2006 Autocross Points Tally Method Notice!

[Curt Yaws]

The official Autocross point tally method has now been finalized for the 2006 season.

2006 has been a great year for those who enjoy Autocross in San Diego. With 14 Autocross events scheduled plus 3 DE’s, we’ve put a few extra miles on our cars! Our team’s goal was to provide many safe and fun driving events for the San Diego Region. Based on the feedback we’ve received, we think we hit the target on that front.

It’s always an interesting exercise to plan our events because, as most of you are aware, we are at the mercy of the Qualcomm stadium schedule. This year’s schedule included 12 points events (assuming the remaining events go as planned) and 4 of those events landed on holiday weekends. This presents a challenge for everyone as we may plan travel to see family and friends during those weekends.

For 2006, we are allowing participants to throw out up to 2 point events. This means the maximum number of events included in the tally is 10. That maximum could be less than 10 if we are unable to run a scheduled “points event” for any reason.

If, for example, 12 points events are run and you only participated in 9 events, all 9 of those will count toward your season point total. If you participated in all 12 events, however, you must eliminate 2 of the events to calculate your season point total based on 10 events.

If we only run 11 points events, then the maximum number of events used to calculate season points is 9. If we run 10, then the maximum to calculate point totals is only 8 events.

Please Note: The remaining point events of the season are scheduled for: Sep 16, Oct 22 and Nov 25.

We know we are a bit behind on this announcement, so we fully expect some feedback on that front. The decision is final.

We plan on announcing the upcoming 2007 season rules in January.

XOXOXO,

Your AX Team

[Jad]

I agree you have done a great job all year. THANKS

I do think changing the rules this late in the season is very unfair and was a very poor choice made without notice to or discussion from the members with substantial impact in several of the close classes. I specifically asked about this on the forum and no response was forthcoming. Discussions like this are one of the main reasons for having the forum. This is the kind of thing the FIA would do, not the normally well run PCA-SDR. No significant racing organization allows you to drop finishes, so why do we decide to 3/4 of the way through the year?

For the future, I am not saying I am totally against the idea of being able to throw out 1 or 2 events, I just don't like having the decision made this late in the year after we have already skipped weddings, graduations, births of children in order to attend all of the events and have a chance to win the class

See you Saturday! Be ready for unhappy people who have attended all the events, and very happy people who have missed 1 or 2.

[Jackie C]

Curt, Chuck and Dave,
I commend you ALL for one of the best AX years to date. I enjoy many aspects of our club, but my heart belongs to AXing. Since this might be our last full year of events, to ammend the rules this late in the season seems completely unfair. I too posted questions on the forum that went unanswered. Even Kim Crosser's post saying that we wouldn't drop events wasn't corrected by the AX team. Are we intitled to know why this is just now being addressed? It's not as if there were new races just added. I agree whole heartedly with Jad in that the racers who have already adjusted their weekends and paid their dues should not be penalized by being forced to drop 2 AXs. To think that all of you took on this job as novices is a testament to your fortitude. Put your hard hats on because it would appear that something may be ready to hit the fan...

[ttweed]

As someone who has been substantially effected by rule changes in the past, I am sympathetic to those who might be negatively impacted by this late change in the autox series points tabulation method. I have no dog in this fight, since I have not made a concerted effort to compete for a class championship this year in either the region or the zone, due to previous rule changes.

However, it seems to me, from reviewing the current series standings, that out of the 50+ classes for which we have compiled results this year, there are really only 4 that might actually be impacted by this change: 944 Spec, GS, KP and LSS-- and it remains to be seen whether there will actually be any difference in the final standings in those 4 classes regardless of how the points are tallied.

For the majority of the people involved, this doesn't really seem to be that big of a deal. I'd hate to see the AX chairs taking a bunch of heat for this decision, detracting from what has generally been an excellent season of autox.

Just my $.02,
TT

[Henry Walker]

I have to chime in on this too. I agree that this AX team has given us some great tracks and smoothly run events.
However, this is completely inappropriate to make a rules change anytime after the first event, much less this late in the season. I also fully agree with Tom in that this only affects a few classes. I think the autocross chairs should, at the very least, poll those classes and get their take on this. If there is ANY discontent, then it would only be right to leave things as they are - no throw-outs.
BTW, I'm not affect by this ruling either. Just a concerned citizen.

[4est]

Who asked for this rules change anyway? 'Season Standings' should be just that; the standings for the full season. Did someone who would benefit initiate this whole thing? Competition in AX is fierce, and the season long. My $.02 is to leave it alone.

[ttweed]

If this ruling is indeed final, and the number of maximum events to be tallied for the season turns out to be 10, then what will be the minimum number of events necessary to be eligible for year end awards? Five? Six? It seems to me I remember in past years that we had some rule about needing to run at least 1/2 the events in a particular class to be eligible. Is that still true? I know in the Zone, you must participate in 51% of the events and also run in at least one event outside your state. What are the rules for our regional series regarding this?

While we're on the subject of year-end awards, has there been a decision made regarding trophies for this year, or are we going to forego the expense like last year? Like I said, I'm not in the hunt for a trophy this year, but I think making these things known would be a good thing to clarify people's expectations as the season winds down.

Thx,
TT

[Jad]

Can the autocross chairs explain how they decided on the throw outs when the rules we operate under clearly state:

C. Zone 8 points for year-end awards will be counted for all Zone 8 Driving events. All events will be scored. To be eligible for year-end awards you must participate in at least 51% of the year's events. Additionally, you must participate in at least one event outside your state of residence (if at least two are held during that year) to be eligible for a year-end award in that event.

