88 replies to this topic

[Jim Drago]

There aren't many people west of Texas that would support this.
If 90% or more of the particpants are east of Texas, We might consider acomodating the people who want to particpate in the championship?

[Butch Kummer]

There aren't many people west of Texas that would support this.
If 90% or more of the particpants are east of Texas, We might consider acomodating the people who want to particpate in the championship?

 

I'm a passenger on this particular bus and can go either way with things, but I was simply trying to make it as attractive as possible to the maximum number of drivers. Would 90% of the participants east of Texas NOT support the series if it was laid out the way I've suggested? I don't know the answer to that...

[Jim Drago]

I'm a passenger on this particular bus and can go either way with things, but I was simply trying to make it as attractive as possible to the maximum number of drivers. Would 90% of the participants east of Texas NOT support the series if it was laid out the way I've suggested? I don't know the answer to that...

I dont either?

[Rob Burgoon]

I'm a passenger on this particular bus and can go either way with things, but I was simply trying to make it as attractive as possible to the maximum number of drivers. Would 90% of the participants east of Texas NOT support the series if it was laid out the way I've suggested? I don't know the answer to that...

 

Define support.  Sounds like fun, you guys have my support to have a good time.

 

If you mean patronage, well....

 

Think about how many of us out west traveled to road america for runoffs or june sprints.  Now think about trying to get us to not one, but 10 events that are all smaller.

 

I'd be somewhat shocked if you got one driver, let alone 10%.

 

Do your thing, it sounds awesome, just don't use our dollars to pay for it.

[Rob Burgoon]

On a side note, teen mazda challenge might be a good model for this.  Until recently TMC west was doing events in oregon, norcal and socal.  1000 miles between the two most distant events.  Seemed like a reasonable size for racers that want tougher competition but aren't ready to hire a tow rig driver and tour the country.

[Butch Kummer]

Obviously my communication skills are lacking:

 

"Support" in my mind means "participate" as in "will folks be more or less likely to run three events plus the Runoffs in this program?"

 

Drivers on the West Coast DO NOT need to run 10 events (that are all smaller than the Sprints or the Runoffs) in order to contend for the championship, and once every 3-4 years they can contend for the championship without ever going east of the Rockies.

 

???

[Rob Burgoon]

Obviously my communication skills are lacking:

 

"Support" in my mind means "participate" as in "will folks be more or less likely to run three events plus the Runoffs in this program?"

 

Drivers on the West Coast DO NOT need to run 10 events (that are all smaller than the Sprints or the Runoffs) in order to contend for the championship, and once every 3-4 years they can contend for the championship without ever going east of the Rockies.

 

???

 

I think I misunderstood your purpose for the tour.  I'd like to see a beastly 10 race tour points race across the east whose points race is MORE prestigious than winning the runoffs, and people that are serious show up to every one.

 

I'm not interested in repackaging the Majors and runoffs qualifying system into a new easier to swallow package.  I want to see you guys make a schedule with racing so good it makes most pro race series look like overfunded little leagues.

[Butch Kummer]

I think I misunderstood your purpose for the tour.  I'd like to see a beastly 10 race tour points race across the east whose points race is MORE prestigious than winning the runoffs, and people that are serious show up to every one.

 

I'm not interested in repackaging the Majors and runoffs qualifying system into a new easier to swallow package.  I want to see you guys make a schedule with racing so good it makes most pro race series look like overfunded little leagues.

 

I now understand your misunderstanding! 

 

My concern about a ten weekend series from Florida to (almost) Texas to Wisconsin the Watkins Glen with various points in between is:

 

How many folks will run even half the events much less all ten?

 

= = = = = =

 

On edit - so what if it was a six weekend series where you count your best eight finishes (which means a contender would never get "out-pointed" by someone s/he had never seen)?

 

For 2017:

. Sebring

. NOLA

. Road Atlanta

. VIR

. June Sprints.

. Watkins Glen

. Indy (counts twice, not "double points")

 

Oops - even without Mid-Ohio that's seven weekends so NOLA gets dropped since it's the least "bucket list". But then if you count best eight of fourteen (which means you still have overlap for at least one event) we could add NOLA back in.

 

Those left out:

. Mid-Ohio

. PittRace

. NCM (assuming SCCA ever races there again)

[Rob Burgoon]

I now understand your misunderstanding! 

 

My concern about a ten weekend series from Florida to (almost) Texas to Wisconsin the Watkins Glen with various points in between is:

 

How many folks will run even half the events much less all ten?

 

Sounds like you should relocate a few more races until the scale is something you can see a racer that makes really low 6 figures make it to without getting divorced as a consequence.

