21 replies to this topic

[lillyweld]

Well, the maps are out, and it looks like the small guys were screwed out of the best paddock spaces. Despite being one of the first to sign up, paying up to be here and driving a hellish 20 hours to get here, they have decided to paddock me in the farthest reaches of Lot A. If I paid to be "on a team" and maybe have someone else driving the car down, then maybe I could have at least landed inside the track. This is starting to give me second thoughts about Indy. I'm not sure this is fun. I am not sure this represents amateur club racing. 

[MPR22]

Well, the maps are out, and it looks like the small guys were screwed out of the best paddock spaces. Despite being one of the first to sign up, paying up to be here and driving a hellish 20 hours to get here, they have decided to paddock me in the farthest reaches of Lot A. If I paid to be "on a team" and maybe have someone else driving the car down, then maybe I could have at least landed inside the track. This is starting to give me second thoughts about Indy. I'm not sure this is fun. I am not sure this represents amateur club racing. 

I understand your frustration but the SOP for big races at big tracks has been like this for a long time.  The guys with the big rigs and lots of cars get the best locations.  To some extent these are vanity races, especially at COTA.  It took 4 years to get back to COTA because they didn't want us there.  When they finally let us back in I am sure they want casual fan that walks in to see all the big rigs and teams in one location.  To have single car open trailer parked with the big rigs would look too out of place, not to mention how much more space it takes per vehicle.  

[FTodaro]

Well, the maps are out, and it looks like the small guys were screwed out of the best paddock spaces. Despite being one of the first to sign up, paying up to be here and driving a hellish 20 hours to get here, they have decided to paddock me in the farthest reaches of Lot A. If I paid to be "on a team" and maybe have someone else driving the car down, then maybe I could have at least landed inside the track. This is starting to give me second thoughts about Indy. I'm not sure this is fun. I am not sure this represents amateur club racing. 

Cooper come to Mid O, i will buy you a beer and share a cheese plate. I can see giving big rig preference when there is limited paved paddock, but if not the issue we all should be treated the same.

[lillyweld]

MPR22, maybe you're right, and maybe the SCCA is not for me. I am not new to racing (although newish to the SCCA), so maybe I need go back to race something different where that type of money has a better payoff, both fnancially and "fun-wise." If you think about it, all of these are "vanity races." None of us are getting paid to be here, and I'll admit COTA is a bucket-list track for me just like IMS. the real kick in the scrotum here is that I am so damn far away from people like Jim and Dave that I can't even reach out to them for help. 

 

Frank, it's ironic that you posted that. I was contrasting this to the great experiences I have had at MO, especially in "Frank-town." It does make me wonder where they will put me if I run the "Super Tour" weekend at MO. 

[MPR22]

MPR22, maybe you're right, and maybe the SCCA is not for me. I am not new to racing (although newish to the SCCA), so maybe I need go back to race something different where that type of money has a better payoff, both fnancially and "fun-wise." If you think about it, all of these are "vanity races." None of us are getting paid to be here, and I'll admit COTA is a bucket-list track for me just like IMS. the real kick in the scrotum here is that I am so damn far away from people like Jim and Dave that I can't even reach out to them for help. 

 

Frank, it's ironic that you posted that. I was contrasting this to the great experiences I have had at MO, especially in "Frank-town." It does make me wonder where they will put me if I run the "Super Tour" weekend at MO. 

I truly believe it is more of a facility issue than it is SCCA.  I could be wrong.  I will find out in about 6 weeks when I go to COTA for a NASA race and see if it is parked as you described.  

[Bench Racer]

Cooper, I'll tip    one or more with you at Road America. It seems from reading COTA and Indy have their heads in the clouds and are truly not arranged for club racing. Shall we say, elitists.

 

Michael, give Chris a call about the parking this weekend, he's playing with the big boys this weekend. Yes, I understand family deals. 

[Danica Davison]

so maybe I need go back to race something different where that type of money has a better payoff, both fnancially and "fun-wise." If you think about it, all of these are "vanity races." None of us are getting paid to be here

 

This is what a lot of people forget.  Regionals are way more fun than majors! People run majors for the competition, not the fun aspect.  The only reason I'm doing the runoffs this year is because I think I have a chance at the top 10 and because it is Indy because there may not be many more opportunities to race there.  But for sure next year, I am only doing regionals besides the Sebring super tour weekend.  One plus about the majors is getting to meet people from different regions of the country.

 

I think Michael is right on, but I also understand your struggles. Maybe you can talk to one of the shops and ask to park with them for the weekend but still work on your own car, so they wont charge you (or very little).  I think most of the shop owners are pretty reasonable if approached that question given you are parking in Narnia. 

