laps is forbidden in some clubs, so there is no T & S! Flagging is staffed at fewer stations and with fewer people, grid doesn't exist as we know it, and so on. As these events are usually "education" events and, if the PCA events I've run are any example, the driving is MUCH more tightly controlled. A major expense, insurance, is likely a whole different story.

So, the costs and the complication are much less, the track rental is lower as well. For the organizations that run them, the events should be quite profitable.

SCCA, as you know, offers a different package, one that is significantly more difficult to produce. Actual racing, complete with lots of contact, local yellows as opposed to full course yellows, a huge range of classes, not just BMWs lapping, a stout insurance plan, the organization to get those cars classed and the rulebook written, and so on.

Notice that when clubs such as the Porsche Club of America does put on a race, it follows many of the organizational patterns that the SCCA uses, and is done over a weekend as well. The SCCA is concerned with these clubs using the GCR as their rules framework, and is worried about the theft of intellectual property. (Here's where some chime in to say "let 'em have it!)

In many ways, marque clubs seem to have an advantage, one that NASA has tapped into. Many drivers prefer running in their own 'family', Porsche against Porsche, or as NASA does it, Honda against Honda. Right from the outset, it seems SCCAs job is tougher.

I wonder what the general consensus is regarding your ideas about increased fees for increased event quality. I think most drivers would initialy want more track time, but some would think twice when the subject of tire wear was brought up!



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]