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how about if we raced for 20 scored the race and the next race we started as we finished in the earlier race? this would be the same as that but we would start w/ the lead we had @ the end of the 20. i see no issue in giving 100 points 2 times for running 2 20 minute races as one.
obviously this only seems populare amoung a few. so i'm not sure how this will work out.
Can I say I don't care which it is 20 or 40....double or not ? :lol:
I just want to race and don't care for the details. :P
Here are my thoughts...as a racer, and not a director.
1) I could care less if a race is 20 or 30 or 40 minutes long, as long as I know when the schedule comes out (or at least in the driver's meeting that morning) that's fine with me. The # of races per weekend is more important to me.
2) The # of races in our weekend is really NASA's responsibility and ultimately out of our control. NASA has done a great job over the years of granting our wishes (4/wkd) in this area, and we really should appreciate their efforts in this area. The # of races per weekend is primarily driven by the size of the NASA event and # of other race groups they have to fit in. The "size of the event" is usually not known until the week before due to late entries. ("Late"= <2 wks prior...I think as a region, TX racers are probably the latest registrars.) As NASA grows in size, it will be increasingly difficult to justify letting AI/CMC get 4 races while all other groups get 3. (This is why the 3 race model is looking more attractive if the other groups grow in size.) If things remain static (which we hope they don't), then maybe they'll continue to grant us 4 races per weekend. However, a 20-20-40 minute 3-race weekend may soon be the way to go.) We'll definately get this nailed down with Clifton/Shannon before January.
3) I'm against double points. A race is a race...usually double points are something that a sanctioning body uses to assure that people come to the event. (i.e.- if there was only 1 points race for the entire weekend, folks might not show up...however, if it were quadruple points, folks can't afford to miss it since it's equally weighted with all other "normal race weekends") I like to think that our events are more about getting together, gettting on track and having fun. I hope the day never comes that the plastic trophies and piddly points are the sole reasons to prevent me from coming to an AI/CMC event, it's soooo much more than that. :wink:
-=- Todd
Todd, while I would to share your wish that "other" run groups will grow here in TX, I think what we saw this year, and even in our own group, the car counts are dwindling and the event at TWS to share time with the TSRS guys in an effort to get car counts up is showing that maybe AI/CMC should be on track MORE often. Personally, I would like to see 4 30 minute races in a weekend. That's only another 20 minutes per day which is only one race group to drop off, ie formula V....with 2 more that could/may disappear anyway.
Granted all this is just speculation but we should fight to grow our series in both car count and track time as the premier series for NASA and NASA TX...we should NOT even begin to accept scaling back the very series that is the anchor for racing in TX...
More over, I would like to see the lunchtime parade lap turn into a ride along program where some of us have passenger seats in the cars and do exhibition "races" to get some of the more serious HPDE guys a taste for interest in joining us. Don't know the insurance ramifications of that but it seems to work at "other" events to get people hooked if anything to return to HPDE and grow that car count. Our roles should be as ambassadors of the series to make it grow...not the mascots that just sit around a look good while our track time gets cut to bore the crowd watching a race of 4 cars for 30 minutes.
I am also fine with GPC running with us by qual time. It has seemed to work out OK when gridded by qual time or split start. Maybe THAT is what gets us the 30 minute races...?
Just my $0.02
who logged in under Matt's user ID?
good post Matt. if all race groups had the car count ours has, NASA TX would be doing very well.
what other class's have 23 (CMC) points collecting drivers? i'm not up on the AI count, but it aint weak either.
i think NASA's biggest issue is the start time in the mornings. the track shout be hot by 7am or sun up. and more so in the hotest part of the summer. this would grant them an extra hour each day. there are 3 run groups that could run in that time.
The management doesn't care about DE.
jb
That may be the case however if you look at the model for NASA on the east coast....DE is what pays the track rental and the rest of the bills...Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffburch
Four 30 minute races - that would be cool!
I vote for 4 30 minute races...
i think the issue w/ NASA TX is time in the day. they either have to do more combining of the groups or drop some groups from the schedule. no-one wants to see groups dropped, but devoting an entire 20 minutes to 4 cars is just plain <insert belittling comment here>. for NASA TX to consider dropping us to a 3 race weekend is not wise if they choose to keep accomodating small car count groups in a way they would not/will not accomodate us. as i said before, the day needs to be started earlier and groups need to be combined better into higher car counts. i saw almost 60 cars on track @ Mid Ohio. before i had to run w/ that many cars, i thought it was crazy. now ithink 35-40 should be standard practice. this also means the possibility of combining HPDE guys into one group if the need is there. we pay a premium for our track time, we should be allowed to get more track time. if the HPDE guys pay $75 to $100 less than us, then they should be the ones to get high car count run groups and less track time.
and yes, 4 30 minute races would be ideal for all in my book too.