You know, Roman and I have been running for 4-1/2 years and it has been the greatest thing for my son that I could have ever dreamed of. He did not have an apptitude for stick and ball sports or otherwise. He was shy and reserved to say the least. Racing has been the portal for him to have his day in the sun and to excell at “something”. We have been exposed to so many people who have had such a positive influence on our lives. We are not some of the statistics who get out after 2 years or whatever. We just like to race. We totally understand the attrition of racers… college, families, etc… This is a natural progression of our sport. This has just been an excellent oppurtunity for our family at this time. Seems like the balance is slightly upset on the incoming racer but not totally lopsided. See a lot of newbies not competing in the Csc, don’t blame them. It can be a burden.
Seems to me the backbone of our racing has such a bright outlook. I look (lurk) some of the forums and see racers across the US who compete on a very limited number of quality racing venues. Look at what we have! Some of the greatest racing circuits anywhere. I don’t want to get into the characteristics of each individual facility but we have a very diversified selection here. I’m just saying, we have some very good things going for the racer in our region. Last year we started to find some success in the State series and chose to let some of the club racers find success at the club level and not practice on all club race days. This year we could not afford to come in and send the club racer back to the woodshed if we wanted to.
It’s too many race days. At the beginning of the year we purchased tires for the season just for the Csc. (it hurt) Ran out already. We feel pretty foolish having raced every race this year and gaining a healthy championship lead in one class, bout 300 some points, brought to 4 points after drops. It cost money to show. If the tracks make their money off concessions, let them do that for all but one race a year and then shut her down and let us roll in and have practice without rental interuption for Friday, Saturday and let us race on Sunday. Entice us to race. Fans or no fans. Narrow down the number of events and bring higher quality to those events. My opinion is less events, more quality in regards to fields etc.. We’ll show up at a club events before the championship dates, others will also. We know the drops can have a negative effect but lets get reasonable. If we have a bad race at the beggining of the year or whatever, I’m going to keep racing on the odds that it can happen to the best of them and try to keep my preperation at the highest levels to minimize the chances of this happening again. Not one club race this year for us.
Narrow it down, do it right, and we’ll be there supporting the clubs events at some level. Being involved in the GGP was an eye opener for me. The tracks who host a race have my complete admiration. It takes more than than Joe racer might realize. I don’t blame them for wanting to generate revenue. Just slim down and make them quality events. We have discussed running a few Csc races next year and saying screw the points lets go around to other races and just have fun with our money. Maybe were not the average racer but we feel pretty average. The Prokart is appealing to us, Cascade Locks was the pinacle for having fun, having a band play and running illuminated valve stems during an event gave me ha__ on! Thanks Jim. What a first race to have family attend!
One thing I’ve observed is, the renters stand at the fence and want to be like Marc, Kyle, Matt, Ben or you fill in the blank. They don’t just rent and run. Do you track owners realise that? I’ve spent time with these people after having fun in your concession machines, explaining the particulars of our sport. Love to do it. Seems like my duty to you for keeping a track open for us. I hope some of them come in to your shops and spend 4-6k + consumables there after, getting into this for their benefit and ours. Point is, if you support the sport in a positive manner it helps the sport, if your out of a job and can’t race, come out and help others vs negative post’s. I don’t post here nearly as much as I used to. It was an obsession to see what everyone else was thinking before, now it’s kinda dead.
My take is, the track owners run the region. The racers could be heard in the right context but we’ve all gone soft. There are those that post the same crap so much I just glide by it too. If there is no balls left in the competitor, take what you get even if it’s not what you wanted. But I have to say, we enjoy racing with the largest fields, seemed like the Csc was the vehicle to do that. We have some new racers this year (yes I watch your “mylaps”) they should be racing. Establish rules and enforce them, I got such a rush out of Brian and Dennis this year even enforcing our tech sign offs. They did not mean much before that did they? You see him walking the pre grid? My undies slid up a few inches how bout yours?
Adress specifics, a few racers discusing things? No just a few whiners. Where is valued input?
Too many races? Yes. Csc, plus a traveling club series where we might run used tires and have fun, We’re in. (you guy’s are making the money off rentals anyway)
Too many tracks? What a problem. Can’t think of too many regions who have too many good tracks to run on.
To many racers quiting after season or two? some of that is inherient give them a place to run on old tires etc…and have fun by there means. It’s a pretty high level state series after all.
Not enough new racers coming in? Give them a place to run on old tires and have fun. Mentor them while not attempting to defend a desirable regional championship.
Racing is too complicated? I say run all of the classes who want to run. (we run 2 classes and haven’t missed a 5 participant 4 stroke race yet! it’s just fun to watch. paint drying has never been so good) I will pack my junk in the dark if everyone gets to run. AND I’ll subsist my complaining if you make the the fairest combining of classes you see fit
Sport is too complicated? Who the hell makes it that way? It’s us! We all want it our way. Set forth what it’s gonna be and the people who want to participate will show.
Sorry for the windy post, I love this sport and feel priveledged to have the Brads, Jim’s, J.bs, Cooks, Georges (haven’t raced there, see above) A.J’s, Doug’s, Barry’s, Rusty’s and all the key players who are there year after year. And anyone I’ve missed. It is hard to grow in a sport and see it challenged for growth when it has it’s greatest potential I’ve seen in several years of racing. Hate to see it come down to survival of the fittest. That is not in the best interest of the Tracks or racers. The before mentioned names can make you competitive on a much larger scale (big hitters maybe?) run with their guys and you are good on a very much larger arena, but the health of our competition is the racers we need to be growing. The grass roots racer we were (and most everyone else who reads this a few years ago) what about them?
These are my thoughts (at midnight) but still thoughts. Can it be saved? We could just show up and race but…….
Rick