X-cars at AX

[Dan Chambers]

4. Hold less events per year and have plenty of participation, plenty of corner workers, plenty of fun. (We've never tried this. )

[John Straub]

Not a bad idea Dan. But you know how people take to new ideas.

John

[Mmagus]

4. Hold less events per year and have plenty of participation, plenty of corner workers, plenty of fun. (We've never tried this. )

I have been told that the best way to advance in driving is seat time. I am not a math guru, but I would be willing to wager that the following formulas would be true.

LE/YR = LST and that +XC+CES = MST

[John Straub]

I figured that would get the some one stirred up!

John

[SDGT3]

9 pages

[Niraj]

1. +1
2. -1

Wait...0?

[Jad]

Choice 1.

Let them play with us. If/when it becomes a problem, change the rules so there is always room for Porsches and members. Just make everyone follow all the rules as far as tech and instruction.

[Mmagus]

Let them play with us. If/when it becomes a problem, change the rules so there is always room for Porsches and members. Just make everyone follow all the rules as far as tech and instruction.

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What he said

[lrayner]

+1

[seguina]

Hi Gang!.....Haven't been down with the GT2 in a while. Need some CATS to quiet it down. Besides I'm getting older and that "Kinniger kid" just seem to be getting faster

Your club sure has long discussions. Christine Newcomer pretty much summed up OCR's X class approach. When I started the expanded OCR program 5+ years ago we only had about 40 OCr members come out and they were mostly clueless on what to do. We invited some SCCA member so we had enough bodies to work course and pay the bills. Our course cost were $2,500 per day and we charged $60....and still do.

A couple suggestions:
A. Go ahead and invite some other clubs to join you. Some good suggestions were made on how to control this. You need more bodies to run the event. One thing I would not suggest is reducing the number of AX events. You loose momentum and drivers will find another outlet.

B. Get some sponsors! You are the biggest region in the zone. OCR has three levels of sponsorship.
1. Series Sponsor - OCR's has been Walter's Porsche for the last couple years and they have been wonderfull to work with. Our members even drive to Riverside to buy cars because of their support....along with great prices and great service!
2. Series Support Sponsors - GMG and Sturrgart Performance have been in since day one.
3. Event Sponsors - we have about 8 and they take one or two events per year. Sometime they even provide lunch. Most every event sponsor has returned ever year. It's good one on one time with their customers.

I won't go into details as to who pays what or what they get in return but these sponsors represent OVER $25,000 per year in revenue to the club.

C. BE NICE TO EACHOTHER! YOUR ALL VOLUNTEER'S
We are all just a bunch of car nuts trying to have a good time..........If you try something new and it doesn't work the way you planned it's not the end of the world.......Just go drink and come up with a new plan

HAVE FUN! STEVE....OCR's Concour is at Dana Point over looking the ocean on Saturday...We have a bunch of Excellence Magaine cover cars + club cars...about 120 in total.....and then the AX at El Toro on Sunday. E-mail Christine at registration and I bet she can get you in...

[John Straub]

+1 on the sponsorship!!!! We have had "Tire Sponsors, Independent Shops Sponsors, Dealership Sponsors, Detail Shops Sponsors" just to name a few in the past.

All it takes is someone that has the desire to go get them. And then give the sponsors as much PR as you can(in the Witness, on Awards, the Website and at the Event).

John

[rshon]

+1 on #1.

We just need to be clear to ANY newcomers (members and non-members) what our rules are.

[seguina]

Hi Gang! If you want to see what its like to have and large X class at a PCA event come on up to El Toro Sunday and play with your Porsche. Due to the concour On Saturday some members are not entered in the AX on Sunday. You know how exhausting it can be......up late at night going over the car with Q-Tips We have a very large course planned so COME JOIN THE FUN!.

Just FYI - As of this morning we are at 116 drivers. Thus you can still just register online. OCR still has 4 openings for the AX on Sunday (The registration system caps at 120)..........If it fill just shoot Christine an e-mail at registration and she will get you in.

