What is good for workers?

[farrout]

We seem to have a continual problem enticing workers to staff our TT events. We have tried a number of enducements but no particular one or combination seems to make a difference.

What do you want to see?
Tell us what floats your boat!

1. Worker Lunches
2. Worker Social Sat night
3. Worker Track Time
4. PDX one Day, Work one Day
5. Worker Payment (How much per day)
6. Worker Gifts
7. Something Else?

[TouringBubble]

I like lunch and laps. But, some people would rather just have their expenses covered. I also like the free entry to event cards we've gotten before. So maybe ...

Lunch
Worker laps OR payment OR Event entry (or a combination)

I have not participated in any social after a TGPR event, but I did enjoy the Barber social. I think for smaller events you could likely ditch the social, or maybe do something more fun, like a cookout rather than pizza. But, honestly, no one is working so they can partake in the social ... it's just a kind of "oh, I guess I can stay a few more minutes" thing.

I think what it comes down to is that money or laps or anything else isn't going to make people do something they don't think they'll enjoy. People are paid all week at their jobs and they only do it because they have to. What we need are some good (metaphoric) cheerleaders to make working the events sound fun. the old "best seat in the house" cliche is worn and ineffective now.

In all honesty, working TGPR can be a bit boring. Barber was a little more exciting. What can we do to make it more exciting for the workers?

[JohnW8]

What can we do to make it more exciting for the workers?

Shall we start random car fires to make it exciting?

Getting volunteers for this or any event has become such a chore that it becomes frustrating. After a while you start thinking it would be better to just hire pro corner workers and forget about all the enticements to get your fellow club members to come protect you from the dangers of racing a car.

Let me put on my old man voice... back when I first started doing this I did autocross and I volunteered to work a corner at TGPR for a TT event. It was a long, hot day with a million timing issues and the cars ran in the old three car pod for three laps thing. I hated it, but I wanted to see what all this club has to offer. It started with SOLO then working an event.
Since then I've worked several events because I know that help was needed. I enjoy it.
Remember that if the corner workers have an exciting day, a driver was likely in danger.
--Old man voice off--

After spending time in the seat of TT cars and race cars on a track the old adage is true that the corner worker does have the second best seat in the house. It seems fewer people want to participate in club activities and assume someone else will take care of it. We are running out of people who are managing, working and covering the many aspects of these events. Many folks want to arrive and drive and not do any of the work needed to put on the event. Some of that is our own fault for not engraining this into the novices. SCCA is not a business putting on events for you, WE are a club that puts on events for ourselves. Without workers we don't have those events. If we lose money trying to cover an ever increasing list of incentives for corner workers, we won't be able to afford these events. Increasing the cost to participate for drivers will also have a negative impact. We all need support from each other for these events and without it we have nothing.

I offer one solution, have drivers split work/drive sessions like autocross. 3 groups in the morning/lunch/ swap/ 3 groups in the afternoon. Then flip it for the next day.

[rodhx]

Regarding volunteers we are much like a church. When you look at the workers for ANY event you see the same set of volunteers. I think Waight is correct regarding arrive & drive mentality. For example, ALSCCA has a handful of folks that carry the volunteer load for every aspect of the club. These folks are primarily involved as Solo drivers, but without them TT, Club Racing, and the Teen Driver programs likely cease to exist. In the three years I have been director of the Teen Driver Clinics I can count on two fingers the number of non-Solo/non-TDC volunteers I have had.

How do we increase our volunteer count? I honestly have no idea. With the exception of my core crew of workers (all autocrossers btw) I have much better success getting "alumni" parents & students come out to work Teen Clinics than our club members. Pleas online or at events go largely ignored. And the Clinics at least provide a warm fuzzy of helping a "good cause" versus the perception of spending your weekend working so others can have fun.

I think John's proposal is an excellent solution. A worker swap at TGPR is not much more difficult than one at an autocross. This has several benefits. First, of course, is it provides the needed workers. Secondly, veteran drivers can be paired with novice drivers OR corner workers to use it as a training opportunity. Third, it could make novice TT drivers more aware of the corner stations (I know this was my experience after going from driving, to corners, and back to driving).

[kilgojr]

I hear what you are saying John and Rod, but coming from my experiences at TGPR, every time I have gone out there I have had some issue with my car. If I had to show up, drive, work, then lunch, then drive....I wouldn't have time to spend trying to fix my car.

Frankly, I have NO desire to do anything but arrive and drive at at TT weekend. If I was expected to work a corner during TT, I don't think I would do it. I am worn out at the end of the day as it is, if I had to think about swapping out from my driver suit, to go stand around and work a corner at the event, I don't want to do it. And this is coming from a person that did the exact same thing you did, I started solo-ing, then worked an event at TGPR to see what it was like, then the next year I started doing TT.

