52 replies to this topic

[Johnny D]

From the desk of Jack Track.

 

We are looking for enthusiastic, charismatic, and energetic (two out of three ain't bad) individuals that can help spread the Tracknight word in your area. For your efforts, you will be showered with swag, appreciated and, when there are Track Night VIP opportunities, you'll be first in line.
Interested? Go to the Champions Page and tell us about you and what makes you a great Tracknight Champ. Tell us about the communities you are in, connections you have and ways you would like to help Tracknight grow.
http://www.tracknigh...come-a-champion
 
See ya on Track,

Jack Track
Lead Factologist
www.tracknightinamerica.com

 

Ask Jack!

You have questions,

Jack has answers!

[Tom Hampton]

Wow.  Just wow.

[Butch Kummer]

Wow.  Just wow.

I'm not sure what that means, but I find the pushback on the TNiA concept interesting (and not in a good way):

 

• The program is designed to introduce new people to the idea they can have fun with their cars (and with SCCA) without spending a boatload of money on specialized equipment.
• The events are being conducted (monthly) on weekday evenings, so it's not like like they're taking track time away from current racers.
• Although there have been some false starts with communication, enlightened regions will see these events as an opportunity to appeal to new audiences.
• The events need people to take ownership of promoting the events to various communities SCCA currently doesn't reach, so "Jack Track" is asking for help.
• We MIGHT even get some new racers/members out of it!

Why the negative comments? (or am I misunderstanding what you're saying)

[Johnny D]

I'm not sure on the marketing, if they were trying for a Retro feel but, Hokey comes to mind for me.

I'm not sure your audience so maybe that will works, Make it cool, fun and cheap and teens will be there.

 

For me any track is a few hours away so I'm not sure, I'm driving a few hours, to drive a few hours at the track, to drive a few hours to get back home on  a week night.

In SFR we already have a club that will do all these levels/teaching for $127 a day, On weekends, about every month.

 

FYI,

NASA does a lunch time "follow the pace car" in your car, track experience.

I believe SCCA/NASA have the option for you to sign up to ride in the Pace car at the events for a race.

 

It's new, it's rough, tune it, it will get better.

Good luck.

 

J~

[Butch Kummer]

And just because it might not be for you (even though it COULD benefit you in the long run by generating more interest in racing), that doesn't mean you should denigrate the effort. As I've often said to Jim Pantas of NASA-SE, anything either of us can do to get more people to the track benefits both of us in the long run.

 

The first one in the Atlanta area will be at Atlanta Motorsports Park on Tuesday, April 7. That's about 30 minutes from my house, so I'll be there to help out even though my car is not eligible to run. Maybe it will be a rousing success, maybe it will fall on it's face, but it's something different that MAY appeal to a whole new audience of potential enthusiasts.

 

As always, YMMV...

[Johnny D]

My intent to the post was to attract attention, see the views.

 

30 mins, perfect.

 

Get feed back from those who come, nevermind, you know what your doing.

I'll post the next events too.

People here get the word out.

Good luck,

J~

[Tom Hampton]

J~ hit the nail on the head.  

 

My comment was not about the program itself.  J~ makes several good comments about the program, though. 

 

However, I do marvel at the nature of the MARKETING.  My take on the language and tone of the message is that it is designed to appeal to script kiddies, and street tuners---the neon underbelly crowd.  If I were a low-20-something hipster....MAAAAAYBE this approach would appeal to me, but I don't think so.

 

I think the concept of getting new blood by trying to break down barriers to entry is good.  But, I think the idea that the type of person that this marketing scheme would appeal to are the types that have the disposable income is flawed.  What do I know, I haven't seen the demographic data. 

 

Your point is taken.  I'll stand back and see what happens. 

[Butch Kummer]

However, I do marvel at the nature of the MARKETING.  My take on the language and tone of the message is that it is designed to appeal to script kiddies, and street tuners---the neon underbelly crowd.  If I were a low-20-something hipster....MAAAAAYBE this approach would appeal to me, but I don't think so.

 

I think the concept of getting new blood by trying to break down barriers to entry is good.  But, I think the idea that the type of person that this marketing scheme would appeal to are the types that have the disposable income is flawed.  What do I know, I haven't seen the demographic data. 

 

Your point is taken.  I'll stand back and see what happens. 

 

I haven't seen the demographic data either, but the fact that this doesn't appeal to me means it MIGHT appeal to those that aren't on Medicare and have been racing in one form or another for 40+ years. Most reasonable people agree we need to attract new people to our sport, so I applaud those in Topeka (Heyward Wagner specifically) for trying out new ways to introduce the younger generations to the concept of having fun with their cars.

 

I just didn't understand the negative tone from the beginning...

[Johnny D]

https://www.youtube....h?v=Zt317SKG-lM
J~

[Cnj]

Hey - pleased to see SCCA try something new. Hope they are successful. As far as the marketing, I don't get the negatives - but suppose everything is subjective. It's not particularly edgy or oriented to millennials, just a little playful. Sorta like Tom

CNJ

[Bench Racer]

Please don't anyone take this post as negative.

 

Within the SCCA we now have:

 

Club Racing (where it all started), W2W, physical, license and head and neck restraint required.

