Fellow Cone Chasers,
I have been lurking on the list for a while now. Glad it is here.
The course thread has struck close to home. We used to have to run multiple
laps and run one car at a time because of it. We also ran on free lots for
the most part. A few years back we started renting the larger lots complete
with exposure on the marquee out front.
Once we got out into the light we found folks waiting to find us. By running
a two car course we are able to put 600+ runs on the course in an average day.
Four runs are the norm. Six runs sometimes. We averaged 117 entries in '98.
The runs start at 11:00am. We usually end around 5:00pm.
To do these kind of numbers you need the right equipment.
We updated our timer to handle the new crowd of folks. It does PAX and even
tells us how many trophies of each place to make and who they go to. We can
produce results and do trophies within minutes of the last run. Hand out the
fire wood and still have time for fun runs! This way the travelers can hit
the road with their awards. The ones who want practice can stay for a bit.
This did not happen overnight. We DID get a boost that year. We got the cool
lots by going into the coliseum office in a business like manner. We also
wanted to know "how much?". We didn't do the free lot dance. We got and
signed a CONTRACT. This puts your club into the customer catagory. This way
when the Monster Trucks come in the night before, they stay late to clean up.
To get some funds we went and got a sponsor for that first big one. The
sponsor covered just the lot rental. The first year we used the big lot
twice. Then it was more the year after. Then it was the coliseum in the next
town.
This year we have started on our largest acquisition of venues. (really it
was Sept. last year ) We have the local Fair Grounds and Midway. The course
will go on the Midway is where the rides for the fair go. The grounds part
are a park like deal we will use for a paddock. They city is planning on
repaving the Midway by late summer or next year. It is not perfect, but we
can show interest and move things along. By the way.... the Midway has a 3000
seat shaded grandstand.
All of this plus a TON more I did not talk about has happened in five years.
I guess I got off of the course design part.... the main thing is that if you
can get a cool site the course possibilties open on up. The folks come out,
and the club thrives.
Put on an event in a no fun, out of the way place with a course that the
newbie has a hard time with and the car counts will drop off. The new person
has to at least see how they may be able to figure the whole thing out. This
way they come back to try and do better.
Sure not everyone likes everything about every course. I have found by
observation that the one who gets all bowed up over this turn and that turn
will have problems. With only seconds to do any one section of an autocross
course, there is no time to have bad attitudes clouding the picture. Take
each part and section as it comes and do the best you can. Roaring up to a
pivot cone and cussing under your breath the whole way tends to get your mind
off of the task at hand.
Have a good day,
Alan Giles
Triad Sports Car Club
www.auto-x.com
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