SCCA Endurance racing?

[Protech Racing]

I have been renting race cars since 1993 . I have put 100 or more new drivers into cars over the years. Typical conversation sounds like this .. " i want to go road racing and race at cool tracks "
Next school is in Feb. You have to get a SCCA med form filled out by your doc , but not before the 60 day window. Then you have to complete the school and do a few races to get the rest of the SCCA requirements.

"That sounds expensive and a PITA. "

Well it may cost about 2000- 1500$ per weekend , if you dont crash . So figure about $5000.

Or you can come and race Chumpcar with us . Send me a deposit, join Chumpcar , and I'll meet you at the trailer , Our cars look like this and this is my phone #. See ya there.

I put about 70 new drivers into the Chumpcars and only 5 - 10 have joined SCCA . The math works out for both ,depending on how you do it. $400 entry for SCCA for about 90 min of track time , taking up 2 days .
$1000 for entry at the rest and 2 stints of 2hrs each maybe . 2 days maybe

Todays customers are hassle sensitive . Less hassle and wil tolerate spending more cash . WE are not the only game anymore .
My guess is SCCA still has the most deaths on track or near track of any sanctions . Old and weak we are.
Dont get me started on the tech guys refusing to give my Race truck a log book for ITEZ , because its a truck and we are the** Sports CAR club***. Really happened .

To be honest, our biggest issue is the perception from outside the club . Old codgers are us. Then we have a 23 mile National championship race . Cost per mile ?

 

[Protech Racing]

Maybe a balance could allow 1 or 2 races before the med and graduation to the full license . Still easy intro and delay the requirement as the driver progressed .

 

[Peter Olivola]

Maybe a balance could allow 1 or 2 races before the med and graduation to the full license . Still easy intro and delay the requirement as the driver progressed .

Why is getting a physical such a problem?

 

[Matt Blehm]

Getting a physical has never been a problem for me. Call my primary care doc, tell them I have a sports physical I'd like to get filled out. they give me an appointment for my routine annual. I go to the doc, get pocked and prodded, do some jumping jacks while they have a multimeter on me, peripheral vision checked, bend over and touch my toes, they fill out the forms, and send me to the track.
cost is $0 as part of my routine annual.

 

[Protech Racing]

Its not a real problem . Its the perception of hassle. Takes time out of your day ,etc.
The big deal is that no one else requires it.

 

[Peter Olivola]

Its not a real problem . Its the perception of hassle. Takes time out of your day ,etc.
The big deal is that no one else requires it.

That sounds like the kind of argument an adolescent makes to their parents.

 

[Matt Blehm]

Its not a real problem . Its the perception of hassle. Takes time out of your day ,etc.
The big deal is that no one else requires it.

Given the health I've seen of many drivers, I personally wish the physicals were more stringent and required by every org. There are lots of people that shouldn't be in a car. This is one of those "perception of hassles" that I agree with.

Make sure the drivers are physically OK, make sure they're experienced enough to be safe around others on track, make sure the car isn't going to explode, and let them go race. shouldn't be a 500 page rulebook, but there should be *some* rules.

 

[Protech Racing]

SCCA drivers are the least healthy .

Yes, Peter , why should anyone come and endurance race with SCCA? Why should they go through the SCCA hassle when they can literally, bring valid driver gear and a check to registration and race anywhere else .
WE have to sell it. Thanks goodness for the 200 TW rule. Now I just hope that we dont have more than 5 classes . If we can get Hankook to get on board , it could possibly work and be a decent product.

 

[Matt Blehm]

SCCA drivers are the least healthy

for the most part, yeah. look at the demographics. Those with money to race w/ SCCA typically have a lifestyle of leisure.
then again I've seen other orgs allow insulin-dependent diabetics that can't pass a DOT physical or run a block if they were being chased by a bear..

 

[Protech Racing]

WE do now also .

 

[Matt Blehm]

WE do now also .

But at least a doc has *looked* at the person....

 

[Peter Olivola]

SCCA drivers are the least healthy .

Yes, Peter , why should anyone come and endurance race with SCCA? Why should they go through the SCCA hassle when they can literally, bring valid driver gear and a check to registration and race anywhere else .
WE have to sell it. Thanks goodness for the 200 TW rule. Now I just hope that we dont have more than 5 classes . If we can get Hankook to get on board , it could possibly work and be a decent product.

I don't buy your argument, Mike. If people aren't getting an annual physical for their own health I would question their ability to make sound judgements.

 

[Protech Racing]

How can anyone racing be of sound judgment? Have you talked to racers?
People are lazy and will continue to take the path of least resistance . Simple as that .
If we can get them into a racing product that offers something that the others do not, we will succeed. If not , we will have done the same thing twice and failed each time .

 

[Peter Olivola]

How can anyone racing be of sound judgment? Have you talked to racers?
People are lazy and will continue to take the path of least resistance . Simple as that .
If we can get them into a racing product that offers something that the others do not, we will succeed. If not , we will have done the same thing twice and failed each time .

I'm sorely tempted to exercise maximum snark (TYFYI,) but won't. I will observe, however, that you seem to be a regular user of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) when trying to make a case. You're just guessing based on the small subset (your contacts) of a small subset of people (those interested in racing.) If we don't let kids play high school interscholastic sports without a physical I don't think it's too much to ask people to get a physical to get in a race car and risk their and other people's lives.

