James G.W. brings up an excellent point- why not move the Nats around a
bit? Maybe not coast to coast, but how about Denver to
Indiana? Topeka is at best equally inconvenient for 70% of the autox
populace. If Nats were a day closer every other year, I'd probably make
50% of them instead of none, and I bet I'd have a lot of west coast company in
those years.
As to the racing center of the country, I have a strictly biased opinion
that while the southeast may arguably be the center of the race
spectating population due to Nascar, I think California is the center of
the race participation population. Two SCCA regions have their own
large, mutliconfiguration road courses. There are of course those other
obscure tracks- Laguna Seca, Sears Point, and Willow Springs. If those
tracks don't have CART or Nascar, they are having SCCA events or NASA events or
schools or club track days. San Francisco Region, Cal Club, and San Diego
are all pushing 300 particpants at their SCCA autocross events, and it is not
unusual in San Diego for the SCCA, the Porsche Club, and the BMW club to be
having autoxes at Qualcomm Stadium on the same day in different lots.
We're probably talking 500 drivers competing at one site on the same day.
Plus, there are 5 or so kart tracks within an hour's drive from my
house. Then, for those who don't like turning both ways, I have there
are two dirt tracks and one asphalt short track within a 1/2 hour drive of my
house. And, let's not forget those wacky desert racers... or, the
California Rally series participants.
But, for those who'd really rather pay $50-200 to rent 12 inches of
hard aluminum seating in the broiling sun with a superfund toxic waste site 50
feet under their fannies watching other people drive around in circles while
being amazed at the number of confederate flags to be found in Southern
California, there's the California Speedway.
So, Mr. Johnson, if you're out there, you should really stop considering
moving the SCCA HQ anywhere eastward, and bring it, the Nats, the Runoffs, and
every other important paricipant event in the SCCA universe to sunny
California... where it's warm in the winter, you have no need to master an
alternative American dialect, the skeeters won't carry off your cat, and the
gators won't make your beloved rottweiler disappear.
--- Ron Chapman
--- rdcracer@earthlink.net
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