Run Off's or ARRC

I don't know about advertising and how it relates to the insurance a region and the track has to take out for spectators. I have never heard of a national race advertised except at Road Atlanta's website and its usually a small blurb in the schedule of events.

Roebling Road for example allows no spectators,as do many other tracks in the SEDiv while an SCCA race is being held.

I think the problem is too few tracks and too many organizations with more $$$ than the SCCA. We lost the Labor Day SARRC double at Road Atlanta because the GP motorcyles had more $$$. Another case of money talks and BS walks. Trying to find another track with an open weekend has proven to be a real challenge. Same with finding workers.

If you want more out of the track and the people that put on a race it will cost you more in the form of increased entry fees. We could put on a hell of a party, hire the workers and maybe throw in some media BS if we doubled or triple the entry fees. How 'bout it? I do not need or want that. I like it just the way it is, ARRC and all.

This is only my opinion and if anyone has a specific question they would like answered please ask and as the Atlanta Region SARRC Representative I will see if I can get an answer for you as best I can.
 
dj-

Read my lips... (Not sure if you were being funny or angry??? confused on that one :119: ) but anyway I guess I don't disagree with you, all racing should be advertized and promoted. Every product needs that, look at NASCAR :) Question is does SCCA want that? if you have to many series competing against each other then all the series will fail... If I was a consultant from the outside looking at SCCA I would say that "Regional" racing was working perfect (look at the regional class #'s) and that SCCA should really work on the "National" racing end of things, which I must say I thinkn they are working on by changing a lot of production rules...

see look, I almoast feel differenty today...

Raymond "so on the fence" Blethen :)
 
Hmmm...

I don't know how insane an idea it actually IS, for the Rub-Offs to be at Indy. Might be that the reason it's never been considered is because nobody has bothered to ask. :)

Very clever.

K
 
Kirk, a good point. Large facility. More high level exposure. Middle of the country. Makes as much sense as Topeka.
 
Can you imagine!??! Running at Indy! Wow...even if the road course sucked, and the straight was way too long, who cares! Just to actually cross those bricks...as a race driver in a car I built. WOW.

Then I woke up.....
 
I'm kinda curious as to where it has been written that regional racing isn't spectator racing. I was told a long time ago by someone who, at the time, knew well about these things, that to have a spectator club race and to advertise it as such, would triple the cost of insurance. Add to that the extra staff and security measures plus any sort of comfort and conveniences you might want to include, and you've got yourself a pretty heafty price tag.
I've been to several club races that had spectators, but the race wasn't advertised as such. I've also been to a couple that were advertised as spectator races and had a couple of thousand people throughout the infield and stands. Our entry fees weren't increased significantly and the spectator tickets were well in line, but the region lost money in the vicinity of 5 digits. True, there were other expenses, but they were there for the benefit of the spectators as well as the entrants.
Someone would have to cover the cost of the insurance alone. I've started seeing my entry fees go from a couple of hundred to double that already. Much more, combined with $100 fill ups in my tow vehicle, and I won't have to worry about spectators at my race. :unsure:
 
Cool, I just realized, as well as the driver, crew, truck driver, gopher, mechanic, acountant, secretary...I'm also a spectator!!! :happy204:
 
Guys & Gals,
SCCA is a club/ BUSINESS.
If they can make a buck it might happen, if they can make a good buck they probably jump on the idea.
1. Find out what SCCA needs & wants to pursue this idea.
2. Setup a plan (just like a business plan)
3. Make the sell
Good Luck
dj
 
Originally posted by charrbq@Sep 30 2005, 11:19 AM
I'm kinda curious as to where it has been written that regional racing isn't spectator racing. ...
Click to expand...

NASCAR - where all of the spectators know the all of the drivers' names
SCCA - where all of the drivers know all of the spectators' names

K
 
Originally posted by Knestis@Sep 30 2005, 04:39 PM
NASCAR - where all of the spectators know the all of the drivers' names
SCCA - where all of the drivers know all of the spectators' names

K
[snapback]61567[/snapback]​
Click to expand...
that caused a snarf!!

The difference between spectator and non spectator events is minimal.

The issue is usually does your region carry accident participation as well as spectator coverage? the definition of spectator vs non is spectators don't sign our waiver and are not covered by our event insurance.

Most tracks cover spectator insurance under their general liabilty coverage, they are also the group that collects the revenues from the gate.

Most tracks don't want spectators during a regional because they don't cover the costs for extra security and insurance, but if they could sell a couple thousand tix and some hamburgers and hotdogs I suspect they would be interested.

I once raced in front race fans, it was cool!

brian
 
Originally posted by Knestis@Sep 30 2005, 12:39 PM
NASCAR - where all of the spectators know the all of the drivers' names
SCCA - where all of the drivers know all of the spectators' names

K
[snapback]61567[/snapback]​
Click to expand...



