Majors schedules announced

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Dayle Frame

Well-known member
Hi folks....the SCCA has posted the schedule for the various Major events next summer. As a guy who's been in on the ground floor of the NorCon schedule, all of us have worked long and hard to space events out and run them at nice facilities. We've also responded to the drivers by having 'cross conference' events where points could be earned by drivers from two conferences.

On a more specific note, WMR has gone back to MIS in 2015. We're hoping to have an entry fee that's LESS than in 2014. So come up to MIS and dial in your setup for Daytona in August.

http://www.scca.com/events/news.cfm?eid=8202&cid=52044

Dayle
 
Wow, a schedule that actually works. Thanks to all that made this happen. 2-4 weeks between events, even between conferences. I finally have nothing to bitch about.
Chris
 
Not to mention they split the Eastern conference into two separate conferences. Which I think is a terrific idea! :) I also like the idea of combining some of the events that are in close proximity to a neighboring conference.
 
OK, explain something to me. We in the Mid-South Region (out of Memphis, TN) is in the Mid-West Division and in 2014 was in the Mid States Conference. Now I see by the new conference map. that the state of Tennessee is in the Southeast Conference. This is majorly confusing. I understood that the conferences were made up by division. I guess now, the Mid-South Region is now in the Southeast Division. News to me.

thanks,

Phil Harris
 
2014 Map

SCCA-Conferences.jpg


2015 Map

SCCA-2014-Majors-Conferences.jpg
 
Phil-

You are correct that the map needs to be adjusted. The Western part of Tennessee is mis-marked. In fact, it was the same way on the 2014 schedule map.

But, the reality is that these maps don't mean what they used to when looking at the Majors program. It used to be that whatever Region you belonged to, your Region of Record, dictated where you scored points. It still does for Divisional and Regional championships, but for the Majors it doesn't matter what Region you come from--you score points in whatever conference you've run a race in. A more indicative map is forthcoming, that doesn't have lines drawn, but rather points where the races are, noting which conference championships they count toward.

Eric
 
I don't understand why it's called the Western Conference. A more apt name would be California Con.

Once again, ZERO chance of any significant numbers of CA racers attending races in Seattle/Portland.
 
Why? it's not as far from parts of California to Oregon as from Tennessee to Colorado. Now that we have more cross conference races we need to be able to count some out of conference races for points. This is really difficult for those of us on the borders. I'd go the divisional route if it weren't for the facts that the travel is just as far and they get cancelled after you make plans for the year.
 
dhrmx5":3lfv2l5z said:
I don't understand why it's called the Western Conference. A more apt name would be California Con.

Once again, ZERO chance of any significant numbers of CA racers attending races in Seattle/Portland.
Click to expand...

Well, at Pacific Raceway this year, of the 150 total entries, 41 were from CA. That's 27%

Haven't done the analysis for Portland, but I would assume it would be close to that same percentage.
 
No I get it, really. My point is allowing some cross conference points would provide relieve for some. It's really all about population centers. Some of us just need to move!
 
They are allowing cross conference points for the "With other conference" events.

Southeast Conference
Jan. 9-11 – Homestead Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.
Jan. 16-18 - Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla.
March 7-8 - NOLA Motorsports Park, Avondale, La. (With Mid-States)
March 20-22 - Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.
April 17-19* - VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Va. (With Northeast)
May 1-3 - Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, W. Va. (With Northeast)
* - Pending track date approval

Northeast Conference
April 17-19* - VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Va. (With Southeast)
May 1-3 - Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, W. Va. (With Southeast)
May 29-31* - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio (With Northern)
July 3-5 - Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.
July 31-Aug. 2 - New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J.
Aug. 14-16 – Pitt Race (new 2.9-mile circuit), Wampum, Pa. (With Northern)
* - Pending track date approval

Northern Conference
May 2-3 - Blackhawk Farms, S. Beloit, Ill.
May 29-31* - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio (With Northeast)
June 12-14 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 11-12 - GingerMan Raceway, South Haven, Mich.
Aug. 14-16 – Pitt Race (new 2.9-mile circuit), Wampum, Pa. (With Northeast)
Aug. 22-23 – Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.

Mid-States Conference
March 7-8 – NOLA Motorsports Park, Avondale, La. (With Southeast)
April 11-12 - Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Jennings, Okla.
July 4-5 - High Plains Raceway, Byers, Colo.
July 25-26 – Pueblo Motorsports Park, Pueblo, Colo.
TBA - Two additional events will be added

Western Conference
Jan. 16-18 - Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.
March 21-22 – Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, Calif.
April 11-12 – Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, Calif.
May 1-3 - Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, Calif.
May 23-25 - Pacific Raceway, Kent, Wash.
July 3-5 - Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore.
 
