Runoffs parking

[mmi16]

Over the years everyone has been pushing for 'increased professionalism' from our Club Racing.

Well, in the Runoff's at Road America we have it. Ch-ching! Ch-ching! Ch-ching!

Unfortunately, instead of being paid to be there....we have to PAY and PAY BIG to be there.

$200 to enter the 2000 Runoff's and the paddock space was free. Entry went to $250 in 2004, $300 in 2005 and $350 in 2006 and remained at $350 until this year when it became $450....and then paddoc fees on top of everything eles.

[924RACR]

If SCCA moves the runoffs there, that will defeat the purpose of my idea. Do we really need national to sanction our championship? I say we choose where and how we pick our champion. ARRC would work fine. So would other places and regions who may be willing to do the event.

Road America is a cool track, but the event ( and the Sprints) has been wrecked with all the BS of time, money, and favoritism.

Last year's ARRC was a fabulous example of a Championship decided somewhere outside of the run-ons.

Russ

With years of second-class citizenship in SCCA, this option's been working very well for the IT classes!

What dfrazier said - I'm just getting the ball rolling in DSR, with an eye on the prize. Only maybe a bit less appealing after the latest round of political BS...

[glenn cooper]

Coop the arrc is looking better and better,,,,,accidentally deleted a long post ,,,, I guess it just wasn't suppose to be ,,,,,see you in sept,,,, bobo

Happens to me all too often. How about a Reader's Digest version.

I'm seriously thinking about organizing a protest to all the BS.

I will have a "Road Amerika" sticker across the rear wing, maybe an upside down US flag as well...

[Bob Wheless]

Coop you print them and i will pay and DISplay on every thing I got ...... Reader,s Digest version,,, 2-3 hours on the enternet/phone with our good friends at RA picked a spot critter wanted ,,, must call RA,,, so this is a special area in high demand and it is 1000.oo,,,,, drop phone ,,, no electricity ,,,, again drop phone,,,, call critter ,,,, its all good ,we got what we wanted although kinda pricy,,,,, not so fast,,,,, spot has been cut in half since last year,,,,,call again ,,,, must have another key [ broomstick?] from some else,,,, call critter ,,,,,,critter calls one of his other drivers to get said brooomm,,, oh i mean key ,,, I call RA back ..beg to hold other half of space until I have broomstick key.... oh that will be another 1000.oo ,,,,, drop phone ,and so it went ,,,, you do not want to hear about getting another
motorhome spot with another broom,,,,,i ment key ,,,,,,,,bobo




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[dfrazer]

Here's my opinion with this subject.

I don't mind losing out to a faster car, I don't mind losing out to a team who is better prepared, I don't mind losing out to a better driver, but I do mind when the "system" is stacked against you and we are not all showing up to a level playing field.

Who ever the sanctioning body is, care should be taken to make sure that all the competitors have access to the same venue. It should not favor haves over have nots.

It should be simple, affordable and fun.

[mmi16]

With all the hassle that RA has been giving us...parking...walking...kitty litter....Heartland Park is not looking so bad.

[SStadel]

I think the thing that gripes me the most is that they cut the main paved paddock spaces in half. Seriously, how do you bring in a semi with 4 cars and park in a half of a spot? Oh that's right, call first and pay $1,850. Give me a break.

[problemchild]

Can someone link me to a description, explanation, or pricelist for this parking process. I would like to see it before starting the registration process.

[Bill Bonow]

While at this weekends race, we heard rumor that there will be a small area allocated for free competitor parking for the Runoffs. Many will know this as the area just behind the Skip Barber building.



There is a little bit of a grade issue, but you'll never have to worry about flood conditions.

[Matt King]

All I see is a Red X instead of what I'm sure is a clever and hilarious photo, but seriously, is there ANY free parking at the facility during the Runoffs?

[Speed Sport Engineering]

All I see is a Red X instead of what I'm sure is a clever and hilarious photo, but seriously, is there ANY free parking at the facility during the Runoffs?

That was kind of the point of my original post. They took all the areas that were free last year, and made them pay spots. I honestly don't know where there is free parking in any reasonable location. The areas near the Sargento bridge were the best free spots last year. I think there still may be some outside turn 3, or perhaps inside turn 8, but man, that's a long way from the rest of the world.

[M.Sauce]

No track can have more or better parking than Heartland Park.I believe HTP was 100.00 per space.I say move the event every year or every other year and make the event important enough that tracks want it.Talk to your Director and tell him/her what your position is.All the extra fees are not only ridiculous but what kind of leaderships allows it's members to be gouged again and again and again without some sort of negotiation of the issues.All the tracks that have had the Runoffs in recent history (RA,Mid Ohio,HTP) all had tariffs to competitors and the club.It will never be without some of those kinds of fees.I do believe the clubs leadership should represent the competitors interest a little more than they do.But remember those fees don't affect the operational side only the end user.Volunteers,Stewards and all the other officials complained about HTP parking and camping arrangements.I have not heard any complaints at RA.I think issues that affect the operational side get priority over competitor issues.Just my opinion.

[Tom Valet]

Bill, that looks like the spot we ended up with last year.

In 2009 I reserved and paid for a spot outside of Turn 5. When Jim showed up with the trailer, he found that the spot I paid for was actually UNDER the Turn 5 grandstand. Oops, somebody had forgotten about those pesky grandstands when they printed out the parking reservation map.

We and the other guys under the grandstands were shoe-horned in between the other spots in that area on the grass. And no I was not given a refund.

This year was not much better. I reserved a spot in West Paddock and my credit card was charged for the reservation. I later checked the map and I find that someone else has my spot. Many calls to RA and I am told the system has a glitch, several people were able to reserve the same spot and RA charged them all for the privilege. If I hadnt checked, however, we would have showed up in September only to find that once again we would not be getting the paid spot we paid for.

[Wren]

Honestly it cost us $100 for what I think is the best parking space there. It's in the west Paved paddock and close to everything. No complaints here.

Not having free parking somewhere is complete crap.

[mblanc]

One of my more frugal friends insisted on FREE parking last year, he was put outside the track, at T13, which really wasn't bad. Level spot, and direct drive thru tunnel towards grid, and basically no neighbors. and a little grandstand handy for watching races.

Wonder if that's where you'll land, if you don't pre-register (ie PAY) for parking.

Good thing was, his crew and friends a birds eye view of the 'spectacle' in the FF race.

[lenhart05]

I did some thinking about the "free" areas. Especially for formula cars. All of this is without talking to RA, so take it for what it's worth. (Probably nothing!)

I agree with Marc about turn 13. Kohler tunnel at 13 is nice, so parking on driver's left of 13 would not be too bad. Even the grass field across the paddact road (that you park in to get down to the outside of 12) would be good.

I think there is a speed bump on the paddock road outside of 14, by the concession stand, so the large area outside of 14/main straight may not be good for formula cars.

It may actually be nice to park near the walk-through tunnel just before start/finish and drive car to turn 2 tunnel? Crew is very close to pits/gas/tires via the start/finish tunnel.

The turn 2 tunnel may be better than the Sargento bridge. I haven't tried a race car through there lately, so I'm not sure. But, the outside of 3 has some room, plus some good track viewing. Many cars were down there last year.

There is still room at some of the paddack areas that do not have reserved "spaces". Inside of track nearTurn 4 down by the fence. The fields between turn 3 and 4 on the inside, and outside, of track. The paddack road to hurry downs outside the sargento bridge.