Also related to this post. We have 8 non PCA members in the X group. (All though the X class is much bigger than usual) It usualy runs 5 to 8 so not a big deal. We do have numerous members that do show up with other cars and COME JOIN THE FUN!

Weather should be great hope to see you Sunday! Steve

[944Greg]

Members that wait until Dec to bring out their "other car" might come to regular autocrosses during the year if they could bring their X-cars instead of waiting until Dec. That might mean a couple of cars (and corner workers) at each regular autocross.

Putting the invitation to EXPERIENCED SCCA and BMW club autocrossers with a cap of 10 or 20 cars/drivers at each event would be OK with me. That way they would probably only need a checkout ride and not an instructor all day. Our events run different than theirs so they would have to know how we run our events, everything from when to tech before going to registration and how we do our course walk/caulk cones, to color group run/work/timed runs order. This would be a great way to eventually invite some of these X-cars/drivers to DE's and Time Trials. We need more cars at Time Trials too, not just autocross events.

If we started to fill up our autocross events with Porsche members and Porsche cars, we would just keep cutting back on the number of X-car, non-member slots to say 5. Or increase it to 30 if we needed more cars at the events. This would be decided by the autocross chairs.

Event chairs should evaluate the driving resume of potential SCCA or other clubs members before allowing them to run an autocross/DE/Time Trial.

We are still going to be in "The Great Recession" for awhile and we cannot continue to loose money at our autocross/DE/Time Trial events.

[ZombiePorsche44]

WOW! I am absolutely amazed at what I have read here. I saw great suggestions and opinions and I saw there were a few questionable comments, so as usual, it seems we all have very different views on the subject but at least we all seem to be equally passionate about it.

I freely admit I am very snobby when it comes to my preferred air cooled ride and PCA, and even though I own a VW & Mercedes and really like other German, Italian & British marques, I really don't want to hang out with BMW/Ferrari/Aston Martin club or any other car club for that matter, why?, because I really like Porsche people best. There is something we all share that I have never seen at other car club events because there is something truly special about our cars and their history.

So if I come off as a snob when I say "I really want our events to be Porsche only", I'm not a hater, it's due to my love and respect for my preferred marque, nothing more.

Now on to the non member/non porsche subject at hand with this personal disclaimer:
"As Co-CDI I have a responsibility to adhere to and enforce our rules without prejudice or favoritism even if I don't agree with or like them."

The 2010 SDR standing rules state that any non member in any marque of car may participate with us, if they are approved by the event chair, if their car meets our technical rules, if they have prior autocross experience and if they pass a check ride.
Since these are the current standing rules I do not have a problem with non member/non porsche X cars or drivers in general, but I do have a problem when those standing rules are not followed completely.

Here is what actually happened, the Neon & Audi were allowed by the event chairs to enter the event, not a problem as per the standing rules, the cars were passed by the tech inspectors to be safe and meet our club requirements and again no problem, but those are only 1/2 half of the rule!

Now for the other parts of the standing rule that were overlooked,
Neither driver provided proof of prior autocross experience.
Neither driver was given a check ride.

To fix the proof of experience thing, we need to come to some understanding of what constitutes proof of prior AX experience, because running with a PCA member at K1 Karting together is not prior AX experience in anyones book, even if they kicked the members arse!, nor is a club member or someone else just saying I think he or she is a good driver without ever seeing them drive at events.

What the CDI's would like to hear before the check ride is "I have run with BMWCCA and have x # of Ax's under my belt" or "I am a SCCA Solo driver with x # of events".

To fix the not getting a check ride thing, effective immeadiately all non member/non porsche x car drivers must pass a check ride with Dan Chambers, Mark Rondeau, Jim Duncan or myself before they are cleared to run.

And that is all I have to say about that subject.

Now on to better stuff..............I am proud to announce that my employer "GT3 TEK" has entered into an agreement with PCA SDR and has become the Main sponsor for our AX series through the end of the year which is now named the GT3 TEK Autocross Series. I will make a general announcement in this forum tomorrow.