Runoffs Test Days and reserved parking

[Steve Davis]

I just ran across this in the SCCA supps ..

If you do not wish to reserve/pay for a parking spot, non-reserved free parking will be available on a first come first served basis starting on
Monday, September 17th, 2012 at noon CDT.

This confused me a little, so I just got off the phone with Road America. If you TEST, you *WILL* buy a reserved parking spot, so the cost of all test days is increased by (at least) $100 for everyone. (If I'm not mistaken, you can actually still PURCHASE a test day for the listed rate .. you just can't get into the track to use it without a reserved paddock spot)

If you don't purchase reserved parking, you will NOT be let into the track before Midday on Monday.

SUCH a deal

Just thought I'd let you all know before you sign up and get burned.

I can see a hundred trying to get parked in the remaining 6 hours on Monday trying to get ready to go on track Tuesday morning.

I guess this is our new "user friendly Runoffs" .. as usual.
And.. SURPRISE... the SCCA entry fee is up another $50 again this year! (and SCCA "owns" one LESS track day?)
and everyone WONDERS why Runoffs attendance continues to fall....
This one just MIGHT be my last ... at least at RA.

Steve, FV80

[Tiago Santos]

Ah, who reads the supps anyway? :P

[formulasuper]

Sounds like time to return the Runoffs to the other Road A (Atlanta)!
Maybe our new Director of Competition can help.

[Steve Demeter]

Or a place in the center part of Ohio

[Purple Frog]

Ah yes... staring into the amber glow of a Captain Morgan bottle. I stir it, and say the magic words...aiming my decoder ring into the glow of the candle..
An Image comes into view... only briefly...

Formula Vee Championship Series

Run groups with only Vees! Jacek does not shatter your eardrums as you cruise down the back straight. Frogs don't steal your corner at 10a. Nirvana.

*********

Not serious. Just joking. Rand has not approved this post. Forget it. Nadda.

[Tiago Santos]

Guys, I heard a rumor somewhere that Rand is thinking about an FV pro series!



(Watch it spread like wildfire, until he has no choice but to do it for real)

[Purple Frog]

Careful grasshopper... You get Rand irritated and he won't come out of Sharon before the next spring, if ever.

Mike Rand can not save formula car racing in the Great U. S. of A. The participants have to do it. Unfortunately, it will cost them. There is a formula, if you don't have the ingredients for the formula, the magic doesn't happen. The #1 ingredient is Mo' money.

[Steve Davis]

Originally Posted by Steve Demeter

Or a place in the center part of Ohio

From what I've heard (which MAY not be true), neither Road Atlanta, nor Mid Ohio have been the slightest bit interested in the Runoffs in the last few years. Road Atlanta now has the Petit Lemans and doesn't want to (really CANNOT) have "big" events on back to back weekends. Mid O *WAS* in the midst of ownership change, but also now has the NASA Runoffs in the same general time frame. Even HPT seems to no longer be interested.

I'm pretty sure that Barber is not interested - they can't possibly handle THAT many cars ...but, OH... attendance is down ... a LOT. They just MIGHT be able to accommodate 250 - 300 cars ?? Maybe even 350 if we are really friendly.
VIR *IS* interested, but is really just too far east for the left coast guys.
WGI MIGHT be interested, but see VIR above and the other thread about how they treat us SCCA scum.
MMP *IS* interested ( I think ), but is really just too far LEFT for the right coast guys.

Now... the new CofA is beginning to look pretty good, but I think there is some OTHER event planned there for "a bit too close time wise" considering the stature of that other event ??

Seems our (MY) only option is to OPT OUT! (and entries continue to fall.... )

However, no one but me seems to be COMPLAINING about RA tactics. I guess I'm the only 'shoestring budget' [RETIREE] guy left ?? (where *ANOTHER* $ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS$ really does make a difference!) ... or maybe I'm just the only one who read the supps and figured out what it really means ?? ( I think the former rather than the latter. )

Formula Vee Championship Series

Been tried .. been done.... just not enough VOLUNTEERS (AND *MONEY*) to keep it going

Anyone for SIM racing ?? (it's GOTTA be CHEAPER!)

Steve, FV80

[Tiago Santos]

Yeah, have you priced out a full motion simulator?! I can run my vee for two seasons on that kinda money!

Which really just proves Frog's point - we Vee guys ain't baller enough for Pro Series'

[Chris Elwell]

I vote for Nelson Ledges for the next Runoffs location.


