http://nsca-racing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8301
#51 Today, 09:11 AM
Preacher Man is Offline:
Forgiven!! Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: The King's Coach
Age: 49
Posts: 664
I've held off and held off saying anything because I always get my head handed to me by somebody over my comments... oh well, here goes.
Before anything can change with the NSCA, everybody has to park their ego's at the door, that includes racers and management. Yes management, you guys are racers too! Until that happens nothing will change. If something doesn't change soon, the NSCA will not be around. Look at the numbers of the 2 classes with the most stability, AM and NSS. They had 39 cars between the 2, I think NSS was a little light because of the Hot Rod Reunion next weekend in BG. Add the 32 cars in the Jeg's stock/super stock shootout and over half of the car count was comprised of 3 classes. (You can thank Nitro Joe for his efforts with the Jeg's shootout. He worked that hard the last few weeks to get folks down to Cecil.) Take out the Super Gas cars and the ASCC and now look at what's left, 71 cars between the 11 heads up classes...
What's the answer not sure, but I do have a suggestion. Declare the champs in the classes right now as they sit. Re-vamp the entire series with a structure along the lines of the Orlando heads up classes add a slightly revised AM class (EFI should have been added to this class many years ago), NSS (as it stands) and the Jegs classes if they continue to support the series and move on from there. Sounds to simple, probably, but I am just a simple man myself. Michael Ray is right, we have way to many classes. I've been with this deal for 7 seasons, that's only one short of the time this deals been alive. We've combined classes before and lost people but still managed to move forward. American Muscle was one that came from the old NMC and Street Eliminator classes. We lost about 25 racers with that combination, yet we are still surviving and growing. While I think we could have more cars with a little massaging of the rules, we average 20+ at almost every race... that's 5 rounds every time we show up.
Move the series to the Midwest.. that's where most of the cars are in this type of racing are... yea I know that will hurt a few southern teams, but lack luster car counts in LA and GA say we should not go that far from the roots of fast door slammer.
The NSCA has always been a family, a dysfunctional one at times, but none the less a family. We can either come together, that's all of us (racers and management) or file for divorce. Time for folks to decide what they want to do.
I've seen some folks talk about PRO/NMCA as an alternative... they aren't in any better shape then we are. Sponsorships, car counts and crowds are down there as well.
Is it the economy, yes it has had an impact. You can not increase your fuel costs by 50% and not have it hurt you. Last year we drove 32,000 miles and spent right at $6000 for fuel. This year we've driven 15,000 miles and spent almost as much with half the season to go...
Alright, I've had my say, flame away..
Mark
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#52 Today, 12:43 PM
Philip Rowe is Online:
Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Troy, Michigan
Age: 47
Posts: 63
Mark, it's good to hear from you, we will always hear from racers, management and spectors alike when it comes to an issue that they may not like or would like to see changed, but just like our country, rarely if at all will we have everyone stand together to change a system.
I agree with you 100%, but I would add another word along with ego, and thats PRIDE. I can only hope that I have some place to race my American Muscle Nova next year besides my home state tracks.
Now I have seen this same type of post in various locations on the web where the question is asked, what can we do to save our organization. Many have given ideas, only to have them fall on deaf ears, while most just complain about the issue's at hand, but have merit.
While I agree 100% with Brother Mark, I am going to throw the dog a bone that just came to mind. Many if not all of you will say this can't be done and this guy Phil is stupid before any of you research it. Anything is possible in business if properly planned and developed.
"racer Relations Stock Ownership" (not to be confused with NSCA ownership and profits) this is only an idea.
How would it work ? I dont have all the answers in the 10 minutes, but I have a thought which is what was asked. How would it work and what would it do, well here are a couple ideas.
Enhance the involvement of racers and management by offering racer relations stock with in the organization. which could enhance the quality of decision making by the racer's representative and management.
Encourge free, informed, collective bargining, and improve racer / management relationship.
Note: verbage would include some of the following
1. Racer Representative: a person voted by the competiting body with tenure within the organized body
2. Racer Relations Stock ownership: available to competiting members of the organized body with "X" tenure. and meets a mininum attendance requirement established by the representative / managemet body.
and so on. again this is an idea if all else fails and no one can get along to resolve this matter at hand
Now that we have ad a good laugh, get serious about this problem, stand up together as a body and unite with management and start from scratch like Mark said. NSCA, NHRA, IHRA, NMCA, UDRA and so on are just names and are nothing without the supporting racers that makeup each organization and the spectators to watch those that make the name.
Fire away
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Philip Rowe
Gear Jammer Motorsports
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