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Hello, I am posting this on behalf of the StL Region Board and regards the posting of non-region events on this forum.  In the past, it has been sort of frowned upon to post competing events to our own on this, the official forum of the StL Region.  After a discussion at last nights BoD meeting, this position will be relaxed from here on out.

It is still everyone's goal to promote our own Region's events first.  But there is just too much over-lap in what we do and what all the other car clubs are doing these days and we just can't feel like we are competing with them for entrants as much as helping each other out in getting people to all of our events.

What this comes down to, is that if you know of some car related event in the area, feel free to let us all know about it on here.  Just keep in mind that if there's a Solo, PDX, Road Race or Rallycross the same day, the first priority is our own events.  The Region schedule can be found, as always, at www.stlscca.org

Thanks.

If you have coments about this that you do not want to post on this forum, feel free to send email to bod@stlscca.org

 

If there is cross-promotion going on...meaning if there is the ability to freely post our events on their forums, I have no issues whatsoever.

But it should be a two-way street in that regard.

I want to know about other events but dont always have time to seek them out. If it's posted here, I'll be able to find it easier.  

Maybe it needs it's own heading under Regions...such as "Non-SCCA Events".

Otherwise possibly a sticky thread at the top of StL Region listing all non-SCCA events is in order. 

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"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" - David St. Hubbins
Tim
SCCA CR MidDiv Grid and Pit Deputy DA Dawg
Solo Safety Steward
REV worker
01 '04 MazdaSpeed MX5
Supporter of the Recreational championship and Competition championship awards.

Tim:

Otherwise possibly a sticky thread at the top of StL Region listing all non-SCCA events is in order. 

That's a good idea and something I have seen on several of the other car club's sites.  Let's make this thread the sticky for such announcements for now and if it gets too busy, I can start a new one at some point.

 As far as a two-way street, I do see quite a bit of promotion of our events on the other sites I visit.  That is one reason we didn't think it was fair to limit our forum to only us.

Thanks.

Actually Tim, the "cross promotion" has been occurring since the beginning of time (in paper and ink before electrons) and it has been almost exclusively in our direction. Many of our members are also members of other clubs and they have spread the messages. It would be great if many more would since there are well over 100 car clubs in the "greater metro area" (some more "official" than others) that are loaded with "car enthusiast" that may be interested in our events. There is a great marketing potential that remains largely untapped.

Other car clubs (Marque esp.) provide an experience and different set of interests that SCCA will never do. SCCA provides activities and competitions that they do not. In any exchange of information, SCCA will always have the most to gain; and the greatest loss of potential if we do not. We can and do compliment each other; and we could do so much more.

Although this forum is heavily populated with solo types, it is for the entire Club. Consider if you will that NO STLSCCA event draws even half the membership because of our wide range of interests etc.. Imagine a perfectly beautiful Sunday with a very large solo turnout on the drag parking lot, while at the same time a race weekend is happening on the road course. There will still be hundreds of Region members looking for something else to do.

Having our members attending other events is very good thing. After-all, we always wear clothing that identifies us as SCCA, are willing to find ways to bring up our Club and it's activities in conversations with other attendees, and may even have some literature to give out - or at least - directions to our website for more info,,,,,,,,,don't we??  I say go forth and have fun, to everything you can, and bring someone(s) back with you!

A very quick perusal of other sites (something I am not all that good at) found numerous posts on "other" forums that promote our club. Indeed, there are even dedicated web pages in some places providing info about SCCA, and of course links. Take a look at a few examples I found below. Some of the posts elsewhere are done by members that regularly post here. How about more?

Websites:

STL BMW, racing, including 3 SCCA links:

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Mike Byington
29 Year Member
Solo, Rally, Rallycross
National Flag. & Comm.
2008 & 2009 National Rallycross "SR" Champion
"Drivers have races. Workers have enduros."

The real key here is how the events are described. The spirit of the post must avoid implying competition to one of our events. Something like... "you might be interested in this...". If the spirit of the non-SCCA events post begins to imply poaching for members, or "come to our event instead of yours" we have an issue. That issue can probably be handled by the site administrators on a case by case basis. Right now there isn't much head to head competition to what we do, or our events.

Edit: The key here is the issue of competition. It isn't a problem if Central Illinois or Ozark Mountain region want to tell us about their events. Or if a group tells us about a car show, or some kind of event we don't put on. But if there was another group locally putting on autocrosses and promoting their events on our forums I do believe that is a problem. A bigger problem if we weren't allowed to do the same on theirs. With the poor economy and family lifestyles changing the pool of people to attract to our activities is getting smaller. We need to first be promoting ourselves and membership in our organization as superior to the others.

 I have to agree with Mike that often the flow is from other clubs to us. Many of those registered for the solo drivers school found it because of posts made on other organizations forums and web sites. But we need to protect our assets the best we can.

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Bryan S.
StL. Solo School Chair
91 Miata ES
2010 plans: few events on rock hard street tires to teach the 15 year old how to drive : )
04 Forester XT, 00 Golf, 08 Scott Speedster S30

I can't understand why anyone would want to limit the cross promotion of other club's events here.  There isn't an SCCA event every weekend or day of the year, and if you really can't get enough fill of your motorsports addiction, why not allow those threads here?  If you came to this forum to find out about non-SCCA events, then you should also see listings/reminders for the sanctioned events.  I can sort of see when there are competing events, especially when it's a case of  a marque-specific autox versus an SCCA Solo event.  But even if that's the case, I think it's the responsibility of the SCCA to put on the better event and show people why they should attend ours versus theirs.

