AATees

Firstly, I love our Auto-Xes. Probably the best run, most fun/buck events we do.
However, with all due respects to our Miata and Other bretheren, we don't have enough S2000's participating and there are few new faces at the events.

I propose starting a Novice S2K run group. Those that qualify to participate are any S2000's driven by anyone who has not earned an Auto-X point in the last year. (Yes that excludes me). We could offer a one time 50% entry fee discount (for their first Auto-X event), a trophy at the end of the year, and I will personally throw in a Maisto Power Racer model to the fastest Rookie at each event.

Comments?

Regards,

Al

Elistan

Yeah, that's something I've thought about too, although my thoughts were more like an entire novice-only EVENT, with plenty of instructors for everybody.

Do you think the competition with the experienced drivers is what's keeping people out of the event? Any S2000 owners out there that haven't been to many events care to chime in?

Photodavo

I had actually spoken to Clovis about something similar to that. I was thinking that a group of novice drivers would all pitch in to cover the cost of renting out MW for a day (only $200, right?). We would then look to the more experienced drivers to give their time to help with instruction. The instructors could then get some track time too at no cost. What do you all think?

altiain

Usually, we call events like that a school.

Photodavo

Exactly!!! I went through the PCA autox 101 school early this year and it was great. However, I think I would get a lot more out of spending $50 (if there were three others) and having a full day of one on one instruction from other experienced S2000 drivers. Obviously, this would be completely dependant on the generosity of those instructors being willing to sacrafice their time. It is my sense that there would be several such people from the club who would be willing to do this...so, what do you all think? Am I correct???

catfish

Ok, as Iain knows - I'm VERY much a novice!!

I don't know that having a Novice only event is something needed to draw me out, but I do think that I would enjoy knowing who my fellow newbies are - I don't really expect to be competitive with the more seasoned drivers at this point, but knowing how I fared against other novices would be a nice bonus, maybe a "N" by our name in the scores would be all it would take, for me anyway.

Also, if you were going to declare someone a novice, I wouldn't say that you're a novice if you didn't earn any points - don't we get 1 point just for showing up and finishing anyway? So, maybe if you'd do someone who never earned more than 1 point per race in a year?

I think that having an "S" school would be great, if it were something like what the PCA puts on I would be very interested in participating.

Derrick

Photodavo

Well Catfish, you can start by putting a big "N" next to my name! I took the PCA school and have run one NTS2KOC autox. I was pleased with my results (8 out of 12 in street) but I still feel out of my element to some degree. This is also the first kind of racing that I have ever done. Would you be interested in what I proposed?

catfish

photodavo - YEP!

Gregg Lee

Both ER and SCCA have had novice classes for many years, and have experienced all the issues that were mentioned and more, such as of who is a novice and for how long, do they get points in novice or regular class, etc.

But if increased participation and retention is goal, the issue is not so much whether there is a separate novice class, but that they have lots of help. Guided walk throughs, buddy system until familiar with event format, instructors, and rides as passengers.

And most fundamentally attracting them to show up in the first place - a pre event marketing issue.


Gregg

svann

A novice class would probably enhance the AutoX. Given there is enough time and effort both in preparation for such an event and during the actual sessions. I feel with the additional instruction many drivers wouldn't remain a novice for long. Beginners could avoid any initial frustration and start out having far more fun. That's what the AutoX is really about, right? If this effort is successful most novices will find themselves promoted up the grid pretty quickly and provide some much needed competition in the middle ranks where points and trophies don't really matter anymore. I spent years racing sailboats competitively under just such a system. The N, A, B, C, fleet class system kept sailors of all ability levels keenly interested, encouraged and enjoying themselves event after event for years. If the Novice classification is adopted then the additional trophy opportunities might make it more fun for those unlikely to score points under the current system. This is assuming of course that a Novice could remain in this classification for the whole season. Typically (in sailing) a Novice gets promoted when winning an individual event. Points in the lower classification counted towards the season championship at a fractional rate. Sailors are usually awarded trophies at individual races or at the end of a series.
Sounds like a good way to increase participation, increase the fun and bridge the gap from front to back.