For the nth + 1 time:
Regions can do whatever they want. If you want the "Red Corvette with Dual
side pipes class" then just add it to your region's supplemental rules. If
you never get any attendance in ASP then remove it from your region's class
structure. Anyone who shows up with and ASP car will have to run AMod.
SM2 is not showing large attendance figures at National level events, hence
its provisional status. No big deal if its eliminated from National class
structure. Because it means that there were not enough competitors going to
National level events to support it.
The system is not broken. Stop trying to break (ooops, I mean fix) it :-)
Regards,
Alan
----- Original Message -----
From: <dg50@daimlerchrysler.com>
To: <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:23 AM
Subject: Re: SM2 and F125
> > So, to summarize, at my local autocross club, SM2 & F125 have posted
more
> > entries than four stock classes, four street prepared classes, *all*
> prepared
> > classes, and *all* other modified classes,
>
> Pardon me while I indulge myself in a self-satisfied smirk.
>
> *smirk*
>
> Ahh, that felt good. :) Moving on:
>
> > yet as I understand it, both SM2 & F125 are on the Solo 2 chopping
> > block as far as the SCCA is concerned. Does this confuse anyone other
> than me?
>
> You have to understand how the system works.
>
> Firstly, the single metric by which a class is judged is attendance. A
> popular (by virtue of attendance) class is a "successful" class, an
> unpopular class an "unsuccessful" one.
>
> As it sits right now, however, there is no mechanism where Regional (or
> even Divisional) attendance figures get relayed to Denver/Topeka for
> analysis.
>
> Thus, the only events where class attendance has visibility to those in
> charge of making the decisions on if a class stays or goes are National
> events, and thus these decisions are based soley on National event
numbers.
>
> That's the way it works.
>
> There are serious and obvious problems with this policy. It takes about 3
> years for a class to build a competitor base and "trickle up" to National
> events on their own (assuming the class is well designed and serves a
large
> enough population) Getting the numbers at National events needed to ensure
> the class is there when the Regional base starts showing up at the bigger
> events thus takes active involvement by those who would see the class
> succeed. It makes it harder than it would otherwise.
>
> However, there is a silver lining in there. If it takes extra effort to
> make sure that a new class gets the National attendance numbers required
to
> stick around, then any class that DOES meet the National attendance
targets
> must have had some competitors pulling hard for it. Any class that can
> generate that much motivation is more likely to continue generating future
> competitors. Conversely, any class that CANNOT generate the extra
> motivation to meet the attendance targets perhaps is not sufficiently
> attractive enough to ensure future success.
>
> And the creation of new, undersubscribed classes is a Very Bad Thing. New,
> popular classes are Very Good Things, but we already have far too many
> undersubscribed classes. The Club must protect itself, aggressively,
> against the creation of any more.
>
> So that the bar is set very high is not necessarily a bad thing.
>
> In any case, for better or worse, that is how the system functions. We
just
> get to work within it.
>
> I cannot speak to F125, I have no visibility into their situation. SM2 I
am
> intimately involved with, and things are not that bad.
>
> Firstly, you get two years to fail before you're gone. Even in the worst
> possible case (no SM2 cars at any National events this year, no SM2 cars
at
> Nationals) SM2 will be around for 2003.
>
> Two failing years back to back while in Supplimental status, though, is
> grounds for eliminination. If SM2 were to have no National participation
in
> 2003, then it would be subject to termination for 2004.
>
> SM2 has not yet failed for 2002. It has underperformed, to be sure, but it
> IS going to be offered at Nationals this year. SM2 will run with EM. If
SM2
> brings less than 18 cars, then it will remain part of EM, a trophy will be
> awarded to the top SM2 car within EM, and it will be considered to have
> "failed" for 2002.
>
> If, however, SM2 brings more than 18 cars, it will be broken out into its
> own class (in the EM heat), will be awarded trophies according to the
> normal National scale, and will be considered to have "passed" for 2002.
>
> Next season, you get to do it all over again. Two successive "pass" years
> gets you full National status, two successive "fail" years may get you
> tossed out.
>
> So the bottom line is: if you want to see SM2 get Full National status,
> grab ahold of one of those SM2 competitors in your Region, and take
him/her
> to Nationals this year.
>
> While you're at it, could you tell the whole SM class at your Region to
> come to Nationals? We're trying to beat CP for turnout, and could use the
> help. ;)
>
> I hope this clarifies things a bit. Please feel free to spread this news
> around.
>
> DG
>
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