2006 Runoffs Move To October

[Gary Payne]

In addition to moving to Topeka, the runoffs are moving to mid-October dates too! Fresh off the SCCA PR Desk:

From: Eric Prill
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 12:01 PM
To: Eric Prill
Subject: 2006 SCCA Runoffs Date Announced, Moves To October

For Immediate Release

SCCA RUNOFFS DATES SET FOR 2006

Event Returns to October; Hotel Information and Rates Available

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 4, 2005) – Sports Car Club of America, Inc. has announced the dates for the 2006 SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, taking a page of its own history and returning the 43rd running of the classic to a more traditional October date for the first event at Heartland Park Topeka (Topeka, Kan.).

The 24 National Championship Runoffs races will be held Friday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 15. As has been tradition, the event officially commences on Monday, Oct. 9 for practice, followed by three days of qualifications Oct. 10-12 to set the starting lineups.

Heartland Park Topeka will give Runoffs participants a first look at the Runoffs-only track configuration during the promoter test week, Oct. 1-8.

“Eastern Kansas weather is normally very cooperative during this time of the year, and we’ve got the opportunity to extend the time between the final National events of the season and the Runoffs,” SCCA Club Racing Director Terry Ozment said. “This will give competitors more time to prepare for the Runoffs as well as potentially boost participation in the late-season events.”

In addition to the date announcement, SCCA, with assistance from the Topeka Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, has arranged special “SCCA” rates from Oct. 1-15 with many area hotels. The downtown Ramada Inn has been selected as the Official SCCA Event Host Hotel, offering rooms and a complimentary breakfast for a standard rate of $75 plus tax per night. Executive Rooms ($85) and suites ($135) are also available. Reservations may be made at any time through the hotel (800) 432-2424, and rates are guaranteed through Sept. 1, 2006.

Several other area hotels have locked in an “SCCA” rate, although some offer different packages with each rate. A list follows this release, and hotels should be contacted directly for complete details.

In addition to hotel accommodations, Heartland Park Topeka will also provide racers, workers and spectators ample family-friendly camping opportunities during Runoffs testing and competition.

The SCCA National Championship Runoffs® is the annual championship event for the nation’s top amateur road racing drivers, and is regarded as the “Olympics” of motorsports. Featuring more than 700 participants annually, the weeklong event marks its 42nd running this September, with the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Kohler at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.



For more information about the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, please visit www.scca.com. For more information on Heartland Park Topeka, log on to the track’s website at www.hpt.com.


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Additional hotels offering SCCA rates for the 2006 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. All listed prices are per night and do not include tax. Links to all area hotels are available through the TCVB Web site at www.topekacvb.org.

Amerisuites ($99)
Best Western Candlelight Inn ($79)
Best Western Topeka Inn ($79)
Club House Inn and Suites ($79)
Country Inn and Suites ($99)
Holiday Inn ($74)
Holiday Inn Express ($74)
Motel 6-Fairlawn Road ($71.99)
Motel 6-Wanamaker Road ($75.99)
Red Carpet Inn ($37.95)
Regency Inn ($45)
Senate Luxury Suites ($72)



Attached: Image of the field in the 2004 SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Kohler GT-2 race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Image may be reproduced with proper copyright information © 2004 Mark Weber/SCCA. For additional image needs, contact eprill@scca.com.

_______________________

Eric Prill

Director of Communications

Sports Car Club of America
SCCA Pro Racing/SPEED World Challenge
785-357-7222, 785-232-7228 fax

800-770-2055 toll free

785-250-7920 mobile
eprill@scca.com
www.scca.com, www.sccapro.com, www.world-challenge.com

[Jim Garry]

What do people see as pros and/or cons to this date change?

Jim

[Chas Shaffer]

Personally I think the damage is done and the date will have little impact either way. Maybe a possibility of hitting snow driving across the US.

