Here Is An Idea To Study For Participation

[lance3556]

There is so many ways these days to get a car on track that racing is not the big deal it was before, but clubs keep introducing new ways for people to get the cars on track. All these dilute the numbers of folks that actually go "RACING". I see this in the other major club that races in Portland, they have seen car counts drop as well. I do an occasional "Track Night In America" and it is fun, not to expensive but does cost, and trust me there are a lot of folks that want to drive fast on the track. How about SCCA find a way to work these events into a race weekend, so the participants can interact with the racing community, share track cost for the weekend instead of doing standalone events in the middle of the week. There is (3) 15 minute sessions in a normal TNiA event for 3 run groups=(6) 15 minute sessions total that do not require full complement of safety crew. May be this could be incorporated over 2 days to get the 6 sessions at lunch time, or end of the day while some safety crew is eating, packing up and does not require timing and scoring staff during these sessions.

Just a thought to get the interaction between Racing and Driving Fast, maybe feed folks into the racing.

Flame on!

[John Nesbitt]

Some Regions, at some events, already do variations on this theme. Driver schools, solo, etc. A very great deal depends on the number/distribution of entries, cost of track rental etc.

The constraint is that there are only so many hours in the day (ordinarily 8 or 9 hours of 'hot' track, with surcharges for going overtime, especially at pro tracks or where the Region is renting track personnel). You can slice the pie any way you like, but there is only so much pie.

On the other side of this equation are the racing entries - some number of entries and run groups. The most common complaints that you read here about SCCA Road Racing are limited track time and overstuffed run groups.

Certainly worth exploring with your local Region, but remember that track time is the most precious commodity. Giving to one group means taking away from other groups.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I do an occasional "Track Night In America" and it is fun, not to expensive but does cost, and trust me there are a lot of folks that want to drive fast on the track. How about SCCA find a way to work these events into a race weekend, so the participants can interact with the racing community,

Our region does Time Trials (aka Track Events) and they are decently participated in. I don't know how / if they are converting.
https://calclub.com/what-is-it/

I've heard that people think racers are unapproachable. That can be when they are fixing a broken gearbox for a race in 15 minutes. I disagree with the premise but understand the appearance.

I've been told, taking races cars to car shows and cars and coffee really opens up communications.

The most common complaints that you read here about SCCA Road Racing are limited track time and overstuffed run groups.

Certainly worth exploring with your local Region, but remember that track time is the most precious commodity. Giving to one group means taking away from other groups.

The complaint is too many different classes in 1 group. 40 cars in 7 classes is much different that 40 cars in a single class.

Yes, TDOs are consuming our precious track time.

One of the big issues we face in SoCal is track location. 2+ hours from the population.

[racerjon1]

There is so many ways these days to get a car on track that racing is not the big deal it was before, but clubs keep introducing new ways for people to get the cars on track. All these dilute the numbers of folks that actually go "RACING". I see this in the other major club that races in Portland, they have seen car counts drop as well. I do an occasional "Track Night In America" and it is fun, not to expensive but does cost, and trust me there are a lot of folks that want to drive fast on the track.

All this is mostly correct. I'd say that before the advent of Track Days/"Drivers Education" you had folks who were interested on driving on track who were kind of forced into road racing as the only opportunity, but they were not long term members or participants. So in a way it dilutes, but there are more opportunities to get on track and more people participating on track than ever - so dilution of a single program, but strengthening of the industry as a whole.

But, generally this dilution by way of choice is absolutely correct, and it doesn't only affect racing entries, but even volunteers. The awareness of this is very important to the SCCA because we've been so competition-focused for so long it's hard to adjust the mindset to what offerings there are, and how people will reject our competition offering in favor of other opportunities.

We will have to learn to expand - and we are learning to expand. Track Night was the first national push, and since the implementation of Track Night in America and then a revamped Time Trials program in 2018 - Track Day and Time Trials entries in the SCCA have gone from about 2,500 in 2014 to about than 17,000 each year.

How about SCCA find a way to work these events into a race weekend...

This is quite literally my job. I'm a full time National Office employee and my title is something like "Senior Manager of Regional Track Program Development" and it means helping Regions fit different SCCA programs into an event weekend. That's been my title since 2022, and before that I was the Manager of the Time Trials program and before that I was manager of the Track Night program (I was hired to be on the Track Night launch team.)

