My personal opinion: If it were any other national event or even a Pro-Am event, it would be rescheduled. I don't see why this should be any different. According to this year's rules, I qualified for an opportunity to race for $10K/Ironman/gold card -- not a split purse. I may very well lose 1st round and get nothing, but that should be determined on the race track. Earn what you get, and get what you earn.
If you have regional runoffs, then you're forcing people to travel TWO more times, and the ladder is modified. It should be a 5-6 round race, tops. I've traveled 1,300 miles to San Antonio (and oh, BTW, that's when gas was expensive, and it cost me $658 for the 2,600 mile round trip. You don't "HAVE" to have a toter/stacker... that's an individual's choice), 1,107 to Tulsa, and had to travel to Toronto twice one year because of a rainout, and had to travel a second time to rained out Pro-Ams before, too. Yes, it sucks, but that's the hand we were dealt. I believe the majority of people drove fewer miles chasing points this year. If someone feels one more long trip isn't worth a free-entry $10K race, then that's an individual's decision. If they rescheduled the race for Dallas Raceway, I would get in the truck and drive to Texas. I would typically tow 15K miles a year chasing points. This year, I won the first National I attended, and didn't go to any more. I still went to 10 Pro-Ams and 2 Sportsnationals, because they were decent investments and fit into my schedule. But all told, my towing mileage was WAY down this year. Tell me what the rules are, when and where we are racing, and I will be there.
Reschedule the race, and run it like it was originally scheduled to be run. We haven't even run an official Qualifying pass for the ToC yet, so it should be considered an "open field" for all those that have qualified, regardless of whether they made the first trip to Rockingham or not.
My personal opinion only,
PS - great to see all the folks we too rarely get a chance to see -- the Cotten family, Kevin & Scott Helms, Chris Gulitti, Alex & Beth, the Boltons, Bob Murray & crew, and many, many others. And big thanks to all who helped so much this weekend!
PPS - Adger, can't set records at Nationals/Sportsnationals... Love ya buddy, but if you go -1.40, you need hit.