[Jim Nash]

Jim,

It may increase participation in late season nationals. After the date was moved up, nationals that were held on the Labor Day weekend, that were once pretty popular, may have had a drop in cars as people skipped them to prepare for the Runoffs. Otherwise I doubt will have a big impact. Some people will welcome it and others will be disappointed.

Jim Nash

[Douglas Kniffin]

The event is shot, forget it and figure out some new way to race for a championship.

[M.L.Sauce]

You guys have a typical opinion on change but The Runoffs will be a great event regardless of where it is held.Cen-Div and NE Div competitors will have a longer tow but the Championship competition will be there.If you truly want to race for a Championship go where the Championship is.Dave W has the right idea.He wants to race for a Championship,he was at Road Atlanta, then Mid Ohio and now Heartland Park.If you come you will be surprised at the quality and challenge of the facility.Then there is the hospitality.The weather will be good and the people friendly.Paved paddock, now there is a concept nobody will argue with.

[Tim FF19]

Every track has its challenges, some have more than others. I have never raced at Heartland but I have never heard anyone speak about it with the reverence of Road America, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio or Road Atlanta but I have heard a lot of oh-hum's from competitors that have raced there. I think many of the Cen-Div and NE competitors are not as worried about the length of the tow as the are concerned about the quality of the track. SCCA did not see fit to ask the general membership what they thought about different tracks prior to a selection, so their choice of Heartland sure seems pretty self serving. To be sure, I think the West coast guys have gotten a bum deal for many years due to the length of tow to MO or Road Atlanta, but I would like to hear what THEY think about the pros and cons of towing to Kansas vs Ohio or Georgia. To be sure, the Championship will be held wherever the Championship will be held, there will be some kind of turnout, and all the class champions will be crowned. Most likely I will not be there, and the length of the tow is not the problem.

Tim Dunn

Now where is that phone number for FormulaProRacing?

[Steve Demeter]

Mike,
Dave was right that the Championship was wherever the race was held.

But Road Atlanta and Mid Ohio are majestic, world reknown tracks that provide unique and daunting challenges. Just ask anyone who raced at Road Atlanta before the chicanes. Just ask anyone who raced at Mid Ohio in the heyday of CART. Those guys deemed it the most physical challenging track they ever ran on.

Both tracks have long and glorious histories of many professional races dating back to the glory days of the Cam Am in the 60's and 70's.

Both ARE superb facilities.

Now let's see Haertland: Middle of nowhere, not even ready for a top notch race ($witness $5 million coming in from the local government), hasn't had a major professional road race in how long, and all the topography of a billard table. Yeah right, perfect race to hold the SCCA's marquee event.

It is 100% true IMHO that as stated in an earlier post that the choice by the BOD and the National Staff (don't even try to convince me that they did not weigh in very heavily) is self serving and IMHO not in the best interest of the club.

I also agree that the membership should have been at least asked informally their feelings on moving the Runoffs to such a place.

I would also like to repeat my request made to you on this board several months ago to have public access to the bids from both tracks. If Heartland was so great, why not share it with the people most affected, the dues paying membership.

Steve Demeter

[mark defer]

[size=2]the tow is not a problem for me, as mr st clair gets the car to the track. he occasionally gets lost on his way, but he always shows up on time. i don't have a problem with moving the runoffs, just the location they moved it to. to be fair, i'll admit i've never been to heartland park. but several people i know and trust tell me that this venue is not the place to hold a event of the runoffs caliber. there have also been questions raised as to the real reason why that location was chosen. i too would feel better if the details of the bid were known. anyway, as of now, i don't think anybody from the st clair camp is planning on going [4 FCs]. and i will guarantee you that entries are going to be down as the event moves farther from it's membership base. the west coast will not be able to make up for all the lost entries from the east. do the math.[/size]
[size=2][/size]
[size=2]mark d[/size]

[Mark H]