Some people enjoy working the corners at races, I don't. I just don't have that mentality. Even at autocross, hell the reason I became a chairperson is because I wanted to be involved, but I didn't want to work a station, or be a safety steward. So the next best thing is to run the event, and make sure that I have the people in place that do like to do those things.

For me, if I had to pay another $20.00 so that I didn't have to work a corner, I would. If you have 30 drivers, they increase the payment to run by $20, that gives you another $600 in the bank. You have 5 work stations, with 2 workers on each station, that is 10 workers. So that is $60 for the weekend that was just added. If we are paying the workers $30 a day now, you cold double their pay and they are looking at $120 for the weekend.

[rodhx]

I'm not saying the drive/work swap is the ideal solution, and personally I doubt it would ever fly because of the very things you said. Plus there would have to be a Kilgore clause for broken cars

The inescapable fact of the matter is there are not enough volunteers for any of the club activities and the few we do have we are working to death. The "good ol'days" of the dedicated SCCA-licensed workers seem to be a distant memory in this region. Something has got to change if we are going to continue to hold events...most any type of event.

Not that it is particularly relevent, but my progression is not quite what you described. I started as a PDXer with another club, then a corner worker for many events, finally coming to ALSCCA to autocross in order to build skills for the track. The only thing keeping me from TT at this point is the looming reality of a second son in college.

Oh...and I am registered for both days of this PDX. I don't WANT to work a corner either, but I will if it's needed to actually hold the event.

[JohnW8]

It appears that paying workers, giving track time and providing lunch and a social still isn't enough to entice someone to come out and "volunteer". I add quotation marks because with all that compensation they are far from being a "volunteer". They are being paid. So that tells me it doesn't matter what we offer since the pool of volunteers is getting mighty shallow.

TT might get to the point of having to work corners at our own events. I wouldn't like it either but it beats the alternative (not having an event due to a lack of workers).

My suggestion is you would drive 3 morning sessions and then have a lunch break to get changed, eat and maybe work on the car, then go stand on a corner for 3 afternoon groups to run. After that you could work on your car all night to get ready for the next day where you would work first. Take a lunch break and get the car ready for 3 afternoon sessions.
I don't know, it's just a thought.

On a side note if SCCA would combine classes in Road Racing a bit better that would free up some session time for TT to be piggybacked on a Road Race Weekend ala NASA that would help. That SCCA rulebook needs to go on a diet.

[nicktcr]

I can't speak for everyone, but personally, I really enjoy my time spent trackside from a corner. I would likely go and sit and watch anyway, and if I can do that, AND be a part of making the event happen, then I'm all for it. The thing that has drawn me to this club from the get go is the social aspect of it. I have made so many wonderful friends just from hanging around and whatnot, that I don't know what I'd do without you guys now. I know that not everyone shares this mindset though...

As far as which "worker incentives" I'd prefer, again speaking just for myself and not everyone, I enjoy getting lunch, and the track time. The track time is really nice, because after a day spent watching everyone else get to play all day, it brings me great joy to get to trade spots with the drivers so that I can pretend to be a race car driver for just a moment. I also really love the event vouchers. After all that is said though, it's quite the payment. If I got 2 out of 3 of those, I'd be happy. I love getting all 3, but 2 out of 3 would keep me around for sure.

[Cholewa]

The initial draw for me to come work was the track time + the vouchers for an autocross/solo. That's $60 plus track time that I would have otherwise, and helped continue my addiction to autocross.

Now? I just really enjoy doing control and all the things that come with the fast paced radio communications + half running an event. It reminds me of the days when I played competitive video games, except I get to drive really fast at the end of the day.

The lunch should be a given, the social - I think I missed the first 2 years I showed up since I needed to get home, so that's never been a draw for me. The tickets for the free autocross are a definite must, as it lets me bring friends to events that would otherwise never drive in an autocross because they have a billion excuses.


I don't really know what anyone elses big draw is to come help, but I do know the negatives - it's an entire weekend, and it's a bit far away to make it at 7:30 am when I normally don't even wake up until 8-8:30. Having dogs makes it worse since I have to let them out in the morning and go back to let them out before they ruin something in the evening.


I think if workers could sit at corner stations, I would be much more eager to work a corner station, as it would actually be a pretty relaxing weekend of watching racing, having some food, and then getting to drive it + money/free autocross. But in the end I'm a bit jaded since I almost feel obligated to come help at some of these things. I enjoy doing the work, but at times I wonder what would happen if the core group of workers decided they needed a break. FbF isn't cheap and I don't think using them all weekend would result in a profitable TT, unless we increased the entry fee to cover it.

