64 replies to this topic

[dp35]

Several people mentioned this at or after last weekend's epic SCCA SMT regional at Infineon, and it was also stirred up by the tire debate. Since it seems the Runoffs will be held on the East Coast forever, and most of us will never get to race it, we need a West Coast Championship race. If there was such an event, I'm sure that we would have the same drivers as last weekend, along with another handful of potential winners. Personally, I'm on a limited racing schedule this year, but if there was a West Coast Championship event, it would be at the top of my list.

It doesn't seem like it would take much, just a race that's not part of our regional championship. It could be held at different tracks each year, Nor Cal, Oregon, So Cal, maybe even at Miller.

Is it just our class that's ripe for this sort of event, and other classes wouldn't get enough entries for it to make financial sense? Is that why this race doesn't exist? Is it because the SCCA doesn't want to compete with the Runoffs? If so, that's a poor excuse. I haven't been doing this for very long, so maybe it's been tried & failed. Either way, I think I see an opportunity.

I'll send this to my board members.

[Rob Burgoon]

Like this?

http://www.calclub.com/PCRRC.php

[James York]

Your region could always hold and promote a "big" race similar to what Atlanta region does for the ARRC. The ARRC has a lot of history though, and it may take a long time of growing pains before getting near the success it has. I think it just takes effort.

Before SM went national, there was the "Miata Cup" race at Road America. It was born from the hard work of a few that promoted the event and pounded the pavement for prize/contingency payouts.

It does take someone or some group to step up and make it happen though. But I bet it could be done if its wanted badly enough.

[pat slattery]

Milwauke Cup. That was a fun event!!

Pat

[dtfastbear]

Rob,

Just like that, only not scheduled on the same weekend as a double-points regional at Infineon for NorCal NASA.

I'll second what Darin said. I only do one or two spec miata races a year any more, and a West Coast Championship would DEFINITELY be one of them.

Cheers,

Dean

[dmathias]

Milwauke Cup. That was a fun event!!

+1

[Rob Burgoon]

You'd probably want to con cal club into creating an SM only group, but we have the bargaining power to do so if we can deliver the numbers. In the event they have planned, it's an open invite so SM *might* not be the car to have in our class, although we probably have a massive driver skill advantage to make it up.

[Phillip Holifield]

A West Coast Championship would be a huge draw. Our Oregon vs Nor Cal races have been some of the best races this year and we should make it an annual thing. Why not expand the Spec Miata Festival race and invite more drivers from out of region to compete?

[Jim Boemler]

Why not just get the Runoffs back out here? It's obviously difficult, but I doubt it's impossible.

[Jim Drago]

If you build it.. They will come If you had a west coast ARRC, I would attend. Many of us in SE would like to come out and run a different rack, take our beatings by the locals etc. OPM went west in 08, I wouldn't mind making another trip out there. I would like to to Laguna and Infineon before I hang it up.

Jim

[Bruce Wilson]

And the WAARC was born. Let's keep this moving. I'll make sure our BOD member and ORegon RRD get looped into the idea asap.

-bw

[Brian Ghidinelli]

Schedule-wise, does it need to be post-Runoffs to attract back-east folks? (e.g., Jim?)

Scheduling is the most difficult part of it in general. This year we had a conflict with Rose Cup again I think and that's a big race... we just don't have a lot of choice with track dates.

[FlaggerMark]

As Rob mentioned above, we in Southern California are resurrecting the Pacific Coast Road Racing Championships with the "intent" of having a "West Coast Runoffs" type event... The only difference is that we are opening the event up to everyone, both NASA, SCCA, and anyone else with a Competition License. The Goal of the event is to give us out here on the West Coast an opportunity to race in a "Championship" caliber event... very similar to what you are all suggesting.

Unfortunately, it appers our first attempt has a conflict with a NASA event Infineon, but we had to start somewhere.

FlaggerMark

Schedule-wise, does it need to be post-Runoffs to attract back-east folks? (e.g., Jim?)

Scheduling is the most difficult part of it in general. This year we had a conflict with Rose Cup again I think and that's a big race... we just don't have a lot of choice with track dates.

[dp35]

Flagger Mark - was the PCRRC set up with the cooperation of the other West Coast regions?  It seems like that would be ideal, so that in the future it could be held at various tracks, and to coordinate schedules. 

The way it's currently setup, I was turned off by what seems like questionable tech inspection, which could be an open invitation to cheaters. Also, Rob's comment above about "SM might not be the car to have in our class" is confusing to me. Otherwise, the PCRRC seems like a good idea. 

I am imagining the "normal" SM & other SCCA classes (or maybe NASA), with the rules strictly enforced.  Nobody wants to tow a long way only to be disappointed by tech or some other organizational flub (2011 June Sprints).

[FlaggerMark]

Appreciate your concerns.

When you invite participants from many "different" sanctioning bodies, it makes monitoring/enforcing the tech requirements of each organization a monsterous task. For a "first shot" attempt at organizing and conducting an event with the differences participating, we are planning on relying on peer pressure to ensure compliance to the sanctioning bodies technical rules for the entry. As a participant, if you feel a car is not within the rules documented for the sanctioning body with which it runs, then you file a "protest" with the specific violation you are implying is out of tolerance identified. The Tech Team will then evaluate the concern and make a ruling.

Understand that "peer pressure" may be a wild dream, but we had to start somewhere. One of the objectives is to take some of the "complexity" many experience with the ways many of the sanctioning bodies do buisness, put some of the resonsiblitlies back on the racers, and ultimately provide an event that is "fun" and free of some of the issues many ultimately complain about in forums like this. I realize it's just words, but cheaters are not welcomed, but identifying cheaters that choose to participate will be put back on the paticipating entrants.



As for working with the other Regions, because this is NOT and SCCA event, and includes all Sanctioning Bodies (different from the original PCRRC which was an SCCA only event on the West Coast), the plan was to understand the level of interest and participation. If this looks like a positive event for the West Coast (combining SCCA/NASA/VARA/HSR/POC/BMW/etc...) then it is likely that the event would begin to move up and down the Coast.


FlaggerMark

[Jim Boemler]

Sounds like a good idea on the "whole", but for SM specifically it could end up in a cocked hat. Our racing is much closer than almost any other class, so the specific rule set matters more than in other classes. For instance, next year, tires will come to mind, if NASA stays with Toyo and SCCA uses Hoosier -- the SCCA cars will have a built-in advantage. The other risk is that with a pot-load of other sanctioning bodies included, SM may not end up in its own class.

For many classes this "heaping" of different types of cars may work out just fine, but for SM it seems like a recipe for a "who cares" kind of event.

[Johnny D]

How about the 99 with SCCA with 41mm RP and NASA with 37mm but different weights, equal?
J~

[Jim Boemler]

I'm a 1.6 guy, Johnny, so I wouldn't even try to handicap that combo. But just the fact that you're jockeying several different variables seems to make it likely to come out uneven for somebody. Unlike the handicapping that SCCA (and presumably NASA) does between 1.6/1.8/99, these values would be completely untested.

[Rob Burgoon]

Like I said earlier, we have enough bargaining power to get our own race group appended to this event if we can deliver. We can also agree on a spec tire. Right now it would be open tire if you show up in an scca regional car.

[Rob Burgoon]

Also, theoretically, 99 scca and 99 nasa should be equal-ish, there's just lots of opinions otherwise!