 

[Protech Racing]

How can anyone racing be of sound judgment? Have you talked to racers?
People are lazy and will continue to take the path of least resistance . Simple as that .
If we can get them into a racing product that offers something that the others do not, we will succeed. If not , we will have done the same thing twice and failed each time .

I'm sorely tempted to exercise maximum snark (TYFYI,) but won't. I will observe, however, that you seem to be a regular user of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) when trying to make a case. You're just guessing based on the small subset (your contacts) of a small subset of people (those interested in racing.) If we don't let kids play high school interscholastic sports without a physical I don't think it's too much to ask people to get a physical to get in a race car and risk their and other people's lives.

OK why hold back? I have little fear , lots of observations and interactions with racers. I have been doing this since about 1991 with SCCA(1975 actually ) , Since 2009 Chumpcar, I have seen what works , what doesnt . I would love to see SCCA be successful with this .

 

[Peter Olivola]

How can anyone racing be of sound judgment? Have you talked to racers?
People are lazy and will continue to take the path of least resistance . Simple as that .
If we can get them into a racing product that offers something that the others do not, we will succeed. If not , we will have done the same thing twice and failed each time .

I'm sorely tempted to exercise maximum snark (TYFYI,) but won't. I will observe, however, that you seem to be a regular user of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) when trying to make a case. You're just guessing based on the small subset (your contacts) of a small subset of people (those interested in racing.) If we don't let kids play high school interscholastic sports without a physical I don't think it's too much to ask people to get a physical to get in a race car and risk their and other people's lives.

OK why hold back? I have little fear , lots of observations and interactions with racers. I have been doing this since about 1991 with SCCA(1975 actually ) , Since 2009 Chumpcar, I have seen what works , what doesnt . I would love to see SCCA be successful with this .

So, aside from carping on what, in your opinion, is wrong, what are your doing to help SCCA be successful with this? What you mostly sound like is a used car salesman who doesn't know how to overcome objections and whines to his manager to cut the price.

 

[rekcik15]

So, aside from carping on what, in your opinion, is wrong, what are your doing to help SCCA be successful with this? What you mostly sound like is a used car salesman who doesn't know how to overcome objections and whines to his manager to cut the price.

Why don't we keep the ad hominem out of this. Mike brings up good points here and attacking him doesn't dispute those issues. Your welcome to disagree but lets leave it at that.

 

[Protech Racing]

I'm a big boy and I was at one time a used car manager .
What can I do ? What have I done ?
I prompted Chumpcar to go to a points based system from a made up cash value system.

My suggestion for the Sebring Chump race was to run 13hrs and make it the longest race there. Then I sent PRs to the local papers. My local paper ran a story on my team and shop from my PR. The Highland times ran something also .
I pushed for 3 classes of Chumpcar so that cheaper cars could run and have trophies. Having cheaper/slower cars brings more racers with SCCA IT cars that had no chance straight up . 3 classes is plenty IMHO.

I put the rules together for ITEZ. The CFR has messed them up with an upper engine limit of 3.0 litres .. That eliminates about half of the Champcars .
I would like to see this morph into a derivative of Terry Hanasuk(sp) ,"Saturday Night Special", a 6 to 8 hr race that starts at 5 or 6 oclock sat eve. The selling points of the other endurance races are the tow to track time ratio . A sat eve race would allow teams to load in sat afternoon, race and leave sun am .

I have put my name to the CRB at l least twice, offering to help wherever needed. I put in a letter for the 200 TW tires a couple of times. Etc.
If I have missed an opportunity to further this endeavor, please enlighten me . MM

 

[Peter Olivola]

I'm a big boy and I was at one time a used car manager .
What can I do ? What have I done ?
I prompted Chumpcar to go to a points based system from a made up cash value system.

My suggestion for the Sebring Chump race was to run 13hrs and make it the longest race there. Then I sent PRs to the local papers. My local paper ran a story on my team and shop from my PR. The Highland times ran something also .
I pushed for 3 classes of Chumpcar so that cheaper cars could run and have trophies. Having cheaper/slower cars brings more racers with SCCA IT cars that had no chance straight up . 3 classes is plenty IMHO.

I put the rules together for ITEZ. The CFR has messed them up with an upper engine limit of 3.0 litres .. That eliminates about half of the Champcars .
I would like to see this morph into a derivative of Terry Hanasuk(sp) ,"Saturday Night Special", a 6 to 8 hr race that starts at 5 or 6 oclock sat eve. The selling points of the other endurance races are the tow to track time ratio . A sat eve race would allow teams to load in sat afternoon, race and leave sun am .

I have put my name to the CRB at l least twice, offering to help wherever needed. I put in a letter for the 200 TW tires a couple of times. Etc.
If I have missed an opportunity to further this endeavor, please enlighten me . MM

Success at effecting change at the local level doesn't automatically entitle anyone to consideration at the national level. It helps, but you have to ask yourself the question; why am I being ignored?

 

[Peter Olivola]

So, aside from carping on what, in your opinion, is wrong, what are your doing to help SCCA be successful with this? What you mostly sound like is a used car salesman who doesn't know how to overcome objections and whines to his manager to cut the price.

Why don't we keep the ad hominem out of this. Mike brings up good points here and attacking him doesn't dispute those issues. Your welcome to disagree but lets leave it at that.

Apparently, by his own account, those points aren't viewed as "good" at the national level.