Deminishing Numbers

[DerElf]

Just a note to all the SFR Vee drivers to point out the obvious. Our numbers are dropping again and if the trend continues we cannot look for anything to happen but being rolled into another run group, probably the fords.

I know I haven't been as active as I could be and will be trying to remedy that fact, all I can do to scrape up the dough when I can.

Drag those Vees out of the garage and get SOMEBODY into them!

[Bruce]

While it is true there is a diminishing number I do not think it can be said of the competition. That said, I too can only say, those that enjoy racing come on out. The alternative is not too pretty.

[GeorgFischer]

Hi boys,

FYI, it aint just on the left coast. The Blackhawk National last weekend had 9 cars start. Typically that race had a strong 20~25 cars. With the big 75 car turn out last year for the 40th at RA, I'll bet they have a tough time getting over 25 cars this year.

Georg

[DerElf]

George you REALLY outta do something about that "dragon breath".

My conclusion out here is that this si a year where everyone in the group has taken time off to deal with all the stuff they haven't dealt with (because they were racing) in the past couple of years. The buzz that I have gotten from the "no-shows" I have been talking to is that they will begin reappearing, like mushrooms after the rains, in the coming months. All of this leading up to the "First Annual Wake" in November.

[brian]

My gut feel is that there are too many races. The typical vee racer can only race so many times. I'd rather see 8 really well subscribed races than have 10 with varying support.

Most of the SF board are well off and maybe don't relate well to our limited resources. Maybe we should ask the board for fewer races.

[sean]

<fewer races>

Yea, my thought too. They said no.

I asked Steve Archer this at a meeting at Laguna last year. He said SFR can't afford to run fewer run groups in each race.

I had suggested running the same number of races overall, but have the groups staggered. So each of the groups would be on the schedule maybe 8 races out of the 11 total. This would allow more groups to run by themselves a few times a year. I have a vague memory of this being the case back in the late 80's, but you older guys can correct me if I'm wrong.

In any case, Steve said no because the overall revenue would drop, and we can't afford it. If each weekend cost X$ to stage, then we needed every car we could get to absorb that cost. If we ran fewer run groups (better quality racing for all!), it would be a financial disaster.

Ok, I'll concede the point. But what if we just ran only 8 races total, instead of 11? Forget about better racing, but just get more entries per race, based on a shorter racing season for all of us, workers included. Would this work? Would the total revenue at the end of the year be less? I have no idea, but I suspect they'd say no to that idea as well. I just can't do the math without making unfounded assumptions of how a shorter season will affect entry lists.

But it's clear we have a problem with low entries, and something will be done. So next year we get to run with fords. It's only a question of which ones.

[InstinctRacer]

You know I have seen this many times before. It seems the only way we have got numbers back up, is by making the class exciting again. The last time our numbers were in the toliet, Blake came through with the spec tire, before that it was Nascar Race, and before that it was the pro series.

People look for a challange. People want something new for their money. The way SCCA is starting to show how valueable our class is to them, we may think about a alternate club? Bring back a "Pro Series", try something new.

[DerElf]

I think COlin has got this one right, we need to "warm things up" a bit. The question is how to do this in the economy as it is.

The more I work within the oval track community the more I appreciate why they are successful and the SCCA, while large and national, is having trouble. It involves $$$. Pro races stimulate interest, where would the Spec MIATA guys be without the Pro series, support from Mazda and the CART support races?

ANYONE who knows ANYTHING about racing knows that Vees are some of the tightest racing group there are. I actually get respect from a lot of my customer in the dirt track world when I tell them I race Vees, there actually is a lot of crossover.

The question is how do we capitalize on that?

[sean]

Get all those oval track guys you know to start running Vees. If they like them so much, buy one.

[DerElf]

I'm working on it, trust me.

[Bruce]

It seems it is a done deal with our beloved group 7. We will be no more. Next year we will be grouped with those in group 4. I do not know about our car numbers, but since we will be going to another group we will all probably start new with whatever numbers are available.