I guess now would be an appropriate time to post what I put on the spec miata forum in the improved touring forum. Here it is:
I thought it might be advisable to clear up a few things about the Alabama Region SCCA and the Barber track.
1. The Alabama Region is not going to be club racing at Barber in 2005. That is true. After repeated problems in dealing with "management" at either BMP or BET and ultimately after being handed a track "damage" bill for $17,000 after a NORMAL race weekend of only incidental contact with tire walls and guardrail, the region's board decdided it can no longer justify continuing racing at the facility under the current management philosophy present at the facility.
2. The Alabama Region was given a $40,000 track damage bill by BMP. False. We were billed $17,000 for track damage post race. When you add that to the $10,000 a day rental then yes, it about totaled $40,000 for the region to use that facility for one weekend. And that my friends is too much money. The bill was pretty much the straw that broke the camel's back for us.
At our 2003 inaugural event, the Alabama region got no track damage bill and yes there was contact with guardrail, tire walls, and spills occurred in the paddock. At the end of the July 2004 event on Sunday when the track went cold, I as assist. race chair, was in race control with BMP's track manager. I asked track management if I needed to go look at anything on the track, inspect it, take photos, meet over any track damage issues and was told in response that "no everything looks good, there is nothing but minor damage, and there is nothing to worry about". I was advised that the track had already been inspected by track management.
About a week or a little longer after the event lo and behold we get a bill from BMP through BET saying we tore up the track and the paddock to the tune of $17,000!! It was claimed that we had damaged over 520 linear feet of guardrail and damaged the paddock with fuel spills to the tune of $5,800. So we asked to look at the damage and well they had already done the guardrail without giving us an opportunity to look at the claimed guardrail damage. So we went out and counted guardrail replaced and they could not account for all the guardrail they said was damaged. The pavement bill was too high too even assuming what they said was damaged during our race weekend was in fact on our weekend. It turns out that they claimed there was zero damage to the track or the paddock on Friday when BET had the test n tune and they were around 130 competitors running their event.
In any event we disputed the damage bill and submitted it to SCCA insurance. The bill got adjusted somewhat and club racing's insurance paid it. Our region was not going to eat such a large damage bill so reluctantly we turned it over to insurance.
In researching this we talked to several race directors of SCCA that have putting on club races for many decades. We also discussed this with SCCA Risk Managment as to what the "industry norm" was as to incidental contact with tire walls, and guardrails as well as fuel spills in the paddock. We contacted several major tracks in the country to learn their policies on "incidental contact" with tire walls and guardrail as well as paddock spills. What it boils down to is that Sebring, Daytona, Road Atlanta, VIR, Roebling, Thunderhill, Laguna Seca, Infineon Raceway, and Moroso do not charge extra damage for incidental contact with tire walls and guardrail. That is all part of the rental price. If you totally wad up a guardrail then that is different. Nor do those facilities charge for paddock damage due to fuel spills from our research. BMP has chosen to do both of those things which as we were advised is outside of the industry norm.
If BMP wants to assess incidental damage to drivers or organizations well it is their track and they can do so if they want. The question is who wants to race there under such circumstances. At the present the Alabama Region SCCA does not. Neither does PCA club racing ( at least from what I have been told and their 20K damage bill). From looking at the 2005 schedule of some organizations that ran there in 2004 it would appear that others are not coming back there in 2005 either. I am sure others will want to go there but others will say "no". There will probably be more DEs there in that there are usually less issues with "offs" and track damage than in wheel to wheel racing.
The Alabama Region has not really discussed this "publicly" in various forums until now but due to the comments and cited info in this thread I thought it best to at least state the Alabama Region's perspective on this. I agree that BMP is a beautiful facility and a great track but to those who are responsible for putting together this region's club races it is just not worth the hassle. Sorry guys.
Barry H.
Ala. Region Regional Exec.
[This message has been edited by apexingsupra (edited December 28, 2004).]