The list of programs to include as part of event weekends are:

• Track Days: (We internally call them Track Events. Non-competition driving on tracks.)
• Time Trials: (Like qualifying, but you never line up and race.)
• Race Experience: (This is easy-access Road Racing - think about the non-SCCA Endurance programs out there, but we have both Sprint and Endurance versions of it.)

Many regions are absolutely doing this.

Steel Cities has a weekend which includes Road Racing, a test day, a Driver's School, a Track Night In America, Time Trials and even an Autocross on the "performance pad" at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Last year there were a combined 605 SCCA entries at the facility in a weekend.

To list a few; Florida, Central Florida, Ohio Valley, NEOhio, New England, Atlanta, South Bend, Detroit, Chicago, Alabama, North Carolina, Cal Club and other Regions have some amount of "combination" events which include one or more of those SCCA programs. Colorado Region just had an SCCA Majors event which saw more Time Trials cars than Majors entries.

In all, almost half of the SCCA Regions who host Road Races include other programs.

so the participants can interact with the racing community, share track cost for the weekend instead of doing standalone events in the middle of the week. There is (3) 15 minute sessions in a normal TNiA event for 3 run groups=(6) 15 minute sessions total that do not require full complement of safety crew. May be this could be incorporated over 2 days to get the 6 sessions at lunch time, or end of the day while some safety crew is eating, packing up and does not require timing and scoring staff during these sessions.

For the most part - SCCA Track Days and Time Trials do require the same Safety crew. (only one worker per corner, but Ambulance, fire truck, etc - all the same.) What it doesn't require is the officiating staff. I've run multiple Track Night event with two "officials." (Lead + Novice Coach) and typically it needs no more than four "organizing" officials.

You're right about combining and sharing costs, but there are a few challenges. Adding a group like that to a race weekend almost certainly guarantees you're going to need to combine groups. Regions are reluctant to do that for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the concern about lost entries when people don't want to run combined. As more Track Day/Time Trials folks join, that means even more combined groups. It absolutely can work - but there is push back when it comes to deviation from, "norms."

We're absolutely seeing adoption though, and regions are learning how to incorporate multiple programs into a weekend when it comes to how to schedule, price, share time, etc. (I'm writing this post in between multiple calls with region leaders and at least three steady email chains about upcoming events!)

All that to say - you're right. We should, and are, and when you consider Regional economic positions, our own scheduling requirements, etc. It's a big job. But if you're in a Region and part of leadership and want to talk to me - please reach out or encourage your Region leaders to reach out.

Just a thought to get the interaction between Racing and Driving Fast, maybe feed folks into the racing.

One interesting thing I learned organizing track days before I was brought on to help start Track Night in America, and what I continued to learn as an event lead for about 200 of them is that many of those folks don't want to go racing. They are super content to approach driving fast on track the way people who do snow sports do. They are not interested in competing but love the activity.

That being said; the folks who do end up competing in skiing, biking, running, etc.almost certainly didn't have their first experience in those activities as competition. This is why it's important for the SCCA to have these opportunities for people to participate and then if they have the desire/opportunities/means to change how they participate or also participate in something else - we have those opportunities too.

I mention this because when the discussion of increasing Road Racing participation comes up, many SCCA leaders will view us as a ladder. You hear things like, "start with autocrossing and when you're ready go Road Racing." or "once they get some time driving their street car on track they can go get a race car." We are much more like a department store with different opportunities to get what you need than a ladder to "go somewhere."

That leads us to, the more opportunities for people their are in the SCCA, the more people will find us as their community of choice - for Track Days, Time Trials or Road Racing or track side on a corner, in tech or in the tower - whatever fits their needs and desire the most. That's how all of this strengthens the club, and makes each of us more friends and fellow enthusiasts to hang out with.

Flame on!

Not from me, but I welcome any flaming as well!

[John Nesbitt]

Just received an email from North Carolina Region, advertising a combination Double SARRC, Club Race Experience (CRE), and Time Trial/Track Event at Carolina Motorsport Park, September 14-15.

This looks very much in line with what the OP suggests.

Details on the NCR website: www.ncrscca.com