[chuck schultz]

Here's what I posted on the TVR board -

It's always been difficult to get Solo (and, now, RallyX) folks to take time off from family or some out-of-town event to stand around in random weather and watch _other_ people have fun with their cars.

What got me trackside, the first time, was one free Solo entry for one day worked. Lunches were provided, plus some kind of meal/beer Saturday night, I guess. Worker laps were a really big plus, when they happened. The discounts for folks who want to run one day and work one are a great idea for the unknown number of people who can afford to do so.

I have probably a 30-gallon bag full of event t-shirts, none of which have much use to me away from the track because, with one exception, none of them have pockets. Other than a couple nice pairs of nomex worker gloves I got at Roebling, years ago, most of the other goodies were lame.

With that said, the new problem, now, is that there is a clear local standard rate of reimbursement for working corners, set by FBF and others. Every organization other than SCCA pays similar rates at BMP, TGPR, Road Atlanta, and, probably, AMP.

Budget $X per day for workers, and be ready to hire FBF. Offer the same amount to members that the pro workers would get, give club folks first shot at the chance to help, and be happy you don't have to beg for help, buy lunches, schedule track time, or order special gifts for any of the F&C staff.

I know all about the long tradition of training the best race specialty workers in the country that SCCA has, but there is too much competition for the attention and time of even diehard sports car fans to start that tradition in new places. If you're on the Atlanta worker mailing list, you know that they're still begging for Saturday help for the highest-profile car event of the year at Road Atlanta, the Petit LeMans, and they have a huge, established worker base. In '09, I spent Tuesday through Saturday there, and had a great time. I can't afford it, this year, and neither can many others.

Let's be honest - I love this stuff, and I've spent more time trackside than most (if not all) folks in the area, this year. However, I don't do much of any F&C work for goodies and snacks alone, anymore, because I can't afford the travel. I can't even cash in the three free weekends NASA owes me, right now, and I still have some free ALSCCA/TVR Solo/RallyX entries that I haven't used, either.

[bimmertech]

For the short term, I believe worker laps are important for our core group of corner workers. I've also brought up the idea before of having a worker "raffle". The club could buy a couple nice gifts such as iPads, go-pros, gift cards, etc. and award them randomly to workers each weekend.

The TT events make some money but not Ipad giving away money. Unless things have changed.

[rodhx]

With that said, the new problem, now, is that there is a clear local standard rate of reimbursement for working corners, set by FBF and others. Every organization other than SCCA pays similar rates at BMP, TGPR, Road Atlanta, and, probably, AMP.

Budget $X per day for workers, and be ready to hire FBF. Offer the same amount to members that the pro workers would get, give club folks first shot at the chance to help, and be happy you don't have to beg for help, buy lunches, schedule track time, or order special gifts for any of the F&C staff.

There's the answer..

I worked for FBF for over a year before flagging an SCCA race at Barber's. This was before I was an SCCA member. The difference in pay kept me from coming back the next year. Once becoming a member I started working it again to help my club regardless of pay.

Lunch is great because it is something I don't have to lug to the track/station. Personally I'd MUCH rather have an event tshirt than an evening social at local events.

One note though...it may be difficult to recruit NEW workers from the Solo/Rallyx ranks, but essentially all of our current workers are from that group.

[TouringBubble]

As I said at the start, most members won't do it just for pay, no matter how much. That's like going to your neighbor and handing him $20 and assuming he'll be begging to cut your grass for you. If he doesn't want to cut grass for money, you are wasting your time. This is no different ... most of our members are not interested in working a corner.

As Chuck said, there are groups with people who are willing to work corners for money. Pay them and the problem is solved.

The only other option is to find a way to make people interested. We've tried things that do appeal to small groups. For the rest, the answer may simply be that they don't want to stand trackside all day. We have to accept that swag may not change that.

[Cholewa]

Personally I'd MUCH rather have an event tshirt than an evening social at local events.

There was a point in time when tshirts for events were highly saught after and a reasonable reward, but after getting so many free t-shirts (which make great rags for staining wood btw) it's just kind of a waste of money for the club. Maybe we could do a massive print of some ALSCCA Corner Worker shirts and give them out to people who want them, instead of making event specific ones, that way we can cut the cost down and reuse for a couple of seasons.

I think we also need to help inform people that they can get a pretty hefty discount on their SCCA membership from working corners, up to the point where the membership is more or less free - from the discounts you get at autocrosses to all the discounts you get on the actual membership, it pays for itself and then some.

[jbass1911]

I've never worked one of these events, but I could do without the pay. I would rather have track time and free autocross/membership discounts. Lunch would be appreciated in the interest of not having to pack a cooler or leave the track. Track time being the biggest incentive.