Put your head down (on your desk?)

[r1owner]

"Gingerman is a tough track though!  I really don't like all the different "lanes".  Especially the one in turn 2 that put me into the grass during the F40 race!"
Hey R1owner, that was you?
I was right behind you when you went off, trying to watch your line.   And then it was like "Hey where are you going?"
You were cooking right along up to then.
Hope the rest of your day went better.

Paul
MW #292

Hehe, I thought when I looked back I saw a big ole 292 chasing me! :)  Looks like you were getting ready to make my race a little more challenging shortly though!  Look forward to racing with you some more this year.

Yeah, I drifted out a little too far while leaned a little two far and hit one.  Pitched me up pretty good!

Actually, my day got worse.  My brother in our next race made a mistake and hit Chuck Moses (sorry Chuck) my brother has a very bad break at his knee that requires surgery.  

I didn't get to race the rest of the day :'( as I was busy putting everything away.  Took forever!


The one day format totally sucks.... did I say that out loud?

[Team-G]

I'd settle for 3 hours of quiet time after the Wegman auction...I know we ain't gonna get much of that  ;D

PVD--you have a month to stock up the Vitamin-O

[dylanfan53]

But the quiet time coupled with the every race on Sunday schedule is total bullshit.  
With new venues coming up like I39, ACC etc... it will be nice to have more choices for club racing in the MW/GP hopefully with less quiet time/schedule restrictions on race days.

Yeah, my comments about not whining about the drive home were tongue in cheek.  I know exactly what people had to go through to get home on a Sunday evening and it's not easy, especially when you're wiped out from racing.

Also, I completely agree that the one day event thing is for the birds.  If that decision was based on lower expected turnouts, then yesterday's crowd proved otherwise.  Of course, the turnout will be lower in October when the second one is held...

Sorry to see a few "fallers", but I thought the day went pretty smoothly (once they got going) and we got a lot of racing in.

[PaulV]

Team-G: The Trucks are loaded and on their way, buckle up were going in!
r1owner: Hope you can make BHF Wegman event, if so, look us up Fri. eve by T5 black v-nose trailer w/Polar-Optics racing all over it
dylanfan: Thanks, it was amazing to see how many folks came in Sat pm and Sunday AM for the event.
I think that going to a Std. Sat/Sun schedule with a Friday practice day thrown in would be just perfect!
S.Haven gets an extra day of shopping from the SO's, racers/track day gurus get a full day and racers get an acceptable schedule even with 2 hours of quiet time (head down on their desks optional).

[Nik]

Is it a threadjack if I turn this into the biotch about the Gingerman weekend thread???

I thought it was a good weekend, and for the most part, run very well.  I enjoyed the guy on the mic.  The constant reminders of the menu was a little much, "Attention, I'd like to take this quiet time to tell you about the menu and pollute the quite time with my booming voice..."  (kidding) but a necesarry evil, props to Gingerman for making a viable buisness out of the resturant and supplying us with good food.  I think the staff did a good job of trying to pack all the races into the time allotted...but therein lies the problem.  How the hell didn't CCS know about the 2 hour delay until that morning?  Was it the first time they've been to Gingerman?  Didn't even one person ask anyone at Gingerman about the time allotted to run?  How did that slip through?  Also, I hated the Sunday only races format.  But, I am in favor of any efforts to bring newbies into the sport, and it promotes the expansion and logevity of the sport, so I think we should be understanding and tolerate it.  But that brings me to my next bitch.  What's up with the $25 gate fee for spectators?  Spectators are almost no strain on the facility.  They only use the bathrooms and a parking spot, and spend money on cold drinks and snacks at the store on a hot day.  I think the high fee is a shortsighted and selfish business model.  The sport will never grow without bringing in dollars, and that won't happen without sponsors and support, and that will never happen if people won't watch.
Before I'm done whining.  2 riders meetings?  That just seemed sloppy.  It put out the message that it was okay to miss the first one.

Seriously though, I did think it was run well, but there's always room for improvement, so if I'm way off base, just don't read my post, but don't ban me from posting for 2 hours.   ;D

[PaulV]

Oops,
r1owner:sorry to hear about your bro, all our best for a speedy and full recovery.
Nik: not at all a thread jack, you are right on about the people, food, services and how well the issues were dealt with to run the event.  My point is to hopefully build or show support for CCS to aggressively pursue those things that help to make so many great race events through out the MW/GP regions.  Is there room for improvement? Always.
Do we have an expectation for how events are run? Yes.
Is this the way to help get it done? Can't hurt.

Thanks

Paul
MW #292

[Team-G]

Ok, here's my $0.02..

CCS corporate in TX probably forgot about the Sunday quite hours and just rented the track.  For next time, since the track can stay hot until the sun goes down, how about practice all day Saturday (racers only & learning curves) until 5, run the GT races and a couple of sprints from 5-8:30, sprints on Sunday, and a standard LP track day for the rest on Monday?

[Burt Munro]

One comment on the 2 hour down time.  

The Track has a different Manager than the last time we raced there (Oct 04).  

Last year we were able to limit the down time to about 1 1/2 hrs (10:30-12:00) by running races between 10-10:30 with classes other than what Bernie and the Kegel Boys are legal for  ;D

There were several other surprises.... In the past the crash truck was manned by a crew from a college in Kalamazoo (I think?) that is studying Automotive Design and Engineering.  Their professor was usually there as well because he's big into car racing and they have a University sponsored club that campaigns an SCCA sports car.

This year - no club from the school and oh, by the way, if you want the track to supply a crash truck it will be $50/hr! ???

Several other challenges related to new Track Management - but I won't get into those.

[Super Dave]

The other side of the coin is that Gingerman has attracted neither the number of riders nor entries to successfully operate a CCS race weekend financially.  

They have continued to keep in on the schedule hoping that it will build up a base.  

Has it came?

[Jeff]

The other side of the coin is that Gingerman has attracted neither the number of riders nor entries to successfully operate a CCS race weekend financially.  

They have continued to keep in on the schedule hoping that it will build up a base.  

Has it came?

PRE 2004 I would agree with you, but for the last 2 years, CCS has arranged manufacturer contingency for these weekends which has significantly increased turnout.

Personally if CCS continues to offer incentives to get people to this track (mfr contingencies, etc), they should step up to a 2 day event.

I will be writing Kevin Elliott to this effect, and would encourage everyone else to as well.

On the bright side, it was cool to be able to run late and not have races cut like in the past, or at other tracks...

[Super Dave]

Doesn't really answer the question...

How many riders?  How many entries?

[Jeff]

Doesn't really answer the question...

How many riders?  How many entries?

Okay Dave, I can play that too  8) ...  

Gingerman has attracted neither the number of riders nor entries to successfully operate a CCS race weekend financially.

What fact in 2004-2005 are you basing this statement on?

My statement is based on grid sizes.  The jump in 2003-2004 was more than double (I don't have the exact number, but I did track this and it was more than double)

2005 seemed larger than 2004, but I don't have the exact data to back up the statement.

I'm confident that CCS has the data, but whether they act on it or not will, in all likelihood, depend on whether they HEAR from the riders.  

You know this as well as I do Dave.  If they don't know a (perceived) problem exists with the riders, they will not look into fixing it.

If you're just simply asking the question, I apologize for seeming snippy (even though I don't intend my comments to be snippy).  I don't have the data and don't know that anyone here has it.