Pat,
To be fair, I haven't been to SVRA's Mid-Ohio event for several years,
although I wouldn't mind getting back to it. I never have liked the 4-day
event format, though. It's hard for me to get an extra day away from the
office. If I pay for an extra day that I can't use, it becomes a very
expensive entry fee. Although, if it helps make the other events possible, I
can understand the position of SVRA. What bothers me about that event is
this: If our show (our cars and races) brings in a good crowd for Barbara
Trueman, why can't a better deal be negotiated with the track? Why can't we
get the track to cut some fees back so that the racers putting on the show get
a little something back? I know that the Glen has had a hard time getting
spectators, so I know the track can't do much for us there.
On the subject of promotion: Obviously, the organizer has to promote
the
events to attract entrants. I have no problem with that. Some people are now
suggesting that vintage racing should be promoted to bring in lots of
spectators. And even that is OK with me. I've raced at Lime Rock in front of
good crowds and found the attitude of my fellow competitors to be courteous
and fair. What I and a few others are screaming NO WAY!! about is the idea
that harder racing (as in cut-throat, red mist attitudes) and more crashes is
an acceptable part of promoting vintage racing as a spectacle worthy of NASCAR
sized crowds.
Promoting our events is fine as long as we can maintain our perspective
of
why we went vintage racing in the first place.
Cheers, Doug Meis
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