183 replies to this topic

[jeopardyracing]

Reflections on my blog about the SCCA DC Region:

http://blog.richramb...om/main/?p=3384

[LarryKing]

I truly sympathize being a budget racer myself. I doubt that you'll find racing with NASA any cheaper or more safe than the SCCA. I'm not criticizing NASA (or the SCCA) but if you're considering leaving the SCCA for the reason listed in your blog, the grass ain't any greener with the astronauts.

[Glenn]

Reflections on my blog about the SCCA DC Region:

http://blog.richramb...om/main/?p=3384

Not too sure you will get much sympathy here. Traveling to races is the "NORM" in most regions.

[LarryKing]

Quit dancing around what the real problem is - it's the Meatheads fault! (I'm joking - it's a joke)

[jeopardyracing]

Not too sure you will get much sympathy here. Traveling to races is the "NORM" in most regions.

Glenn - a couple of points. The article was not intended to engender sympathy, it was intended to air a viewpoint that many of us share about the consequences of the 2012 changes to MARRS. Secondarily, travel is not a binary function where a series travels or does not travel. The issue is where it travels. This is the DC region. Summit Point, NJMP and VIR are the traditional venues, with Summit Point traditionally being a focus. That is affordable. Changing the series so that nearly half the rounds are outside of region means many of us working stiffs won't attend. I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm letting the region know and asking the rhetorical question: does the region want to serve a regional, grassroots audience? If so, these changes move the region away from that. That was my only point.

[Ron Alan]

Good luck with the jump to NASA...and I say the same to all those jumping to SCCA. No organization is going to please all of it's members. Did you not look at the schedule when you started racing in your region? If someone told you that grassroots racing meant cheap...they were pulling your leg. And sorry, but I don't think you know what the cost of making a RA1 "competitive" is. You make good points about licensed drivers, lack of experience, and penalties for contact...but your thoughts should be sent to your local regional board for consideration to have any effect. An anonymous blog or forum rant gets you no credibility or sympathy from me.

Edit...of course you are looking for sympathy, why else waste your time? Just move to NASA and be done with it...your blog title tells all. Different strokes for different folks. Pretty simple concept.

[Glenn]

Good luck with the jump to NASA...and I say the same to all those jumping to SCCA. No organization is going to please all of it's members. Did you not look at the schedule when you started racing in your region? If someone told you that grassroots racing meant cheap...they were pulling your leg. And sorry, but I don't think you know what the cost of making a RA1 "competitive" is. You make good points about licensed drivers, lack of experience, and penalties for contact...but your thoughts should be sent to your local regional board for consideration to have any effect. An anonymous blog or forum rant gets you no credibility or sympathy from me.

Exactly my point. Travel to the other tracks is "optional". Im pretty sure that the author is NOT in a points race, IE no need to travel to far away tracks. Me I HATE driving teh same track all the time.......LOL

[Michael Novak]

Many points I agree with two main points though.

Friday practice---If you dont practice Friday---you dont perform well until Sunday... I have lots of vacation (Not the problem)---using it because of meeting in the Detroit autoworld I live in--thats the hard part. I hate going to a track that I have had little practice, no time or warmed up. I understand this might be a great way for the track to off set their costs though.

Tires--- I have eaten through tires this year. I LOVE THE HOOSIERS but they do fall off after 8. I hate the the RA-1s. Why not a hard tire the lasts for everyone--- Have hooiser make it.. I am sure there will be some way to get them working better that will gve them the same 8 heat cycle too....

[FTodaro]

I race in both the SCCA and NASA regions in the mid west and find little difference in the cost factor between the two. I do not do all the SCCA regional races in our series and I do not do all the regional races in the NASA region if I did the cost we be equally high for both. The reality is, there is nothing cheap about this hobby and you have to do like most of us do and prioritize your schedule based upon your goals and the reality check of the pocket book.

I do not see much difference in the carnage either, to much in both camps. Your going to have to go to a different class or go race PCA.

[jeopardyracing]

Good luck with the jump to NASA...and I say the same to all those jumping to SCCA. No organization is going to please all of it's members. Did you not look at the schedule when you started racing in your region? If someone told you that grassroots racing meant cheap...they were pulling your leg. And sorry, but I don't think you know what the cost of making a RA1 "competitive" is. You make good points about licensed drivers, lack of experience, and penalties for contact...but your thoughts should be sent to your local regional board for consideration to have any effect. An anonymous blog or forum rant gets you no credibility or sympathy from me.

Edit...of course you are looking for sympathy, why else waste your time? Just move to NASA and be done with it...your blog title tells all. Different strokes for different folks. Pretty simple concept.

Isn't this a bit harsh to be constructive? I have sent the blog post to my region and I don't think the tone of the piece was that of a rant. I posted it here in the hopes of generating a debate about what the DC region is trying to do and whether these rule changes are moving the region away from its goals. Perhaps to inspire some soul searching about what this sport is and should be about. Instead I am getting flamed as a whiner.

