Woody Hair wrote:
>
> > >From: Scott Meyers <solo2@uswest.net>
>
> > >It behooves any event organizer to establish a balance of cars and classes.
>
> Is it the event organizer's duty? I think it's more the responsibilty
> of the Solo2 SEB to do more realistic classing. I don't know if these
> figures are typical of the rest of the country, but let me give you one
> example from the Metro Washington (DC) Council of Sports Car Clubs
> Series that uses SCCA Solo2 classes, except one paxed Ladies Class.
> Typical fields this year are about 140 drivers. After the first nine
> events this year, CSP averages 21.2 drivers with a high of 23 and a low
> of 18. DSP averages 4.5 drivers with a high of 6 and a low of 2.
> Woody Hair
And this says what? That DSP isn't a popular class in your region.
That's all.
The SEB is responsible for establishing the primary rules under which
the club competes. However, it is entirely up to the region to decide to
create another class or classes to bring in more competitors. Street
tire, Rookie, PAX, Street Mod, and others are perfect examples of these
classes. What your statistics show is that CSP is more popular class in
your region. In our region, DSP had the highest population of all of the
regular SCCA classes. What does that say? That VW's are more popular in
our area than Hondas? Maybe, but I doubt it. It simply says that DSP is
more populated. There are lots of reasons as to why a certain class is
bigger than others. Not the least of which is the type of people that
compete in those classes. If you have a very cliquish group of drivers
in a class that aren't as open to new people, then regardless of the
demographics of your region, that class will not likely have a very high
retention rate.
When I first started autoxing, it was in a DSP VW, and there were some
really great folks in that region (and class) that were very friendly
and enthusiastic. If there hadn't been anyone that was like that, I
could have just as easily said to myself "this is fun, but I don't feel
like hanging around.", and I may have bailed on the sport before I even
got going. Not that it was likely, I was hooked from my first day.
Actually, I didn't really get hooked after my first run, but after my
second time around the course when I rode passenger with Charlie Davis.
Thanks alot CHuck! It's all your fault! :-) From that moment on I was
hooked. But it was his openness and willingness to take me along as a
passenger, even though he didn't know me from adam. THAT's what makes
people keep coming back for more. It sure worked for me.
Regions, make whatever classes you want. If you do it right, you may
even have a points battle take shape. But I don't believe simply
creating a class for member retention will ever work unless there is the
attitude to go with it. Dennis seems to have the enthusiasm for making
STU a happening class in his region if not nationally. And that's what
will keep people coming. "Build it and they will come" doesn't really apply.
Just my $0.02, for whatever that's worth...
-Josh2
--
Joshua Hadler '74 914 2.0 CSP/Bi - Hooligan Racing #29 - CONIVOR
'87 Quantum Syncro - aka stealth quattro
jhadler@rmi.net
http://rainbow.rmi.net/~jhadler/
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