I'm not sure that Pro-IT has caught on anywhere other than Atlanta Region. There is the CCPS (Carolina Cup Pro Series) that is very similar in concept, plus the ECR also has end-of-year payouts as well but features races of 90 minutes or more. I'm not sure if the FES (Florida Enduro Series) has payouts or not, but I do know that no one has quit their day job and is now making a living driving any of these series.
Pro-IT is an Atlanta Region series, has been around at least ten years and was originally formed to provide extra car count (i.e. - entry fees) at our National events. It started out averaging 50 cars per event when the IT boom first hit here in SEDIV, but over the last few year the number has dropped to a 30-35 car per race average. Except for the ARRC, the field is largely made up of local (Atlanta area) drivers. We added SM a couple of years ago to bolster the numbers and for 2007 I'm looking to add ITO and ITU as well (our catch-all classes that give the non-SCCA cars a place to run in Atlanta Region events).
As far as why the concept has not caught in other areas, I can only imagine it has to do with the drivers of the traditional classes being "reluctant" (that's putting it mildly) to accept providing additional track time for a select number of drivers (as evidenced by the discussions for the 2007 MARRS). We face the same criticism here in Atlanta, but so far (I think) we've been able to provide an adequate balance of track time for the IT and non-IT drivers. There may be some non-IT folks that stay away because of the perception of reduced track time, but would enough of them start showing up to more than offset the financial loss should we drop the Pro-IT series? We also have National drivers that gripe about sharing the weekend with IT cars even though they still get the GCR-mandated 45 minutes of practice/qualifying time. Attendance at our National events remains pretty constant (and actually increased a bit in 2006), so it must not be TOO much of a detriment to them.
Butch Kummer
Atlanta Region Competition Director [/b]