Nine schools ! ? ?

Hey,

Somebody needs to talk with Pacific Raceway. As this is a source of infor for the general public as to what's going on it should be fixed!

According to Pacifics Web Site, IRDC is holding NINE school days at the track and ZERO races.. Duhhh.

IMHO:

For the amount of money the club pays them you'd think the titles on the web site would be something like....

IRDC
Drivers School

IRDC
Endurance Race

IRDC
Sprint Racing

Hey, come on now!

I'm typically a jackass even when I try not to be, but give the guys a break!

Our relationship with Pacific Raceways is better than it has been in years, and they are making a genuine attempt to strengthen our relationship whenever they can. IRDC's leadership have invested a lot of time and proactive effort in protecting our venue and coordinating with PR's staff. IRDC members periodically volunteer work parties to do small jobs to improve the venue for everyone.

Steve Caputo is the road course and hospitality manager for Pacific Raceways and has graciously supported our club. He occasionally attends IRDC meetings, attended our banquet, and donated test and tune days as door prizes. The management is trying to constantly improve the track at a pace dictated by a tight budget abd a slow economy, let's not jump on them for a misprint on a website schedule!

These are people who we value as friends - perhaps something more along the lines of "Can someone check with Pacific Raceways and see if we can get the info for our days a little more accurate?" would be better than immediately calling them out assuming they don't care about us! Maybe their webmaster isn't quite as talented, artistic, and detail oriented as ours. (Shameless plug - thanks Glen Peterson for http://www.irdc-racing.com/irdc_home.htm - go visit it if you haven't already!)


I'm putting you down for our next volunteer work party to improve your karma!

rick_bostrom said:

I'm putting you down for our next volunteer work party to improve your karma!

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Rick,

Feel TOTALLY FREE to add me on to the volunteer work party list at ANY TIME! I'd be more then happy to do it and have the time available (almost always). We are attending the data seminar at DND on the 28th so don't make it on that day I would have done it in past years but have NO idea when they are happening.

I fully support the Pacific Raceway staff and their ongoing efforts to improve the road racing facility. Why shucks, when I'm out there as a turn worker, I even bend over and pick up dead rabbits, gum wrapers, cigarette butts and put them in the trash barrels. Steve and the whole gang of employee's have done a terrific job over the past 2 or 3 years on the grounds. Being on the comm. net many weekends, I also appreciate how quickly the track staff responds to our track related issues.

Despite (perhaps) being a jackass on occasion, I thought about asking for permission to come out with a bucket of white paint to redo the worker stations on my own time in past years! Which, I would STILL be more then happy to do (including buying the paint and providing brush's for some other volunteers) if it's something IRDC would like to offer as a 2009 upgrade during the work party. Floor paint would be something more durable then white Just let me know and give me time to buy the supply's.

Why my comment above, you say?

Back 2 or 3 years ago, the Pacific web site listed events VERY accurately. In addition, the schedule page had a little avitar sized club logo for the weekends activity. I miss those little things But MORE importantly, the public goes to the site for information about racing. I just feel it should be accurate. People won't come out to watch 9 drivers schools but they might for racing

P.S.
Anything that improves the Karma is good?

At the moment, I'm focused on my Muladhara Chakra (lower back) to get ready for the work party and polishing my Jade crystal to open my heart to the ways of Pacific Raceway.

Dead rabbits! That has got to get you SOME karma points right there!

I wasn't hacking on anyone about volunteer days - I have a feeling that a lot more folks would come if they knew about them. I'm appreciative that you volunteer on race days!

A couple of years ago, I got a nice donation of lumber from my employer at the time (BMC West) and along with some materials paid for by IRDC and a bunch of fun loving members we built and repaired some turn stations. I feel good every time I go by those on track because it reminds me of spending a few hours with a group of drivers and turnworkers volunteering their time to make race week-ends just a little nicer.

As for the PR schedule - it makes me wonder if maybe we didn't provide them with enough info and it is still a work in progress. Sovrens, SCCA, NHRA, and ASA's dates feature their logos and nice info. Maybe they need more from us? I know that Debbie Carton (one of the real reasons that IRDC is such a well run organization) has already contacted them about updating the info.

