Growing AI/CMC numbers

[David Love AI27]

Daron, you have a great point about targeting HPDE regulars but I think you know darn good and well that the only HPDE group in TX that packs people in is Driver's Edge :?

YOU ARE SSSSSOOOO FULL OF CRAP!!!! I came into this series through NASATX HPDE!!!! and so did my daughter and soon my cousin and next will be my son.... NONE of us HAVE ever nor WILL ever attend Driver's Edge... get the facts before posting this crap!!!!

[David Love AI27]

Last year I purchased a DVD from SCCA - Houston Region titled: "50 Years of Fueling the Racing Spirit" it was released AFTER the Donovan/Varner video... it took them 50 years to distribute their first one!! oh and the video was crap but the cover was really nice...

[Mike Bell]

Daron, you have a great point about targeting HPDE regulars but I think you know darn good and well that the only HPDE group in TX that packs people in is Driver's Edge :?

YOU ARE SSSSSOOOO FULL OF CRAP!!!! I came into this series through NASATX HPDE!!!! and so did my daughter and soon my cousin and next will be my son.... NONE of us HAVE ever nor WILL ever attend Driver's Edge... get the facts before posting this crap!!!!

Uh, David, the fact is that Drivers Edge still packs them in and sells out their HPDE events on a regular basis. Not sure why you are doubting that simply because you didn't use Mr. Schwalenberg's services. :?:

[GlennCMC70]

[
Daron, you have a great point about targeting HPDE regulars but I think you know darn good and well that the only HPDE group in TX that packs people in is Driver's Edge :?

YOU ARE SSSSSOOOO FULL OF CRAP!!!! I came into this series through NASATX HPDE!!!! and so did my daughter and soon my cousin and next will be my son.... NONE of us HAVE ever nor WILL ever attend Driver's Edge... get the facts before posting this crap!!!!

David, i too think you mis-took Todds comment. look at car count. Drivers Edge is where i came from. those events are almost always a sell out. when was the last time NASA HPDE refused HPDE drivers due to car count?

Todd, your above statement was spot on. do what you can.
Ask not what NASA can do for you, ask what you can do for AI/CMC TX.
i know, cheezy. :roll: but you get the point. you only get out of it what you put into it. Todd and Adam both put alot into this just to get it started. if your not willing to do a little something to further the growth of AI/CMC, dont complain about what other arent doing.

[bossskip302]

Sorry I have not been in the loop...what happened to the monies we gave last year to Chris...was it used for the banquet...as far as marketing I spent 10 years with Pepsico as many hats one being Bus. Development Manager, we started the 20oz concept...(can you imagine me at 35 years old managing 20 folks and overseeing 35 million budget...scary)
NASA Tx can do much more to increase car numbers, the first person I meet was AG and he was a great ambassador for NASA, made us feel welcomed.
Whom is going to fill shoes like that?
long uphill battle
I dont think marketing is the what needs to be looked at.
S

[Todd Covini]

Couple clarifications...
1) I was mis-quoted...it wasn't I that made the Driver's Edge statement above, it was Matt. (I corrected it for the record.)

2) No disrespect to the Driver's Edge...they do pack 'em in and have a great HPDE program as do SVTOA, SCMC and others....that is a fact. It's an opinion, however, whether or not HPDE drivers make good AI/CMC candidates...I think they are, whichever HPDE program they come from (preferably NASA!) :wink:

3) The $600 in our series fund has yet to be spent and is sitting with me at the moment. The monies were originally used for the Speedzone downpayment and when it got a little Chilly in Dallas, they returned it to me.

Now, the Houston banquet will largely be provided by DriverSource and Argent Lab....but I'd like use a fraction of the funds for this banquet if necessary to ensure success and we plan to return the remaining funds for other means later this year. We'll account for any & all expenditures.

-=- Todd

[donovan]

Summer BBQ!!!

[David Love AI27]

[quote="Mike BellUh, David, the fact is that Drivers Edge still packs them in and sells out their HPDE events on a regular basis. Not sure why you are doubting that simply because you didn't use Mr. Schwalenberg's services. :?:[/quote]

They make money offering DE, not racing... If they promoted our racing series they would loose their business. I have heard more than once that NASATX should charge MORE for DE to take the load off of us, that is so stupid. How about this for an idea: LOWER the DE fees bring in more potential racers and then with more numbers NASATX can lower the fees... I have been wrong before so there is a good chance I am wrong again... :evil:

[Mike Bell]

Uh, David, the fact is that Drivers Edge still packs them in and sells out their HPDE events on a regular basis. Not sure why you are doubting that simply because you didn't use Mr. Schwalenberg's services. :?:

They make money offering DE, not racing... If they promoted our racing series they would loose their business. I have heard more than once that NASATX should charge MORE for DE to take the load off of us, that is so stupid. How about this for an idea: LOWER the DE fees bring in more potential racers and then with more numbers NASATX can lower the fees... I have been wrong before so there is a good chance I am wrong again... :evil:

OK, I'll go ahead and admit it: I'm very confused and cannot connect any of the dots. You got me stumped. What is the question again? :?

Did I ever say "charge more for DE"?? Did I ever say that TDE should promote NASA TX racing??

Someone said TDE sells out their HPDE on a regular basis, you said they were full of crap and to get the facts straight - I pointed out where I agree with the assertion that TDE packs them in for their HPDE events.

How that equates to anything regarding NASA TX is beyond me amigo.

[mitchntx]

They make money offering DE, not racing... If they promoted our racing series they would loose their business. I have heard more than once that NASATX should charge MORE for DE to take the load off of us, that is so stupid. How about this for an idea: LOWER the DE fees bring in more potential racers and then with more numbers NASATX can lower the fees... I have been wrong before so there is a good chance I am wrong again... :evil:

I think you need a cigarette ...

No one is lowering anything. I wouldn't be suprised to see an increase in fees for both the racers and DE.

The underlying facts are ...

Fact one:
Mustangs and Camaros are considered drag cars. Go to any internet forum and straight-line racing is the over-whelming majority. why? Because it's easier to bench race reaction times, elapsed times and trap speeds. It's a common denominator ...

Conversely, how does someone with FTD at MSR-H compare his internet chest thumping to a driver at VIR with FTD?

You can't ... so road racing these cars has strike one against it.

Fact two:
DEs foster play, not racers. DEs allow someone with a street car to drive fast with little fear of damage. 90% of the DE participants drive their cars to the track on Sunday and to work on Monday.

Owning a dedicated track car takes a SIGNIFICANT investment in infrastructure to support it.

I know a few of us came through the DE ranks. We are a HUGE minority of DE participants.

Fact 3:
NASA-TX is race oriented. The focus is race, not DE. The folks running DE are there to race, not baby sit.

That is not a statement that should be taken as an insult to their dedication to DE, just a mind-set that permeates all of NASA-TX.

Personally and after being Time Trial Director for a season, I don't see how a person can split their focus between the 2 venues. If I had TT to deal with, my race car suffered. If I was working on the race car, TT suffered.

So, what's the answer?

I dunno ...