travelling distance to races

[ahastings]

How big should a region be? Most of us have full time jobs, but if you want to chase a regional championship and hit all rounds requires an excessive amount of travelling at least in the Mid-Atlantic region.  I just always think it is ridiculous to have Daytona in the Mid-Atlantic region let alone Barber and Roebling. If CCS thinks that is how they get more revenue, I don't believe it as it just discourages all but the few with deep pockets and flexible work schedules to chase the regional championship. From the most northern track ,Summit Point to Daytona, the most southern track in the region it is 875 miles. I don't think any of the other regions are anywhere near as large

[251am]

     Right on brotha!!! Preach on!  It's racing man. Our first MW weekend is in Topeka, about a 20 hr round trip drive for me. The guys that live further north will drive more. I don't know what to say, but I hear your complaint. BTW-congrats on your #3 OA for '06.

  Here's 2 ways to put a smiley face on it      Mert Lawell (sp?) did not become the racer he was by just hanging out and racing in SW/California, AND it looks like gas prices are coming down. 

[EX#996]

In 2003 when when we did the full season, Topeka was on the MW schedule about a 1460 miles round  trip for us, only Stumpy who lives up in the UP would have been farther.  We didn't even consider going to Daytona for the Race of Champions due to distance and we simply couldn't afford it.  I understand what your saying, but what is the solution?

Dawn

[Jeff]

I logged 4770 miles in 2006 for race travel.  Considering 9mpg and diesel was about $2.85/gal, that's about $1500 in fuel alone. 

You only go to Daytona once, and considering almost everything else is at Summit, your region should be pretty reasonable.

Take where you live and calculate the season's miles.  I'm pretty close to most of our tracks, but still ended up logging 4700+ miles...  I looked at it as our weekly vacation (my wife & kids disagreed.. LOL)

[Super Dave]

CCS developed track championships in some regions to give opportunities for those that felt they wanted to stay closer to home.

Even most AMA guys have full time jobs.

Road America to Barber...there have been times where they were in the same regional series...810+ miles.

Road America to Motorsports Park Hastings - about 700.

Road America to Heartland Park Topeka - around 700.

Regions are, well, regions.

I think the track championships are the only opportunity for localized affirmitive action. 

I was always kind of angry when I race the AMA because everyone was close to a couple of events except for me.  I was centrally located in the US.  But I was equi-distant from every place.  Basically, I could get to Infineon (Sears), Pheonix, Loudon, and Daytona in 24 hours.  Others a little further or closer.

[ahastings]

I understand what your saying, but what is the solution?

Dawn

I know in a lot of mx and off-road series they allow you to drop your worst one or two finishes. The Mid-Atlantic region is the only one that has 12 rounds other than Florida. And 2 of the rounds that are effectively out of the region are double points. 1650 miles round trip to Daytona and over 1500 miles round trip to Barber for me. And it is not like I live on the fringe of the region, I am near the center of the region. If I lived only 200-300 miles or so farther south I would be in the Southeast area. The Mid-Atlantic region is closer to most MidWest tracks than Daytona. I did a little comparison of regions while I was slow at work yesterday with my map program.
Mid-Atlanitic 12 rounds farthest tracks from each other 875 miles,  
Florida region 12 rounds 400 miles apart,
Great Plains 9 rounds 700 miles apart,
MidWest region 9 rounds 700 miles apart,
Southeast 8 rounds, 600 miles apart.

As you can see the MidAtlantic region is by far the worst. I could chase a national series and not do much more travelling.  just want to do a regional series.

[ahastings]

The AMA is a Professional National series, not the same.

[Super Dave]

National series?  Yeah, five events are in your region, ASRA.  MW/GP gets two.  Similar problem, different twist.

[Super Dave]

The AMA is a Professional National series, not the same.

No, but a similar problem.  Who can afford more events?

If you're from Ohio, you're going to have to race in California four times. 

Racing will always have travel problems unless one decides to only hit select events.  If the regional championship is a priority, then sacrifices are usually made.

I think racing generally has a good deal of sacrifice.  Yeah, I'd love to have a series between two tracks.  But most people don't.  And you won't get riders from an extended are from outside that area to show up either.

Regardless, it's a give and take.

Arnie, what would you like to have happen?  Just no Daytona on your regional schedule?

With insurance cost at Datyona exceeding $40k, I'm sure that it has been made a larger regional event because of the need to increase entries and potentially for the desire that other riders may have.

What do you think?

[ahastings]

I would be happy if Daytona was taken out of MidAtlantic region. I propose it every year. It is as much in MidAtlantic as it is in MidWest. Maybe it should be added to the MidWest region too since they only have 9 rounds and it wouldnt be much farther for half the people in that region. Since it is obviously just all about getting more people to Daytona and not really about what region it is in, why not make it double points for all regions.  That is what I think.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

CCS needs to make a profit.  Enticing racers to attend more events farther from home helps CCS remain afloat.  The track rent and event costs are fixed, no matter how many or few riders show up.  If the event undersells, CCS eats the loss.  If CCS can't make a profit, they go under.  Then what?
Hey, I had the same bitch when I was chasing championships.  Now that I help run trackdays, I can understand the other side of the equation.  For example, Gingerman is cheap to rent.  But everyone west of Lake Michigan hates to go there because all that water gets in the way of the commute.  So a potentially lucrative event draws few entries, and CCS takes a hit.  Now they don't race at Gingerman any more.  The customer base dictated that change with their spending habbits, and I can assure you that CCS was greatly disappointed by the lack of entries at that venue.
Cheap tracks or expensive tracks, CCS tries to keep the entry fees close to the same.  Double points and twin sprint weekends are attempts to make book.  The well-attended events must make up for the under-attended ones, and the tracks with cheap rents must generate extra profit to offset the tracks with high rents.  Think about it from an economic point of view.  Club hobby racers don't make a profit from competing, but the series must at least break even to stay in business.  CCS is a series for hobby racers, but CCS itself is not a hobby.
Of course everyone will show up at Road America no matter where they live.  But it costs a bazillion dollars to rent the place, so CCS walks out with about $11.50 in profit when all is said and done.  Then everyone screams about how greedy CCS is for charging extra to race there!  Other premire tracks like Barber and Daytona present the same set of problems.  Ever wonder why we don't race Mid Ohio?
Hey, I'm as guilty as anyone else of complaining about travel and entry expenses.  But there are aspects to this business that we racers don't appreciate.  Just be glad you have a racing series to compete in right now, and think occasionally about what you as a customer might do to help keep the series afloat.
my own ass, because I was totally on the opposite side of this debate just a few years ago....

[stumpy]

I put so many miles on the RV we were getting oil changes every other week it seamed like. You really have to love to travel which we do. That was a 1/16 of the fun(Traveling)  I always thought instead of Daytona, Road America or Barber would have been better.