Our local PCA region puts on an awesome Club Race at California Speedway every year. But it's a huge event at a very expensive track. I have to believe putting on a Club Race can be scaled down to just the basics. 2 race run groups, and 2 DE runs groups at a decent, but inexpensive track (i.e. Buttonwillow or WSIR). I can do a lot of the track costs, corner worker, EMT type research on my own, but one thing I can't do (without stepping on toes and potentially pissing someone off) is find out what it cost to have PCA sanction the event.

So, are any of you guys involved with the organization of a PCA Club Race? What does it cost to have the National office bless the event? I know there has to be some stewards, but how many? I don't even know what questions to ask, other than those, so if you have additional input I'm all ears.

Thanks!

 

Hey Mike,

Obtaining event insurance from PCA is a big expense. The DE portion would be $500 and the CR could range from $3K to $5.2K (depending on # of days/entries). These are 2004 rates and could go up for 2005.

We've encountered similar issues running our race at TMS, an awesome facility but just too damn expensive. Our '05 race is being moved to Motorsport Ranch.

You'll also need to pick up expenses for the Steward, Scruit and Timing Tech.

-Noby

 

OK, thanks Noby.

Do you know if we can use local Stewards, Scruit, and/or Timing Tech.?

 

Arizona Region puts on pretty simple club race event. We have been doing it for few years. PCA national requires 3 folks to oversee the event. This provides uniformity in the operation of the event. Nice thing is that they are pretty much in charge of Club Race portion of the event during the event so there is less stress on local folks you are not as experienced.

As for costs well big costs are track rentals, medial, corner workers and so forth. We get a few sponsors to kick-in some funds and have been able to break even or be very close in all our races since 2001. We have the luxury of much cheaper track rentals since we use PIR. It is much cheaper than California Speedway. Best not to talk numbers on line, but you can contact or PCA club race chair from Last year Bruce Martz... His info should be at... http://az.pca.org/information/staff.htm He can give you a run through of the expected costs from a smaller type race.

 

Its like everything else. When we first put PCA races on in the early 90's we made money on them. Track rentals were cheap. We used volunteer flaggers. Insurance wasn;t as bad... etc.

All that's changed. First, i don't want to race with volunteer flaggers and one EMT. Track owners have leverage now and are jacking up rates. Competition is driving entry fields down... ...For example, CVR raised the entrance fee at LRP this year by $100 or so, still not bad, but money's money.... the BeaveRun race had to be canceled because of dates.... Allegheny could have taken a hosing on that race...

Also, run less desireable tracks and you get less turnout... so you may be chasing your tail trying to get the cost genie back in the bottle.....just the way things go in racing.

 

Wait until you see the 2005 track rental fees for LRP - 80% increase/day. Time to kiss that crappy little go-kart track goodbye.

 

OK, thanks all. We have a pretty decent TT series already. 5 events a year at some pretty decent tracks. So we already have the rental fees, corner workers, EMT , etc. We were just thinking about what it would take to add a Club Race run group to the existing TT series. I think we have something like 20 race licensed drviers in our zone. If we added some Club Racing to the TT series it is likely there would be more interest in getting licensed. With only 3 - 4 club races with in a 12 hour drive of our zone, Club Racing doesn't seem like a viable option to the majority of the Time Trialers (or so I suspect).

 

BTW, where is LRP?

 

Assume Lime Rock Park is LRP.

 

About three hours south of NHIS and five hours east of WGI.

 

FWIW - A Club Race is a loser in my region. We don't get sponsoship and if we did, the local track wants a very large cut. One of the big hang-ups is having to pay for National Folks to come run the thing. By the time you cover travel and expenses the costs go up. Don't forge the notion that everyone gets a gift of some sort - that adds a few thou to the costs too. I know that there are guys at Nat'l working on ways to reduce the costs of Club Racing to more acceptable levels. Until then, many regions just can't make the economics work. We've got 600 odd members and about one third are DE participants. About 20 are Club Racers. We can't take a major loss on an event just to please 20 people.

 

PHT... ....VF.. . LOL... WTG. BTW... LRP...WYISIWYG.. BTTW... WTF!!!!

 

Bob R... plus in mast clubs, PCA race means giving up a possible DE date, which are huge money makers and popular with more people... as PCA dates get dropped, attendance will grow at the remainig races and suddenly they will be economical again... and more clubs will holds a race... and on and on...

Increase in entry fees probably inevitable, and will probably not make that much difference... for most racers the entry fee is a nuiscence expense.... they'll grumble, but they'll pay if they have to... history shows that drugs are relatively price inelastic

 

Mike,
I don't think it is feasible to add club racing to your DE program. Here in Arizona we have had our club race each year, but it is just once per year. We have always had a DE associated with it. We typically have two race groups and 2 or 3 DE groups. It works for us quite well.

We only have the one club race as it is alot work for our memebers and monetary risk. Each year we do ok, but I dont think we can hold more than 1 per year. If you look at the PCA club race schedule it is mostlt one event at each track hosted by 1 region. I don't know of two races at any track or any region that hosts more than 1 event per year. Dates also have to be cleared by PCA National too. So really too much effort to have more than 1.

Nice thing is that these can BIG events. Even in our smaller race it is a big event for our membership and also for or local racers. I run in NASA and other org events almost monthy, but the PCA event is special partially sicne it is once per year and also it brings into town alot of out of state folks that you don't normally race against. Plus it is all Porsche and that is fun.

Since you guys have POC, NASA, SCCA, TCRA you have plenty of racing orgs. I don't see how having PCA races at you TT's would be good idea. Too much other competition will mean small race groups and thus make it not feasible moneywise. Personally I am strongly considering the your club race at California Speedway this next year. I have missed it due to cost in the past, but thing it might be enough of an event to make trip and suck up the expense.

If you had one every other month then I be less inclined to go since I could not make all of them and so which one to pick? Who is going to be there? Well with ONE race you know that just any that wants to go to one will be there so that is the one to go to. Circular logic sure, but it is the way folks think. Hey I want to go any other time of year I will probably do NASA. They have my class, no extra licensing plus toyo bucks. Can't beat that.... Of course not PCA atmosphere either.

 

The budget for one of the large races in the Northeast is around $100K. My fading memory says that the track costs $65K, the goodie bags (shirts and awards) cost about 10K, the national staff costs about $8K, the meals cost about $15K, and the rest is plowed back into the annual budget for the sponsor...

Oh, by the way, if you lose money (and it's quite possible), you will not be reimbursed, you will eat it.

Not for the faint of heart or shallow of pocketbook...

gb