If I was a benevolent dictator!

[swhannum]

The aim of this article is to suggest and propose a plan while addressing as many of the primary concerns of the Colorado Karting community as reasonably possible. This includes Kart related businesses, (tracks, shops, etc.) which in order to remain viable as businesses, must take a proactive position in the development of their immediate market if not the industry at large. It also includes the participants (racers), current & future corporate support through sponsorship, (an absolute necessity if we?re going to shorten the growth curve of our sport) a local administrative body and an overall legitimate sanctioning body. I by the way am not suggesting nor am I interested in actually being the benevolent dictator. We do need a plan so how about this one? In addition, there are a number of key points that need to be kept in mind as we read and consider the potential and viability of this proposal. They are:

1. Nothing of any significance can be, nor will be done overnight. In other words since it will take time to fully realize our potential, we need to create a plan now. Think about it, our community is now both benefiting and paying for the decisions and actions that took place three to five years ago. Therefore this proposal must be thought of as a three to five year plan. Consider the Greeley Grand Prix. It has always been clear within the core GGP team that it would require a minimum of three years before we would have a fairly accurate view of its potential. Although opinions and feedback are not only welcome but encouraged, much of the non-constructive criticism seemed to come from an instant success, short term, unrealistic perspective.

2. The players in this game are interdependent. This has been said many times in many ways but until the plans and actions of all parties reflect this fundamental principal, Karting in our area will remain limited. We must burry the hatchet in some cases and work toward the common good, realize and accept that self serving sub-optimized approaches by any of the players will, in the mid to long term be counterproductive and self destructive.

3. We cannot be all things to all people. It may be noble but rarely produces the desired result. This applies to many areas of our sport. The reality is that we have and always will have a limit to our resources, (primarily time and money) and this will dictate the scope of what we should try and subsequently will accomplish. Classes and rules for example. Being a pioneer may sound like a fun adventure but you know how to recognize a pioneer? They are the ones in front of you with an arrow in their back. Keep it simple, keep it common.

4. We will never attract, regardless of budget and marketing efforts, an impressive number of ?new? participants or spectators to any of our traditional tracks. Even if the price of admission is free! The fundamental strategy of our plan must be to take the race to the people and to then leverage this exposure to create business for our tracks and shops, i.e. new & used kart sales, rentals, corporate & private parties and to feed the much needed club level of Kart racing. Surely there are additional points but at least these listed should be self evident and require no debate.

So, what about this ?Benevolent Dictator? we keep hearing about? I think Doug was the one that started using this reference. I like it. There?s a lot of truth in it so lets be clear as to what it means. The dictator part I think we all understand it?s the benevolent part that may need defined. I don?t mean that as an insult to anyone, I have to admit that I had heard the word many times but couldn?t have given you an accurate definition, so here it is off my Franklin: ?Benevolent ? marked by a noble or forbearing spirit, having or showing interest in or concern for the welfare of others.? I really don?t think we are ever going to have one, (at least not a benevolent one) but it does provide me with both a title for my article as well as the sincere intent of my proposal. I have nothing to gain other than the shear delight of participating in a unique and fulfilling hobby with my kids.

I believe this proposal to be fairly complete in concept but surely not in detail. As critical as details are, our challenges seem to be more visionary and strategic planning issues not a lack of support at the detail and task level. The majority of the structure to support this proposal already exists; it?s more a matter of creating a unified plan. With the upcoming Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Nov. 19th, it may be helpful to ?chew? on this a bit, ask questions, give suggestions now to make the meeting most productive and resolute.

I have prefaced the post of this article with conversations including tracks, racers, officials and even corporate representatives looking for a ?sign? that Karting in Colorado is going to organize. If we can, there seems to be untapped resources available and many have already shown an interest in this approach.

An overview, (code name ?The Plan? and remember although this would take potentially 3-5 years to complete, we must start now).

Step A. This step in some ways may be the most challenging and is critical in making the overall plan work. As a state, adopt a unified, credible, national and/or international sanctioning body as a basis for class structure, rules, arbitration, tech, protests, etc. We have much more strength in numbers and at all levels. Participants, sanctioning bodies, insurance, sponsorships, media coverage, etc. all benefit. I am sure there is no perfect choice here but a choice we must make. A suggestion has been made to invite each of the viable bodies, (WKA, SKUSA, etc.) to give a presentation at the town hall meeting in order to evaluate first hand this issue and make recommendations. This idea has merit.