 But here's another thought... If there is another event, and it doesn't compete with an SCCA event, advertising it here is also a chance to recruit more members.  That thread was obviously started by someone who is in touch with both organizations, communicate with that person to get the SCCA name involved in their event. Even having some SCCA members show up wearing the logo on their shirts/hats or a banner on their cars... This is especially true if it's a marque-specific autocross (that might be open to others for whatever reason).  How often do they do autox?  You go in with your car, they see the SCCA logo somewhere and say "I've heard about that, what's the deal there?" and you can say, "If you like doing this, we do it once a month, it's always a good time" or whatever.  Plus, if it's NOT an open event, you could pitch a sanctioned autox as a way to see how your car stacks up against a wider variety of cars.  If you think your car is fast, why wouldn't you want to see how it stacks up against a Shelby Mustang, Lotus Elise, or Nissan GT-R (some of the cars I've seen/heard of locally)

Other thoughts:  I've heard some contention about advertising corner working opportunities at Gateway also.  Again, if it doesn't compete with an SCCA event, why does it matter anyway? GIR needs cornerworkers, SCCA members love cars and racing, I don't really see the problem there. However, in the interest of keeping the "two-way street" open in both directions, ask if the announcers at GIR can plug the club at the race saying that "SCCA members usually staff the events.  Go to the SCCA booth if you would like more details." Have an SCCA booth set up with info about the club and about corner working.  Have corner workers rotate into the booth during break periods.  (I don't know if any of this is done or not, just throwing out ideas)

At any rate, any other event, motorsports or not, is at some time going to compete with an SCCA event.  When that happens, if it feels like a better or more rewarding opportunity to someone they're going to pick whichever they feel like doing, especially when you consider the prep that is involved with some solo activities (could discourage into doing said other thing). That is why it's the region's responsibility to be more inviting and run a better event.  Take advantage of opportunities to cross promote SCCA into other organizations however you can.  They have members that post here (which is how we get those threads in the first place) make sure those members are promoting the SCCA elsewhere.  Keep the two-way street going both ways.

 

Sorry for the rant.  I'm kind of new here, so some might think my opinion doesn't matter as much, but there it is.

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Lance Morgan
#01 SM Neon SRT-4

I haven't really seen anyone say we should have any limits.  It seems that most thoughts here are in favor of it.

If your're a member of this club, then your opinion counts as much as everybody else's.  Thanks.

I see absolutly no down side to cross pollination of any event.  Each is filled with car enthusiast and each and every participatant or even spectator at any other event is a potential SCCA member.  You KNOW each one at least has an interested in cars or speed or both.

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-Rich Lantz
StL SCCA F&C since 1986

This thread has outlived its usefulness.  Please un-pin it.

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2002 Mercedes C230k, retired, 2005 Nationals STU DFL

1969 Beach Solo Vee and 1985 Lynx B Solo Vee

Lynn,,  I don't really care too much about whether this thread remains a sticky or not since the majority of the 10% or so of the members who are regular visitors here have no doubt seen it by now. But there may yet be some "occasional" visitors who have not. This anouncement does however note a change of a previous "policy" that was, I don't think, ever made "public" on this forum; but was implimented on an individual basis instead. To that end I would disagree that the thread is "no longer useful".

As was indicated by Curt, people could express their opinions to the BoD directly if they did not want to post here, and no doubt some did. IMHO opinion, this Club needs (much) more communication and dialog between the members (and the BoD) about issues that affect us all. While we have learned some things here with the sharing of opinions and experiences of others in the motorsports community in general; I can't help wondering what we may have missed as well (on either side). With communication can come education and understanding, and maybe even a concensus. I note that you did not participate in the conversation here on the forum and was just curious if you did not have an opinion, or just didn't want it made public? Not asking for an answer, just expressing my own curiousity.

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Mike Byington
29 Year Member
Solo, Rally, Rallycross
National Flag. & Comm.
2008 & 2009 National Rallycross "SR" Champion
"Drivers have races. Workers have enduros."

I think the thread has accomplished it's goal.  There was no cross posting to "help" the recent BMW club event, and poor handling of the issue has seemed to alienate the management of at least one very succesful STLSCCA program.   Looks like a double winner to me, if a person(s) can not help another club and cause a whole committee to start talking about quitting, they are an SCCA leader! 

But, the important thing is that the man isn't holding anyone down anymore.

DaveW

 

 

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www.soloperformance.com
www.sccagear.com
www.worldchallengegear.com

Mike, I asked that this thread be unstuck simply because no one had posted in it in three weeks.  There are a number of stickies and the forum is getting cluttered.  Since the BoD made their decision on the subject at their last meeting the thread is no longer useful.  And , because the decision has been made, it doesn't matter if occasional visitors see this thread.

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2002 Mercedes C230k, retired, 2005 Nationals STU DFL

1969 Beach Solo Vee and 1985 Lynx B Solo Vee