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Post by pleiades on Jun 7, 2006 17:04:14 GMT -5
Mark and I spoke today. The blue beast will be back on the road in time for the race this weekend. I'm sure it'll be better than ever!  |
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Post by pistonwheels MB on Jun 7, 2006 17:43:51 GMT -5
This is an interesting/frustrating thread for me, because I know both sides (all sides) of this story -having been the Solo chair for a while (or Solo II as it was) AND having been a CCR member for a decade and now you're R.E. (stands for Reasonably Educated).
The CCR BoD discussed the Solo van at length last night at our board meeting. This is your club, so you're quite entitled to know the following:
The club van is being fixed.
Steven is ready to rent a U-Haul or whatever if necessary (i.e if not repaired in time).
Steven is pretty [glow=red,2,300]vocal[/glow] to the BoD about what Solo needs and should get.
The BoD are VERY aware of the current state of repair of the van (see above line).
We don't want to invest a pile of money into it at this stage and we DO want to get a new Solo vehicle as soon as we can do so in a fiscally sound manner.
Triad undertook multiple fund raisers to get the money for their van. Also, many of their members put in a lot of work to get it fitted out as it is now. That's not to be negative about what CCR does,but just to say that it took a long time and a lot of work for them to get where they are. (I was a Triad member back when they didn't have the van...).
The Solo program can currently be considered as running in the black. Sometimes it is a bit gray though. We accept that in order to provide such things as events at CMP.
We've considered obtaining a loan or leasing a significantly newer vehicle. The conclusion has always been that the overall cost (payments, insurance and maintenance) are not justified by its used for 12 or 14 weekends a year- even over many years.
I would expect our budget for a new vehicle to be in the $10k to $14k range. It would take several years for the SOLO program to generate that level of reserves. Club racing can do that with 2 or 3 successful events. If you ever listen to one of my long AGM speeches you'll know about this because it all gets described then.
Your BoD does a pretty good job of allocating our income and trying to be fair to every CCR activity. We've made some decisions that Hindsight might question - an example would be putting on a race driving school. But at the time those decisions were carefully reviewed, voted on and approved.
Your BoD does review what we undertake as a club - even as far as considering whether to give up Club Racing and just being an Autox club.
Broadcasting "The Van is Dead" does not seem a particularly productive action.
Here's some productive things that SOLO enthusiasts could do to help speed up CCR getting a great newer van:
Work at a club race event - overall this saves us having to provide incentives to workers from other regions to come here (like giving out of town workers hotel rooms).
Get some of the CCR Non-member participants at an autocross to become members of CCR. There's a $20 revenue for the club for each member each year. Now take some multiples of that. 150 entrants at an autox. 75 not CCR members. They join up. $1,500 to YOUR club.
Don't hit them orange cones - that'll save us having to buy some every year. (OK,that one wasn't serious).
Martin B.
PS: If someone wants to attend a board meeting, send me an email. They are not secretive but we also would prefer not to have 50 people at them because we talk too long as it is.
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Post by lagunamiata on Jun 8, 2006 6:38:27 GMT -5
Martin - Thank you for the update. It is good to hear that the board thinks that the SOLO program is worth investing in for future growth.
I believe that the impression we get (we being many of the SOLO participants) is that CCR's SOLO program is treated as the red headed step child. Part of that impression is from lack of communication. Having Dick attend the last few socials and hear some of our gripes has at least let us know that the board thinks of the SOLO program. Your comments above also help let us know that the board acknowledges the SOLO program. Other than you, Steven and Dick, I've not seen other board members at our events.
I know in the past that CCR members outside of the SOLO program have thought of us as the red-headed step children. Comments like "autocrossers aren't racers" have been said in the past. Hopefully that mentality no longer exists. I don't know if that mentality was ever on CCRs board. Hopefully not. If there are members outside the SOLO group that don't think of SOLO and real racing and competition, the event at LMS should help that impression.
Our frustration with the van is that the information we have gotten was that nothing was being done. The engine let go a month ago. Why has it taken 3 weeks to get it in for repair? It's not as though the June AX was a surprise, we all knew it was going to happen. Again, lack of communication. A quick post or e-mail that said the van would be fixed and ready for the next event would have appeased the restless natives.
I've been a CCR/SCCA member for 20 years and have attended SCCA road racing events since the early 70's. I think that killing off the club racing program would be a mistake.
If we are going to replace the van and need a fundraiser let us know. I know that the SOLO participants will help out.
BTW, I changed the title of the thread a little...
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Post by pistonwheels MB on Jun 8, 2006 8:08:24 GMT -5
When I first joined the CCR board, I was the only autocrosser and the mentality that you refer to did exist.
Currently on the BoD are myself, Steven and Walter Stone who are active autocrossers (well, OK, I'm semi-active). Brian Gause, who has autocrossed and runs Time Trials and the Hill Climb (and Brian's son also has autoxed). Tony Wentworth also runs Time Trials. Some of you know Dick McCollister from the socials. Dick has attended a few autoxes and Tony was at one earlier this year.
Also on the board are Dave Brown, who is our Tech Chief. Dave supports various race cars at the track and provides a wealth of car set-up info to anyone who asks - so stop by at Lowe's and see him. Peter Schneider is our Treasurer. Nowadays a some-times driver, Peter mainly helps with car prep for his son who drives a Spec Racer Ford. Bob Thornton drives a well-known green John Deere Spec Miata and has a business rebuilding Miata engines.
