As an Enduro guy, I am always looking for more seat time and more venues to be added to the race season. As for the Last Chance race? 4hrs? 5hrs? 6hrs? Even if the cost were increased (and it sounds like it will be from Ed's message - thanks Tom for posting it), I have been preaching that it is still the best bang for your buck when it comes to the level of racing that we do. I get more seat time just in the few enduros, than I would if I did all of the regional sprint races in the northeast only (and I do participate in both during the year).
The other angle to look at is the involvement that goes beyond the driver and maybe a friend or two that come for the sprint races. Enduros get more people involved in the event, and more involvement rolls over into greater membership numbers, and utlimately the better chance for survival of our club down the road.
Strategy comes into play with enduros more so that the sprint races. When do I stop for gas? How much gas do I take on at this stop? Driver change? How quickly can we do that and not go past the 5min mark? Do we have the right spares and tools in our pit box? Everyone I talk to about the enduros say they love it and want to do more. Comradery in the paddock and on the pit wall is enhanced during the enduro races. Stories told before, during, and after enduros last alot longer that those of the sprint races. Not to mention, you can also actually fill up a video tape with one race !!!!
But I also find that the drivers that prefer the sprint races outnumber the enduro drivers (and there are more classes of cars in the sprint races too - so that swells their numbers too.
It seems in years past that we have had no problem filling the field for the enduro. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end of the Enduro Series. Enduros are successfully run in every other part of the country. I think we can grow that interest up here too.
Of course the enduro series probably would not have come around if it weren't for the sprint races that we do all season, and I know there is a STRONG following for those. There were many opinions tossed about regarding the length of the Petit LeMans race at NHIS, what day to have it, what length it should be, how many would not come to NHIS if it were only a 1 day regional that weekend. All in all, the enduro happened (of course, shorter that I wanted) with a full field, regional races happened with capacity race groups (correct me if I'm wrong), and both sides of the fence went home happy. Since I got into racing in 2000, I've had a tough time calculating why we have 20 minute practices for 30minute races? Give us 10 minute practices and 40 minute races!! If I'm going to trailer my car 4hrs to a track, I'd like to get more than 1/2 hr of competition time.
Thanks for the inquiry about the Last Chance weekend. Like I said above, I hope this isn't the beginning of the end of enduros in the Northeast.
Regards,
Dave Austin (& Bob Smart)
Team Jagermeister
ITB #1
Team Jagermeister
'03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10 - ITB NESCCA Enduro Champions
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