Coming from an outsider that usualy makes people mad I will say:
If I had a newer car...
The way it is now with 1 more year @ MO, we would sit out this year and wait for next year at Topeka. WHY
Knowing that it will take more than 1 or2 times at MO to get up to speed and then we will never go back there why waist the time and $. Maby take that $ and tow to a few races this year at Topeka to get a jump on next year?
With MO being a tough track to learn the home field advantage is a big reason that most of the drivers at the RO's are from that area. Look at the entry list, or even more look at the top 5 finishers from past years Ohio, Mich,Ohio, Penn.
Example, my first season at RA we got lapped, racing aginst guys with 1000 laps there, went to CMP the track had only been opened a year or two, was racing the same guys from RA but this time I ran up front and even lead a few laps because we were on even ground as far as track time.
I know it sounds like whinning but RA is the same way, when the RO,s were here at lot of guys said that the SeDiv guys had a big home field advantage?
If the RO's had been at RA for a while and I had been finishing in the front I would be upset if they were moving it too. But to guys like me who are just planing on getting started at the RO's moving to a neutral track is just what I want, Sorry not trying to offend. But it gives guys like me a better chance to be up front.

[Tim FF19]

Mark, By all means get ready for Heartland, but I think the home track advantage is not quite what it seems. Just ask guys like Jaremko (sp?). A lot of championships are won by CEN-DIV guys because there are more drivers in that division than any other I believe. Back when the Runoffs were at Road Atlanta the CEN-DIV guys took home plenty of championships. The point is, many of the CEN-DIV guys are not whining because the Runoffs are moving away, we simply are not happy with the new venue and never really had any significant input on the change. If you want to get a leg up on the competition by going to Heartland early, well, that sure sounds like the right plan to me, I just wish it was a track with more promise than we have seen so far.

[BGilkes]

Move it to Mosport !!!!
Ok I may be a bit biased living close by, just don't hold it in October unless you can bring slicks wets & studded tyres.

Just my opinion but home circuit advantage will make a difference to good drivers and in a class as competitive as say FC will make a difference of that driver finishing in the top 10 or not. The really good drivers will pick up the circuit in the time available and run at the front whatever. You see this frequently with drivers such as Ricardo Vasmer, first time out flying at Road Atlanta, Chas going to Nelson Ledges for the first time and mixing it up with Mark D. & Dave W.

If the run offs were at Mid Ohio, Road Atlanta, Topeka.... or even Mosport, I still reckon you would see the same group of guys at the front.

Same views about the move as others have shared on the site. Second hand I admit but the commentary doesn't inspire me to want to visit Kansas when for the same milage & less time commitment I could run any of the Pro races at circuits like Road Atlanta or do the June Sprints at Road America

Brent

[J Mabee]

One traffic situation that could arise is those October dates are the same as the NASCAR/Bush races at Kansas Speedway which is right off I-70. People coming from / going home due east could get caught up in it. If need be I'll come up with alternate routes around the traffic jam.

[Steve Demeter]

Home track advantage my eye.

First of all, the only club race run at MO in the Runoffs configuration is the Runoffs, granted that is a small change, but it truly does alter the character of a large portion of the track..

As far as RA goes, if memory serves me correctly, 11 of 22 class were won by Cen Div drivers in 79 (6 of those were from Land of Lakes Region).

If MO poses such a home track advantage, how come Dave W has only won the Runoffs once there.

[Mark H]

So their is no advantage to having raced 3 times a year on one track vs. never having driven on said track?
Sure some drivers will be fast anywhere but what about the rest of us.
But who cares what I think the RO's will be at Topeka in 2006 no matter what?

[KevinFirlein]

frankly it really doesnt matter the location of where the runoffs are to me. I dont go because of the track i go for the race itself. Sure I am not over joyed about the 20+ hour tow but i'll still be there for the full 2 weeks. no point on talking about the track since basically it doesnt exist yet.

October on the other hand...... Always nice to see people in charge make the same mistake twice. " Weather this time of year is usually nice.." Same thing was said when we moved to Mid Ohio. Even remember the PA announcement that was made on saturday of the 94 runoffs. " its 70 degrees and sunny in mansfield and its raining at Atlanta". funny i dont recall there being an announcment in 2000 when the 1st 3 FF's under the T1 bridge during morning warmp up spun off on the ice.

