"Audiences" and "crew allowances"

[lawyerbob]

There have been a number of threads lately concerning "fixing" this and that. In SportsCar the "we need new members" theme is pretty much a monthly topic.

In a recent thread, though I'm not sure which one, a question was posed regarding audiences.

Can anyone tell me why we as driver/entrants are limited to 3 "free" crew? Is this a regional issue or a national issue? I'm sure I'm not unusual. If I bring my wife, son and dad, I've used my allotment. If I want to bring son's GF, mom, other kids, grandkids, etc etc it costs me $10 a head. I KNOW I could bring a number of people to the track, some of whom would ultimately become SCCA members and potentially drivers, workers, etc. But the club makes it hard to do so (have to identify them ahead of time) and it costs me more money on top of an already nearly prohibitive entry fee. If I run six weekends and bring 5 extra people each time, that's another $300 to my budget - that's a set of used tires, an extra entry, who knows.

Why are we limited to 3 crew? What can be done about this. If 100 entrants each brought 5 interested people to the races, that's 500 potential SCCA members at each event - surely we could grow the club that way.

[Fred Michael]

It's up to your region.
Never understood why you would put limits on who can come watch, makes no sense to me.

[RussMcB]

Good topic, good question. It would be great if we could tell friends how they can come for free and see our races. Even better if they wouldn't have to come during registration hours and stand in those lines. But, I understand that might be tough since to get them in free they need to officially be part of the team. Otherwise the track would want spectator fees for them.

[Steve Demeter]

I think the limit on free crew is for the need to cover insurance costs for the added people.

[budawe]

That is a really good question and since I generally travel solo, I don't know. I do know that it varies from track to track and some track charge a gate fee others include the fee in the rental charge. I'll look into it.

[lawyerbob]

That is a really good question and since I generally travel solo, I don't know. I do know that it varies from track to track and some track charge a gate fee others include the fee in the rental charge. I'll look into it.

Thanks. I understand that some big events - June Sprints, Runoffs, etc, are big gate spectator events - that's understadable But for the average race weekend, sure seems to me we are missing an opportunity.

[dick patullo]

It has nothing to do with SCCA, it is all about the track contract. If they are selling tickets they often do not want you letting a lot of people in free though the back gate.

[Rick Kirchner]

Then do away with free crew, reduce the entry fee, and let everybody pay through the back gate. Seems to be the way it's done outside the SCCA out here on the left coast. Pretty sure sprints/midgets/sportsmen guys do the same.

[Westroc]

I may be the one who brought this up on the fixing nationals thread. It was largely not picked up on except by one guy who took the time to e-mail me privately.
Basically it was explained that spectators are allowed but the tracks want that revenue and they also pass on some costs to the regions as well because of the spectators. After some thought I think IMO that this really speaks to the overall business model we use for SCCA regions. I think it has been accepted that that's the way it's been namely that we have paid as entrants for overcrew to get anybody in. In my experience with other ways of doing things this is not the business model which I personally think takes advantage of spectator oppurtunities. Many events could have a spectator element. As an example of an event strategy when I ran Pro FF in Canada we were guaranteed our entry back for finishing races down to 20th place. It was funded partially by our entry true but also was supplemented from the gate. Would you go to an event if you got your entry or part thereof back? Hell yeah. Would there be at least a possibility of more entries? I think so. This is the model that neeeds to be promoted and would make the tracks'concessionars, camping etc. etc. happier. Geez the concessions, vendors for us etc. probably make just enough money to starve to death right now.
Fixing it is not difficult but you do need fresh thinking not just same same and expect different results
Glad someone other than me wants to discuss.

[Steve Demeter]

Long time ago, there was a SERIOUS spectator national put on at Mid Ohio by IIRC OVR.

It was a ball and drew significant crowds.

But the insurance regs and other stuff for a full spectator event have to be allowed for.

Mid Ohio allows anyone who buys a season pass to all their spectator races free access to SCCA club races there as well.

[Northwind]

Take a look at the Land O Lakes Region and look at their 2012 BIR schedule. I think they are on to something.

[kc0stp]

Hmm around here the only thing your restricted on is how many free dinners you get (driver + 1 crew), I will admit there are 2 regions in the division that are starting to charge entry fees for spectating (generally $10) to help cover the lack of entries and for those guys you are limited to 4 crew members but so long as you list them they can come/go as they please so no need to stand in long registration lines.

[Todd Butler]

It is totally up to your local track and the relationship the track has with the Region. Example at Portland, SCCA does not charge admission for Club events. Why? Because *if* we charged admission we'd have to pay for people at the gate to collect the admission fee and we'd have to split the take 50% with the track. It does not pay for the average Club events and frankly we want spectators and don't want to discourage them.

I suspect the 3 free crew referenced above is the region's attempt to split the difference between the track wanting everybody to pay and the region recognizing that the driver has already paid an entry fee and should be able to bring some folks in under the cover of that entry fee. The one event where spectators are charged for admission at Portland SCCA races, Rose Cup (SCCA runs it for Portland Rose Festival) we negotiated 3 free crew passes with each entry so drivers don't have to pay for every crew member.

One other note, you can argue the percieved value of a free event vs one you have to pay even a nominal fee for. Free is often a good price, and often percieved as you get what you pay for. I'm not taking sides either way on that, just pointing that out.