Attendance ...

[Focus]

And the set up people woudn't have to wake up before the sun! I like that idea.

[JohnW8]

That's a good idea but starting early in the summer is an attempt to get the event underway before people start bursting into flames from the lovely afternoon Alabama summer temps.

[rodhx]

Just a thought regarding Solo attendance and the Sunday-only schedule constraint, has anyone thought about pushing the start time back to take advantage of summer daylight hours? The entire day's schedule could conceivably be shifted at least two hours. When is the typical first car off...about 11am? If that can be moved to about 1pm and tech/registration open til noon-ish you might allow more folks to participate after church or perhaps come from farther away. Starting at 1pm also means no reason to break for lunch.

[Jedi1]

Why not piggy back club track days with another group like PCA, BMW, Chin etc..? If attendance is too low to make it work as a stand alone then try and build it by combining with another group until we have enough to do our own event. Seems to me it's either that or nothing at all.

[zukitek]

" I finally get a hardtop and we are going to kill off track days...super. "

We/I am not talking about killing off track days .We are only considering that ..1)They are not working out as stand alone events 2)how do we schedule them and have good club participation and support when we can't seem to get any feedback from the majority of the club as to whether they want them and when they want them.The only thing we can go on at this point is results and they are as they are .Not good

Untill those issues are resolved then there is a little relunctance to continue on the same path .Thats all .

[Jab31169]

Attendance....well my main reason for not attending much or at all this year is just because my weekends are generally full of new house chores. The other reason is just funds. $40 an auto-x adds up pretty quick not to mention all the other consumables to go along with this hobby. I know some of you will say its just $40 bucks...I will then tell you to look back at reason #1 why I have not been attending. Lowes and Home Depot aren't exactly the cheapest places.

I love auto-x...im very average at it but I love it. In general I think the club is doing the right things to move forward as a club. I think the numbers will eventually come back up in auto-x. Just keep plugging away and spreading the good word. It could be worse...we could be without a place to auto-x. The whole PDX thing kinda sucks. I finally get a hardtop and we are going to kill off track days...super.

And another thought...it might be wise to talk with the bmwcca about getting some of there members out to the auto-x. I was just at the car control clinic they had at barbers and A LOT of those drivers really want to auto-x. Some of them didnt even know that we had an auto-x program in birmingham. In other news...I did get the STIG award at the event for doing 4 laps around the small auto-x course they had setup...in reverse. My neck still hurts from craning my head around.

[dr_phatcity]

I have much respect for you Jamie but Charles is right, I say play buy the rule or play some where else. I don't care what other people do but I will be legal in my class or I will find a class that I am legal for. The comment "I snuck past tech with my aftermarket wheel last time I attended" says to me "hey I cheated and got away with it".

Thanks for the respect. Please don't take my posts as an endorsement for cheating in a class.

The novices often times don't get it .... every time I tell people I race my mini cooper, everyone asks,--- "Well, what have you done to it?" when I reply, nothing they all sort of laugh and don't believe me.

When you make people deal with a complicated classing structure, I'm not surprised someone concluded ---- "well, it's not fair to race against someone with everything so, I'll just sneak into this other class here". That is not the right perspective, but it takes people a while to understand our sport.

There is a tremendous amount of experience and wisdom among this crowd of folks here. If we want to grow the club, we have to share some of our insight and encourage people to properly participate and improve their driving so that they can become competitive. That's the cool part about the novice class.

We've got a good sport here -- its better for everyone if more people come out to provide more competition. Sure we can beat people and come across as super strict when they don't get it, but what's the point.

-J

(Sorry for the long post, I clearly don't want to work on my paper)

[zukitek]

My additional thought is, should/can we advertise the events(solo) at the NDCCC or other SCCA sponsored driving events? I realize NDCCC is not designed for teaching the kids how to race, but, you'd be a fool not to think that it still isn't instilling the basics of solo/RR.

I will address that quote .We do promote autox VERY selectively at NDCCC.As very young baby drivers ...these people are for the most part not ready to even consider performance driving yet .A very small fraction of them show talent /advanced skills and are given information on solo ..the rest are left to develop further .Generally 1-3 students of NDCCC is given materials on solo per clinic.THe judgement criteria I use is are they crawling or are they walking ?If they seem to be walking I will share solo with them ...if they are crawling ...then I may not .

