Southwest Se7ens Festival

[Titus]

Looks like some Se7ens will be showing up for an SCCA autocross.

http://mysite.verizon.net/bclong7/5th7fest.html

[altiain]

On Sunday morning, we will travel to Texas Motor Speedway to participate in a SCCA Solo II autocross presented by SCCA Texas Region. The autocross site will be one of the big parking lots on the Speedway property. To watch an in-car video from that site, click here. We will be the first group to run, and we will be done in plenty of time for a lunch time trip to a great mom-and-pop barbecue restaurant called the Feedstore Barbecue in Southlake.

WTF? So they get to show up, run as a group, then skip out for lunch without working course? How convenient.

[Titus]

WTF? So they get to show up, run as a group, then skip out for lunch without working course? How convenient.

Sweet!

Perhaps they are running in the first heat and working the second?

[sammm]

It's at the bus lot too. I forsee lots of to be shagged.

[Miatamoto]

WTF? So they get to show up, run as a group, then skip out for lunch without working course? How convenient.

I'm signing up in that class!!!

[modernbeat]

I'm signing up in that class!!!

I'll bring my Lotus Seven to be in that class!

[Dave04]

WTF? So they get to show up, run as a group, then skip out for lunch without working course? How convenient.

Yet another reason I don't go to SCCA events...

Perhaps the workers for the first run group should not shag any of the cones and let the Se7en folks do it themselves...

[POS Racing]

Yet another reason I don't go to SCCA events....

Your driving is still the first reason isn't it??

I'm sure someone with the SCCA will chime in a minute and clarify this situation for us.

[altiain]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for inviting specialty groups to come out and participate at Texas Region events. I also don’t have a problem with giving them their own heat or group to run in, as long as it doesn’t interfere with event logistics.

However, I don’t think it’s fair to ask the regular, paying members who support Texas Region and the SCCA to pick up the slack so that a bunch of out-of-towners can squeeze in a little cone-dodging before their lunch date. You run, you work. It’s that simple.

[nealb]

Bernie Long is the event chairman for this event

many of you guys know him

and money changed hands to get the run first/no work arrangement

not the first time there have been special arrangements at either SCCA or ER

I'm doing their autocross instruction on the day before and being their course walk guy and general hand-holder on Sunday

[Dave04]

Your driving is still the first reason isn't it??

Not really... I just don't seem to have the fanatical attraction to it like some others... I enjoy it and go when it suits me.

I'm sure someone with the SCCA will chime in a minute and clarify this situation for us.

and money changed hands to get the run first/no work arrangement

And so it has...

[nealb]

let me correct something -- I assume/believe the Sevens guys paid extra for a no work arrangement

I'll find out for sure, but that is something that has been done in the past for special events by lots of clubs

the organizers get entrants they wouldn't otherwise get, plus a bonus

we are talking about a relatively small number of entrants, a dozen or so, so shouldn't be a big deal for workers, certainly less impact than working while the kid karts run at ER events (30 minutes extra last event for first heat workers)

and I'm not an SCCA official, just a member

haven't been on the local board for the last 4 or 5 years

[jrj512]

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

[blackzx3_13]

and money changed hands to get the run first/no work arrangement

How much does that cost, I want it.

[sammm]

How much does that cost, I want it.

You know the old saying...if you gotta ask....

[modernbeat]

How much does that cost, I want it.

From the event site, they pay a $20 entry fee for the autocross. That's in addition to their weekend event fee of $55 for the Tech Session, a box lunch and an event photo. If they want to put their car in the car show it's an additional $10.

[altiain]

From the event site, they pay a $20 entry fee for the autocross. That's in addition to their weekend event fee of $55 for the Tech Session, a box lunch and an event photo. If they want to put their car in the car show it's an additional $10.

Hmm... I paid $20 for my entry fee as well. Does that mean I don't have to work?

[CosmosMpower]

Hmm... I paid $20 for my entry fee as well. Does that mean I don't have to work?

Sign me up for that too, group buy anyone? Maybe if we chip in $21 a piece we won't have to go through the hassle of tech inspection either

[Solo RX-7]

I worked this deal with Bernie myself. It's been a while since we talked, so I can't remember if this is a work/run early deal or a no-work deal. I'll have to check my notes when I get back in town. I do remember it's a very small number of competitors, so either way the impact is minimal.

Thinking with a bit of a broader scope than whether or not any given individual has to work, you can see how deals like this are good for the sport and can be very good for the region (or club in ER's case) that hosts them. It typically draws in folks who haven't participated before and may not have even realized they could participate. Anytime you can introduce new folks there's a benefit, even if that benefit is difficult to quantify. It also builds good will between the host and participating clubs.

Matt