Ken Killam
Fats
And you're are so right, Steve.
Most of the new volunteers in my neck of the woods jumped in, knowing that some aspects of racing were very expensive for them to accomodate in the present, so they have found the second best seats in the house to feed their desires to be a part of the action, the operation, the whole racing "thing" until they might progress into other areas of the world of motorsports.
We've had some great successes adding to our numbers in the last 5 years. Many new and returning faces at ORP and PIR with SCCA, ICSCC, Chumpcar and even NASA (we don't fear competition). Many of whom have taken the 'hike' to the Ridge and Pacific Raceways, some even Spokane for those experiences. Not just for Conference, but it's pretty well known that ICSCC events usually have a good turn out of fast cars and talented drivers for lots of great racing on these great and traditional circuits. It really has little to do with which club is buying lunch. But that lunch may have a lot to do with whether they feel like returning.
Drivers are control freaks. It's in their nature. That's part of why they are drivers, enjoying the fact that they are the primary, if not exclusive influence towards fashioning the make up of the sanction, but the facts are that they can't all be chiefs. The facts are that most clubs fill those 'important' volunteer positions in the upper echelons and just hope for the best as the ground forces trickle in on Saturday morning. Again, many accolades for those that do trickle in, even if for a day or one weekend a season. They are the marshals. They may drive on Saturday and stand on station on Sunday, but THAT's racing.
TC now has a territory with a great racing circuit, and IRDC has another track to support their events. A serious challenge that seriously challenges those clubs to perform.
Will a 'professional' track worker service be required to read the ICSCC Regulations? Will they be required to attend any other events for orientation and training? Will those workers be mixed in with existing volunteering' marshals to provide training through the weekend? Kinda hard to swallow a situation where you might be teaching the people that will later meet you at the gate and tell you that your services are no longer required.
It is truly each individual club's responsibility to provide the resources and services necessary to run a 'by the book event'. And I don't need to belabor this fact, but were it not for the race marshals from the Oregon and BC areas supplementing race operations of, IRDC for these many decades, it would only be a Drivers Club and this forum would have a different lilt. I don't mean that to be offensive, but it's a fact.
"We tried that once and it didn't work." never does. You have to keep at it. The Conference clubs don't seem to have any problem recruiting drivers for training. What techniques are used there that haven't been utilized to lure race operations volunteers to help make the training train run. Once you get them there, it's up to the 'old salts' like us to give them a reason to come back. But you have to get them there first.
Bonnie and I have lives too. We're no different than any other participant in the racing world. We race for the enjoyment that we get out of it. We share that with our colleagues. We don't owe anyone anything for our participation, and we appreciate that there are events like these to provide us with more experiences and skills each time we show up for the show. Sometimes we see issues in safety due to manning and watch what clubs take responbility for those issues. If the club does nothing, what then would motivate the existing forces to continue their support season in and season out. It's frustrating. This whole game is about using our talents and skill sets to go fast, be safe and learn how the other guy does it so we might do it better. Get better, sez I.
In the last decade or so, I've watched the clubs put more and more off on the Conference to provide the services that the individual clubs have not been able to muster. Rationalizing with the fact that all the clubs use Sound judge, so now it'll be more consistent. Tech people don't want to get into a battle of wits with a driver that read the book different, or at all. There's a Tech (Asst.) Steward. How about a Black Flag judge? Impound control? Look at all the Stewardship that has become necessary. So that the regulations are administered consistently from track (club) to track.
Thank you, we've moved a little bit closer to SCCA operations with that trend. Continue and the perceptions will be that ICSCC owns the clubs like SCCA owns their regions.
But maybe that's just how I see it.
Bonnie, I'll be at the Ridge because I might find a way to have some fun. I hope you are too, but if not, I understand. <Hugs>
Most of the new volunteers in my neck of the woods jumped in, knowing that some aspects of racing were very expensive for them to accomodate in the present, so they have found the second best seats in the house to feed their desires to be a part of the action, the operation, the whole racing "thing" until they might progress into other areas of the world of motorsports.
We've had some great successes adding to our numbers in the last 5 years. Many new and returning faces at ORP and PIR with SCCA, ICSCC, Chumpcar and even NASA (we don't fear competition). Many of whom have taken the 'hike' to the Ridge and Pacific Raceways, some even Spokane for those experiences. Not just for Conference, but it's pretty well known that ICSCC events usually have a good turn out of fast cars and talented drivers for lots of great racing on these great and traditional circuits. It really has little to do with which club is buying lunch. But that lunch may have a lot to do with whether they feel like returning.
Drivers are control freaks. It's in their nature. That's part of why they are drivers, enjoying the fact that they are the primary, if not exclusive influence towards fashioning the make up of the sanction, but the facts are that they can't all be chiefs. The facts are that most clubs fill those 'important' volunteer positions in the upper echelons and just hope for the best as the ground forces trickle in on Saturday morning. Again, many accolades for those that do trickle in, even if for a day or one weekend a season. They are the marshals. They may drive on Saturday and stand on station on Sunday, but THAT's racing.
TC now has a territory with a great racing circuit, and IRDC has another track to support their events. A serious challenge that seriously challenges those clubs to perform.
Will a 'professional' track worker service be required to read the ICSCC Regulations? Will they be required to attend any other events for orientation and training? Will those workers be mixed in with existing volunteering' marshals to provide training through the weekend? Kinda hard to swallow a situation where you might be teaching the people that will later meet you at the gate and tell you that your services are no longer required.
It is truly each individual club's responsibility to provide the resources and services necessary to run a 'by the book event'. And I don't need to belabor this fact, but were it not for the race marshals from the Oregon and BC areas supplementing race operations of, IRDC for these many decades, it would only be a Drivers Club and this forum would have a different lilt. I don't mean that to be offensive, but it's a fact.
"We tried that once and it didn't work." never does. You have to keep at it. The Conference clubs don't seem to have any problem recruiting drivers for training. What techniques are used there that haven't been utilized to lure race operations volunteers to help make the training train run. Once you get them there, it's up to the 'old salts' like us to give them a reason to come back. But you have to get them there first.
Bonnie and I have lives too. We're no different than any other participant in the racing world. We race for the enjoyment that we get out of it. We share that with our colleagues. We don't owe anyone anything for our participation, and we appreciate that there are events like these to provide us with more experiences and skills each time we show up for the show. Sometimes we see issues in safety due to manning and watch what clubs take responbility for those issues. If the club does nothing, what then would motivate the existing forces to continue their support season in and season out. It's frustrating. This whole game is about using our talents and skill sets to go fast, be safe and learn how the other guy does it so we might do it better. Get better, sez I.
In the last decade or so, I've watched the clubs put more and more off on the Conference to provide the services that the individual clubs have not been able to muster. Rationalizing with the fact that all the clubs use Sound judge, so now it'll be more consistent. Tech people don't want to get into a battle of wits with a driver that read the book different, or at all. There's a Tech (Asst.) Steward. How about a Black Flag judge? Impound control? Look at all the Stewardship that has become necessary. So that the regulations are administered consistently from track (club) to track.
Thank you, we've moved a little bit closer to SCCA operations with that trend. Continue and the perceptions will be that ICSCC owns the clubs like SCCA owns their regions.
But maybe that's just how I see it.
Bonnie, I'll be at the Ridge because I might find a way to have some fun. I hope you are too, but if not, I understand. <Hugs>
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