While you are at it, don't point that chakra at me .....

So any way.. WHEN's the worker 'party' and, would painting the stations white help or hurt the IRDC Karma?

I am serious about that. I think it would be an improvement and help drivers "pick up" the stations a little quicker then the weather worn blend into the background lumber we have now or, the green as the trees paint on a few of them. You know, anything to reduce the passing under yellow fines

Come to think of it, maybe the green stations are intentional to INCREASE the passing under yellow income Part of the clubs "stimulus package" !

IN EITHER case, just let me know when the track work day is.

Matter of fact, I'm up on a hill about 3 miles from BMC West on W. L. S. Drive! Keeping the chakra aimed over Lake Samm. toward Pacific Raceway. Although I know it's a ways off, my meditation "mantra" is "Paving, paving, paving, Mmmmmm"

Yes, one rabbit had met his demise at the foot of the T-2 station. A sad way to start the race day. But I wished him the best and dispatched him on his journey to meet Peter Wabbit. The other was at T-7. Very messy deal.

Somewhere on their puter Pacific has the IRDC mini-logo. They used to use it. Made it easy to scan the 'long' list of dates and pick out IRDC quickly. Can't think of any clubs that didn't have that little feature 2 or 3 years ago.

If Steve Caputo see's this or if we have any input on the matter.... Here's a Karmic Kudo from me to them.

I LIKE the format of the Pacific Raceway events schedule. Please DO NOT go to a month by month format like Portland International! It's a PITA to get the 'big picture' there quickly or find events you're looking for.

You're right older Rick B., for the amount of money we are charged annually for that facility I'd think they could do a more professional job of presenting our events properly on their site.
That said, Mr. Caputo has become a good friend of IRDC, and does support us as best he can, so with his help I'm sure their site can, and hopefully will be updated soon. Lord knows we need all the assistance we can get to bring more spectators out to our races. I understand there was a recent PR meeting, as in public relations, in regard to that issue, and I hope it moves forward briskly from there.
Newspaper blurbs are free, as are short adverts on radio, and the usual flyers that we print and distribute every season. (which of course are not free). I do believe there is a marketing person now involved with the club, (?) which hopefully will take us to a different level than we've seen before. And no, don't ask me to volunteer Rick the younger. Been there, done that, but no matter how many times I have brought this up over the last 3 decades it is never considered with any degree of seriousness. Perhaps 09' will be a banner year for that?

westipton said:

You're right older Rick B....

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That brings up a question. Which Rick B. is 'older'. Something tells me I am

westipton said:

Newspaper blurbs are free, as are short adverts on radio.....

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And to that. EVERY Saturday morning on the way to the track I listen to 570 on the AM band. Has the "Car Show" going on. He BEGS people to send in announcements about automotive events around the sound for the weekend and gives them a FREE plug. Never ever heard mention of IRDC or SCCA. However, he does get input for the SOVREN Historics

Add him to the list of people to notify by E-mail or FAX before our races.

We have had plugs on that show before Rick, the older. I think Roxann and Jason from PR did a gig with him in a number of years back, and I'm pretty sure it affected our gate receipts in a positive manner. A constant barrage of that sort of PR would help our bottom line immensely, tempered of course with the current economic climate.

Woohoo! I'm guess I'm officially Rick the Younger. I feel positively spring chickenish ....

Yeah, medium young, and pretty cute too! Oops, did I just say that?

Funny such a thing should be mentioned...'marketing flyers', that is...

This Sunday, our own Curtis 'The Photog' Creager will be providing us Pro3 folks with a "2009 Pro3 Race Schedule" poster, done-up in his usual tastefull skill and style. This is a similar poster to what he did last year with the full race schedule printed on it, along with the listing of our Pro3 series' sponsors.

Granted, this is a Pro3-specific poster to pay homage to our sponsors, but even still, it provides information to anyone looking that there is racing happening around the Northwest.

Oh yeah, the Pro3 drivers are picking up the tab; 150 posters and we individually pay for how ever many we feel comfortable, then give them out to area retailers to post in the window.

Let's all play, "Find the ICSCC Race schedule" around the area!