Wow. I wonder how someone considering a start in club racing would take this thread.

[Glenn]

Nevermind.................

[jeopardyracing]

Many points I agree with two main points though.

Friday practice---If you dont practice Friday---you dont perform well until Sunday... I have lots of vacation (Not the problem)---using it because of meeting in the Detroit autoworld I live in--thats the hard part. I hate going to a track that I have had little practice, no time or warmed up. I understand this might be a great way for the track to off set their costs though.

Tires--- I have eaten through tires this year. I LOVE THE HOOSIERS but they do fall off after 8. I hate the the RA-1s. Why not a hard tire the lasts for everyone--- Have hooiser make it.. I am sure there will be some way to get them working better that will gve them the same 8 heat cycle too....

I came to car racing from sailboat racing, where we faced a similar problem in many classes: sails were fast for one weekend or two and then fell off, resulting in an arms race. The fix: competitors had an allocation of how many sails, maximum, they could buy in a season. Administratively, it was enforced by affixing a 'button' to new sails and each competitor only got X buttons per year.

Apart from going back to RA-1s, which I wish they would, I wonder if purchase limits like these might not help with the Hoosier issue. It would control costs and keep people on the Hoosiers if, indeed, they are more fun to drive.

Thank you for your response - this was they type of discussion I was looking for in posting this.

[Jim Drago]

Unfortunately, I agree with most posts above. Many things you posted in your blog are a concern, but not sure any will ever change a whole lot either. You are very fortunate that you have people to race against and your tows are SHORT compared to many others such as myself. We have one race a year here in Memphis, that amounts to almost a lapping day. My next shortest tow is 4 hours to barber once a year, then everything else ( normal race weekend for me ) is 8 plus

[jeopardyracing]

Unfortunately, I agree with most posts above. Many things you posted in your blog are a concern, but not sure any will ever change a whole lot either. You are very fortunate that you have people to race against and your tows are SHORT compared to many others such as myself. We have one race a year here in Memphis, that amounts to almost a lapping day. My next shortest tow is 4 hours to barber once a year, then everything else ( normal race weekend for me ) is 8 plus

Based on the responses to my post, it came off as a kvetch against the fact that traveling to race is expensive. I knew that coming in, but that wasn't the point of the post.

This year, in our region, the DC region, they changed the schedule to add a bunch of double races that were much further away. That put many of those rounds out of reach of true regional, grassroots competitors and left those rounds in reach of folks with lots of money and time. Ergo, the series is catering to a different audience than it was before, and they'll lose guys like me. That was all I meant to say, period, full stop. Not complaining about the costs of racing, which are self evident. Raising an issue in our region and posted it here to engender a debate about who rules affect different constituents. That was the intent. Many posters here aren't from the DC region so they don't have the context and have taken this post completely the wrong way - as a rant about the cost of racing.

[Glenn]

[LarryKing]

Rich, have you considered running for RE of your region?

[jeopardyracing]

Rich, have you considered running for RE of your region?

I haven't, no. I have only just gotten into racing last year.

[Ron Alan]

Isn't this a bit harsh to be constructive? I have sent the blog post to my region and I don't think the tone of the piece was that of a rant. I posted it here in the hopes of generating a debate about what the DC region is trying to do and whether these rule changes are moving the region away from its goals. Perhaps to inspire some soul searching about what this sport is and should be about. Instead I am getting flamed as a whiner.

Wow. I wonder how someone considering a start in club racing would take this thread.

Harsh?? Just following your lead...read your blog/thread title again. If i had started this my title would have been "Concerned...is it me or is the SCCA DC region missing its mark?"

[jeopardyracing]

Exactly my point. Travel to the other tracks is "optional". Im pretty sure that the author is NOT in a points race, IE no need to travel to far away tracks. Me I HATE driving teh same track all the time.......LOL

MARRS is a points series. Missing a minimum of 5 of 13 rounds would make it hopeless to be competitive in the series.

[Jim Drago]

Based on the responses to my post, it came off as a kvetch against the fact that traveling to race is expensive. I knew that coming in, but that wasn't the point of the post.

This year, in our region, the DC region, they changed the schedule to add a bunch of double races that were much further away. That put many of those rounds out of reach of true regional, grassroots competitors and left those rounds in reach of folks with lots of money and time. Ergo, the series is catering to a different audience than it was before, and they'll lose guys like me. That was all I meant to say, period, full stop. Not complaining about the costs of racing, which are self evident. Raising an issue in our region and posted it here to engender a debate about who rules affect different constituents. That was the intent. Many posters here aren't from the DC region so they don't have the context and have taken this post completely the wrong way - as a rant about the cost of racing.

Perhaps you can talk to the even organizers or others that are based out of Summit and have a championship within a championship? It would seem easy enough to do? maybe just the rounds at Summit and the next closest track? Or If multiple events at Summit, just a Summit championship? Seems like other ways to solve the problem where everyone is happy?
Just pointing out having as many racers as you have and tracks close is a blessing that we don't have at all.
Jim