 

Perhaps it should stay east of the Mississippi.

[Butch Kummer]

Sounds like you should relocate a few more races until the scale is something you can see a racer that makes really low 6 figures make it to without getting divorced.

 

Perhaps it should stay east of the Mississippi.

 

See my edits...

[Jim Drago]

 

 

For 2017:

. Sebring

. NOLA

. Road Atlanta

. VIR

. June Sprints.

. Watkins Glen

. Indy (counts twice, not "double points")

 

 

I think this is doable to most that would consider the series?  Not counting Indy that is 12 races..  

Best 9 races with Indy counting as single or 1.5x but MUST be counted and can not be a drop?

If cota comes back maybe we drop NOLA for cota, but NOLA is one of the more fun tracks and cities we go. 

 

I like that? No idea what others think?

[Rob Burgoon]

I'd be tempted to remove Road America/June Sprints for being out on the fringe, but I guess your target demographic already all go to that event so it might be a freebie..

The glen is out on the edge too.  Might be good candidate to remove.  Not sure.  Wrecked cars are bad for a series.

[Peter Olivola]

Observation from a steward and broken down old ex-FF racer;  the more important a series is - as opposed to individual races - the less inclined competitors are to make high risk decisions.

 

I'd be tempted to remove Road America/June Sprints for being out on the fringe, but I guess your target demographic already all go to that event so it might be a freebie..

The glen is out on the edge too.  Might be good candidate to remove.  Not sure.  Wrecked cars are bad for a series.

[Bench Racer]

*

[Danica Davison]

Sounds like fun!  Just one question, since it wouldn't be tied into an SCCA program, and would be our own spin on it.  This wouldn't drive up the already high majors entry fees correct?

[Butch Kummer]

Funding is still TBD depending on the level of services expected by the participants in the program and any sponsorship that might be arranged.

 

i.e. - Those choosing to participate should expect a (relatively small compared to the SCCA entry fee) "buy-in" fee.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Butch, in general i like the ideas, How many of us are actually chasing points titles is the real question here, I have been racing sm since 2010, I have never set out to win a points title, I have been in the hunt 3 times late in the season and gone off to a last race I may not otherwise have gone to to try to win since I had the oportunity, but in general I personally attend races that I enjoy going to.  

 

I personally would not go to sebring in the winter becasue of my work schedule, I maight go to ATL, less likely to go to VIR, May or may not do watkins, I would likely attend Mid ohio because apparently i want to be put into a wall again, I would do Road America,  Not sure how I feel about Watkins with how agressive the driving has become in our class.

 

I feel like we already have two many titles and two many points standings etc.  Is adding another one what we need, that I dont know, personally I would rather just see the majors get a makeover to attend less tracks and bring back the nationals allthough I would like to see the Compliance czar attend some random nationals if that were to happen.  

[Jim Drago]

Butch, in general i like the ideas, How many of us are actually chasing points titles is the real question here, I have been racing sm since 2010, I have never set out to win a points title, I have been in the hunt 3 times late in the season and gone off to a last race I may not otherwise have gone to to try to win since I had the oportunity, but in general I personally attend races that I enjoy going to.  
 
I personally would not go to sebring in the winter becasue of my work schedule, I maight go to ATL, less likely to go to VIR, May or may not do watkins, I would likely attend Mid ohio because apparently i want to be put into a wall again, I would do Road America,  Not sure how I feel about Watkins with how agressive the driving has become in our class.
 
I feel like we already have two many titles and two many points standings etc.  Is adding another one what we need, that I dont know, personally I would rather just see the majors get a makeover to attend less tracks and bring back the nationals allthough I would like to see the Compliance czar attend some random nationals if that were to happen.

The majors arent likely getting a make over. I have heard rumors of teh super tour coming back, but not sure if and which events. The thought process is the nationwide points and most conference championships are almost attendence contests of teh better drivers at this point. We are trying to make a championship worthy of running at tracks that most all truily want to race at? what we all thought majors were 'supposed" to be. may not be for everyone, but most of the really competitive drivers are already particpating at many of these tracks. With some sponsorship it may be something many would like to compete in? who knows?

[Bench Racer]

Really, what's the difference between several different SM classes (SM, SM2, SSM, SM 1.6, SM NA, SM NB, SM NC,) or several SM championships (SCCA Divisional, SCCA Majors, SCCA National Tour, NASA and others). It all thins the heard.

[FTodaro]

can we write into the rules that any competitor who has contact with another competitor for the sole purposes of a position change must forfeit his pay out. If we are going to write the rules then lets keep it to clean racing no moving people out of the way for position.