Auto-x Series Horror Story

[Greg Phillips]

Just to throw out another alternative, Camp Pendleton sure looks a lot like Fort Ord, which is where Laguna Seca is located.
It is still an active base, but so was Fort Ord when Laguna Seca was started.
I am sure there is the terrrain for a great track on that base somewhere.

Greg

[Tim Comeau]

I would volunteer a bunch of time as well.

[MikeD]

Seems like the best place to start would be to contact Ray Rubio. He's already got a bunch of skin in the game, and might be convinced to get back in the game. Does anyone know how to contact him?

The other aspect is money. I haven't paid a lot of attention as of late. But I read that the first ever Cart race in Denver brought the city $450M. IN ONE WEEKEND! If the politicians see a revenue stream that could rival their current thinking MAYBE we could get them to help us find a solution? Our city is greedy, let's see if we can't feed that greed AND get what we want at the same time.

[Tim Comeau]

The land is the issue. It's too expensive to put anything on it but houses or condos. The landfill is the best area to do something with. What was Rubio's limiting factor there?

[RickK]

Mike,
While attracting a pro series to race can indeed bring big money (450mm sounds huge though) it does mean a different type of facility then just a club track. Now you need grandstands, parking, garages, full electrical and plumbing, more safety fences, concessions, etc. The other problem is attracting and retaining a pro series, Fontana and Phoenix both lost their races for next year (champ car I think but maybe it was GrandAm who pulled out) so that introduces an unknown into the equation.

[Kim Crosser]

I would encourage us to think in terms of a "modest" local motorsports facility - something along the lines of Streets of Willow, rather than a commercial racing venue.

If we can avoid (or minimize) electrics, water/plumbing, grandstands, etc., we can probably keep the cost within reach of a coalition of SD motorsports groups and some outside funding/financing. Also, we avoid things like traffic studies, spectator parking, etc., and minimize the consequent environmental impact study requirements.

Just my $0.02.

[Tim Comeau]

Agree with Kim. Start out with just the track, then add on.

[Michael Dolphin]

I'd like to solicit a Zone wide discussion on potential venues and strategies during the Zone 8 President's meeting in January. This would be a concurrent discussion during the day on this singular topic. There are other Regions within the Zone that already suffer from lack of a driving venue.

I will also be issuing an invitation to the other 12 Regions for their AX managers to attend as well.

BTW, I do have a meeting in early December with the Sheriff of San Bernardino to discuss the potential of using their Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (EVOC) yet again. Recently, they have opened up enough to even offer driving courses to citizens (and teenagers) at their facility on weekends. We would have to make big promises on good behavior -- the last Porsche event ever held there resulted in six cars being towed out because of damage and excessive competition. The Sheriff was not happy.

Please email me direct at carrera3@msn.com with thoughts

[Kim Crosser]

A San Bernardino venue might be interesting for multi-day events, but I think we would lose a lot of attendees for the typical one-day AX events if we suggested driving to SB. By the time you drive to SB, Fontana and the California Speedway parking lot is probably just as accessible.

Regardless of a venue in the SB/Fontana area, I think we need a "local" venue that is accessible in not more than an hour's driving time from the downtown San Diego area. Plus, a real "road course" type venue could be much more interesting than a flat parking lot venue.

[David J Marguglio]

At least one other club (SCCA) has been on top of this issue enough to have a chair charged with the task. That chair attends city council meetings (yuck) and stays on top of all the latest chat regarding new venues. Do we have this??? Do we liaise with other clubs??? Should we get on top of this before it crushes us?

I hereby nominate Kim to head up this new task force. All in favor? All opposed?

Good, Kim you are the new chair for the identification and development of alternative ax sites. Please also recruit several others to act as liaisons to the other car clubs and other investment groups that are currently, or have in the past, examining the feasibility of building a track.

There you go, you have your marching orders, now make us proud!!!

[Kim Crosser]

As the man said after being tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail... "If it twarn't for the honor of the thing, I surely would have declined."

Actually, since my office in in the SF Bay area and I am only here in SD some Saturdays and Sundays, I think we would be better served with a Venue Chair that could attend local M-F meetings and coordinate with other clubs during normal business hours.

I do agree that we should create a Venue Chair position in the club, and I am quite willing to actively participate in a Venue committee (as long as most of my weekday stuff can be done by phone and web). Perhaps a call for volunteers at next weekend's AX?

[Jackie C]

Tonight I am watching CORR (prerunner trucks) on Speed and it's on a brand new 300 acre track in Chula Vista. 1 and 2 mile courses, helicopters taking video overhead and spectator friendly stands. They interviewed the guy who designed it and he stated that just a few weeks ago this was barley fields, but in 2 years they hope to have it up to NASCAR standards. This sounds some what promising, eh?

[Brett Souza]

Hmmm, I was watching parts of the CORR racing (and flipping back and forth to/from Ultimate Fighting Challenge - I am such a dork ) last night too, and I thought they said that that was all gonna be homes in a few years but in the mean time they thought they would just race on it.

But I could be wrong...

[RickK]

Not sure what NASCAR standards are but this is currently an off-road facility and CORR does not need anoval track or a paved track but maybe there is someone there who would like to build more. I think that the track is being built my one of the Baldwin home builders family members. Here is some interesting info http://www.fallads.com/corr_page/html/trackinfo.htm