Class Nationals event planning

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by Matt Welker

Any race running class goes to the top of our list!

Many racers show up Thursday or early Friday for divisionals. Why not have a scheduled smaller $ race on Friday with or without the test and tune? That makes it a double race weekend for many, which makes a longer tow worth the expense. I know some worry about the $, but some of us just wantore races/runs for the time we give to the sport. Race1/class/race2 makes it three races for one tow if you can get there on Friday.

Matt,

Rather than cutting into the overall purse maybe we could have a Gambler's race, winner takes all?

JimR

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

I will do some research and take it into consideration. I looked at 5 years of weather data and it generally looks pretty good there. Another track I'd looked at and talked to a couple of years ago was Cordova. I'd worked with Scott, Laura, and Taz at a number of bracket finals, and I noticed they have a strong base with S/SS cars at their LODRS.



That was my thought. I would use the IHRA indexes (aka old NHRA indexes)... y'all can go stupid far under and enjoy it without getting horsepower. ;-)



Most crate motor cars run the 9" radial to begin with. That's an issue we could discuss and get input from both sides, but that's getting into details before we even fully develop the big picture.



I'll do the east coast if you do the west. ;-)



That would make it better for some, and make it impossible for others. There's always a trade off, and we just have to weigh those. Scheduling is very difficult, as there are a TON of races going on when you consider Nat'l and Div'l in both sanctioning bodies. Inevitably, you're going to be on top of *something*, and no one date and location is going to be perfect for everyone. I'm looking at first weekend in May in the "eastern mid-west". I realize that in 2013 that would be on top of the Atlanta national, but 1) we don't know the 2014 schedule, and 2) the 2012 Atlanta national was not well attended -- and those that were there were primarily "locals" to the region. This race would have to draw from the most populated areas/divisions, then hope to draw some percentage of support of surrounding regions.



Unfortunately, that is a mathematical impossibility. In order to cover track rental and all of the misc expenses (advertising, trophies, extra staff, hotels, etc) and pay first round winners, you'd either be running for peanuts to win, or pay an astronomical entry fee.



Small money races and test n' tunes will not cover a day's track rental unless you have a substantial turnout and participation. Plus, if you schedule on-track activities on Friday, everyone will bump up their planned arrival by yet another day, incurring more costs in hotels, staffing, time off work, etc -- for both the racer and the staff. It's always possible that the track would choose to do a test n' tune on Friday night themselves. Now, if we could be assured that we would have a very strong turnout in both Stock and Super Stock (100+ cars in each class), then I'm all for it, and would be willing to make it an all-S/SS event like the original Class Nationals, instead of having any bracket cars to cover expenses. If we're looking at 50 cars per class (which would be an impressive turnout these days), then it can't stand on its own. Perhaps the bigger it "can" be, the bigger it "will" be. It would have to be done on a pre-entry basis, not only to confirm the viability of the event, but also to get a ballpark on Class trophies to order. That's just one more reason why we're planning a year and a half in advance and not trying to rush something to market for next year. If we're going to do this, I want to do it *right*.

Hey Nitro Joe -- Are you up for making a ladder bigger than 128 again?

Michael,

The tracks you mentioned are a little far away for Southern and probably some East Coast racers, can you look at someplace a little farther South and East...KY,TN,VA,WV, etc. Heck, I'd even travel to Atco just to see the place where it all started for me.

JimR

[Matt Welker]

I never mentioned dividing the purse. I suggested a third race, in addition to class and the eliminator. Call it a gamblers, combo, or whatever you want, to run the same day if there is a test day.

We run one on Sat. the day before the Lee Sherman race at MD with/after the test and tune, and it does not take any money from the guaranteed purse for the LS race on Sunday. Put up $50 per racer and run for the money.

Mike B's response makes perfect sense to me, the number of anticipated racers would not cover his costs for another days rental for even earlier parking for the event. You can't expect a promoter to take a days loss for our enjoyment, our fun is someone else's business.

My suggestion was, if there is a test and tune, schedule and run a combo race for the same day and track rental if possible. IT could be racer's entry is the pot or entry plus $5-10 to cover the costs.