So currently the board is well diversified and SOLO has equal representation with Club Racing. Time Trials & Hillclimb also gets represented.
Occasionally we've asked Kent Davis to attend our Board mtgs and many of you know him. Kent's trying to get our TSD/Rally program going.
I guess I need to post this elsewhere on the Forum's or in my RE report.....
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Post by prancingdawg on Jun 8, 2006 8:27:23 GMT -5
I attended the tail end of the ABM as well as the banquet this year and I am well pleased with our representation in the club. I live on the fringes of the area and I am really glad there are those who have taken the time and have the depth of involvement that they have to make this club a success.
Communication is one of the most mystical "barriers" I've ever encountered- sometimes it is such a simple thing but watch what happens when it doesn't.
That's why I think this message board and the yahoo group list are so important, because in real time they can get the word out directly and efficiently- if the recipients are "wired in". Many people do not spend the kind of time some of us do sitting at their computers. So there has to be more of something else to bridge that gap. Or more people needta check their emails and visit the site.
My .02
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Post by prancingdawg on Jun 8, 2006 9:32:30 GMT -5
*bump* from the road racing forum... interesting read ..."We're having an autocross in the infield (kart track) at the same time. So that will help the event finances. It is also a great way for you club racers to inter-act with SOLO drivers and perhaps encourage them to participate more in club racing activities.
Hope this helps.
Martin B.
CCR Regional Exec. "
*ducks under chair and waits for smoke to clear*
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Post by lagunamiata on Jun 8, 2006 15:20:54 GMT -5
It's good to hear that the board has a good mix of members that represent all areas of the club.
Hopefully the LMS event will generate some enthusiasm (sp??) for the SOLO program from the club racers... and some excitement for the racing program from the SOLO crowd.
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Post by volksman on Jun 8, 2006 17:37:34 GMT -5
And here I was thinking this was an Autocross club that had some road races for the OTHER guys  I had no idea that the road guys made more money for the club.  I'm glad that the van has been resurrected, for the mean time ;D Hope it lasts a while, wish I was closer and had some weekends off to help with it! |
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Post by markt on Jun 8, 2006 17:56:51 GMT -5
It looks like I'll pick up the van tomorrow. Got reloading, etc. covered(thermal register tape for run times printer, I just told Sue "we" need to remember it). Wx looks good, too. Let's have some fun this weekend, I ain't drived fast in a coon's age...(insert joke here, JB)
Mark(& Sue)
CSP111
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Post by Imprezivblue on Jun 8, 2006 20:24:26 GMT -5
It looks like I'll pick up the van tomorrow. Got reloading, etc. covered(thermal register tape for run times printer, I just told Sue "we" need to remember it). Wx looks good, too. Let's have some fun this weekend, I ain't drived fast in a coon's age...(insert joke here, JB) Mark(& Sue) CSP111 Is that english? Or am I that young  |
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Post by caSSino on Jun 9, 2006 1:33:26 GMT -5
It looks like I'll pick up the van tomorrow. Got reloading, etc. covered(thermal register tape for run times printer, I just told Sue "we" need to remember it). Wx looks good, too. Let's have some fun this weekend, I ain't drived fast in a coon's age...(insert joke here, JB) Mark(& Sue) CSP111 Is that english? Or am I that young No your just that northern. ;D |
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Post by markt on Jun 9, 2006 4:20:47 GMT -5
Now look here Missy(moves jaw to adjust dentures) I remember when(hitches up Depends) we had to hand crank our autoX cars(points with cane) and we were danged happy(uncontrolable release of methane).
Mark(without Sue)
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Post by lagunamiata on Jun 9, 2006 6:37:08 GMT -5
Ya ole' redneck! Guess that's why we get along, huh?
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Post by drsideways on Jun 9, 2006 18:42:42 GMT -5
I may have some insight to your problems. TSCC's van was purchased on my watch at TSCC.
They had a 1967 Grumman bread van prior to the Penske unit they now have.
What we did was raise some funds through event sponsorships for 1/2 of that year. Then I took one of the club elder members with me to look at the Penske unit. When we got back to his home we spoke about how much better it would be to have the newer unit. Not to mention safer.
Then I hit him with a loan proposal. $350.00 per month for one year. That would have it paid of by the middle of the next season.
We paid $7500.00 for that van. I think you can still get them from Penske for close to the same price. I would NOT get one from any other place. Direct from there lets you know it has been serviced and you can have several to pick from.
We paid the $4200.00 balance by October of that same year.
Having a one ton van helps to make things last a lot longer. Parts are available.
One thing we also did was to give first place points to the event chair so they did not have to tow a car. Towing a car with the club's van is not really the hot tip. Your car is your car. The club should not be responsible for getting your equipment to the event. This is why one time a year a person can chair an event and get first place points.
TSCC has since raised enough to have a CD in the bank for repairs. By now the CD should really be enough to sell the current van and get a newer one in a couple of years. That prevents the stress you guys just went through.
Is this something CCR can make happen? I would like to think so. Is it easy? Of course not. Is it worth it after it is set up? For sure.
Good luck,
Alan Giles
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I had no idea that the road guys made more money for the club. 
