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In the short time the web page for the Santa Maria Rally Sprint and Rally Cross has been public, I've already received several questions as to why we chose to sanction this event through NASA instead of the SCCA.
As most of you know, I've been a supporter and promoter of the SCCA for the last 15 years (and counting). I've served as Flag Chief, as a Governor on my region's board, and as a ClubRally steward. One organizer even joked that I wear red white and blue SCCA underwear! So, given my long-term commitment to the club, why would I go to NASA?
The reasons are several. 1) At the time I needed to finalize commitments, the SCCA had no ClubRally program. 2) The costs to insure and sanction with NASA are less, meaning the entry fees will be less. 3) NASA allows organizers to do their job with NASA providing support instead of interference. 4) It's easier to make non- rallyists welcome through NASA.
The most important reason for a NASA sanction was that the SCCA had canceled their "ClubRally" program at the time I needed to make commitments to the track promoter. Most organizers have long lead times in order to secure road use permits. In many cases, you need insurance certificates months in advance of the rally date. My situation is a little different. Permission to use the closed course has already been secured, so insurance certificate deadlines weren't as tight. Instead, because we're putting on our event in front of a crowd of paying spectators, we needed a long lead time for promotional reasons. The PR Director for the track is already advertising our gig in each week's race program, as well as announcing it to the people in the stands. We had to have the arrangements locked in place to make sure our sprint was really going to happen. We couldn't afford to take the hit that Dryad's Quest and Shitepoke took.
The second reason is financial. Though I'm dealing with a very small event, buying insurance and sanction from NASA makes good financial sense. It's especially important I keep costs down for a small event so I can keep the entry fees low, thus encouraging more people to enter. (If I were hosting a Coefficient 2 or 3 rally, the savings would be even more pronounced, but I'm not ready to tackle that large a challenge just yet!)
The third reason is flexibility. NASA takes a hands-off approach to the day to day running of events. They recognize their strengths lie in administration and leveraging their power in the insurance market, while our strengths are in the operation of rallies. NASA believes strongly in letting each of us do what we do best.
Fourth, we want our Rally Sprint to be an inclusive event, allowing not only rally cars, but also SCCA and NASA road racing cars, SMS Mini Stocks, and other vehicles that meet our safety requirements. In this way we hope to draw not only our regular competitors, but also a group of racers new to our sport. We hope that a good percentage of them will get hooked to our form of racing just as we have done.
"But what about safety?" I hear you ask. "You're allowing all these other cars in your rally sprint that wouldn't pass tech at a stage rally."
In the Sierra Club, you're taught four priorities when enjoying nature: Safety, Safety, Safety, and Safety. All of us in motorsport embrace these same priorities. While some may lead you to believe otherwise, SCCA has not cornered the market on safety. NASA, NASCAR, CART, SCRA, WoO, AMA, and everyone else involved in racing shares these concerns.
Our event, held on a closed venue with emergency personnel never more than one minute from anywhere on track, has been designed for safety. We don't have cliffs, trees, or stumps hidden in ditches. With the exception of the oval sections (which are several), the course is technical and speeds will generally be fairly slow. The two most dangerous spots on the course, the gates in and out of the oval, will have chicanes to force a subdued entry. (These are the double and triple cautions you may have spotted in the route book.)
As organizers we put on the safest events we possibly can, but not for fear of lawsuits, nor to protect our sport, nor even to preserve the forests we race in. We put on safe events because we do them for our friends and don't want to see them hurt.
In summary, my decision to go with NASA for the Santa Maria Rally Sprint was based on the availability of their program, the lower costs they offered, the flexibility provided, and the ability to welcome cars from other series.
I'll continue to compete in rallies as long as drivers are willing to haul my body down the stages, as long as the enjoyment and satisfaction of codriving outweighs the discomfort of sleepless nights poring over supp regs and route books, as long as I can contribute to the success of the team and the safety of the sport. For as long as I'm welcomed by my friends I'll continue to rally, regardless of sanctioning body, because it's the people, not the politics, that provide the enjoyment.
It's the people--people like you, Doug and Sue Robinson, John Forespring, Leon Styles, Kim DeMotte, Ray and Donna Hocker, Mike and Paula Gibeault, Sean Conlan, Lauchlin and Minerva O'Sullivan, Mad Mike Halley, Ole Holter, Alex Kiruhani, John Shirley, the flock of Tabors, Kendall Russell, Dennis Martin, John Buffum, Charlie Bradley, Mark, John and Karen Nelson, Phil Pausmer, the Freund family, Christian Edstrom, Pat and Denise McMahon, George Plsek, and all you other folks--that make rally fun. You'll continue to see me at ProRallies, at local club-level rallies, and at the ARSG's Ramada Express International Rally (my favorite event on the entire calendar) because of you, not because of some artifice known as a sanctioning body. I look forward to visiting with you at another race soon, and I hope you'll visit us too.
