2011 National schedules

Frogeye":3rtzfm2j said:
THANKS MIDIV FOR SCHEDULING ST. LOUIS ON THE SAME WEEK AS ROAD ATLANTA.
Click to expand...

Sorry about scheduling our May race on the same weekend as Atlanta. We wanted to move our first race to a later date in the calendar year due to weather and this worked best for the division schedule. It is extremely difficult to find a date that makes everybody happy where we are not scheduled against another track in the country.

Dean":3rtzfm2j said:
I'm not sure what MidDiv is thinking. No doubles and scheduling races that are 90% sure not to happen.
Click to expand...

I can tell you what we were thinking by leaving our races on the schedule. The word is spreading that Gateway is closed but we want everybody to know that the St. Louis region is going to do everything in our power to remain a road racing region. Somebody could come along and buy the track next week and reopen it (I know, very doubtful but could happen). We are also looking into all available options including the possibilities of having a temporary course somewhere.
 
A number of racers in the east portion of Mid West Division have already changed their Division of record to Southeast Division.

The current Southeast Division calendar is posted at http://www.sedivracing.org. It includes back to back double National race weekends in early January at Sebring and Homestead. One tow to Florida can get you 4 races. In addition, we have one more double National scheduled at VIR in April plus single Nationals at Road Atlanta (2- one March, one May), a single at Roebling Road in March and a Rational at Palm Beach in June.

If you want to change your Division of record to Southeast, you must do so prior to our January double Nationals are completed.

One possibility that no one has mentioned is the race track at Nashville Super Speedway. Southeast Division only uses this track for a Double SARRC race but I would think a waiver might be considered to use this facility for a Mid West Division National or Rational. It is close to the Mid West/ Southeast Division border. The track is short but all the racers who run it seem to have a good time and the track staff works well with the SCCA Regions who conduct the event.
 
Dean":1ipoumsi said:
I'm not sure what MidDiv is thinking. No doubles and scheduling races that are 90% sure not to happen. I think I'll be using some of my limited budget and towing the 550 mi to High Plains for a double.
Click to expand...

I have been talking with people about why no double nationals. I have found that most regions make money of the nationals and loose money on regional weekends. So by mixing them they minimize their losses on the regional only weekends. I tired to point out that they may infact decreasing their potential income because racers are leaving the division to go to a double national weekend. For me if I do a double national out of division it cuts out about 1000 tow miles, 1 weekend on the road and MiDiv losses out of 2 race entries.

I have gotten the feeling that most of the Midiv regions are afraid of change and mixing it up.

BTW the "May 30-1 - HPT R/N/IT" listed is April 30th and May 1st not May 30th - June 1st.

Corrected for better understanding........
2011 MiDiv Schedule
Apr 2-3 - HMRC R/N/IT
Apr 16-17 - MAM S/S/R/R/E
Apr 30- May 1 - HPT R/N/IT
May 21-22 - GIR R/N/IT
Jun 4-5 - MAM R/N/IT
Jul 2-3 - HMRC R/N/IT
Jul 16-17 - HPT R/N/IT
Jul 30-31 - GIR R/N/IT
Aug 20-21 - MAM R/N/IT
Oct 15-16 - MPH R/R


Corrected for better racing (not the official schedule for humor only LOL)........
2011 MiDiv Schedule
Apr 2-3 - HMRC R/N/IT
Apr 16-17 - MAM S/S/R/R/E
Apr 30- May 1 - HPT R/N/IT
May 21-22 - GIR R/N/IT
Jun 4-5 - MPH R/R/N/N Rational (Note at MPH not MAM)
Jul 2-3 - HMRC R/R/N/N Rational
Jul 16-17 - HPT R/R/N/N Rational
Jul 30-31 - GIR R/N/IT
Aug 20-21 - MAM R/N/IT
Oct 15-16 - MPH R/R
 
FP Racer made my point and position clear.
I can tow to VIR for very little more than Topeka or MAM and get 2 Nationals in one weekend; then go to Atlanta twice for the shortest tow; then Hallett: 5 races, 4 weekends, 4000 miles vs MiDiv w/ one Atlanta: 5 races, 5 weekends, 6000 miles, $1200 more. and another weekend at home to work on the car. Hallett in July is out as I like the wife i have and that's her weekend. I don't want to change Divisions but......
Some consideration of those of us down Southeast might save MiDiv Regions the loss of $800 in entry fees. Nashville could help.
But I guess the "Southeast" tells the story. Oh, and the tracks, Atlanta and VIR (I'm told), except for Hallett, are better. Been wanting to try VIR.....
 