Chris

[TimW]

Originally Posted by Steve Davis

From what I've heard (which MAY not be true), neither Road Atlanta, nor Mid Ohio have been the slightest bit interested in the Runoffs in the last few years. Road Atlanta now has the Petit Lemans and doesn't want to (really CANNOT) have "big" events on back to back weekends. Mid O *WAS* in the midst of ownership change, but also now has the NASA Runoffs in the same general time frame. Even HPT seems to no longer be interested.

I'm pretty sure that Barber is not interested - they can't possibly handle THAT many cars ...but, OH... attendance is down ... a LOT. They just MIGHT be able to accommodate 250 - 300 cars ?? Maybe even 350 if we are really friendly.
VIR *IS* interested, but is really just too far east for the left coast guys.
WGI MIGHT be interested, but see VIR above and the other thread about how they treat us SCCA scum.
MMP *IS* interested ( I think ), but is really just too far LEFT for the right coast guys.

Now... the new CofA is beginning to look pretty good, but I think there is some OTHER event planned there for "a bit too close time wise" considering the stature of that other event ??

Seems our (MY) only option is to OPT OUT! (and entries continue to fall.... )

IMS. Even if the road course is kinda silly, that will bring the cars back. The 100 year anniversary is over, time to reopen those discussions. No regular season races, just the test week to prepare. No, it won't be cheaper, but it could be better.

[FVEE56]

Chris, Nelson Ledges sounds great!
Steve I agree, $100 here and there and it is a lot of money.
I loved Road Atlanta. There and Mid Ohio we had spectators.
VIR sound good also.
Why can't SCCA just rent a track for a set price and keep the track's greedy hands out of our pockets?

[kea]

FVEE 56,
You don't understand, SCCA doesn't rent the track, they charge Road America a healthy sum, to host it. Road America is doing everything they can to get their fee back and make a profit.
I have no idea what they charge, but the sum is probably the biggest single source of income for SCCA annually

[Steve Demeter]

Keith is right.

Duering the MO days is when the club started to charge for the priveledge of hosting the Runoffs.

The club does get a hefty chunk of change.

But things like putting most of the national staff up for 2 weeks, the Friday, Saturday and IIRC Sunday nite parties ate into that quite a bit.

I agrtee with the idea of doing it like it was done at Road Atlants: Region bids for them, rents the track and puts on the race.

And guess what: The entire national staff did not have to be there. Most of the itme the entry fee was: $0.

There were lots of happy spectators.

AND: Everyone was happy and had a good time.

Like a big club race that went on for a week.

[Phil Creighton]

Steve
I am told that testers will be parked in unreserved spots the day before they have to go on track by the Club Office who confirmed it with RA.

Keith/etc
As far as the Runoffs finances go we have agreed a number with the host track that covers the expenses and makes a modest profit for Club Racing. It may be the single biggest transaction for the Club Program but is a very small percentage of the total income.(membership,sanction fees.etc,etc)
For many years event sponsorship at the track covered the 'nut' so there was less pressure on the ancilliary charges like testing,parking, golf carts etc. We are looking at different business models for the future with tracks prepared to take less risk on a week of track time - especially as we try to shorten up the required attendance.
It will be interesting to see who is interested when the RFP's go out - theres probably more misinformation about this and black helicopters about this issue than any other issue except SM spec tires.
Phil

[Bob Clark]

Guess that's why the entry fee for the Runoff's has doubled since 2006?

[reidhazelton]

Can't wait to see how much parking costs this year!!!! Yeeee haaawwww!

Last year I was in a mud puddle that was so uneven I could not get the door on the trailer down to get the car out. Ihad to hook up and move on to the black top every time I wanted to get it in an out. No electric, no pavement. All that cost was $100!!!! What a freakin' bargain!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait to register! $50+ on the entry fee? YES! I LOVE IT!

If this was not an hour and a half from my house I would not go.

[Bob Clark]

Reid,

I live an hour away and have a place across the street from the track and I'm not going. That should tell somebody something.... But alas they don't listen or care.
I'm not bring 4 cars and 4 entries this year as they have screwed with our rules ( GTL) so much over the last 3 years. Just can't afford an engine development program every year.
I feel your pain about parking though...

Bob

[glenn cooper]

It's so damned obvioius to me that this is the one track that will turn the tide on the down-trending Runoffs entries.
I'll admit that I have no idea if it would cost less for the SCCA to do a deal with Indy, but as expensive as Rd Am is...

I really like Rd America, but seriously - the 2 biggest races of the year are at ONE track?

At least when the R/O's were at HPT I could figure out what type of "servicing" was happening, but Rd Am just gets too many passes.

