Originally Posted by
TAC
I invite all drivers to sit in on their fall divisional meetings to see just how crazy scheduling can be. In the Nov. GLDiv. meeting the tentative schedule had a Champ Series Double Regional in each month plus the I.T.Fest. By the end of the meeting 1 hour later, there was the I.T.Fest sitting in the middle of the calendar and not a Double Regional between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Whoops, this is in the NE forum so I gues we are way into highjack territory here. But let's continue anyway although it sounds like the NE issues are different from the GL issues.
What do you think were the factors that impede GL getting a nice clean schedule with regionals every 5 weeks and nicely spread nationals?
One problem I see is how we make the schedule. It seems regions need to pick dates and sign contracts long before the scheduling roundtable in the fall. How can a region pick a date and sign a contract without knowing if that date will be allowed on the schedule. I could be wrong in how this actually works, but it seems like a chicken and egg problem. In June a region can't schedule a race next year, in Nov we cry and moan at the poor dates regions have as options. How can we make a schedule in Nov when the dates are already set or tracks are already booked and we have no options?
I think it is odd how in the NE discussion there is talk of cutting the races that don't make money. That doesn't seem to be an option in GLD. Either people saying such things in NE don't know what they are talking about, or NE is different from GLD. In GLD it is nobody's business except the orgainizing region whether a race makes money. And it is the regions decision whether to organize a race a not. So in GLD an unprofitable race can drag on for years before it dies.
But, the problem is that if a race dies, it dies permanently. That date is lost and our schedule shrinks forever. Once a date at a track is given up it is quickly sucked up by NASA, BMW,etc. Even the opening of a new track like Bluegrass has not added any dates to our schedule. Perhaps it will next year, maybe Indy will put on both a regional and a national like they used to do. If so, do they need to reserve a date now with the track? And they that date will either get approved or not in Nov?
I'm curious what you think the other factors are in the ugly GLD race schedule. What causes this year after year and why is it getting worse?
Jim Hardesty
ITC 1986 Honda Civic Diablo Rojo Verde
Never argue your tab at the end of the night. Remember, you're hammered and they’re sober.
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