RR

[rodhx]

Greg and the others do advertise the other events at the NDCCCs, and at least one young lady came out last time to check it out. Last fall, when my son went through it (the first time , I was given a business card that had all the 2008 solo dates on it, by David Branch I believe. Haven't seen any of those this year.

[Erv]

I prolly forgot to breathe a couple times.

I fall into both classes, mainly because I bought my car with the light mods it has already on it. I want to be competitive, but, I know right now the car is just not capable. Having bought tires, I know I need suspension. It's coming, un/fortunately, auto x isn't the only thing I enjoy. Like Ricky said I truly enjoy all aspects of motoring, but, have been unable to enjoy them due to lack of funding.

I chose SM specifically for the competitiveness, and the equal footing. The first 3 or 4 auto x's I did I never intended to be competitive, I went to learn my car, and, to push my limits.

My additional thought is, should/can we advertise the events(solo) at the NDCCC or other SCCA sponsored driving events? I realize NDCCC is not designed for teaching the kids how to race, but, you'd be a fool not to think that it still isn't instilling the basics of solo/RR.

[TouringBubble]

David, I was going to make something simpler than the region logo. It would be more like 6"x4" or 5".

[EWaugh]

my brain isn't functioning like it should be, I know I have had ideas. LOL

You mean it's worse than normal and you haven't forgotten to breathe...I'm impressed.

All jokes aside, I tend to be the one that follows the important rules. Which sometimes means the ones that I feel are important. This has also gotten me in trouble before.

Just to give you a little reference, John is pretty much the best person you could hoe to meet. Find out that the fuel gauge on your Porsche really is empty when it reads empty, and he'll loan you a slah of fuel to get to a gas station. Need a little driving advice when you're a half a second away from beating him, he'll give it to you anyway. That's just the way he is.

I think the main problem, which has already been pointed out, is that you're looking at things wrong. There are two types that I've seen. Once just wants to make the car fast, and also doesn't really car what class they're in or how they finish. The other decides what class to run in before they even take a wheel off a new car. They are generally one of the fast ones. They will look at a class, competitiveness of the car in that class, and cost vs. avaible funds and make a decision. Sometimes the former will become the latter. A guy comes in with a civic lowered to the ground by way of cut springs and a big body kit and gets into it. Next thing you know he's corrected his mistakes on the car and is competitive in ST.

[DAB21]

About decals and such ... I've wanted to make a magnet for events with the red SCCA logo and "Alabama Region" under it. Simple and clean. I'll make the design and you guys can weigh in on it. We've got magnetic material in the truck and a member that can cut the vinyl (if he's willing). Maybe we can get these on a few cars ... sell them at events for a few bucks for two magnets. I'm thinking something 6' wide or so. Then, we can sport these at events we attend.

Matt, Please order me two right now. 6" wide would be about 12" high +/- ... purrrrfect!
And thanks for making this possible.
David

[zukitek]

Driving enthusiasts will drive whatever ,whenever,wherever they can.All others should question their motives .

I can guarantee you that there are at least 5 folks at any given autox that could slide behind the wheel of my car (on any tire ,with any shock ,in any shape form or fashion )and beat me in it.Why is this........because I haven't finished tuning the main element of being competitive....MEthe driver.

[quote]The comment "I snuck past tech with my aftermarket wheel last time I attended" says to me "hey I cheated and got away with it". Tech is not respobsible for classing carsor policing their legality...tech checks the car for safety to compete ..period.Your competing class is responsible for protests of your mods.There is an old saying ...!It doesnt matter to anyone what you do to your car until you start WINNING .Then they will protest you .



RR

[engled]

I have much respect for you Jamie but Charles is right, I say play buy the rule or play some where else. I don't care what other people do but I will be legal in my class or I will find a class that I am legal for. The comment "I snuck past tech with my aftermarket wheel last time I attended" says to me "hey I cheated and got away with it".

It's real easy to do, you have two chooses:

1: Do what ever you want to your car then class it accordingly, have fun and don't worry about it.

2: Pick a class and do what ever you can to your car to beat John W8.