Regional participation

[Speed Sport Engineering]

in 2024 there were 38 majors events, and we had 115 entries, giving us an average of 3.02 entries per event.

There were 135 regional FC entries in 2024, second of all the formula classes to FV at 154. FE2 only had 82 by comparison.

It appears FC is very strong at the regional level due to participation in events using SCCA regionals like the Pacific F2000 series and the Great Lakes Championship Series in the Midwest.

Unfortunately SCCA does not recognize the regional numbers as participation in determining the strength of FC and it's pecking order in the SCCA community.

We need to get some crossover of those competing in the regional only events into some major events in 2025. I'm encouraging all of you who are competing in these regional events to please make an effort to run a few majors events this year. It will go a long way to securing our standing within the SCCA. As an example, all we needed was 37 of the 135 regional entries to be at a majors event, and we would have cleared a 4.0 average in 2024. It doesn't take much.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I recently posted the Pacific F2000 schedule for 2025. None were Majors.

I had nothing to do with the schedule and agree we should try and influence people to attend.

Send a note to Dave Freitas as he runs PF2k now.
https://davefreitasracing.com/contact/

[Dave Woodmancy]

Michael,

Were those 135 regional entries all FC’s, and excluding CFC classed cars?

[rockbeau25]

I know the GLC guys usually start planning their schedule around this time. It would be awesome if they would consider Blackhawk, Road America, Gingerman, Mid-O, or Grattan Majors this coming year.

[Speed Sport Engineering]

Michael,

Were those 135 regional entries all FC’s, and excluding CFC classed cars?

Dave - SCCA's regional participation data has both CFC ( 22) and FC (135) so I assume those 135 are all cars registered as FC's.

https://www.crbscca.com/public/parti...p?theYear=2024

[BrianT1]

When are the schedules for both Regional and Majors in 2025 listed? It would be good to get a census on what races drivers are planning to attend.

Brian Tomasi

[Twill45]

The GLC normally does not get together and vote on a schedule until February or March each year. On the topic of Majors - I do not speak for the GLC, but I am thinking that may be a tough sell to get the CFC subset of the group to attend Majors. That said, I know that there are a few of us that plan to run some Majors in 2025 regardless of what the GLC does

[Steve Demeter]

Only 22 CFC's at regionals ...
That sounds low to me???

[douglap1]

Recently, I've been thinking about this too, and I believe that there is a simple solution:

Just have all Majors Races run as combined Majors / Regional events such that points are awarded for whatever Conference that the Majors race happens to be run in. For example, in the Southeast, we have a couple of Majors Races that are combined Majors / South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC) events. If anyone participating in these events is not running the SARRC series, they just check off a box on the registration form waiving SARRC points, and the points go to other drivers as if the drivers waiving their points were not in the race.

For my part, I don't really want to travel all over the country when there are many good race tracks within a 4 hour drive of me, so I have been entering the regional SARRC events, and if they just happen to be Majors events, then I kill two birds with one stone as they say. For that reason, I have also skipped some Majors Races when they did not award SARRC points. Perhaps there are others with a similar frame of mind.

And yes, I'm talking about FC and not CFC. In the last 5 years, I don't think I've even seen a CFC eligible car in the Southeast.

in 2024 there were 38 majors events, and we had 115 entries, giving us an average of 3.02 entries per event.

There were 135 regional FC entries in 2024, second of all the formula classes to FV at 154. FE2 only had 82 by comparison.

It appears FC is very strong at the regional level due to participation in events using SCCA regionals like the Pacific F2000 series and the Great Lakes Championship Series in the Midwest.

Unfortunately SCCA does not recognize the regional numbers as participation in determining the strength of FC and it's pecking order in the SCCA community.

We need to get some crossover of those competing in the regional only events into some major events in 2025. I'm encouraging all of you who are competing in these regional events to please make an effort to run a few majors events this year. It will go a long way to securing our standing within the SCCA. As an example, all we needed was 37 of the 135 regional entries to be at a majors event, and we would have cleared a 4.0 average in 2024. It doesn't take much.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Just have all Majors Races run as combined Majors / Regional events such that points are awarded for whatever Conference that the Majors race happens to be run in.

Those exist and are listed as 'Majors - Restricted Regionals'. I believe the COST of the Majors races is why some groups avoid them.
It's my understanding the 'Restricted Regional' is limited to Majors eligible classes.

Out west there really isn't anyone in an FC that isn't running with Pacific. Dave has negotiated a Sunday FC only race in a couple weeks. I'm thinking he's trying to do that for the season - which can only be done via Regionals.

[Nardi]

I’m a long time FC racer but truly have no dog in this hunt as I haven’t raced in a number of years. However, it seems to me that combining majors with regionals will do nothing but drive the very core group of amateur racers even farther away from participating. IMHO, the core group is the very, very average guy who wants to go play racecar on a weekend without spending a fortune and without being MULTIPLE seconds off the pace. It’s absolutely no fun to be blown away by fellow competitors whose definition of fun is different, while also punctuated with dollar signs. If these guys can’t race at regional races, where exactly do you think they can race?
Again, IMHO, the nature of amateur racing has changed, but having runoff’s caliber competition infiltrating the grassroots entry level regional races, will only add more nails into the coffin. Just my opinion.

