If I might touch on Mr. Harvey's comments...
Of course he's right. Every event depends on that symbiotic relationship of driver entries, and operational personnel. That balance is important because once the money is spent on the facilities, insurance and so on, it's gone, baby.
Last season was particularly busy for me personally, as for others, but I won't speak for them. In years past, my 'normal' season has run about 9 ICSCC events and that included the 3 day double race @ SRP, then the NWMS events conflicted with those "other than" events at PIR, my local track. It's hard to go to an away game when your team is playing at home. I attend 8 ORSCCA events. 5of which are three day events. Then there are the 'special' event. Historics (CSCC supported), Mazda GP (ORSCCA supported), and now NASCAR-W (CSCC supported) all three-day events, and pretty much swallow up July starting with the (now) ORSCCA 4th of July Dbl. Nat'l., then I participated in the first ever Chumpcar 24-ish hour (CSCC supported), and this year's 12+6hr ChumpCar race (supported primarily by locally trained personnel).
When I do the math and consider how many days I've been at a race track someplace it comes to about 17 days for ICSCC when I was attending the Spokane event, but this year with ORP, it was 18 days. SRP was conflicted again, and I missed the Sept. IRDC race. ORSCCA costs me plenty in vacation time, and they would have added another race at ORP, but as it is I was at PIR for another 21 days. Special events were as mentioned above, and added up to 8 more days. So that's about 46 days give or take for a couple early season DT's.
Now I'm not the only one with a schedule like that. Our colleagues up north have the CASC, and some other special events to add to their ICSCC participation. It can certainly affect your attitude by the end of a season.
So what if ICSCC goes to 15 races per year? The odds of conflicts with 'other than' events goes up and every club will have to depend more, and more on local talent to operate those racing commitments.
ORSCCA, this year averaged >19 people per event day in the Flagging & Communication specialty, but that is down only slightly from last years' average (>21 per event day). That, with acquiring some new people, but not at each and every event. Also, non-holiday fridays are way not good for attendance.
I've got a good job, with a good wage. I can use vacation days, and then 'no-pay' days when those run out.
Sure, I can.
Holly wants to take like a whole week type vacation someplace. What's scary about that is... I don't know how. I've never done that... least ways not that I can remember. And that approaches Mr. Harvey's other point in regard to personal relationships. I'm lucky (so far) that my mate is involved in this great sport of ours... but I digress.
When/if ICSCC starts using a three day format to run a double race weekend, what they gain in less 'tows', they may well lose in operational participants that are either unable, or not willing to give up so much of their vacation days, or that day's pay.
I have never been to a race at Laguna Seca. I wanna go to Laguna Seca. TC's events took that opportunity away this season. I'm the one that made the decision to go, but who's gonna try to take that trip to Laguna away from me next season?
I'm conflicted.