Entry fees. You want what?!!

[JohnW8]

I just registered for the Barber Labor Day race.

I had planned on doing both the RR and TT events but a combined $800 entry fee has forced me to choose one over the other. Sorry TT, without a discount for doing both, you lost an entrant.

I have been a proponent of adding TT run groups to Road Race weekends in order to get the TT guys access to some of the more expensive tracks like Road Atlanta and Barber that the TT program couldn't previously afford to run. I hoped to continue that support, but I have been priced out of the market.

Haven't y'all heard the economy is hurting?

I understand the expense involved on the club side, maybe the club can try to understand the expense from the drivers side.

[Michael Elsea]

Another reason why I havent touched a track all year.

[e30Racer]

I hear your concerns W8. The prices have gone up $25 (I believe) for each option of racing, whether it's a one-day or two-day entry. Are you interested in running both days of the TT? Or just one day? Last year a lot of the club racers who ran in TT as well only ran on Saturday for the extra seat time and practice.

If we could do a discounted rate for club racers looking to do the TT as well, what would you deem reasonable on price?

I make no guarantees, but I will bring it up for consideration to the Labor Day Race Committee.

[JohnW8]

I would say to do both the RR and TT for both days a reasonable price would be $600.00 I know the track is expensive but if prices continue to rise without any added tracktime for the entrants I believe people will choose to pass on our event. I sure do miss practice days but I know they are a money loser.

I've heard about an HSR event at Road Atlanta was around $475.00 for three days of racing and they even provided lunch and dinner. The paddock was full. HSR recently open up their paddocks to older IT cars and spec Miatas which some are now considered as vintage racers. It's my understanding this got a lot of cars out of garages.

Thanks for listening Mark.

[kilgojr]

I would say to do both the RR and TT for both days a reasonable price would be $600.00 I know the track is expensive but if prices continue to rise without any added tracktime for the entrants I believe people will choose to pass on our event. I sure do miss practice days but I know they are a money loser.

I've heard about an HSR event at Road Atlanta was around $475.00 for three days of racing and they even provided lunch and dinner. The paddock was full. HSR recently open up their paddocks to older IT cars and spec Miatas which some are now considered as vintage racers. It's my understanding this got a lot of cars out of garages.

Thanks for listening Mark.

So looking at the HSR typical race weekend schedule, which means taking out The Mitty and The 12 hour Endurance weekends.....it looks to me like this

Thursday - Registration and Practice Day
Friday Morning
30 min Qualifying 1
Friday Afternoon
30 min Qualifying 2
Friday Night
enduro race

Saturday morning
30 min quali 3
Saturday afternoon
30 min sprint race

Sunday
30 min sprint race

So, with that said....the prices I see for Mid-Ohio are as follows
Member price
Racelink Sprint Race Series - $525
Enduro Race Series - $225
late entry - within 2 weeks of race start - $100

for non - member add $75 to each race

So if you take $475 for Road ATL and you ONLY run the Sprint race - which I take as what that race would probably be for that price.....you are getting 1 hour of driving on Friday, you have to register and tech on Thursday, 1 hour of driving on Saturday, 30 min driving on Sunday.

I think that puts us pretty well in line with what other groups are doing. Do you really think that SCCA racers would come out on Thursday to register, Friday all day to race/qualify, and stay all the way through Sunday? Seriously, I don't think we would make it two weeks of putting out a schedule like that without people bitching and moaning that they couldn't make it Thursday or Friday and they only wanted to qualify on Saturday and race Sat/Sun so they want a discounted rate. And what if I show up Saturday with my discounted rate and then I break down during qualifying, are you going to give me my money back? What if it rains and half the field decides they want to leave on Friday after the Enduro race because they already got in 2 hours of running, so they want their other $475 back. John, you know all these things happen.......you can't ever make everyone happy.

I understand what you are saying about pricing, and I do believe we have allowances in place for 1 day TT rates, perhaps this will help. I'm sure there is something we can work out, and Mark and Nick can work with together to get those things resolved. We all appreciate the support of our racers, but at some point we as a club do have to pay for Barber Motorsport Park, and to make it happen year after year, we have to set prices accordingly.

[Chuck Baader]

John, I have been on both sides of this conundrum and as you have discovered there is no easy way. As a racer, 400 for a double SARRC is norm/reasonable. With TTs running 300 that is also reasonable for destination tracks such as Barber and RA. Even 250 for dual signup would go a long way to help entries. To go above that, I believe, is asking for entry trouble. You will get the most complaints when you deviate from the norm, even knowing that Barber is more expensive than most other tracks!

[JohnW8]

Thanks John. I saw there was a one day option and that will be used by some of the road racers to get some practice time.

On a side note, as I was looking over the schedule for the Barber race and I noticed there's only one race listed. IS there not a race on Saturday? There's 3 qualifying sessions listed but only 1 race. Typo, or is it a double points race?

Chuck, I know the track is expensive and I understand the higher entry fees and all of that is required for the weekend, I just think the combined entry fee for the 2 events is too high to expect a lot of participation. That's just my .02¢.

[e30Racer]

I double checked and I do not know the answer to your question W8. I do see 3 qualifying sessions and only 2 races. Is there normally 2 or 3 races on a club racing weekend at Barber?

[JohnW8]

Qualifying #2 has "Race" behind it. I'm not sure what that means. I assume it mean that's the Saturday Race and the Qualifying #2 is a mistake but with the SECS stuff who knows?

Usually a qualifying session and a Race on Saturday and repeat it on Sunday.

[e30Racer]

Look at the Supps W8. What it is saying is that there is a qualifying session (Quali #1), Qualifying Race (Quali Race #2), and then another qualifying session (Quali #3). Apparently the fastest time out of all of those qualifying "sessions" (#1-3) are used to set the grid for the race on Sunday.

From the Supps:

8. Qualifying: Best time in Qualifying #1, Qualifying #2 Race or Qualifying #3 will determine starting order for Sunday SECS/SARRC Race. Qualifying #1 tile will determine starting order for Qualifying #2 Race.

[JohnW8]

Where does the "double" come in?

[e30Racer]

Don't know. I just work here.

[Cholewa]

The way I understand that piece of the supps is as follows.

You qualify for saturday, then you race on saturday. You then qualify again for sunday. If your best lap time of all three sessions came during your race on saturday, that time is factored into your grid position for your race on sunday.

2 races for points, 1 race also doubles as qualifying for the other race.


Either that or you get double points on sunday.

[JohnW8]

I wonder if this is part of the new SECS bullshit. I also wonder how people will respond to one of their races being only 9 laps when the other is 15. My my own perspective I feel like I'm getting less for more money. Again, that's my problem. I'll either deal with it or have a parting out sale.

[Chuck Baader]

[QUOTE=JohnW8;41299]I wonder if this is part of the new SECS bullshit.

Looks like it to me..( sarcastic)...Oh wait...lets try to get a few out of region drivers who have not qualified for the nationals yet and screw the regional drivers who have supported the race since 2003!!!!!!

Gentlemen....KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS!!