Originally posted by Mattberg@Nov 18 2005, 04:50 PM
Which confirms what I've heard as well and that this new structure will be put to a vote at Jekyll Island with little if any member input. How are new regions going to put on races with the proposal to have only the "elite eight" continue putting on races? Given that policy, who is this going to benefit? As I look at it it only means that Florida racers MUST go to Roebling (double) at least once or Atlanta AND Roebling at least once. If I don't want to go to Roebling I've got to go to Kershaw or VIR! Might as well visit the folks and go to Lime Rock or Summitt Point!
What I really have a problem with is Roebling getting a free pass with SEDIV hosting those races beyond the proposed maximum. Why is Roebling the center of the universe? It's such a lousy track. It's just not right. Maybe Florida should just become a Division.
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Wow. Somone told me to come and read this thread. Lots of misinformation here. Mr. "Mattberg". Who is your source? If you will not name that person then what credibility does this source have? None in my opinion and someone wanting to be "secret" about their identity at a meeting that was not secret seems well, someone with a "secret" agenda but then maybe not. I can tell your "source" doesn't have it right Why? Because I was at the mid-year meeting and I have been involved in these discussions. Your source fears reprisal? Please. I guess the SEDIV goon squad is going to come and break his kneecaps? I can only surmise that you have never been to a SEDIV meeting because there are many vocal and divergent opinions in SEDIV and we try to discuss these things and work them out in meetings and informally between meetings. Believe it or not we actually try and do the right thing as best we can. It is not a we the powerbrokers versus the "little guy" racer. I have no RE crown, scepter or even a pinky ring for my members to kiss. Please.
There is a problem being discussed at the divisonal level. People have been throwing in ideas for general discussion. There was no "secret meeting". The July meeting is the same semi-annual meeting that was the one announced on the SEDIV website what, a year in advance because it happens well, every year! No doors were locked. No secret location, no secret handshake. No one wore hoods or robes.
Go look at the SEDIV calendar, there are about 110 days of competitive events and that is counting just a handful of Time Trial events. We have over a 100 days of wheel to wheel racing. We have had more tracks come online in the last ten years and more regions want to go racing. I know more regions that are considering it so there goes your "Elite Eight" argument. The point is some regions who have never put on a club race want to consider doing it. In fact the Alabama region may potentially co-sanction one with a rookie region just to help them get their feet wet in club racing.
In case you have not noticed our worker base has not increased in proportion to the number of events that are being put on. The resources of available stewards is being strained too. There are certain SARRC rules about putting a race on the calendar that benefits those regions that have raced for decades which really was no problem when there were a lot fewer tracks. In light of the crowded calendar we have now it is almost impossible for a newer racing region to get any race on the calendar. So is it just "tough luck" to the newer racing regions or not. Is there some attempt at equity or opportunity or not. Is there some way to relieve the stress on our resources with our racing calendar and allow some of the newer racing regions to have a race or two. Not only did the Atlanta region get its race cancelled due to not enough workers it happened just recently again for a race to be held at CMP.
I am not the only one who has expressed concern over SEDIV's worker resources. SEDIV's current executive steward commented at the July meeting that the day is coming (already here) when some race are not going to go green in the future because of our busy calendar and limited number of stewards and workers. The SARRC administrator even commented last January when the topic first came up (I am the one that brought it up originally and well that is no secret.). The SARRC administrator even suggested based on SARRC entrant counts at certain events (marginal entries) that some regions might consider not putting on those events to allow other regions to put on races. Old Dominion is a region that would like to become a racing region when Dragonsridge opens up. I am all for it. But they will not have much luck if they can't get a decent date to run a SARRC race which is pretty much impossible based on our now SARRC rules and the number of SARRC races scheduled. I am all for it. Chattanooga Region has expressed an interest in club racing. They are the region I am talking about maybe helping in co-sanctioning. Again they have next to no chance to get on the SARRC calendar. So your statement that they was EVER any mention or dicsussion about locking out any region of SEDIV from ever holding a club race is a complete fabrication.
