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Any reason why STS has to run Thursday/Friday every single year?  In case you didn't know, this is the THIRD year in a row that STS will run Thursday/Friday.  Has ANY other class run the same days the last three years in a row, or at least a class that has participation in the Pro Finale? 

I'm a full time college student, and I've built my car upon pizza delivery tips over the years with the help of my cars co-owner, for the sole purpose of racing in national SCCA events, and a dream of bringing home a trophy in the Pro Finale, or the Solo Nationals.  I obviously cannot afford to take ten days off of work, as well as missing that much class in September to attend both events, so in 2006 I just did the solo nats.  I thought that every class was given opposite running days at nationals each year, so that each class had an oppourtunity to run the nationals the two days following the profinale, every other year.  After 2006, I thought for sure it would be time for STS to run Tue/Wed.   Long story short, it wasn't till after I ran two pros and a national tour with my girlfriend that someone informed me that our days were not switched from last year.  This ruined our race year, as we planned on running the pro finale all year, and couldn't afford to sit in Kansas for 5 extra days until it was time for STS to run, and couldn't justify driving all the way to Kansas for just 6 runs each.  We thought the smartest idea would be to just stay home, and start saving our money for next year, since we would obviously have to run two more pros and a tour each to qualify for the Finale, and nationals.  I couldn't believe when the 2008 schedule came out, and STS is yet again running Thursday and Friday.  I'm so dissapointed in the SCCA for this that I've contemplated getting out of autocross all together.  I joined SCCA and bought and built my Neon because I thought it was the best route to build a race car on a budget and have the oppourtunity to race the best drivers in the country, without breaking the bank.  It's been three years now, and STS is still running on Thur/Fri so I haven't had that chance.  Between member dues and registration fees, it will be nearly a thousand dollars that the club will not be seeing from my girlfriend and myself this year.  Hopefully this trend doesn't continue for a fourth year in a row. 

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- Sean Grogan 165 STS Neon ACR

If it is that much of an issue, run your car in STX on Tuesday/Wednesday.

 

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89/189 STS/STX '89 Civic Si

Sean R/T:

Any reason why STS has to run Thursday/Friday every single year?  In case you didn't know, this is the THIRD year in a row that STS will run Thursday/Friday.  Has ANY other class run the same days the last three years in a row, or at least a class that has participation in the Pro Finale?

My understanding is that this is prerequisite for certain person(s) that run in that class serving as Worker Chiefs.  IOW, "We'll do that job if we can run Th/Fri".  Much of that difficult job is done during pre-event registration and on Monday.

I'm not judging it one way or the other, just reporting it.  Of course, my information could be totally wrong and I'm sure said person(s) will correct me if so.

--Andy

 

BrianGT:

If it is that much of an issue, run your car in STX on Tuesday/Wednesday.

I know you Brian, and I know you don't mean it harshly, but that comment comes across as a bit insensitive.

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Karen Kraus
2005 SEDiv FS Champion
2007 DSL National Champion <shrug>

CamaroFS34:

BrianGT:

If it is that much of an issue, run your car in STX on Tuesday/Wednesday.

I know you Brian, and I know you don't mean it harshly, but that comment comes across as a bit insensitive.

I don't see how this is insensitive.  I have been to NT events where STS has put down faster times than STX, or where an STS car has won STX.  I feel that with the right driver an right conditions, an STS car could trophy in STX.  I see STX as a reasonable alternative to STS if the car is already full in STS, or you can't make your schedule let you run in STS.     

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89/189 STS/STX '89 Civic Si

Andy, I beleive you are correct.  I've called the national office and they told me the reason has to do with a worker cheif, but gave no other details other than this.   Now even with that being said, I'm still not sure why one worker cheif would determine the running dates for the class for three years in a row, when it seems that all other classes can make the switch every single year.  Maybe I should learn to be a worker cheif at national events myself, so I can take that position and run on Wed/Tue in 2009. 

I've considered running in a different class, and maybe I will go that route, but I'm kind of upset that after spending all of my money to build an STS car, my best shot would be race AWD subbies with double my horsepower. 

 I'm aware that a top driver could possibly trophy in STX with a Civic against a semi-weak STX feild.....but I don't see that happening with any driver against any STX feild at nationals in an STS Neon. 

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- Sean Grogan 165 STS Neon ACR

Umm, Sean. I'm probably poorer than you, but at 47yo, I've been to Nat's 3 times and got my arse kicked and enjoyed every minute of it. I still don't think SCCA owes me or anyone else a perfect schedule. My best advice for you is to save some money, have fun at your local events and hone your skills, or better yet, finish school, earn some cash and vacation time and play fun games when you can afford to do so. Sorry if I'm sounding harsh, but if you can't afford to do something, figure a way to solve that and don't whine about it.