Step B. Establish club level regions for Colorado. ?Club North?, (maybe come up with a mascot or nickname for each) would be IMI. ?Club West? is GJMS. ?Club South? is CRE. And for the short term, due to their close proximity and total available participants, ?Club Central? would be made up of both Action Karting (AK) & The Track (TTAC). Each club region would host and totally administrate a six (6) race club level series. These races would include all of the ?State Championship? level classes plus any ?club option? classes that they feel are necessary. (In the case of Club Central, each track could host three races in rotation. These tracks are most involved in offering rental programs to the general public which accounts for income that may or may not be offset by holding too many club races).

Step C. An administrative state wide, non profit (this does not mean that it can?t pay people for performing duties, i.e. Tech Dir. Race Dir. etc.) body or association is formed. Its primary role is to manage and lead a coordinated state wide championship for Karting. It would be made up of an elected and/or volunteer board as well as advisors from tracks, related businesses and participants. (In a sense the board would act as the benevolent dictators.)

Step D. A ?State Championship Series? is established. This series would start off in a ?current state? configuration and would evolve proactively into the ?future state? within 3 to 5 years.
-Current State. A total of five (5) races in the series (no drops). The series would include the GGP and one race at each of the following tracks: GJMS, AK, TTAC & CRE. Before you blow up and assume that the plan leaves out IMI just hold on. In fact, not only does the plan include IMI, IMI is the first beneficiary of the overall plan. The GGP would become our community?s opportunity to support and promote IMI and all it has to offer. As this event develops, the business that the GGP should generate for IMI should dwarf the income that is made by them hosting one state race at their own facility. We would all, (racers, association, and IMI) help to make the GGP IMI?s primary annual opportunity to generate new customers. IMI would also take an active role in helping coordinate and plan for this event since they are the direct beneficiary of Karting?s growth in that area. They would host the information booth, they would have flyers, new and used Karts for sale on display, video of rentals and corporate parties, a ?How To? brochure on how to get started in Karting with their club race schedule, etc. The GGP then becomes the template for the rest of the State Championship Series. Which takes us to ?Future State?. (Note: If Greeley isn?t the most strategic location, all things considered for IMI, then let?s move it. Fort Collins, Loveland, who knows but we have a sweet deal in Greeley right now!)

Step E. Future State – The state association, (with GGP template and letters of recommendation in hand) along with the remaining tracks, begin informal feasibility studies within their geographical areas. The aim is to create ?GGP like? state series races in each of these areas and for the entire Karting community to help promote, support and build customers which directly feed each track and related businesses in their area. If it sounds like a lofty idealistic approach I?ll let you in on some top secret information. I can?t tell you the names but I can say that this concept has already been discussed and presented to both strategically located cities within Colorado and to corporate sponsors and so far each of them has expressed interest and wants to be kept up to date for potential planning and budgeting purposes. Regardless of what the critics might say the GGP was a major breakthrough and it has created substantial credibility with state wide sponsors and municipalities alike.

Recap, we would have a five (5) race state championship series all of which being run on street and/or temporary courses, located in strategic cities, (to the direct benefit of our tracks) held in populated areas possibly in conjunction with city festivals, taste of?s, fairs, no home track advantages, managed and lead by the state Karting association, each race aided by that area?s track, using an established event template and project plan, governed by a national/international sanctioning body, taking the races to the people, exposing our sport to thousands of potential customers per year, therefore actually having something of value to offer current and future corporate sponsors, also leaving racers enough time and budget to run a local club series of their choice (six in each), maybe even take in a national event, all being done through actual cooperation and a sincere interest in growing our sport while creating more revenue and stability for our tracks and businesses.

Whether you like this idea or not, we need a plan. I believe the interest is there, the support is there, the resources are there, I even think the benevolent part is there but it shouldn?t take a dictator to get it done! I think part of the hold up is that for some, they just can?t imagine and just don?t believe that a group could work together for the common good and even for the financial gain of someone else regardless of personal gain. Why is it so hard to believe that for the same reasons that we donate time to our school, church, Scout Troop, Little League and the like, that we wouldn?t pitch in to make Karting in Colorado something truly unique? All it takes for something to fail is for enough good people to do nothing. I look forward to your feedback and questions.

Respectfully submitted,
Scott Hannum
http://www.scotthannum.com

[Author]

Posts