[njk53]

Mike:

National Trails would be a good place because it is centrally located so, it will draw cars from a wider area of the country. Norwalk would be a nice place but would probably be hard to sqeeze in an event at an acceptable date for everyone.

Good Luck it's a great idea and a huge undertaking.

[Michael Beard]

Lots of support from racers here at the IMIS show, and Redman's on board for the starting line!

[novassdude]

Just thought I would try and help out with a map so when people are deciding what is centrally located they can see the whole country.

[Dan Bennett]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

This thread was way back on page 3. Too little interest?

I meant to comment when the thread started but somehow it slipped off my radar.

I've been to a bunch of tracks across the country, and there are a very few where you instantly feel the difference between the operations of simply a promoter and someone who loves racing.

Earlville is the most racer friendly track in the country as far as I'm concerned. No Problem is right there but I haven't been to the track since the management change, plus it's not nearly as central.

In my experience promoting events many years ago, I'm acutely aware the entire thing involves juggling a bunch of pros and cons. Earlville might be more distant for a lot of racers than Columbus and without entrants there's no reason for the race.

But then I think of the downhill staging, all-concrete track, racer barbecues, tree-lined pits, RV park. and the staff in the tower enjoying the action as much as the racers - and I keep coming back to Earlville.

You can't get much more central than Gateway, but I can't see the event there for a lot of reasons. Yes, you could physically do it, but I'd bet a whole lot more racers would have smiles on their faces Sunday night if you held the event in Iowa. So even if you're juggling variables I think it's a mistake to base the decision because of an over emphasis on one of them.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck. I think it's a tremendous idea.

[Mike Carr]

Michael, having Redman is a HUGE plus. At the original Class Nat'ls in 2001, when it was 101 degrees, he kept the track HOOKING all three days. Would be great also to have one or two qualified, respected tech officials, also like the first Class Nat'ls.

Meant ot write some stuff earliuer this week, but was busy with dad's surgeries for cancer. Now that he is home and doing well, I can.

I always said that trying to copy the original Class Nat'ls format would be perfect (since it was, then or since, the greatest event EVER for Class Racing cars, outside of Indy or the good old days at Bowling Green, G-ville, etc). However, I understand that getting a track for three to four days might be cost prohibitive).

Using a three day format (just a few ideas) :
~Track operated test and tune with some type of Gambler (seperate S and S/S) or a Combo race, with x-amount payback, depending on how much the promoter, track, or both, are looking to make off of it. If not, just use it for parking and tech.
~two Qualifying Runs and Class Eliminations on Saturday; if there was time after to do it, and had sponsor money to do it, maybe a CIC-style race or something similar.
~Eliminations on Sunday.

A central location, near a great number of cars would be good. Probably somewhere in Division 3 (Ohio/Indiana). Using Columbus as an example, you're about 550 miles or so from NJ, and less than 500 miles from St Louis; not far from the Michigan/Canada crowd, or the northern Div 2 crowd. A good area to draw from. Every so often, a Class nationals-type discussion comes up, and when people suggest places to hold it, many use a track(s) that are two hours or less for THEM. You need to have a location that better suits a LOT of cars, not just the select few who want a race like this, but only if it's in their own backyard. You can;t be that narrow minded. Byron IL was 500 miles for us, and we went to spectate (and gave up racing my street car in brackets at the IHRA race at my home track 25 miles away; didn't have a Stocker yet) because I wanted to be there to help support it in any way I could. And yes, no matter where you have a race like this, people won't go, for whatever reason (I've seen it first hand every year since 1999). The best location to have it is to have it at/near somewhere that can draw the most cars possible, which, again, would be somewhere in central Division 3.

Michael, I'm in tohelp in any way I can. You know how to get ahold of me.

[442OLDS]

Originally Posted by novassdude

Just thought I would try and help out with a map so when people are deciding what is centrally located they can see the whole country.

I don't know if it is actually a fact,but when I stayed at a Hotel in Columbus,Ohio in September,there was a sign on the wall that said; "Welcome to Columbus,Ohio,where 50% of the population of the United States live within 500 miles."

[Andrew Hill]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_ce...tes_population

The center of the country based on population is in south-central Missouri.

It would be interesting to know the population center for racers, I wonder how much it would change.