With the september date the weather has been pretty damn good. So they respond to that by going back to mid october. I guess 70-80 degree weather would make things to easy. Much better to stir the pot up a bit with the cold.

Now this myth of a home track advantage. If you cant get yourself dialed in within the 4 offical sessions and maybe the sunday test day you arent good enough to win anyways.

Kevin

[Rob Klein]

Now this myth of a home track advantage. If you cant get yourself dialed in within the 4 offical sessions and maybe the sunday test day you arent good enough to win anyways.

Kevin

Very well spoken Kevin.


Rob
Liberty Motorsports

[Chas Shaffer]

Mike,
Your response about resistance to change is disturbing as it seems prevelent in SCCA leadership. Ignore what the club members are saying we the officials know better.

This is not hesitance to change or concern about home field advantage. I'd prefer it if the location changed every year. To be fair is should rotate between divisions annually. Part of my job is to understand population densities and I know first hand the RO's just moved to the center of nowhere. I'd like to get my hands on the membership address list so I could put it into a GIS and determine exactly where the majority of the club resides. The issue is that this decision serves an extremely small percentage of the membership.

I expect Firlien, St Clair and others to be where ever the Runoffs move, it's their job! I resent my commitment to racing being challenged because I can't tow for 4 days to race in a championship. Some of us have real jobs and simply do not have enough vacation for a 4 day tow, week of testing and week of competition.

As for the west coast making up the difference in lost entries, take a look at a map. It's still almost 1800 miles from CA, 1500 miles from Phoenix and 1300 miles from Vegas.

I'd like to see where the RO's would go if Steve Johnson and the rest of the SCCA work force had their compensation tied to attendance.

[Steve Demeter]

Chas,
I could not agree more. But is not that a rather novel concept to tie the compensation of staff to performance. At least in the context of this orginization??

[Purple Frog]

Its posted on the SCCA website that the Solo2 runoffs will be at Heartland Park in October 2006. I think the snowball is rolling.

To be fair. Looking at average temps for October in Topeka, it might be a good move. It appears there is less chance of rain than in September. This was just a quick cursory look, I would need to do more research at a site that list 7/24 average temps by date.

I too would be curious to see the original Runoffs bid specs, not the responses. You can always write a bid to get the result you desire.

Paved paddocks are nice. Now Daytona has a most wonderful paddock after its most recent high dollar remodeling job (almost as nice as Barber), but I don't want the Runoffs there.

For us Topeka is only 3 hours farther to tow. 1127 miles versus 919 to M-O.

[Jim Garry]

Its posted on the SCCA website that the Solo2 runoffs will be at Heartland Park in October 2006. I think the snowball is rolling.

Actually, this is a good thing for the Solo II Nationals. Currently the Nationals are held about 2 miles away from Heartland Park on old concrete at Forbes Field. Some of that concrete is breaking up badly and frankly it has become an embarrassment to hold the SCCA Solo II National Championships on such poor pavement.

As for choosing a site based on popluation densities and Topeka being the middle of nowhere, the Solo II Nationals have been in Topeka since 1995. Entry has been over 1000 for many years now. IMHO, the issue is not one of having an event within a densely membership-populated area, it's having it in a place that is "equally difficult" for everyone to get to.

There are many valid reasons for not wanting the Runoffs in Topeka, but I don't think the above reason is one of them.

Jim

[Chas Shaffer]

Jim,
I have to admit I know very little about the Solo II Nationals. It's encouraging to hear there is such a good turnout. I'm curious how long the event lasts. The Runoffs is one week of testing and one week of qualifying and racing. Is the Solo II Nationals similar in format?

I'm all for doing what is best for the club even if it hurts my personal agenda. For me it's a question of vacation time. I don't think I'm in the minority but it wouldn't be the first time if I'm wrong.

