Breaking News from LRP

[Andy Bettencourt]

Any sense of the demand for the second school this year? Obviously, making ANYONE wait is a bad thing, but maybe we can work around it depending on the demand. All the cool licensed drivers instruct at a July 3/4 Thursday/Friday school (no Regional) then we all travel en masse Friday night to the Regional at Pocono? I *would* consider an extra work day for instructing.

I just re-read this. A VERY creative idea indeed! I am sure Flatout would be willing to support the school as instructors as well and then move along to Pocono.

Maybe a discount at Pocono to drivers who get signed off at LRP and race that weekend.

I like it!!!

[dickita15]

I just re-read this. A VERY creative idea indeed! I am sure Flatout would be willing to support the school as instructors as well and then move along to Pocono.

Maybe a discount at Pocono to drivers who get signed off at LRP and race that weekend.

I like it!!!

With the economics of Lime Rock a region can survive doing a school / regional with two days rent. I do not believe it is possible to pay for Thursday and Friday or even just Friday with the entries from a school. The school would have to be very expensive.
The one interesting thing about the Friday Saturday 4th and 5th dates is they could both be race days.
I am pretty sure with new pavement a lime rock event would work but it would hurt Tri Region’s event a lot.

[Andy Bettencourt]

I am most certianly not informed 100% on what LRP is 'demanding' from us for that new weekend they want to give us but:

I would be very dissappointed if there were two NARRC events on the same weekend. Just doesn't make any sense to me.

It also seems to me that since the Tri-Region double is already on the schedule and didn't have any conflict, it should get the nod.

I guess the NARRC committee could 'pull' the NARRC sanction from that Pocono event and give it to the LRP event...but there is impact to the bonus point situation:

1. Pocono would lose it's 2nd NARRC event - so it would lose bonus eligibility.
2. If this LRP race isn't 'rescheduled', then the only race at LRP would be the NARRC runoffs - also eliminating it from bonus eligibility
3. Does pulling the NARRC sanction from the Tri-Region hurt the inter-regional relationships?
4. Having two NARRC races on the same weekend really hurts the series and the teamwork that has seemingly been building over this last off-season

Can someone who was at the NER meeting last night chime in on the thought processes in double scheduling? There is no doubt that a double at LRP on new pavement with a school would be a hugely popular event but lets not do it if it hurts the NeDiv relationships.

Maybe Tri-Region can have a PDX on Sat and a single on Sun? Drive from LRP to Pocono Sat night for a one day sprint?

[dominojd]

It would be kinda shitty to screw Tri Region.

[dickita15]

There is nothing saying that LRP on 7/5-6 has to be a Narrc event, but if Pocono is Narrc and LRP is not it would still be rough on Tri Region.

[gran racing]

Yeah, I really don't it would be right to do either and you know me, I really like LRP. While the idea of people attending an event at Lime Rock then traveling to the Pocono event sounds nice in theory, it will detract from people participating (volunteers and entrants) at the Tri Region event.

[Andy Bettencourt]

One other thing to think about (I guess) is that Tri-Region holds this event every year and it is never a NARRC. In recent years I believe it has been a PDX and a single.

I wonder if there is a way to take the LRP days, make them a double NARRC and not kill the TR weekend. What NARRC racers have attended that TR weekend at Pocono in the past? How much effect with the double booking really have?

It's not ideal for sure. Greg made mention above - what if LRP tells us that if we DON'T take the new dates, we will lose them in subsiquent years? The NARRC committee has to look at the long term health of the series.

Have fun with this one. Flatout will be at either event, whichever one 'survives' - and if we have to travel to Pocono for a Sunday race after LRP, so be it.