 

PDX/Club Trial/ Track Trial  

 

Track Night in America

 

CRE, Club Racing Experience, W2W, no physical required, no license required and no head and heck restraint required.

 

Point of my post is, Club Racing and Club Racing Experience are very similar (yes maybe the Club Racing Experience drivers are being watched more closely.), yet Club Racing drivers require a physical, a license and a head and neck restraint and Club Racing Experience drivers do not have these same requirements. Help me understand the non requirements for the Club Racing Experience drivers.

[Tom Hampton]

.... It's not particularly edgy or oriented to millennials, just a little playful. Sorta like Tom

CNJ

 

LMAO.  

 

....Wait til I can hang with the big boys in the pack. 

[Tom Hampton]

Please don't anyone take this post as negative.

 

Within the SCCA we now have:

 

Club Racing (where it all started), W2W, physical, license and head and neck restraint required.

 

PDX/Club Trial/ Track Trial  

 

Track Night in America

 

CRE, Club Racing Experience, W2W, no physical required, no license required and no head and heck restraint required.

 

Point of my post is, Club Racing and Club Racing Experience are very similar (yes maybe the Club Racing Experience drivers are being watched more closely.), yet Club Racing drivers require a physical, a license and a head and neck restraint and Club Racing Experience drivers do not have these same requirements. Help me understand the non requirements for the Club Racing Experience drivers.

 

My read of the rules that Johnny posted is that CRX is more like glorified HPDE.  ZERO tolerance for contact, barely more than that for dropping 2-wheels, 4-wheels, or a spin.  No passing in the turns.  Its some hybrid between HPDE2, and TT.  SM/ITA is the upper end of the performance spectrum. 

 

Strict rules of conduct with strict enforcement with either 1 and done, or 2 and done policies. No appeals process---SoM rule is law. Its a long way from CRX to true W2W. 

 

Logistically it sounds workable. 

[Bench Racer]

Tom, I like to believe I read quite well. I get the 1, 2, 3 and 4 wheels off and ya get the FLAG. I get the spin and in. No where n my rule reading dose it say, no passing in the turns. The rule dose say racing will follow the GCR section 6, Racing Rules and Procedures. That would be the same rules SCCA Club Racing follows.

 

Hence my question, no license, no physical and no head and neck restraint for CRE. < That's my question, why are CRE (Club Racing Experience) drivers allowed the license, physical and head and neck restraint leeway?

[Tom Hampton]

http://scca.cdn.race...s/CRE-Rules.pdf

 

See page 1.

 

Driver Conduct:

 

....

 

Any driver driving in a careless, unsafe or erratic manner will receive a Black Flag and must immediately report to the Hot Pit Area for a conference with the Chief Steward (or Chief Instructor). Unsafe driving includes, but is not limited to: off course excursions (including 2 or 4 wheels off course), spins, and passing in corners.

[Bench Racer]

There's a reason I received the broken record award.

 

Please fine me the rule that states no passing in turns per your previous post/comment.

 

Please inform me per ,my previous post/comment, why the CRE drivers require no physical, no license and no head and neck restraint.

 

Two simple questions ^, nothing more, nothing less.

[Tom Sager]

I haven't seen the demographic data either, but the fact that this doesn't appeal to me means it MIGHT appeal to those that aren't on Medicare and have been racing in one form or another for 40+ years. Most reasonable people agree we need to attract new people to our sport, so I applaud those in Topeka (Heyward Wagner specifically) for trying out new ways to introduce the younger generations to the concept of having fun with their cars.

 

I just didn't understand the negative tone from the beginning...

Butch, there was another thread on this topic and I left a positive post on TNiA.  I think it'll be successful at least in some geographic areas and hope it does well.  As drivers we should support it locally by volunteering now and then.

[Tom Hampton]

David-

 

Yes, there is: its because you repeat the same damn sh*t, without paying attention to what anyone else has said.  You are like a 5 year old who keeps demanding a f*cking cookie, no matter how many times Dad says, "No. And if you ask again I'm going beat your ass!" 

 

I just did.  This:

 

Any driver driving in a careless, unsafe or erratic manner will receive a Black Flag and must immediately report to the Hot Pit Area for a conference with the Chief Steward (or Chief Instructor). Unsafe driving includes, but is not limited to: off course excursions (including 2 or 4 wheels off course), spins, and passing in corners.

 

is an exact cut&paste from, SCCA Club Racing Experience (CRE) Appendix A – 14-CRE-3259-S, page 1, section "Driver Conduct", paragraph 1, bullet 1.

 

These ARE the CRE rules.  Futher, its says "not limited to"...so the Chief Instructor/Steward has the right to call someone in for anything else that he finds egregious. 

 

If this is the way it is ACTUALLY run, then its like HPDE withouth the point-by, and with scoring.  Its less than TT because you can't pass in the corners.  And ALL questionable driving results in a conversation.  that will send the message that you better stay within your comfort zone so that major mistakes JUST DONT HAPPEN.  If that is enforced, and the fear of god is put into the drivers such that they comply, then I dont see a problem with it. 

[Mike Collins]

I applied...

 

But in all honesty this is what happens when non-marketing people do marketing

[Cnj]

I applied...
 
But in all honesty this is what happens when non-marketing people do marketing

Your a marketing guy? I thought you were a live events production guy (day job)?

CNJ