[FTodaro]

MPR22, maybe you're right, and maybe the SCCA is not for me. I am not new to racing (although newish to the SCCA), so maybe I need go back to race something different where that type of money has a better payoff, both fnancially and "fun-wise." If you think about it, all of these are "vanity races." None of us are getting paid to be here, and I'll admit COTA is a bucket-list track for me just like IMS. the real kick in the scrotum here is that I am so damn far away from people like Jim and Dave that I can't even reach out to them for help. 

 

Frank, it's ironic that you posted that. I was contrasting this to the great experiences I have had at MO, especially in "Frank-town." It does make me wonder where they will put me if I run the "Super Tour" weekend at MO. 

Right next to me, you can count on it.

[lillyweld]

John, you're right: I am learning "the rules."

 

Mayor Frank, I know you want park next to me so you can enjoy the relaxing pur of my generator. ;-)

[Bench Racer]

  The only reason I'm doing the runoffs this year is because I think I have a chance at the top 10 and because it is Indy because there may not be many more opportunities to race there. 

Absolutely need to remember this ^ for the 2017 Runoffs smack talk.   

[LarryKing]

FWIW three years ago I got in a heated argument at Daytona with a steward over moving my open trailer from in front of the garage I was renting. None of the people with enclosed trailers were asked to move them regardless of the trailer size. I paid the same entry fee and garage rental as everyone else and kept gas cans and tires locked on my trailer. The steward wouldn't budge and I got the feeling he was getting ready to boot me from the event so I caved. It was a f'ing pisser.

[chris haldeman]

Pack up your stuff. Bring your car over to my paddock. For a very resonable fee I will make your weekend better. It took me literally 37 emails to get what I have in the paddock. I arranged for the paddock spacing for all I knew was coming. Come make some friends :-)

[Danica Davison]

^^ I wouldn't pass up that offer.  Chris and Michael are cool dudes who know their stuff! 

[Danica Davison]

Absolutely need to remember this ^ for the 2017 Runoffs smack talk. 

 

hahaha I was wondering if someone would pick up on that. Drago owes me $5,000 when I win though so I am going to wreck some people to win and take his money. Honestly, as long as I finish in front of "The Great One" ... then I am good with it.

 

Bench, you better be there. 

[Cnj]

Here's the thing. COTA is not a club race track set up for over 300 cars. It's set up for (up to) 24 F1 cars, broadcasters and hospitality. It's not that it can't handle 300+ cars (it probably can do double that), but it can't handle them in the main paddock, and was not designed to do so. More acccurately, while it was possible to make the paddock larger, it would have meant a different track configuration with less driver/spectator benefit. While it irks me when I am there in a large group from a main paddock parking point of view, I think they got it right as designers of experience for the public.

So Bench, maybe you would call this elitist. I don't know. I call it a $400M race track, a racing investment we will probably never see again in the USA.

LIlly, even if you don't move your whole rig to X-Factor, come over and visit. Pretty friendly bunch.

CNJ
#32

[Bench Racer]

So Bench, maybe you would call this elitist. I don't know. I call it a $400M race track, a racing investment we will probably never see again in the USA.

"It seems from reading COTA and Indy have their heads in the clouds and are truly not arranged for club racing. Shall we say, elitists."

 

Let's see now, Indy was originally for Indy cars and then road course added for F1 cars. COTA was for F1 cars. Hmm, two of the elite race orgs in the world, elitist, yes indeed.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

[Brian Tone]

Pack up your stuff. Bring your car over to my paddock. For a very resonable fee I will make your weekend better. It took me literally 37 emails to get what I have in the paddock. I arranged for the paddock spacing for all I knew was coming. Come make some friends :-)

I love the offer, but my stuff is packed into a 28' TAG with all my spares, tools, tires, grill, sleeping bags/mats, etc. I think the service the big shops provide is awesome and that model clearly works for a bunch of people, but as a guy that's been doing this out of a TAG trailer with a single car for 20 years it seems like a kick to the gut being paddocked out in the back 40.

[chris haldeman]

Brian, I have quite a few customers in your boat. They just paddock there trailer beside me and lean on me for setup advice and major repairs ect. I'm an equal opportunity provider :-)

[av8tor]

COTA was built to make lifetime TV viewers out of 1 time live spectators.  Never in any discussion did anyone ever say, "but where will we park the club racers"?

 

Although F1’s television audience reversed by 5.6% to 425 million last year, it is still the world’s most-watched annual sports series. Perhaps surprisingly, the drop has not been bad news for the teams as they have cashed in from the falling numbers.

Over the past three years an increasing number of Pay TV networks have begun broadcasting F1 and it has led to the audience going down as they tend to have fewer viewers than their free-to-air counterparts. However, it has boosted F1’s bottom line as Pay TV networks are prepared to pay a premium for rights to sports events since they drive subscriber numbers.

[Brian Tone]

Brian, I have quite a few customers in your boat. They just paddock there trailer beside me and lean on me for setup advice and major repairs ect. I'm an equal opportunity provider :-)

That is a great answer!