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James Plotkin
'05 FSP Echo

I don't mean to be rude here.. but it sounds like the whole class is being spoken for by this "chief/chiefs"

1) By the 3rd year shouldn't this/these people have figured how to handle their position while running tues/wed?
2) Is this a highly specialized chief position that nobody but them can handle? Maybe someone else can do it that allows us to alternate days between years equally like everyone else.

 
I just really want to use some vacation time somewhere besides Topeka for once, that's all :)
 

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Jesse Caudill
74 STS
Colorado Region/Continental Divide Region

I'm sure that people are just lining up to do that work assignment -- NOT!

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Glenn L. Austin, Computer Wizard and Race Car Driver
2005 Ultra Yellow Nissan 350Z Track Model
2007 Packwood ProSolo "first loser" (0.081)
2007 SCCA Solo National Championships - 10th place

If you want to volunteer or get a new volunteer for any of the chief's positions, I bet any of them would be glad to hand it off.  They are all putting in way more time and money than you're lazy ass seems to be willing to put in. I bet several of the chief's positions require between 100 and 200 hours during the event, not counting prep time before. Including arriving before anyone else and not leaving until after everyone else. 

Not sure why this conversation seems to be disintegrating into a diatribe against the OP, who I think has an entirely valid point that should be considered...fact is, there's an enormous amount of downtime, when running the Pro and Thurs/Fri Nats, and I think it only fair that all classes would be consistently rotated...I don't think one chief should dictate the time, economics and scheduling for an entire class...well, unless it's one of them Mod classes that no one has either heard of or participated in...

Running and ducking in Alamo,

Mike

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In slow, out fast.
In fast, out backwards.

I'm glad to run Th-Fr this year.  It gives me four days to drink beer with friends between the Pro and the finals! 

 

{insensitive to those with less vacation, I know-sorry}

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Jer
#196 ES
#187 SS retired

4 years in a row of being Chief of Grid, and I am taking THIS year off.   Run Tues/Wed and it SURE will be nice to be able to watch the event, visit friends, wander the grid, not wake up at the buttcrack of dawn, listen to people whine for 2 days, listen to people complain for 2 days, try to make everyone happy for two days.   I know as chief, we put in 2 twelve hour days, had to be at a meeting on Monday and THEN make up grid sheets (6 hour day), out in the cold/hot/sun/wind/rain.  

 ...Gosh, and we got a hat.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, and WILL do it again, but I need a break.   Those who think chiefs have it easy, there you go.   They need a chief of Grid for Thur/Fri.   Enjoy!!!
 

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Tracy Ramsey
Team Blenderblaster
2000 MR2 DP Spyder

I really do appreciate all of the work the chiefs put in, and this post is in no way a shot at them... but I agree with Sean.  I haven't looked at the run/work order to see if this happened with other classes other years or not.  I can understand getting some classes running at the same time to compare times for future classing and stuff like that, so when STS was running Thur/Fri again last year I was like, OK.  But for the 3rd year this is getting old.  The only good think I see about this is that we could rent a car out to someone driving in STX on Tues/Wed.

What type of grid chief position might we be looking at filling to get STS to move to Tuesday/Wednesday. 
 

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Jason Frank
Bridgestone / datatoys.com / Redshift Motorsports STS Civic Si

TeamUndercoatRacing.com

I also think that OP has a very valid point and it shouldn't be pushed aside with all this chef talk.  I have nothing against them and I think they do amazing job!. But to run three years in the raw on Thr-Fri is just not right and it should be corrected ASAP! I thought that most classes alternate between the Tue-Wed and Thr-Fri most of the time and what also change is the heat they run on each year. I know that I was really pissed that I had to run 1st heat two years in the raw several years ago and this is even worse!

Fedja

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95 AWD #34 SM or ESP
"Let boost be with you...
...and bring some timing too!"
http://www.geocities.com/esp_er

I don't see it being pushed aside, it's being pointed out as the reason.  Put yourself in the event organizers position, (for some of you this will be a new experience ).  Not flip flopping a class sucks but leaving a worker chiefs position unfilled sucks even more.  From scca.com... "It takes A LOT of chiefs to make the National Championships work.  If you wish to volunteer please contact the National office at 800-770-2055.  To view a partial list of chiefs, click on the attached pdf." 

Jeff 

Zauskycop:

4 years in a row of being Chief of Grid, and I am taking THIS year off.   Run Tues/Wed and it SURE will be nice to be able to watch the event, visit friends, wander the grid, not wake up at the buttcrack of dawn, listen to people whine for 2 days, listen to people complain for 2 days, try to make everyone happy for two days.   I know as chief, we put in 2 twelve hour days, had to be at a meeting on Monday and...

 ...Gosh, and we got a hat.

 

You should join the SEB, Tracy.  You get to do all of that 360 days a year.  No hat, either.  But we did get a free rulebook!

--Andy 

dupe