To bad you can't run a Divisional race out of Division and run a MIDDIV event at Nashville . Its a Dover Track. or the Bluegrass Country Club track might be closer to St. Louis.

Doesn't the split between Mid Div and the Southeast run right through the middle of NSS? :wink:

TN Region is not going to use it. Chattanooga does.
 
Darryl Saylor":39bkgwpn said:
To bad you can't run a Divisional race out of Division and run a MIDDIV event at Nashville . Its a Dover Track. or the Bluegrass Country Club track might be closer to St. Louis.

Doesn't the split between Mid Div and the Southeast run right through the middle of NSS? :wink:

TN Region is not going to use it. Chattanooga does.
Click to expand...

They can it called a Dual National Race (3.1.3.)

3.1.3. Dual National Race
A Dual National is two National races on one weekend conducted at a
track where Regions from at least two divisions regularly sanction events.
The purpose of a Dual National is to provide entrants with one in-division
and one out-of-division National event during one weekend at one location.
Dual Nationals will be run under the following conditions:
A. Both Nationals meet all the rules of a National race. (See 3.1.1.)
B. The two Nationals are separately sanctioned by different Regions,
which are not from the same division.
C. The two Nationals are conducted separately, under separate sanctions, entries, and fees.
D. A driver may enter either or both National races, but he must enter
each separately, as if they were single Nationals.
Click to expand...

Since the races at GIR are still on the schedule and most likely will not happen maybe they could move then to NSS.....
 
Darryl Saylor":2co46la9 said:
.....or the Bluegrass Country Club track might be closer to St. Louis.
Click to expand...

Bluegrass is dead. No funding and in trouble with the state over envoronmental issues. Indy region got burned by putting their eggs in that basket last summer.

Dayle
 
NSS is not the greatest track layout but it has to rank up there with most hospitable. I was thinking Mid South just have RN by getting permission to but if you could talk the Southeast into it, its pretty much centered between the hearts of each Division.
 
I'm fairly confident that the Southeast Division would allow Mid South to conduct a Rational or National or Regional National at NSS as long as the date did not conflict with a SEDiv National. I'm not sure Chattanooga or TVR who use NSS would want to conduct a dual Division National. SEDiv already has 10 on the schedule and that is without Daytona which will probably come back on the schedule as a National in 2012.

SEDiv has a number of tracks we do not use for Nationals (Atlanta Motor Speedway, Daytona, Carolina Motor Sports Park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, NSS, Rockingham & Hutchison Island) with one new one in North Georgia due to open next year. We do run regionals at all the tracks except Hutchison Island in Savannah.

Of course, we also have more than 1800 licensed drivers and in 2010, we had 1565 entries for our Nationals and 5596 entries so far at our regional races.

I would recommend that someone contact Mid South Region to see if they are interested in using NSS for a Rational. I'm sure SEDiv would support the event with our Tn workers and if the date is right, a number of drivers will go points hunting. And as the SARRC Chairman, I might consider recommending the Regional portion be sanctioned as a SARRC points race. This would help bring entries.

I think it most important that not only Regions in Divisions work together but that Divisions help each other whenever possible.

Jim Creighton
SEDiv National Pointskeeper
SEDiv SARRC Administrator
 
Having some knowledge may be worse than none, but how about some answers:

1) why were non-racing regions completely excluded from the calls involving the schedule? Because they might not have any good input? Or gee, maybe they don't have any racing members? These decisions affect the entire division and the drivers.