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[hr]
[p align=right]John Dillon
John @ WidgetRacing.com
www.WidgetRacing.com
As most of you know, I've been a supporter and promoter of the SCCA for the last 15 years (and counting). I've served as Flag Chief, as a Governor on my region's board, and as a ClubRally steward. One organizer even joked that I wear red white and blue SCCA underwear! So, given my long-term commitment to the club, why would I go to NASA?
The reasons are several. 1) At the time I needed to finalize commitments, the SCCA had no ClubRally program. 2) The costs to insure and sanction with NASA are less, meaning the entry fees will be less. 3) NASA allows organizers to do their job with NASA providing support instead of interference. 4) It's easier to make non- rallyists welcome through NASA.
The most important reason for a NASA sanction was that the SCCA had canceled their "ClubRally" program at the time I needed to make commitments to the track promoter. Most organizers have long lead times in order to secure road use permits. In many cases, you need insurance certificates months in advance of the rally date. My situation is a little different. Permission to use the closed course has already been secured, so insurance certificate deadlines weren't as tight. Instead, because we're putting on our event in front of a crowd of paying spectators, we needed a long lead time for promotional reasons. The PR Director for the track is already advertising our gig in each week's race program, as well as announcing it to the people in the stands. We had to have the arrangements locked in place to make sure our sprint was really going to happen. We couldn't afford to take the hit that Dryad's Quest and Shitepoke took.
The second reason is financial. Though I'm dealing with a very small event, buying insurance and sanction from NASA makes good financial sense. It's especially important I keep costs down for a small event so I can keep the entry fees low, thus encouraging more people to enter. (If I were hosting a Coefficient 2 or 3 rally, the savings would be even more pronounced, but I'm not ready to tackle that large a challenge just yet!)
The third reason is flexibility. NASA takes a hands-off approach to the day to day running of events. They recognize their strengths lie in administration and leveraging their power in the insurance market, while our strengths are in the operation of rallies. NASA believes strongly in letting each of us do what we do best.
Fourth, we want our Rally Sprint to be an inclusive event, allowing not only rally cars, but also SCCA and NASA road racing cars, SMS Mini Stocks, and other vehicles that meet our safety requirements. In this way we hope to draw not only our regular competitors, but also a group of racers new to our sport. We hope that a good percentage of them will get hooked to our form of racing just as we have done.
"But what about safety?" I hear you ask. "You're allowing all these other cars in your rally sprint that wouldn't pass tech at a stage rally."
In the Sierra Club, you're taught four priorities when enjoying nature: Safety, Safety, Safety, and Safety. All of us in motorsport embrace these same priorities. While some may lead you to believe otherwise, SCCA has not cornered the market on safety. NASA, NASCAR, CART, SCRA, WoO, AMA, and everyone else involved in racing shares these concerns.
Our event, held on a closed venue with emergency personnel never more than one minute from anywhere on track, has been designed for safety. We don't have cliffs, trees, or stumps hidden in ditches. With the exception of the oval sections (which are several), the course is technical and speeds will generally be fairly slow. The two most dangerous spots on the course, the gates in and out of the oval, will have chicanes to force a subdued entry. (These are the double and triple cautions you may have spotted in the route book.)
As organizers we put on the safest events we possibly can, but not for fear of lawsuits, nor to protect our sport, nor even to preserve the forests we race in. We put on safe events because we do them for our friends and don't want to see them hurt.
In summary, my decision to go with NASA for the Santa Maria Rally Sprint was based on the availability of their program, the lower costs they offered, the flexibility provided, and the ability to welcome cars from other series.
I'll continue to compete in rallies as long as drivers are willing to haul my body down the stages, as long as the enjoyment and satisfaction of codriving outweighs the discomfort of sleepless nights poring over supp regs and route books, as long as I can contribute to the success of the team and the safety of the sport. For as long as I'm welcomed by my friends I'll continue to rally, regardless of sanctioning body, because it's the people, not the politics, that provide the enjoyment.
It's the people--people like you, Doug and Sue Robinson, John Forespring, Leon Styles, Kim DeMotte, Ray and Donna Hocker, Mike and Paula Gibeault, Sean Conlan, Lauchlin and Minerva O'Sullivan, Mad Mike Halley, Ole Holter, Alex Kiruhani, John Shirley, the flock of Tabors, Kendall Russell, Dennis Martin, John Buffum, Charlie Bradley, Mark, John and Karen Nelson, Phil Pausmer, the Freund family, Christian Edstrom, Pat and Denise McMahon, George Plsek, and all you other folks--that make rally fun. You'll continue to see me at ProRallies, at local club-level rallies, and at the ARSG's Ramada Express International Rally (my favorite event on the entire calendar) because of you, not because of some artifice known as a sanctioning body. I look forward to visiting with you at another race soon, and I hope you'll visit us too.
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[hr]
[p align=right]John Dillon
John @ WidgetRacing.com
www.WidgetRacing.com
It was great!
