Poll: Planning for the future AX

[Wellardmac]

Larry, it's interesting to get your opinion on how things used to be. Sadly, I think that the lower numbers might also have led to the loss of the social aspect... now we have only two run groups if you're not running, then you're working the course - that means little opportunity to socialize. That's a real pity, as I've met some great people at AX this year.

[betegh9]

Mike!
I'm glad to hear rom you here. I live in Blue Bell now and occasionally drive by the Unisys place and think of the site. The larger parking lot has stupid stop signs at every parking row that are just driven into the pavement. Is there a way to get them out?

Another point: how many club members have web access, and how many of those know that we have a FORUM.?

[Wellardmac]

The forum was mentioned in Der Gasser, on the RTR website, and at the last membership meeting.

The membership will build with time, but we do have to do a little better than 85 people in a region of 1300. We'll get there eventually.

...until then we really will not make much progress without participation. Even out of the 85 members on 10 have bothered to express an opinion by voting in the poll... not an encouraging sign.

[betegh9]

Larry,
Do u want to hire course workers and pay them to pick up cones? We need at least 2 groups: One group runs while the other works. It has always been that way and that won't change.

[Wellardmac]

Well, if we were to get enough people, then we could split into three run groups, and have one on the course, one working the course, and one as the peanut gallery. That would bring in the social aspect.

Additionally, if we encouraged a picnic, or at least socializing at lunchtime, then that might help get people together a little. I've noticed in the last few sessions that people sort of go their own way at lunch time.

We could also talk about other activities that would help the families participate and feel more a part of the day... could even arrange a concours to coincide with AX so that members can show off their sexy-356s Considering that we have limited AX events it's not outside the realms of possibility that we bundle other activities into an AX event.

[Larry Herman]

Sorry, Nick, it has not always been that way.  Just ask Paul Walsack.  In the 70s we regularly had between 80~100 entrants, and it was a simple matter of platooning 8 or 10 people to work the corners for a half hour or so.

[Wellardmac]

Okay, I've dropped a note to Doug to try to get a sticky added to the top of the RTR webpage advertising the web forum. I've also enquired about getting a link added to the poll so that we can get a more representative set of opinions in here.

[betegh9]

Larry!
I am glad that you remember that far back. You must have been in diapers during the 70's. I am, on the other hand, considered a senior citizen in some places, so I am allowed to have those senior moments
Today, everyone likes to have as many runs as possible (not like the SCCA: 3 runs and you're out). If you like to get 80 participants X 8 runs each, that would make a total of 640 runs. If you send a car out every minute, add the time to change flaggers every half hour, have coffee breaks, 1 hour lunch, set up and take down and awards, you would be pushing sun rise to sun set but only on the longest daylight day of the year (June 21).
To make the event run fast, exciting and quick, one needs 3 people per station X 6 stations where 2 people RUN for cones (usually you pick the more agile guys and one guy with the radio), starters, stagers, timers (computer wizes), scorers, 4 to 5 instructors for rookies, tech inspectors and the AX chair to coordinate all this. So, if you roughly add all the people needed to run an event, I figure about 34 working while the other 30 run their cars. The extra 6 people per group can do other things to facilitate the load. In this faSHION, you can send a car every 20 seconds and seeing 3 to 4 cars on the course at any point in time. People will have plenty of time to eat and converse with their cohorts. Awards can be presented around 3pm. Go TODAY to an event where lots of participants want to go, and ask what draws them to get up at 6;30 am on a Sunday. People would think that they are loonitics. Why does this person choose to go to event A and not event B by another club?

I travel up to 4 hours a day to compete in an AX event that: 1. The site is large and good open course layout. 2. Everyone works, and everyone has a good time. 3. competition is keen where scores are 3/1000's between cars in class. Therefore, cars are placed in classes diligently and modifications scrutenized carefully by a tech comitee. 4. Only 5 minutes of stoppage when workers are changed. 5. Car is sent off at start every 20 seconds, at times having 3 cars on course. 6. there is no boaring, down time waiting in car with helmet on in 90 degrees+ heat. The list can go on, but it is late, and ...........this is only MY opinion.:? We need to find out what the RTR populus wants (as if the knew) One can only form an opinion once they have experienced several different AX events.

[STEVEMCMORN]

elizabeth26 wrote:

The SCCA competition can be fierce, and the classing is not always Porsche friendly, though the GT3's set up properly are eating up a particular class now

The Philly region events are very newbie friendly, that'is a particular goal of their program

If we attend an SCAA AX, I don't expect to be competitive against the pros who've been doing it a while or even those with even a glimmer of driving talent ...... all I'm looking for is to have a laarf and to beat my mates - which when it's Wellad Mac aint too hard hock:

As discussed with the tall guy, who according to De Gasser, the RTR website and e-mails from our President (!) is Graham Knightrider who once went for a night out in Willow Grove, which is absolutely no-where near Fort Washington, I'm happy to co-ordinate RTR excursions to SCAA events - perhaps once a month.



Would suggest that to get a little friendly banter & competition going, we compare our own times (overall and by standard porsche / RTR groups) against each other rather than worrying against the big boys

[Larry Herman]

Nick, you bring up an interesting point about how many people it takes to run the event now-a-days.  I wonder how it ballooned up to so many?  I remember running events with a handful of people, and drawing from the entrants, a rotating pool of 8 or 10 volunteers.  We only needed 2 workers at each station, and there were usually only 4 or 5 stations.  There were 2 people for timing and scoring, a spotter, a starter, the chairman, a volunteer or 2 to post the time board and someone to keep the line moving.  Maybe a re-think is in order.