2) no double nationals because ...? (and the real answer, please....defend it with real arguments, not platitudes)

The situation as it stands is intolerable. The fighting over race weekends between regions has to stop. Yeah, it sucks that Memphis and now Gateway are off the schedule. And I don't blame Mid-south racers for changing divisions. It really does make sense for them. Considering the tow and adrenaline rush reward, a double at Atlanta makes more sense to me than a R/N at MAM (which, aside from good bathrooms, is losing credibility very quickly just based on the paddock). Personally, I really don't care if MAM has "offered to cover any losses from the SSRR if they do 3 weekends at MAM." So what? If the other two weekends are losers also, what does MVRG (DMVR+NR) gain? Less than nothing?

Can someone in a leadership role from Midiv please get a clue and start looking for solutions instead of allowing this to continue? Surely someone realizes that there are only so many $$s floating around in entry fees, and figure out that fewer total events might actually be a good thing for the division as a whole.
 
I talked to Bill Johnson the MidDiv "scheduler" and got and email from Gini Ragan, the Kansas City RE. I copied Chris on the emails. Bill agreed we should have doubles but said its all up to the regions. Gini said the regions did not want to have double nationals because "they didn't make any money on them" and if they had a double National they would have to do a double Regional too. Not quite sure of the logic there. To me we need a little out of the box thinking. Maybe a double National with IT or the "Rationals" that some regions are experimenting with.
 
Bill Johnson is your friend on this issue.

he was the first in the division that i can remember looking at the dates HPT was offering, in combination with the other dates already on the MiDiv calendar, the contract irwin was offering, and coming to the conclusion that "this won't work, we'll just cut out one of our weekends at HPT."

MVRG is the problem child in my eyes. now i know we have at least one good person in Des Moines/MVRG that "gets it." but unfortunately i think he's horribly outnumbered.

Nebraska region; a new track got built in our area, we must have races there.
common sense; why? we're losing drivers, entry numbers are falling, there's no population in that area, and your first event had 40 total cars!
nebraska region; but we want to host races and feel important too!! more races is the answer to our problems!!!!
 
Travis,
You need to remember that MVRG is, by definition (and their own website), a co-op agreement between Des Moines Valley and Nebraska regions to hold events at MAM. And why shouldn't MPH be allowed to have a race weekend? We went to Memphis a couple of times were the entries were pretty slim, and MAM has had a few also. For someone who is in, say, Tulsa, is Hastings any further than Pacific Junction? At least Hastings has good amenities that are very close to the track. Can't really say that about MAM.

You're a nice guy, but you seem to be making this a personal battle against MPH. Personally, if it was my decision and GIR and Memphis were still on the table, I would give every track/group a single weekend and tell them to schedule whatever they want. But you only get ONE weekend. Six tracks, 6 weekends. Make it happen.

Everyone needs to remember that this isn't about a single person (or region) and what they want. It IS about what is best for the Midiv race program and long term stability/survival.
 
Southwest Division

Jan 15th & 16th R/R MSRHouston/ Houston Region
Feb 4th & 5th RN/RN MSRHouston / Houston Region
Mar 4th ,5th & 6th N/N Texas World Speedway/ Lone Star Region
April 2nd & 3rd R/N Eagles Canyon Raceway/ Texas Region
April 30th & May 1st RN/RN Texas Motor Speedway/Texas Region
May 28th & 29th RN/RN Texas Motor Speedway/ Lone Star Region
Aug 6th & 7th RN/RN MSRHouston/ Houston Region
Oct.15th & 16th R/R Eagles Canuon Raceway/ Texas Region
Nov 12th & 13th R/ Enduro Texas Worls Speedway/ Houston Region
Dec 2nd,3rd & 4th S/S Texas Motor Speedway / Texas Region
 
BlazenGR":we37nzrm said:
Personally, if it was my decision and GIR and Memphis were still on the table, I would give every track/group a single weekend and tell them to schedule whatever they want. But you only get ONE weekend. Six tracks, 6 weekends. Make it happen.
Click to expand...

My biggest issue with dropping to one weekend at each track is workers. There are alot of workers who only go to one track and do not participate in any other SCCA programs. Do you think these workers are going to continue to renew their membership for one race weekend? These workers do not travel now and they are not going to travel if we go to one weekend at each track. I would just hate to try this and lose a bunch of workers.

The St. Louis region are going to try a few different things to try and keep our members interested while we search for a facility but I imagine we are going to lose some members no matter what we try.