The thing that I noticed was that the Region that is currently hosting the Runoffs is choosing to only have one Major. I guess I will be spending much of my racing dollar North and South of the San Francisco Region.
 
I have no dog in the hunt (unless I run really good at VIR next month) but why are all the SE Majors done by May 3? If I was going to run the Majors next year, I'd go to NOLA, RA and VIR. In 6 weeks, I'd be done, so I'd sit and wait for Daytona.
 
Unless you've never visited the south in summer, you have never seen heat and humidity that both try to kill anyone dumb enough to venture outside of the a.c. for more than a run from the car to the 7-11 store. We race when it's cool. Always have. And the Sebring Majors in January was the biggest Majors of the year. Our 4 Majors within SEDiv borders averaged 250 starters per race.

We also have two of the biggest regionals of the year, the ARRC on or about Halloween at Road Atlanta and the Turkey Trot at Sebring on Thanksgiving weekend.

And next weekend,the last weekend of Sept, we have our SARRC Championship scheduled for Daytona this year and it had 282 entries as of the AM.
 
Mike Cummings":342aseg7 said:
The thing that I noticed was that the Region that is currently hosting the Runoffs is choosing to only have one Major. I guess I will be spending much of my racing dollar North and South of the San Francisco Region.
Click to expand...

I think a region is only allowed to host one Major a year. It's quite an undertaking. I know NorCon had a track (RA) host two events last year but only one in 2015. MIL co-hosted an event (BHF) and hosted one as well (RA) in 2014.

Dayle
 
Dayle Frame":20h9a337 said:
Mike Cummings":20h9a337 said:
The thing that I noticed was that the Region that is currently hosting the Runoffs is choosing to only have one Major. I guess I will be spending much of my racing dollar North and South of the San Francisco Region.
Click to expand...

I think a region is only allowed to host one Major a year. It's quite an undertaking. I know NorCon had a track (RA) host two events last year but only one in 2015. MIL co-hosted an event (BHF) and hosted one as well (RA) in 2014.

Dayle
Click to expand...

Cal Club has had two Majors events the past two years and will have two in 2015, so there's no rule saying a region can only host one. It's more about trying to "geographically balance" the schedule.

SFR's board of directors is not a big proponent of the Majors program. Their thinking is a majority of SCCA racers budget for X number of races per year and that encouraging drivers to go outside their home region to race (which the Majors does) reduces participation at local events. The argument that a significant percentage of racers are supporting the Majors concept has gained some traction because they (SRF) hosted one Majors event in 2014 after hosting zero in 2013, so at least there's not a complete gap in the middle of the Western Conference.
 
The problem with the Western con is it weighted in favor of California racers. They can count 8 races without leaving CA. . That and the west coast runoffs is why their entries were up.


Other than Thunderhill, it is a minimum of a 1000 miles towing each way for someone from WA/OR.
I would wager real money that the entries this year will hit bottom with a thud as the vast majority of West coasters don't plan on attending Daytona.

Wonderful new quid pro quo arrangement we have now. You don't attend my Runoffs and I won't attend yours.
 
If your intention is to qualify for the Runoffs via the Majors path, you can do so by attending three weekends. And yes, four Majors 2014 Majors events will be in California but it's a long state.

According to MapQuest:
. Thunderhill - Fontana = 512 miles
. Thunderhill - Chuckwalla = 640 miles
. Thunderhill - Portland = 496 miles
. Thunderhill - Seattle = 668 miles

So regardless of where you are on the Left Coast, you can hit three Majors weekends without travelling "1000 miles one way" to do so.

I know it's hard to believe, but neither the BoD nor the National Staff is populated (at least completely) by idiots. Yes, it's expected participation on the West Coast will be less in 2015 than in 2014, but there is serious discussion on multiple fronts about adding a post-Daytona, season-ending, invitational (i.e. - you need to qualify) event on the West Coast to encourage those not planning to attend the 2015 Runoffs to continue running SCCA events. Since I'm no longer involved I'm not sure where those negotiations stand right now (and most efforts are directed towards the MRLS Runoffs anyway), but expect an announcement before Christmas.
 
Thanks to Dayle and all of the Majors folks for taking our constructive (and at times destructive) feedback from the post-race surveys and improving the Majors for the 2015 season. :applause:

Will the runoffs qualification criteria be changed for 2015 as well??
 
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