You want facts. Here are some. Buccaneer region is the one that floated as an "idea" not cast in stone, just something to get the discussion rolling on each region getting certain number and type of events. It was a suggestion for discussion. Other regions made different suggestions. The Buccaneer one just happened to be more specific. I don't even think it was discussed over ten minutes if even that. No motion was made by anyone to even consider it for a vote nor was it even remotely hinted that it was to be considered as something to vote on then. That idea that was floated is not even any kind of official consensus and in fact is not a consensus. While I really appreciate the efforts of those good folks in the Buccaneer region trying to brainstorm and come up with a plan, I can't say that I agree with all of it. I have tried to come up with a plan to consider but have not yet.
I know the Alabama region would like to maybe add another race to its calendar but it is about impossible to get any kind of date that has a decent chance to be successful or to even get on the calendar. Right now we don't want eight or ten races like some other regions nor do we have the resources to manage such logistics. SARRC is the success formula in this SEDIV. People want to race SARRC. So for a newer region we need to put on SARRC races. Newer regions with smaller bank accounts can't afford to have low entry financial failures like the older regions whose bank acounts could withstand a failure or two. At least "north of the border" we need some decent dates (for Alabama January and February are not decent dates- lots of rain, cold, maybe snow, and it is the"off season"). SARRC has rules that limits when and the number of races a region puts on. Go read them if you have not then you try and plug in one more SARRC date on the calendar in 2006 without running into a rule that says you can not. Good luck.
If we just held a regional, well it would probably be a loser. At present my region puts on one race. One. We would like to be able to consider to put on two. Is that asking too much? But to do that some regions may need to consider what events are marginal for them and maybe, and we are talking maybe, consider not putting on that race.
The SEDIV racing "pie" is pretty much a fixed pie. So all the regions are pretty much competing for the same fixed dollar "pie" each racing season. More racetracks and more races do not equate to more entrants in the division or more entrants deciding to do more races. At least the folks I know that race have a budget and decide to do x amount of races per year. So if another region in SEDIV puts on an additional race all it is doing is taking away from someone else's race whether it be on the same weekend or not. To come to x region's race one might decide not to attend region b's race. To add to that now the stewards have another venue to cover and the corner workers have another event to man.
The reality is this is a growing problem for this division. At least some if not many think so. The question is what are we as a division going to do about it. I don't know the answer to that yet. But I do know we need dialogue now amongst the regions especially between the "older" racing regions whose number of races occupy a big chunk of the calendar and the newer or smaller regions who would like at leat some equitable opportunity to maybe get a race on the calendar. The SARRC rules are not "free enterpise" or "free competition". It is a barrier to entry to a smaller or newer racing region to gain the ability to compete in the club racing marketplace in SEDIV on some kind of "competitive" footing.
SEDIV is a great division. I for one would hate to see it split like CENDiv. What does not help is to accuse all the SEDIV board members of being a bunch of secretive egomanical people who don't give a rat about their members. A lot of times it is hard to get people in the region's to even give you an opinion. I do what I think is best for my region and try to make that good for the division. People are talking openly about what we can do make things better. You may or may not agree with it. Your source gave you inaccurate or incomplete information or you misunderstood it. The idea floated by the Buccaneer region was just that an idea.
You appeared to dig on Roebling getting a SARRC waiver. Well CFR got one too when the Labor Day weekend race at AMS was cancelled so people would have a place to go. These are things worked out amongst the regions. Oh by the way this "proposal" you speak of which is just an idea in seeking a solution is not on any "agenda" to be voted on at Jekyll. Have not heard a peep about that and considering I am on the SEDIV board, I should know. We have not had enough dialogue to see what if anything we are going to do about the calendar or about our resource issue. But if you don't at least talk about it then you get caught flatfooted or things go awry and divisions do split. Maybe that is what you want in the first place. I don't know. Have you actually talked to your RE about this before coming on here and accusing the SEDIV board of treachery? If not, then shame on you.
Now back to the regularly scheduled Oiver Stone movie......
Barry H.
And if you could read, I gave you two sources for confirmation. Butch Kummer and Rick Balderson. So take that empty argument of lack of source and shove it. Your attempt to discredit me considering I already gave you confirming sources is low and calculated. But keep trying to drive it home. Typical of unintelligent officials who think they can twist everything around. You just want the ORIGINAL source so you can launch a reprisal. Despicable refuse.
The best thing we can do is ignore this rabble rouser. Chuck
Didn't I just get called a pig? 