[R John Lye]

Chas,

FWIW, I've towed to Topeka from Virginia for the Solo II Nationals back
when I was still competing in Solo II. It is an easy two day two for me.

Hope that helps,
John

[Chas Shaffer]

John,
Did you drive staight through? Every way I calculate it, with fuel stops it looks like 22 - 25 hours each way which being by myself equates to at least 2 very long days each way or 4 days total. It's roughly 1200 miles for me. I just drove to NHIS last weekend which was 612 miles and it took just over 11 hours each way. All it takes is a little traffic, an accident or bad weather to add several more hours to the trip.

I use to live in Steamboat Springs, Co. so I've done the drive across I-70 W several times.

[Jim Garry]

Jim,
I have to admit I know very little about the Solo II Nationals. It's encouraging to hear there is such a good turnout. I'm curious how long the event lasts. The Runoffs is one week of testing and one week of qualifying and racing. Is the Solo II Nationals similar in format?

Nope. Solo II Nationals IS less time. The event opens for registration on a Friday. That weekend is two days of the Pro Solo Finale as well as Kansas Region's two day "warm-up" event. Then on Monday, it is course walking day. Nothing else happens. Tuesay-Wednesday 1/2 of the classes run. Thurs-Fri the other half runs. So if you run Th-Fri you COULD just show up Wednesday afternoon.

But most people show up by Monday or Tuesday. And a huge percentage, like me, show up on Friday afternnon or evening and stay until our class has run. Some people stay the entire week. But the Runoffs is far and away more time consuming if you do the entire week of testing the week before.

As for towing time, I leave on Thursday morning, around 7 am, from Albany, NY. With a co-driver, we drive until about midnight. That puts us west of Chicago, sometimes we make it to Columbia, MO. Then the next day is an easy drive to Topeka, ususally pulling in around 3 pm or earlier.

We don't stop early on the first day because what would we do? Watch TV in a hotel room? I find the long drive to be very cathartic. The hassles of the real world fade away after 7 or 8 hours of driving (that's around 3 pm). And knowing that you just aren't going to make it there the first day is actually a relaxing point.

As for the list of hotels given earlier, you might want to go over to the SCCA forums on scca.org and go to the solo ii nationals thread and ask. Some hotels are not particularly comfortable. But most are very good and some are outstanding. There's one right near the race track that is kind of a dive but being a stone's throw away has it's positives.

Jim

[R John Lye]

Hi Chas,

No, I didn't drive straight through. We stopped in Missouri, as I recall. For me, its
about a 13 hour tow to St. Louis, then about 7 hours or so to Topeka from there, if
I recall correctly. I just ran Automap, and its slightly under 1100 miles for me via
I-64 to I-70, and the software figures it at about 18 hours total drive time, which
fits with my memory of the trip.

Steamboat, eh? I used to live in the Denver/Boulder area but went up to Steamboat
to flag for the vintage race there every year. Nice town.

John

[M.L.Sauce]

Charles- I have towed to Mid Ohio in 21 hours straight when I was a little younger and it's almost 1200 miles.I recently have made it in one long day and another half day.Topeka should take a similar tow for you maybe just a little longer.You gotta go if want to be National Champ.I hope you able to work it out so you can make the trip.

[problemchild]

It is obvious that there are two very different thought process' developing here.
I commend all of you that are putting such a positive spin on the move to Topeka.
Unfortunately, many racers in the East feel much as Charles does.
Many feel much stronger. They are preparing for the last real "Runoffs" this year and thinking about what they want to race next year. Without the West or East crowd, the runoffs-lite will just be another race event.
No, the date change won't make any difference. The damage has been done.

[fos]

Who wants to spend money in Kansas?

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...nsas_evolution

I'm sure they'll frown upon Sunday warmups.

[Steve Demeter]

I wonder if it is a dry county??

[R John Lye]

I don't think so - check out "Baby Dolls" in Topeka. Its pretty (in)famous
among the Solo-II crowd (not that I'd know...).

John