Look to where regional racing programs ARE working, and identify what makes them attractive to participants, so successful...
** Regional class car counts show that IT continues to be among the most popular category in the nation. That strongly suggests that the IT rules are not the problem.
** The people who stick with the game will tell you (I think) that they like rules continuity, deep competition, fair application of the regs, and hanging out with fun, like-minded people. These people define what should be the core membership, so listen to what they have to say and continue to give them what they like.
** History has demonstrated that at any given point in time, more than half of the club racers on the track are destined to leave after just a couple of seasons, regardless of what the club does. It's something of an over-generalization but they tent to NOT be like the core group above - they don't assimilate, they want to win (so often pick poorly subscribe classes), and their hobby ADD will have them looking at boats before their engine needs a rebuild. We can't retain this population so shouldn't try too hard, and above all we must not let them - and their particular "I think it should be like this" personal desires - drive the rules.
** The world of "racing" has changed a LOT in the past 20 years. There are literally hundreds of options around the nation, "racing" has become much more accessible, and in some ways barriers to entry have fallen. HPDEs have evolved from carefully controlled track days to pseudo head-to-head races, with in-car timers, trophies, and very expensive hardware. Since the national office has been ineffectual in building an HPDE program, every region *MUST* have a plan for integrating some easy pathway to entry into its racing program - perhaps by actively partnering with an established local HPDE provider - or anticipate having new racers buy their first rock from some other dealer.
** In terms of classification, there are always going to be people who want to go racing with a car they already have, that doesn't fit the established rule set. It's a terrible idea to add new classes in response to onesy-twosy folks that turn up but we need to strike a balance in accommodations. Every region MUST have a catch-all (e.g., ITE, SPO) class structure in place to net anything that comes along, that meets the GCR's general safety expectations. (If I were comp director, I'd try having a regional-only, non-points category, with maybe five classes indexed to a "really good lap" for a corresponding IT class car, with lap time breakouts. Go faster than the index and you're out and into the next-faster class next time.)
** It's not a universal problem - some regions get it right - but any that is having trouble retaining drivers who do commit to doing a school had better look hard at the culture of their organization. One key person (e.g., registrar, tech inspector, steward, whoever) can be enough of an frustration to chase people away. I've met DOZENS over the years who honestly believe that their job is to screen the unworthy... These folks tend to be the "old guard," who don't understand that young people expect a customer-service orientation, a more egalitarian culture, and less officious assholenness. Every region that has these individuals knows who they are, and someone needs to get them straightened out.
** It's an extension of the last issue but rules MUST be applied equitably. If a new racers perceives that he is being held to a different standard than the old guard's buddies, he will get frustrated and quit. See above; get the culture fixed.
Point is, there are a LOT of things a region can do, none of which include pining for the day when a set of OTS KONI reds, cut-down springs, and a mail-order header would make a competitive IT car.
K