[SteveG]

The last 2 times SFR did a Major ('22 and '24 I think) they were also restricted regional. Here that means that novices can't run but all of the regional only classes can. Besides the no novices the other difference is the races are however many laps rather than timed.
Restricted regional is the only way the region can make.the weekend financially viable. We ran an HST at Thunder Hill in '23 and besides the 45 minute lightning and hail storm and countless canopies lost, the region lost A LOT of money, I've heard rumors of $60K-$100K lost.

Steve

[Messenger Racing]

I believe majors with restricted regional are on the same weekend but are NOT the same race. I think there are two separate sanctions and points for the regional do not count towards the majors. the regionals are typically shorter races as well.

JM

[SteveG]

I believe majors with restricted regional are on the same weekend but are NOT the same race. I think there are two separate sanctions and points for the regional do not count towards the majors. the regionals are typically shorter races as well.

JM

I'm not interested in starting an argument but...
Our last Major/Restricted Regional weekend consisted of 2 races 1 16 lap race and 1 25 minute timed race. All classes, Majors and Regional Only ran both races. I can't find the schedule and supps to back up that statement, just the results on Race Hero and The Wheel (Our local pub). Apparently SFR is allowed to do it differently.
BTW there were only 4 (four) FFs out of a group of 15 cars that raced the major.

[FVRacer21]

I’m a long time FC racer but truly have no dog in this hunt as I haven’t raced in a number of years. However, it seems to me that combining majors with regionals will do nothing but drive the very core group of amateur racers even farther away from participating. IMHO, the core group is the very, very average guy who wants to go play racecar on a weekend without spending a fortune and without being MULTIPLE seconds off the pace. It’s absolutely no fun to be blown away by fellow competitors whose definition of fun is different, while also punctuated with dollar signs. If these guys can’t race at regional races, where exactly do you think they can race?
Again, IMHO, the nature of amateur racing has changed, but having runoff’s caliber competition infiltrating the grassroots entry level regional races, will only add more nails into the coffin. Just my opinion.

Trying to understand the problem. If say FC loses it's Majors ranking - the only place it can go are Regionals and/or FRP. At our regional level in FV, we have guys running seconds off but are learning from the fast guys. I feel this is what we lost when it went from Nationals to Majors - the sporadic intermixing of Regional and National runners. It was exciting to play in their ballpark once in a while.

Now the cost of a Majors can be an issue. Maybe the Region can offer a one time discount for someone who has never run a Majors? Maybe there is another way if keeping the cost down?

ChrisZ

[Steve Davis]

I'm not interested in starting an argument but...
Our last Major/Restricted Regional weekend consisted of 2 races 1 16 lap race and 1 25 minute timed race. All classes, Majors and Regional Only ran both races. I can't find the schedule and supps to back up that statement, just the results on Race Hero and The Wheel (Our local pub). Apparently SFR is allowed to do it differently.
BTW there were only 4 (four) FFs out of a group of 15 cars that raced the major.

We have the same races here in SEDIV... a "regular" Major and Regional.. at the same time/weekend on the same course - all on track at the same time. The cars that are (were) "Runoffs Eligible" get MAJORS POINTS. Those that are not racing for Major points, can opt to receive ONLY "Regional" (in our case SARRC) points.
The regions that put on the event have been FORCED to handle it this way. They cannot get enough entrants to support the event otherwise. I believe they had to request a WAIVER from Majors restrictions, but the waiver was given since the event would NOT happen otherwise. Been that way for several years now at at least 2 Majors/SARRC (double races for both) events each year.
Steve, FV80

[Jayeff]

Recently, I've been thinking about this too, and I believe that there is a simple solution:

Just have all Majors Races run as combined Majors / Regional events such that points are awarded for whatever Conference that the Majors race happens to be run in. For example, in the Southeast, we have a couple of Majors Races that are combined Majors / South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC) events. If anyone participating in these events is not running the SARRC series, they just check off a box on the registration form waiving SARRC points, and the points go to other drivers as if the drivers waiving their points were not in the race.

For my part, I don't really want to travel all over the country when there are many good race tracks within a 4 hour drive of me, so I have been entering the regional SARRC events, and if they just happen to be Majors events, then I kill two birds with one stone as they say. For that reason, I have also skipped some Majors Races when they did not award SARRC points. Perhaps there are others with a similar frame of mind.

And yes, I'm talking about FC and not CFC. In the last 5 years, I don't think I've even seen a CFC eligible car in the Southeast.

At the fall regional at mid ohio in early October, there were 4 entered CFC cars. So come on up! and maybe join the GLC races of which this was one.

[EYERACE]

The SouthEast Division did away with CFC about 9 years ago due to limited participation numbers - and that was partly because some of the CFC eligible cars ran in FC anyway.

I will not be running January Homestead or January Sebring partly due to my not installing the required Flagtronics

[Steve Davis]

...
I will not be running January Homestead or January Sebring partly due to my not installing the required Flagtronics

Yeah.. well *I* won't be running them either.. and I DO HAVE the Flagtronics.. as well as the stupid FIA rainlight.. and SCCA just plain threw me under the bus. Well over $500 last year to be allowed to run ONE EVENT. *THEN* they 'excommunicate' me and my car
Steve, FV80

[E1pix]

Gotta be honest here… this ^ is heartbreaking to us still hoping to enter the game.

I recall Stevan’s first entry, was there as a fan. We finally met in Virginia last Fall, and like all we met, we felt welcomed into the fray.

A little research shows 38 Runoffs starts, 7 podiums, two wins. Longtimer, and profitable for the Club.

Lose a guy like him, others are sure to follow. Dammit.