I just read FasTrack..
I think the PRO thing is a big deal to National in that one of the key
people in last year's National Solo program (Heyward Wagner) has jumped ship
to assume the job of General Manager for PRO. I think Howard Duncan was
grooming Heyward for a bigger job, so the spit was probably acrimonius. I
have no doubt that there might be hard feelings on both sides. PRO has
gotten a good deal of press in NAP and GRM and Evo Schools. They are pushing
hard with a strong marketing campaign.
They are definitely a threat to our club-oriented, volunteer-run
autocrosses. With the public's growing interest in grassroots motorsports,
it is only a matter of time before some commercial organization comes along
to seize what SCCA continues to leave on the table - heavily promoted
consumer-focused autocross competition. Whether that is really a good idea
in our litiginous society is debatable. But a "retail" form of autocrossing
is surely going to get more press than our "secret" form. And so lots of our
hard-working volunteers are going to have hard feelings and lots of our
hard-working volunteers are going to jump ship to become stars in this new
autocross firmament.
Steve Johnson's memo seems kinda mean spirited to me. There is the implied
threat that if you participate in a PRO event as an organizer that you are
jeopardizing your relationship with SCCA and that support of PRO is
anti-SCCA.
But overall, I don't think it will matter because PRO is setting itself up
for failure. By having only "big-time" events they will not appeal to
neophytes. By having no class for Prepared and Mod cars they cut out 40% of
existing autocrossers. By placing their events at venues that are not big
flat parking lots, they change the nature of the driving and increase the
possibility off-course cars striking stationary objects. Seems like the only
people that will attend their events are the hard-core National-Level Stock,
Street Touring, and Street Mod drivers. Of course many of those hard-core
people are local SCCA core people who will not forsake their regional
programs for PRO and will not give up National and Divisional level SCCA
events for PRO events on the same weekend.
The famous Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times" certainly
applies here.
All IMHO
Regards,
Alan
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carrie Sparling
> Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 1:29 PM
> To: Alan Pozner
> Subject: RE:
>
>
> http://www.scca.org/news/fastrack/03-02.pdf
>
> page f-25 is the infamous memo. I think everybody's being silly.
>
> -=*=-
> Carrie Sparling
> IDenticard Technical Support
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Alan Pozner
> > Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 1:22 PM
> > To: Carrie Sparling
> > Subject: RE:
> >
> > I haven't got my SportsCar yet.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Carrie Sparling
> > Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 12:22 PM
> > To: Alan Pozner
> > Subject:
> >
> > helluva hullabaloo over PRO
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