I sort of hope, in the dank, mildewy corners of muh brain, that FB will not make the National numbers requirement (or whatever the hell the criteria is this year - I can't keep it straight) and be forced to have their own annual championship race at Road Atlanta in November at the ARRC:

Better weather than WI in September,
FREE parking(!)
Ultra reasonable entry fee,
An hour from the house (hadta throw that one out there),
3 Day event...

A man can dream, right?

[Steve Davis]

Originally Posted by Phil Creighton

Steve
I am told that testers will be parked in unreserved spots the day before they have to go on track by the Club Office who confirmed it with RA.

...
Phil

If that is TRUE, then someone better tell the people that answer the effing PHONE at Road America. I spoke with 'Kayla' (sp?) who put me on hold and went to confirm with Lori Bramstedt - then came back and confirmed to me that they would NOT let us in before Noon Monday unless we had a RESERVED PARKING SPOT! I asked.. "are you telling me that in order to TEST, I *MUST* also purchase a reserved parking spot ??" and she confirmed .. YES! Again -- "so, you're effectively raising the cost of a test day by at least $100 ??".. again, she confirmed "YES".

Last year's SCCA supps...

4.2. Parking of trailers, RVs and race cars will be 7AM to 6:30 PM September 12-18th and 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM September 19-24th....

told us we could get in and get parked starting Monday of test week. We arrived on Wed night prepared to go in and get set up Thursday morning (I tested on Friday). RA made us sit outside until after 1PM before they STARTED to park the first person .... "just because". The supps apparently mean NOTHING to them. I went to the SCCA office and talked to .. whoever was there... who acknowledged the supps and immediately called RA and then told me it would be "taken care of"... 6 hours later, they let us in.... and I DID have a reserved parking spot last year .. and we watched the "parking crew" sit in front of us on their scooters and in their cars and BS for most of that 6 hours.

Things like that just add to the enjoyment of the entire spectacle. We'll just show up some time Monday morning and expect the worst... very likely for the last time at RA... The Runoffs has become more of a CHORE than what it should be.
Good luck to those with Tuesday morning sessions and no reserved parking spot!

I'll bet RA just cannot figure out why so few show up early to test at their primo track? And, obviously, SCCA cannot figure out why attendance is down either. Jeff's editorial in Sports Car last month was all about 'putting the FUN back into racing' ... yeah - I can hardly contain myself - I'm just BRIMMING with expectation .

Going through all of this in my mind again ... Runoffs registration opening up day after tomorrow ... I'm about to talk myself out of bothering...

But who knows?? Maybe this year will be different?? (Hope lives eternal...)

Steve, FV80

[reidhazelton]

After trying to reserve parking, I am fully reminded how much I HATE Road America and trying to do anything with them. Is there any less friendly, more expensive, or larger pain in the ars than this place??

I'd rather tow to Texas....

[Steve Davis]

Me too.. or even <sigh> KANSAS!
Quite interesting that RA refuses to give you a PRICE until after you COMMIT to a particular spot .. and even then only after you have submitted your CC info...

Steve, FV80

[reidhazelton]

Originally Posted by Steve Davis

Me too.. or even <sigh> KANSAS!
Quite interesting that RA refuses to give you a PRICE until after you COMMIT to a particular spot .. and even then only after you have submitted your CC info...

Steve, FV80

So you wanted to see how much you were paying for a **** spot too huh?

So I call RA, you know...now that the key I used is now not valid, to get a new key. They say you have to call SCCA! Ok...I know where this is going. So, I call SCCA....they say parking is all through RA, you have to call them! YES!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!:thumbs down:

[mmi16]

And everyone thought they were getting screwed at Heartland Park, where it didn't cost the club anything to transport and put up the national staff and where the track actually welcomed the coming of the Runoff's.

So what does the membership do - **** all over the only track that went out of its way and invested in improvements for the Runoffs.

You never know what you have until it's gone!

[reidhazelton]

Well that sucked.

But I got a great deal, $100 to park in the dirt with no electric!! Man, that deal does not come along everyday.

I'd rather stud out some rain tires and go run at the Plymouth dirt track than go to RA. Can't wait got the Green Vested Security Nazis come around and hit me up for $200 to camp in the RV...on a spot I paid $100 for. Jags...

[Matt King]

There is an easy solution to this. When the BS starts piling high enough that the cons outweight pros, park your car for a couple of years. That's what I did and I don't miss it too much. Turns out I really like bicycle racing, and it's a lot cheaper!