"The 24" IS ON! - BRING YOUR SPRAY BOTTLES!

[yellow CR]

IF WE DO NOT GET MORE PEOPLE REGISTERED FOR "THE 24" - I WILL CANCEL IT!

We are only at 36 people right now pre-registered with a few days left to sign up.

With numbers like this we are no where close to filling the needed work shifts to run the event.

If I do not see a minimum or 80 people pre-registered by Wednesday, I will be forced to cancel the event.

Stop waiting until the last second to sign up, this trend is getting real old.

[W. Dean Furr]

Let's hope it doesn't come to that. It would be the first time in over a quarter century that CCR did not have a 24-hour autocross, or at least a 12-hour. Registrations are up to 45 a few minutes ago, so we might come out okay yet.

If the event goes under, expect questions on the minimum number of events for year-end rankings. A post earlier this year said six events minimum. I think I have my six, but quite a few persons do not. (Maybe some of them will sign up for the 24 and save the event!)

[PinkBimmer]

Aug 17, 2014 20:48:35 GMT -5 W. Dean Furr said:

Let's hope it doesn't come to that. It would be the first time in over a quarter century that CCR did not have a 24-hour autocross, or at least a 12-hour. Registrations are up to 45 a few minutes ago, so we might come out okay yet.

If the event goes under, expect questions on the minimum number of events for year-end rankings. A post earlier this year said six events minimum. I think I have my six, but quite a few persons do not. (Maybe some of them will sign up for the 24 and save the event!)

I would hate to see it canceled to over something as lack of participationn, hope registrations keep going up... We need 13 people per 2 hr shift to work which includes grid, start and timing.... During the light hours maybe we could lighten a little...this was the first event mike put on the schedule for the year

If it does get canceled we will figure out minimum events for rankings. We added October ZMax it'll replace CMP and I know triad has a November ZMax we might jump on with them and do a dual points event and make sure we get our minimum number for those that are going for season trophies.... I'm already getting by butt kicked by Joe price.

[PinkBimmer]

Come on people we are up to 50 pre registered now.... lets keep it going... lets have this event... this really is a great event... it's good for anyone wanting to try out other cars as well... so come on people come out and play with us... its fun

[belcher]

IF and just saying IF it were to be cancelled, any chance of rescheduling to a later date? How hard would that be logistically?

[czrider]

Actually the CCR 24 hour SOLO event has been run since 1981, therefore this would be the 33rd year. I chaired the first one then.

[drum3]

Next year ,,it might be best to have it a couple weeks after Nats . I know several cars that wont be there simply because it is the last weekend before Nationals and the cars are already prepped or will be this weekend . I will be there but Biscuit will not just for that reason.

[yellow CR]

We're at 52, and that isn't even close to being enough.

[W. Dean Furr]

Aug 18, 2014 13:44:38 GMT -5 czrider said:

Actually the CCR 24 hour SOLO event has been run since 1981, therefore this would be the 33rd year. I chaired the first one then.

Props to you, CZRider! I knew it was longer than 25 years, but couldn't say exactly how long. I started autocrossing in 1977, but didn't run an event with CCR until 1984. The 24 was already established by then. "24-Hr duMall" as I recall, a charity event for Jerry's Kids. A dollar a run, or $20 for all you could stand. Changed course at midnight, and counted the best run from each course, like a two-day event. (I think we were still using that format the years Harv and I chaired the event.) If I remember correctly, we started limiting to six runs when the 24 was a round of the NCAC. I also remember the first-ever sign-up sheet for workers: It was created at 2am when we only had six cars in line and no workers on course. Prior to that moment, we had shut down the event every hour on the hour to beg for workers! Can't imagine that now.

[dmsec]

Is there any reason to not expect any walk up registration for this event? Seems like there are usually more people at events than people who were pre registered.

[yellow CR]

Aug 18, 2014 21:57:17 GMT -5 dmsec said:

Is there any reason to not expect any walk up registration for this event? Seems like there are usually more people at events than people who were pre registered.

I can't count on walk ups to have enough worker coverage for this event. My number of 80 is already on the extreme light side of the needed drivers to cover all the work shifts. The trend at our events has been the walk ups equals the pre reg'd no shows.

With only 80 driver, many of the CCR core workers will be working 6 and 8 hours worth of work shifts. And than have to pack up at the end of the event, as everyone else will bail out as usual.

[dmsec]

Okay, that makes sense.

