paradocs98

Just got back from two days at the Glen with Hooked on Driving. Despite my checking beforehand multiple times with emails to both Watkins Glen and HOD, and receiving assurances that my family could accompany me to the track like usual, my wife and two kids were turned away at the gate on Monday morning. "No minors allowed" was the word from WGI security. (My kids are 15 and 12.) I told HOD what was going on, and they were furious. They said that this was happening to the families/guests of multiple drivers, and that the Glen only made this new restriction known the night before. I then called the WGI office, and was told that this was their interpretation of current NY State COVID regulations--no spectators allowed at events. Only necessary crew members allowed.

We come from 5 hours away every July to the Glen as a family vacation. I get to hit the track for a couple of days, and my kids absolutely love hanging out in the paddock, seeing all of the cool track cars, and watching from the various grandstands. We also hike in the state park, go to the Corning Museum of Glass, etc. This definitely put a damper on the trip--my kids have been looking forward to this for weeks, especially after being cooped up for months. There's just no common sense in the interpretation or application of these regulations. The risk of COVID exposure is much, much higher in a restaurant or other indoor space compared to the wide-open outdoor spaces of WGI. And yet restaurants are ok, and the Glen is not. Very frustrating.

Anyway--a heads up for anyone else considering bringing their family with them for a WGI track event this summer.

TXE36

Bummer. It's too bad you couldn't call them crew. Kids these days just have to be bouncing off the walls -- I'm in my 50s and getting pretty stir crazy.

brownan

WGI also apparently checking that anyone with out of state tags has evidence of 14 days of quarantine before attending an event. No evidence, no track. NYS has a long list of states on the verboten list at the moment.

T&T Racing

it is Governor Cuomo, no spectators. Sports Vintage Racing Association WGI event in September is running but no spectators.

LuigiVampa

For the conservatives: Given the age of most track participants maybe WGI should designate itself a nursing facility and then Cuomo won't have a problem letting everyone in.

For the liberals: Maybe the orange man should tell everyone to drink bleach and then let everyone in.

Can we all laugh, or are we still doing that hyper-sensitive thing?

gbuff

Sorry to hear that re the family; unfortunately I've come to expect stuff like this coming from WGI unannounced....I was there too and the whole deal with registration on Sunday was a bit of a cluster where one hand didn't know what the other was doing. Everything eventually sorted out, gladly b/c Mike and Mona are so nice.

Put nearly-new tires on the Mini anticipating that the Sunday rain would continue into the event as forecasted, but of course the weather turned out great--no complaints! Real good two days of driving; hope yours were also.

paradocs98

Yes--a much needed laugh. Well done, sir.

Bill Lehman

I was at WGI last weekend with RTR PCA. The rules per WGI was that a driver was allowed to have 2 "Mechanics" with them. The "Mechanics" were required to register for the event. Some of the Mechanics, drivers wifes, looked pretty good.

TXE36

TRIGGERED!!!!!

RL needs a dripping sarcasm emoticon.

hacker-pschorr

Since when do crew members have to be a certain age????

Hanging on my monitor is my first SCCA photo ID card, I was 12 and I was an essential crew member for a 3 car Sport Renault team and I helped with tech.

Ok, I rolled tires around and fetched tools and talked to the drivers while tech tried to find something illegal....but still, I was an important part of the system.

TXE36

mlct

This is what I received for an event next month. Cancelled my family coming anyway as the kids are either at college or need to quarantine for 14 days before going to college.No hot laps this year.

Stay safe.

Sorry about the lousy formatting
============================================

WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL – SAFETY GUIDELINES
Updated 07/20/2020
Subject to change per local and state guidelines

ENTRY

ONLY members with essential duties will be approved to enter the facility
Example: driver, crew member, mechanic, & instructor
NOTE: Family members, photographers, vendors, caterers, chefs and/or cooks WILL NOT be permitted to enter as they are not considered essential (ESSENTIAL DUTIES ONLY)
NO MINORS Under the age of 18 will be permitted into the facility.
No guests will be admitted into the facility who are from states that are listed on the New York State Travel Advisory. For more information on current states, please visit:
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/co...ravel-advisory
If a guest is from a state listed in the travel advisory and can provide proof of being in New York State for two weeks (14 days), they will be allowed into the facility

Entry is limited to 3 persons per car - the driver and 2 mechanics, plus club workers needed to run the event.

The names of all participants and workers must be provided to WGI 48 Hours (2 Days) in advance of event.
One Alphabetical List (Last Name First), that encompasses all rental days (No Duplicate Names)
After the list is submitted, no additional guests can be added to the list.

Upon arrival, all persons must report to the registration building to sign a waiver and receive a wristband – proper distancing will be marked off and must be maintained.
All guests must show their state issued driver’s licenses

On the evening prior to the 1st day of rental, registration hours are 5pm - 8pm. After that, lists go to Gate 2

Registered participants will need to wait in their vehicles in Lot 3 across from registration until 6pm before approaching Gate 2 on evening prior to rental.

Registration hours on the 1st day of the rental are 6am – 10am. After that, lists go to Gate 2.

Registration WILL NOT be open on the 2nd or 3rd day of rental. All late arrivals will register at Gate 2 upon arrival. NOTE: For weekend rentals, Registration WILL NOT be open on Saturday and Sunday.

The gate will only admit individuals with the proper wristband.

Medical screening will be conducted at the gate each morning, including contactless temperatures checks.

GARAGE / PADDOCKS
2 cars per bay may be parked in Garage. (Facial coverings are mandatory.)
Spacing of trucks/trailers in paddocks must be at least 20 feet apart.
Car parking must maintain 6 feet of distance.

paradocs98

Yep, there were plenty of spouses there. It sounds like WGI management changed the rules on the fly. Early in the morning they were allowing family members in, but by the time my wife and kids arrived (around 9am), WGI management told HOD that "too many people are getting in" and stopped allowing guests. The whole thing was very arbitrary.

paradocs98

Very interesting. Note the date of these updated guidelines--Monday the 20th, which was the first day of the HOD event. They pulled the rug out from under us on our day of arrival.

dgrobs

I was there too with RTR. I didn't see you Bill. Damn.

Things have changed a bit from day to day, let alone week to week at The Glen.

I am at the Glen for 10 days starting tomorrow. My daughter (16) was gonna come up with me as I was gonna drive home Sunday when the track went cold, grab her, and drive back the same night. I registered her as a guest/crew for the 3 events starting Monday and ending the following Sunday.

Then a couple days ago I was told no minors under 18 will be allowed in to the track no matter what you call them, crew, child, guest, Indy, etc.

My daughter is very bummed, as am I.

We had some folks having to cancel for our NNJR DE starting tomorrow because the new list of "banned" states that came out 2 days ago precluded a bunch of folks from coming. One of them was out tech chair, as his primary residence is now Texas, a newly banned state per Cuomo.

It's changing day by day, so just try to stay up on what's what as best you can.

OP, sorry you went through that. Sucks.

G-d help us all...