LMAO :happy204:

Raymond
 
The additional SCCA insurance premium for a spectator over a non-spectator Regional event is $350. That includes Participant Accident coverage.

Ever since SCCA added tons of red tape to the waiver requirements, the Mid-South Region has held spectator events. We don't have a marketing budget and don't get many true spectators so there is no additional manpower needed. In fact, we need less security because we don't have to man every entry point to make sure waivers are signed. Of course, if a 1000 folks showed up we'd be up a #$%^ creek.
 
Regarding Indy........

There was a group working on that very thing a couple of years ago. If I remember correctly, the effort was abandoned when the contract suddenly was awarded to Topeka. I believe the whole dynamic of National level club racing changed when the Runoffs moved to Topeka.
 
Originally posted by Dave Burchfield@Oct 2 2005, 03:11 PM
Regarding Indy........

There was a group working on that very thing a couple of years ago. If I remember correctly, the effort was abandoned when the contract suddenly was awarded to Topeka. I believe the whole dynamic of National level club racing changed when the Runoffs moved to Topeka.
[snapback]61645[/snapback]​
Click to expand...

I don't know that saying that the contract was "suddenly awarded to Topka" is all that accurate. There was a process and bids were accepted. As I recall there was even a delay in the decision.

This is all water under the bridge and those of us in the Midwest Divison are excited about what is coming. HPT will be more than up to the task of the Run Offs. You can make a clean pass at HPT in more than just a couple of places.

That said, to a man, I know of no one around this part of the country that would not have been as equally excited about the run offs at Indy. If and when the run offs move again I am ALL for Indy!
 
We at MVRG (DMVR and Nebraska regions) buy the spectator insurance for the same reason Bill and the folks in Memphis do - it eliminates a TON of headache and potential liability on the minor waiver issue. All we need is some whiz-bang marketing type to step up and fill the stands for us. :023:


A minor aside, just so I get this straight:
When the move to Topeka was announced, half of the wailing that took place centered on the "fact" the track was "flat." Have y'all been to Indy? Just checking. :P

Jarrod
(will attempt to qualify for Runoffs regardless of location)
 
There would have to be a monumental policy shift for SCCA Club racing to ever happen at IMS. The logistics and costs to have the facility open are huge. Yes, it has been discussed by the National SCCA office and of course "we" drive past the facility constantly and dream our dreams. And there is the issue of space for the paddock for such as event - remember, there's several holes of a golf course inside now and the amount of usable paddock space is not as large as you would think. Yes, Tony is still an Indy Region member, but he has larger fish to fry in trying to keep is F1 investment and his IRL investment afloat. Right now the next possible entity that may get to race at the track would be MotoGP or some other motorcycle series. I think the ALMS rumors have dried up.
 
No offense, but Indy sucks as a road course. It's the lamest course on the F-1 calender. Yea, it's got all the prestige and history, but that was all for oval racing. It blows as a road course. I'd much rather race on an interesting, fun track than on some roval because of the history.

I like the idea of a national IT championship. Seems like any good racer would want to be recognized as the best in their class. I don't necessarily think this means IT has to be declared a "national" class, either. I don't think it makes a difference if IT is regional or national. If all the best guys in the country get together and race then whoever wins is the champion regardless of the SCCA regional/national classification. The SCCA may not recognize this as a "national" championship, but all the guys who raced will know who's the best. Whether or not it can be done logistically I don't know.

David
 
Scott,

I based my use of the word "sudden" on the following:

_ I heard with my own ears, the following statement made by Steve Johnson at the 2004 Runoffs.....
"The Runoffs aren't going anywhere for at least one more contract"

I learned that the contract was awarded to Topeka in December.

Maybe a better adjective would have been "surprising"

It doesn't matter to me where the Runoffs are. Whether I go to work will depend on whether the investment in resources warrants it.
 
When Mr. Johnson spoke at the SEDiv annual meeting and awards ceremony he was asked to explain the process that resulting it the runoffs being relocated to Topeka. Basically, he stated that out of the two dozen tracks contacted to host the Runoffs only two responded that they were interested, Mid Ohio and Topeka. Topeka was willing to spend I can't recall how many millions (maybe $30m) to upgrade the track (asphalt and elevation) and the amenities. The price was right so the SCCA went with Topeka.

Obviously, there was the additional benefit of being in their new home town, but after listening to his complete explanation it sounded to me that the decision was purely dollars and cents. The real problem was that only two tracks were interested. With the increased popularity of all things motor driven, very few new road racing tracks being built and the existing schedules of each track, it is hard to find one that has 2-3 weeks available to put on an event like the Runoffs.

I know this does not sound as sexy as some BS conspiracy theory but it is much more plausible.
 
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