Publicity / recruitment idea

[gt40]

IMHO -- one of the biggest obstacles to racing is the perceived danger.

Racing IS dangerous, but the general public has been trained to think if you race your car, you'll wreck it in almost every race. All the racing highlight shows concentrate on the accidents (among other things.) and rereally lurid ones make it to the opening graphics for the races (remember Joey Hand's big end-over-end crash at Mid Ohio? You see it at the start of every ALMS broadcast now.)

TT deals with that a bit, once you get through to them that time trials are fundamentally different from w2w, but even that can be difficult.

What we need is a way to demonstrate to the public that our kind of racing isn't as dangerous as they've been led to believe.

[BryanL]

IMHO -- one of the biggest obstacles to racing is the perceived danger.

Racing IS dangerous, but the general public has been trained to think if you race your car, you'll wreck it in almost every race. All the racing highlight shows concentrate on the accidents (among other things.) and rereally lurid ones make it to the opening graphics for the races (remember Joey Hand's big end-over-end crash at Mid Ohio? You see it at the start of every ALMS broadcast now.)

TT deals with that a bit, once you get through to them that time trials are fundamentally different from w2w, but even that can be difficult.

What we need is a way to demonstrate to the public that our kind of racing isn't as dangerous as they've been led to believe.

Then you can't take Glenn's car out anywhere as an example! :lol:
Glenn you in town this weekend? I should be over at the house one day this weekend.

[Alien]

What we need is a way to demonstrate to the public that our kind of racing isn't as dangerous as they've been led to believe.

The public? I wouldn't waste time trying to educate the public. First mention of road racing usually gets ugly stares. Then you spend a few minutes trying to explain that road racing != street racing as the back away from you, you evil person you.

AutoX and DE's are your fishing grounds

[GlennCMC70]

IMHO -- one of the biggest obstacles to racing is the perceived danger.

Racing IS dangerous, but the general public has been trained to think if you race your car, you'll wreck it in almost every race. All the racing highlight shows concentrate on the accidents (among other things.) and rereally lurid ones make it to the opening graphics for the races (remember Joey Hand's big end-over-end crash at Mid Ohio? You see it at the start of every ALMS broadcast now.)

TT deals with that a bit, once you get through to them that time trials are fundamentally different from w2w, but even that can be difficult.

What we need is a way to demonstrate to the public that our kind of racing isn't as dangerous as they've been led to believe.

Then you can't take Glenn's car out anywhere as an example! :lol:
Glenn you in town this weekend? I should be over at the house one day this weekend.

I should be some. Only plans I have is to go to Mitch's to bend some tube for a couple new cars.

[gt40]

What we need is a way to demonstrate to the public that our kind of racing isn't as dangerous as they've been led to believe.

The public? I wouldn't waste time trying to educate the public. First mention of road racing usually gets ugly stares. Then you spend a few minutes trying to explain that road racing != street racing as the back away from you, you evil person you.

AutoX and DE's are your fishing grounds

By "public" I mean all non-racing folk, which happens to include AutoX and DE folks.

Instructing at TWS PDS, I talk to a LOT of folks about NASA and getting into competitive driving (TT and entry-level W2W.) By far, the most common concern is damage to the car.

[AllZWay]

I wouldn't waste time trying to educate the public. First mention of road racing usually gets ugly stares. Then you spend a few minutes trying to explain that road racing != street racing as the back away from you, you evil person you.

This is usually the problem I always I get when mentioning road racing among the drag racing and dirt track guys.

They usually think "open road racing" if it even registers as what the heck it is. :roll:

[jeffburch]

If I was running TWS, I would put in an 1/8mi drag strip, a 1/5mi dirt oval, a 1/3mi paved oval and maybe a motocross track. Maybe a kart track and a skateboard park.
I used to race motocross at a place in Corpus called Speedway park. On Saturday nite you paid one admission price and you got to see motocross,paved oval racing and.........wait for it.........mud drags.
Man, they had good hotdogs.

Jb

[jeremiahkellam]

If I was running TWS, I would put in an 1/8mi drag strip, a 1/5mi dirt oval, a 1/3mi paved oval and maybe a motocross track. Maybe a kart track and a skateboard park.
I used to race motocross at a place in Corpus called Speedway park. On Saturday nite you paid one admission price and you got to see motocross,paved oval racing and.........wait for it.........mud drags.
Man, they had good hotdogs.

Jb

No bumper cars???

[rpoz27]

If I was running TWS, I would put in an 1/8mi drag strip, a 1/5mi dirt oval, a 1/3mi paved oval and maybe a motocross track. Maybe a kart track and a skateboard park.
I used to race motocross at a place in Corpus called Speedway park. On Saturday nite you paid one admission price and you got to see motocross,paved oval racing and.........wait for it.........mud drags.
Man, they had good hotdogs.

Jb

No bumper cars???

Isn't that AI/CMC?

I like Jeff's idea. I think the kart track should go in first. We already have a 1/4 mile strip and a paved 1 mile and 2 mile oval. Can do mud drags from turn 6-7 driver's left after a rain. As for motocross, we can get Glenn to consult, he's in the dirt a lot. :P

[Rob Liebbe]

Who woke Grandpa Burch up?