Originally Posted by
reidhazelton
I think there is a mixing the target markets here. SCCA's target is not the $15k/weekend karter or the guy going out and buying an LMP3 car. It's the guy with the DB6 who builds his own engines and preps his car. Those are the people that are gone. That is the majority of SCCA. All that is left is the arrive and drive guys, and people with prod cars. Multiple $100 increases and major rules changes pushed those people out. I think this is one reason FV is still as successful as it is - decades of stable rules.
What I always thought was misguided about SCCA's marketing is who they target. Think of the market they are going for - someone who has enough resources to go racing, but not enough money to afford the better values of FRP or other pro series. That is a very, very small group of people who have resources to run SCCA but nothing else. Series that are showing success are either much lower price points (ChumpCar, FF Toyo tire Arizona deal, local vintage groups) or much better values (FRP). SCCA's product is the mix of the worst parts - higher price and lesser value.
While it may sound simple, in application it is not. Those people have parked cars for various reasons, and lack of desire or passion likely isn't one of them. Overcoming those reasons (lack of time, affordability, or competitiveness) is a really hard sell. I know five good friends of mine that used to run a ton of events a year. Now, zero. It will be very, very hard to get them back. Racing is like any addictive drug. In the beginning, life is good. Then you realize how much it's affecting your work, family, and finances so you quit. Then you realize there is more to life and going back to the racing crack pipe is a tough sell. For me, running the 50th was like main-lining a case of cocaine laced Marboros. I loved seeing all my track friends and new faces, as well as getting in a car again. Even that was not enough for me to overcome why I don't race anymore.
I have a friend who is in sales. He usually tells me a price he puts on something and I tell him he is nuts. His reply is the same. "In the world of nearly a 8 billion, I just need to find one person." While simple, in application it's still tough to find that one person willing to pay $50k for that 125k mile, 2002 Ford Taurus.
Tangent - I had a BoD member tell me something similar. They claimed they don't need one person who wants to run ten events, they just need ten people to run one event a year. That showed me SCCA, or at least that BoD member has no concept of what it costs the do-it-yourselfer. To run one race a year is insanely expensive. Recerts on belts, helmets, HANS, trailer reg, tow vehicle reg, insurance, medical, licenses, physicals etc.
Totally agree the tech has been stable for a while. Chassis to chassis, I don't think an 01+ VD gives up much to a Mygale. I've driven both. But, that's not really the comparison. It's a DB1 (or a 92 VD), to a Mygale, and that is a noticeable difference. It's the DB-1s that need to come out and many have gone to vintage because they are not felt to be competitive. A competitive car is still double what it cost in 2007 though. For many, that's the issue. No matter how cheap it is to run, $30k makes that a nonstarter. I think FC is a good sign of the issue. You can scoop a real nice VD Zetec for under $25k. That is a great deal. So the question is, why is FC not flourishing? My guess is the cost to run the car in SCCA is the barrier.
A bargain to one person, may still be cost prohibitive to another. If someone were selling an Ferrari FXX for $125k, that would be the best bargain on the planet. Doesn't mean they could afford it. This ties back to my target market issue. The SCCA product is marketed to the person who wants to, but can't afford the better bargain. They are selling over priced, used Ford Tauruses to people who can't afford the new Toyota Avalons.
Sorry for the lengthy rant, and thank you for your thoughts. It's pretty clear you're putting in significant effort to solve these issues and I certainly hope you succeed. You're definitely pushing a boulder uphill.