I always enjoy the insight and wisdom that Doug has to offer our community and I basically agree with what is being said. There are so many contributing factors to our current state that it is not only difficult to improve all of them at ounce, it?s equally as difficult to address all of them in any forum or article here. I would like to build on Doug?s comments. Misc. thoughts and questions (I don?t necessarily have all the answers):
Good question, what is the CSC? A glorified club race or legitimate regional series? If it?s killing our sport then let?s get rid of it, back to just club races. ?Oh no, we want to have something to aspire to, more competition, some prestige!? Lets say we have roughly 125 active Kart racers in Colo. Where did they come from? Obviously many places but one of the places was from the club ranks. I know I?m repeating myself but it always sounds like a lot of the discussion is only trying to decide the best way to divide up the pie. 125 racers, 5 tracks, 30 club races and 9 CSC races. It?s math. If we only ever want to have 125 racers then get rid of the CSC and lets all support just the club races at the tracks and have an average of 60+ in attendance. However, if racers want an elevated level of racing and will support a regional series, (which seems to be the case looking at the entry numbers from this year?s CSC events so far, although I personally feel that nine is about three or four too many) is that the racers fault? I agree with Doug that perhaps a nine race CSC is killing club racing but it?s not killing the growth of the sport. Redistributing a captive audience of 125 racers will not grow the sport, only growing the sport will grow the sport and where do things grow; from the bottom up! Try this, go out to the tree in your back yard, cut a few branches off the top and tape them back around the bottom, how much did your tree grow?
I recall our own brief history in the sport. 2004 (our first year) we only raced the club races at Action Karting and that included two CSCs that overlapped. We also went to one IMI club race just to see what another track might be like. We didn?t even finish on the lead lap until the last race of the year. 2005 the kid saw all the really big trophies at the ?04 banquet and asked how he could get one of those? ?Those are for the State Series? I said. ?Wow, the whole state, I want to do that next year!? says the kid. OK, so we do the 7 race CSC and pick up a few club races for practice and testing, things started clicking and he finished 2nd for the series. What?s the point, well I have gotten a few others involve in the sport and I have encouraged them depending on the learning curve and their budget, to focus on the club races until they feel comfortable and I will be bringing in a few more next year.
Bottom line. Redistribution of participants will not grow the sport. I want to support the tracks and club racing. How do I do it, I bring new bodies to the sport not try to talk someone already racing to go race somewhere else. Is this my job? Officially no, morally yes. I do it out of sheer enthusiasm and love of motorsports. Is it anyone?s job? Yes, at least in the sense that there are also businesses that rely on the sport and therefore they should always make an obvious effort to grow the sport from the bottom up not to try and covet what already exists. Example, I had a friend call a local track to try and arrange a birthday party for a group of kids, (5-10 yr olds). They were very flexible on times, etc. When it came to price they were told the ?off the sign? lap rate. My friend was willing to spend some money but they offered no group or volume discount let alone that these were mostly first timers and kids that could potentially get involved in the sport all from a very good neighborhood? They went to Jungle Quest.
In the end it?s all of our job but the tracks and businesses should take the helm in developing grass roots participation. How many tracks and/or businesses have space reserved for a display at the Denver Grand Prix coming up in a couple of weeks?
There should be just enough regional races to do three primary things: satisfy the racers need to compete at a higher level, give newbies something to aspire to and to provide a marketing showcase of the sport at the highest level possible. What is that magical number, I don?t know but 8-12 club races at every track doesn?t help anyone either.
Doug?s right, the CSC and the clubs need to decide what they are and their purpose, but the same decision applies to the racers.
Classes?..ooooooh that?s a whole other post. Bye for now.
Scott Hannum