I am against double Nationals because this would limit us to one weekend. We can not hold double Regionals in MiDiv as they lose way too much money and it would be very difficult to recoup these losses.
 
If you live in St Louis the tracks that seem to be talked about (and a few that aren't mentioned regularly) seem to be;
ORP - 243 miles
Memphis - 285 miles
Topeka - 310 miles
Nashville - 310 miles
Iowa Speedway - 337 miles
Hallett - 430 miles
Elkhart - 435 miles
MAM - 435 miles
Barber - 519 miles
Hastings - 548 miles
Brainerd - 692 miles

I guess that my thinking is 300 miles is a long tow for a "regular" club weekend. 400 to 500 miles could be your "special" or "favorite" for the year. Beyond that is sort of a "once every other year, really special" kind of track. Somehow going to Hastings doesn't elicit a "really special" kind of thought.

Hopefully someone can resurrect St Louis, and maybe even Memphis.
 
Rob":2wf6ok0y said:
I guess that my thinking is 300 miles is a long tow for a "regular" club weekend. 400 to 500 miles could be your "special" or "favorite" for the year. Beyond that is sort of a "once every other year, really special" kind of track.
Click to expand...

Since we got MSR Houston, SOWDiv has had a minor issue of workers and competitors not traveling. Since it's 300 miles from my driveway to the entrance of TMS (Dallas) and about 30 miles further to Eagles Canyon, that distance makes sense. Texas World Speedway in College Station is sort of in the middle between Houston and Dallas, but closer to Houston. We all don't mind that trip and many from the North and West side of Houston commute on weekends. Dallas folks have no choice but to spend the night.

More to the point on doubles and such, we've seen a huge fall off over the last ten years from regional seriers racers. Part of the issue was SM going National, but I think it's mostly because of the R/RR/N format. The National guys only enter Sunday but get to be on track Saturday and Sunday. The Regional guys can get on track Sunday but they have to pay extra to do it. The region's race budget suffers from both decisions and many blame the racer. The current RE's look at it as the promoter's problem. So last year we started running double regional and double nationals. Even without needing to strict qualification requirements we all broke even at least with our events. So the proof is in the bank accounts of the regions. We were all losing money in 2008 on most of our events. In 2009 we really on lost money on our schools. This year we plan to leverage the double/double format in hopes of bringing back the SRX7 and other classes. At the end of 2011 we'll evaluate the results and make a decision for 2012. I personally ran the High Plains Rational to see how things would go from the competitor's view. I was happy with the results, driving an unfamiliar track in an unfamiliar car surrounded by mostly people I'd never been on track with and still had a great time and met some great new fellow competitors.

James Rogerson
Houston Region RE
 
BlazenGR":21tzc2mt said:
Travis,
You need to remember that MVRG is, by definition (and their own website), a co-op agreement between Des Moines Valley and Nebraska regions to hold events at MAM. And why shouldn't MPH be allowed to have a race weekend? We went to Memphis a couple of times were the entries were pretty slim, and MAM has had a few also. For someone who is in, say, Tulsa, is Hastings any further than Pacific Junction? At least Hastings has good amenities that are very close to the track. Can't really say that about MAM.

You're a nice guy, but you seem to be making this a personal battle against MPH. Personally, if it was my decision and GIR and Memphis were still on the table, I would give every track/group a single weekend and tell them to schedule whatever they want. But you only get ONE weekend. Six tracks, 6 weekends. Make it happen.

Everyone needs to remember that this isn't about a single person (or region) and what they want. It IS about what is best for the Midiv race program and long term stability/survival.
Click to expand...

that's fair....i could see how it looks like i'm against any and all events at MPH....period. but i'm not.

what i'm against anything other than a reduction in the number of race weekends in our division. until we get down to a reasonable number (7?), i'll be opposed to events at MPH. i'll also be opposed to adding another weekend at HPT, or MAM, or anywhere else. i doubt i'll ever personally attend a race at Hastings, but if we cut the schedule down from the 14 or whatever number of available weekends to a regional racer to 7....i may not have a choice and i'll HAVE to go if i want to race at all (see how that works?).

while your suggestion for "6 tracks, 6 weekends" isn't exactly how i'd do it if i were king, i'd support that idea because it at least is directionally correct.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top