This is off topic but...

[JohnW8]

Why is it so difficult to get volunteers to help with club racing events?

Does everyone assume that someone else take care of the responsibility?



Discuss.

[EvoLady]

????? not sure. it might be a mix of that and never working before and not sure what it's all about. i was scared the first few events i worked that i would mess up but i finally realized no one was going to yell at me because i was a volunteer. i think it's great fun to work plus i like knowing i'm doing one more thing to make our club a winner!

[Jedi1]

I always sign up well in advance for this stuff, but you caught me on the weekend my Brother and Sister in Law arrive from the UK and I can't really commit to anything just yet. Going to try and drag Josh out there for at least one of the days. We shall see.

[e30Racer]

I think some people might assume that you have to be "qualified" in order to do anything at a race. And some people might be scared that they would "screw up" and cause a problem or not respond in the proper way and cause even more danger if there was an emergency.

Usually it just comes down to people don't know any better and are too afraid to ask.

[Welacey]

When you work a race or PDX or whatever, you get to see stuff that most never get to see. It is definitely the best seat in the house. If you have inclinations to maybe Time Trial or Club Race, it is an opportunity to see and learn what goes on, so when you start you already know what to expect and you're not a total noob. Worked our Barber Club Race last year, got to see some good battles and great driving. Saw Can't W8 lose it in the muddy grass and do some pretty fancy driving recovering his car without any contact and being in the middle of a large and fast crowd. If you like cars and racing you can't be in a better place than working a corner.

[chuck schultz]

When I went my first road race (NASCAR at Watkins Glen,) I noticed that there were a bunch of folks wearing white clothes who got in for free and got to stand a lot closer to the action than I could.

Because of that, I joined SCCA for the first time. While I was discussing the possibility of doing so with the membership chairman, he told me about autocross.

Well, I got distracted by that aspect of the club for about 10 years, before I tried working an event for the first time at a TGPR TT, after being begged and cajoled for a while.

Prior to that, besides having so much fun in Solo, I worried that working races would be an all-day, all-weekend commitment. How can they stand there all day? (You don't usually have to - you get breaks and sometimes work in shifts.) How do they commit a whole weekend? (You don't have to. In fact, you don't even have to work a whole day. Any help is welcomed.) How do they know what to do? (On-the-job training.)

After that first time, I realized that helping at the track can be fun, challenging, and rewarding. You get in for free, see more than any spectator can, know more of what's going on, help the club, and sometimes there's free beer at the end of the day!

I enjoy it so much that I'm taking the next two days off as vacation from work so I can stand in a corner for the promoter test day and the private Grand Am practice day at Barber. It'll be a great preview before watching the races on the DVR next week ( I'm working the weekend at the regular job.)

[rodhx]

I wholeheartedly agree with Chuck's take on the whole thing. I started working corners a couple years ago and it is definitely addicting. My first time was during the tornado/hailstorm Road Atlanta weekend with NASA, got paired with one of their veteran workers, and learned a ton during the weekend ("colors & number, colors & numbers, colors & numbers"). Then I worked a NASA event at Barbers, which got me in with the FBF crew and led to many other opportunities including three Porsche 250s and now the Indycar weekend.

Since I started autocrossing last year I can't make it to Barber as much as I was, but I did pick up my credentials for this weekend today and can't wait for Friday to get here.

If I wasn't driving in the PDX I would be on a corner @ TGPR. If you're thinking about volunteering, jump on in. You will not regret it

[Cholewa]

I think part of the problem is that most newer people don't fully realize that the club runs on volunteer work. Think back to the first event you ever went to. It was staffed by people who knew what they were doing,(hopefully) and all you had to do was work a station then drive. When you saw the same people doing registration, timing, waivers, grid/start etc, you figure that they are getting something out of this.

It's not directly evident that all the people working, are doing it pro bono.


As far as club races go, here's my thoughts.
1. It's far away
2. It's far away to not be racing
3. You're not racing, why would it be fun?
4. Nobody seems to be jumping at the bit to sign up, must not be that great
5. It's 2 days, and it's far away. A whole weekend seems like a lot to stand out on a race track for basically nothing.

When you think about it, it almost sounds like working, and not many people like working on the weekends. And to the casual autocrosser/scca member, there's just more you can see yourself doing in that time frame.


I did it last year because there was a chance to drive on the track, and I got a free entry to a solo/rally event. That was enough to get me out of bed way too early on a sunday and go find TGPR. And this year, I will come again on sunday, my only off day in the week, because It was entertaining last time, I learned a thing or two, and it helps the club which I am now much more a part of than ever before.

[slowautoxr]

My brutally honest opinion:

I used to think that TT was a lot like Solo so they should be able to work their own corners. Why should I stand around on the corners watching them go by for nothing? It also doesn't help when TT'rs who are not running in the event, don't show up to work either.

I'm signed up this year because I belong to this club and since my club is putting on an event, I should participate in some form. My club supports the events that I like, I'm going to support the events that others like in return.

[engled]

My brutally honest opinion:

I used to think that TT was a lot like Solo so they should be able to work their own corners. Why should I stand around on the corners watching them go by for nothing? It also doesn't help when TT'rs who are not running in the event, don't show up to work either.

+1 and this event always falls on my wedding anniversary.