Please explain why you are not only changing the game, but also breaking the rules?

[ttweed]

Please explain why you are not only changing the game, but also breaking the rules?

Jad-
Those are the rules for "Zone 8 sanctioned" events, not our regional series. We have always differed from the Zone in the way we tally points for the regional season. For example, there are no "out of state" bonus points for events in our region, and no bonus points for attending every event, as stated in the section immediately below the one you quoted:

"There will be a competition bonus of ten (10) points, awarded once a year per entrant, for the first Zone 8 driving event attended out of the entrant's state of residence. Subsequent "out of state" events attended earn five (5) points each, to a maximum of 20 total travel points (the points are separate between Time Trials and Autocross). If a competitor competes in all Zone driving events either Time Trial or Autocross series he/she will be eligible for one (1) additional point for each event."

Only two of our events this year were Zone events, and a separate tally is kept for the Zone 8 awards, using the Zone rules. We have always just made up our local regulations for tallying the SDR regional series, and changed them at will (like this instance.) Perhaps this is a shortcoming of our procedures that should be rectified, by publishing the rules regarding this at the beginning of the season and sticking by them? I remember there was just this same sort of uproar several years ago when we did the exact opposite--changed from "2 throwouts" to "no throwouts" in mid-season.

TT

[Jad]

TT,

That was true, but the boards current written Standing Rules state "SDR driving events will be conducted in accordance with Zone 8 competition and safety rules."

Also, I went to the website and looked for other rules and the only ones available are the Zone 8 rules.

[ttweed]

Also, I went to the website and looked for other rules and the only ones available are the Zone 8 rules.

That is true. I don't believe the region has ever published any official statement regarding the differences in tallying points for our regional series vs. the Zone series. It has always seemed to me to be a policy that is established quite casually (as opposed to formally) by the current autox chairs, and can change from year to year. Thus my suggestion that this needs to be addressed formally and published prior to the beginning of the year's competition. Unfortunately, we often have new chairpersons starting each new season and I think these decisions get overlooked in the crush of learning and performing other new responsibilities.

TT

[gulf911]

Disclaimer: I have no stake in ax points chase.

How can a board of volunteers who are supposed to support the members make a 'final' decision without notifying/discussing/eluding to etc. this clearly unfair change?? How many it affects is irrelevant, the rule should have been at least discussed this late in the game. Unless its a matter of national security, I too would like to know how/why this change was made. If you can't make an event, thats the way it goes. If the points are that important you'll make the event, barring an emergency of coarse. All events should count.

Tom, aren't the Z8 sanctioned events part of the yearly SDR ax points total?

[Gary Burch]

It is not exactly like they, the ax team, changed the rules-since there were no rules to be changed. The throw out policy is a sham anyway. Events count as events, a missed ax is a missed ax. The person that makes all the events should not be punished because they have nowhere else to go. In fact, they probably need the trophy.

This is a battle that cannot be won, one side will be pissed no matter. The only salvation is to make the announcement early, so that by this time of year everybody has accepted it.

[Dan Chambers]

Well, all I have to say is:

In a club where....
-there are easily 100 competitors vie-ing for a single first place ribbon
-in is a club made up of very successful people: ie., people who can afford to by a Porsche (which means lots of Chiefs and too few Indians)
-as a former AX Chair
-as a former vice President
-as a former EOTY recipient
-as a former Board member
-as a memebr of numerous local government political entities

one thing is abundantly clear here:

Change - particularly Rules Change - is inevitable. Since everyone is never going to be satisfied, the rules will constantly change to try and make all the people happy all the time (good luck with that!)

Choices (as I see it) are:
1) Abandon the Rules Committe and stay stagnant to the current rules (Then even Tom Tweed can drive again)
2) Spit the Dummie (throw a tantrum)
3) Sit down, shut up, and drive your D@*n Porsche.

To complain about changes in the rules is futile. Unless you dismantle the process of changing things (like rules), changes will, by the nature of the beast, constantly occur.

Look: All the folks who make things happen in this club are volunteers. They deserve nothing but praise. Gripes and grumbles can be placed in the nearest rubbish bin.

To the AX Chairs, the rules Committee, the Board, the Tech Inspectors, and everyone else who breaks a sweat at every event: Thank You!

Repsectfully submitted,
Dan C.

[Curt Yaws]

OK…..the ax chairs will be the guys with their helmets on all day Saturday. Tech will be doing extra screening for drivers trying to sneak in baseball bats and sticks.

We apologize for the late notice. Our goal is to be as fair to everyone as possible, and we think our lousy schedule this year with so many holiday weekend events created problems for many people.

Thank you for the positive comments. Being completely naïve, we volunteered to be ax chairs. David is even going to do it again, but he may be a slow learner. Please note that we generally only post announcements on the forum. We don’t see it as our job to audit or correct people who make statements we didn’t agree to, and none of us like to participate in disagreements. We get plenty of those during timed runs at each ax. We’d like to make as many people happy as possible.

Our primary goal was to recognize the drivers who were the best in their class. With no throw-outs, our usual system tends to benefit those who are at every event, rather than those who drive the best. With too many throw-outs, you win five races and can go home for the year. We are trying to find balance, and this is how we did it. It may not be the best way, it’s just the way we did it. We thought it was the most fair.

We will require a minimum of 50 percent of races to be run to be eligible for a trophy. Of course, in a competitive class, showing up 50 percent of the time will not allow you to win.

I offer a suggestion that we establish a points sub-committee under the rules committee next year, to address this issue and recommend a permanent policy. As relative rookies, it's truly outside of our expertise to understand all the nuances involved.

Thank you for your support and participation this year.