[W. Dean Furr]

I see 66 entrants. I'm hopeful we will hit 80, but I recognize it may not happen. Even if we do hit 80, we will be short-handed, as MIke said.
Thoughts for stretching the work-force:
- Shut down the course for an hour out of every three for course-walking. Ex: Run 9-11, walk 11-12, run 12-2, etc. That hour would allow the core group some quiet time too. Besides, some of us would really benefit from the walking time.
- Declare some no-official-run times, such as "no official times from 4-6 a.m." That makes it much less critical to get cones up. (I've worked that course in the wee hours with only three or four persons chasing cones.) It also allows the timing staff to take some time out; maybe even a meal break depending on when the no-time zones are declared. Obviously, this would work much better if the times were announced and posted up-front. But it might have to depend on when folks sign up.
- Let everyone know up-front we will NOT have enough workers if everyone works two hours and drives ten. (Mike has already said this.) The good side of the sign-up sheet is we don't have to beg for workers every hour. The bad side is we get the impression two hours is our fair share. Maybe so, if we have 160 entrants. But with less than a hundred, we really would need to work more than two hours. (Any way we can work a 2-hour shift with a requirement for a third hour somewhere in the day? I can't quite get the logistics in my head for that combo.)

A completely different line of thinking: If we miss 80, could we drop back to a 12-hour Saturday 9-to-9 event? I figure that's when most folks will be there anyway. Twelve hours of autocross beats hell out of zero. It also beats trying to schedule another points event so late in the season, both for the organizers and the other entrants who have a life beyond autocrossing. (I know: BLASPHEMY to imply there is life beyond autocross!)

[yellow CR]

Thanks for the ideas Dean.

I was also thinking of making it work 3 hour and run 9 hours for every 12 hours. And split the groups into 1 1/2 hour segments, so we are not out on course for 3 hours straight. With the attendance being so light we can get more than enough runs at the event in 9 or 18 hours.

We just can't have a repeat of last year, with us calling it early for lack of work coverage. Having myself, Jeannie and Cyndi working the 2nd to last group covering the whole site with 3 people. And also having 3 or 4 people on course during the early morning hours. Dixie is a large place and having people run 500 feet or more for cones is ridiculous.

[W. Dean Furr]

Aug 19, 2014 19:07:58 GMT -5 yellow CR said:

I was also thinking of making it work 3 hour and run 9 hours for every 12 hours. And split the groups into 1 1/2 hour segments, so we are not out on course for 3 hours straight. With the attendance being so light we can get more than enough runs at the event in 9 or 18 hours.

I like your idea of two 1.5 hour shifts! We should do that whether or not we are short-handed. I'd rather work the two 1.5-hour shifts than a single 2.0 hour. Maybe throw in a half-hour course-walking break beween shifts to keep worker-changes on-the-hour (and to stretch the worker pool even further)...

[yellow CR]

Aug 19, 2014 19:22:59 GMT -5 W. Dean Furr said:

Aug 19, 2014 19:07:58 GMT -5 yellow CR said:

I was also thinking of making it work 3 hour and run 9 hours for every 12 hours. And split the groups into 1 1/2 hour segments, so we are not out on course for 3 hours straight. With the attendance being so light we can get more than enough runs at the event in 9 or 18 hours.

I like your idea of two 1.5 hour shifts! We should do that whether or not we are short-handed. I'd rather work the two 1.5-hour shifts than a single 2.0 hour. Maybe throw in a half-hour course-walking break beween shifts to keep worker-changes on-the-hour (and to stretch the worker pool even further)...

Even with the present number of drivers, we will have ample coverage if we simply work 3 hours per 12. I need a minimum of 12 workers per shift (I would like 13 or 14), and with 6 groups per 12 hours I need 72 workers, but only need 48 workers if we do 3 hours worth of work.

[yellow CR]

We will be having "The 24", and we will be doing 3 hours of work per 12 hours of participation.

So get your spray bottles ready, and if you don't have one, get one.

You will be getting a ton of runs, and your tires will get very hot if left unattended. Be prepared and get yourself a pressurized spray bottle form Lowe's or Home Depot and keep your tires cool.

Just ask Steve Darcy if he should have used one last year.

[belcher]

What!!! I drove through the wet grass in between runs.

[matthugie]

Aug 21, 2014 7:27:42 GMT -5 belcher said:

What!!! I drove through the wet grass in between runs.

Haha, I did that my first year too!

[3sgte]

I know that this is a long shot, but does anybody have a M48x1.5 thread tap? I only need it to clean up some threads, but I can't install my new shocks until I do. I really wanted to get them on so I could fiddle with setup at the 24. This is the same size threads used to thread up bmw strut caps. Thanks!

[CoolGuy094]

Aug 22, 2014 7:33:46 GMT -5 3sgte said:

I know that this is a long shot, but does anybody have a M48x1.5 thread tap? I only need it to clean up some threads, but I can't install my new shocks until I do. I really wanted to get them on so I could fiddle with setup at the 24. This is the same size threads used to thread up bmw strut caps. Thanks!

Holy cow, M48? I don't know if I've ever seen a tap that big. That's a threadmill size for sure.

[3sgte]

Yup, M48. The best price I've found is ~$130 for a tap. I've got a fellow who will lend me his, but it could be a bit before I get it from him.