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PASR Steering Committee Meeting Minutes from 3/31/2022


cgroppi

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Phoenix AZ Solo Region Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
March 31, 2022

Present: Lance H., Mat L., Kevin V., Todd H., Kim K., Chris G., Chris S. , Steve E., Ben Z., Brian M. 
 
1.    157 members. A few people who joined were interested in road racing but then left. 
2.    Kevin described new club structure with Board overseeing SC. Proposed SC positions (both voting and assistant non-voting). Propose to carry over SC membership as we have now and propose to board to approve. Vote 8 yes, 1 no. 
3.    Equipment expense has cancelled out our profit. We still have plenty of bux in the account. 
4.    Purchased a used Honda generator from PCA for a good deal. Need new EZ Ups. Ben Z will work with Todd to arrange. Can set up timing on the other side of the fence to improve visibility. Need to notify Nick to be sure it’s considered in course design. Need to identify a new vendor for cones that we can depend on, so we can keep getting the same cones from the same source. Should also get car dollies in case there’s another breakdown. Want to have a system where expenses below $100 for chiefs are automatically approved, expenses over $100 require treasurer approval. 
5.    Propose to continue early reg for PASR members. But challenge for MSR, since it doesn’t pass through what region a person is a member of. Lance has a plan to make it work more easily. Will open reg early by email, since he has a list of emails. People who try to register early who aren’t members will get an error. Should we require region of record, or any member (people who are members of multiple regions). 
6.    72 was probably the max we could handle in terms of market and running the event. Course design might have been non-optimal for a T&T event. We had to make a lot of adjustments. Kenny M. Did a great job. Many Thanks!
7.    Get organized early, because we know we will be short on people because of national events and LS Fest. 
8.    Lance wants input on schedule for Fall, since it’s a new format. Want to come up with methods to increase efficiency before event starts because we have to get 140 people ready in the morning rather than have it split up. Early open of reg and tech, schedule early close to get people to get moving (but leave time to go long if we need to). Still aim to start as close to 8 as we can. Do sound after driver’s meeting. 
9.    Will we have access to sound testing? We haven’t had it for a long time. Could have PCA event on April 30 be a sound test day. 
10.    Morgan is working on the goodie store. Still trying to solve the tax issue. We need a solution that ensures we don’t have to handle sales tax. That isn’t worth the trouble. Steve E. Is ok with a solution that doesn’t require sales tax to be handled by the club. 
11.    No updates on track update. Still plan to hold the event on MLK weekend. Kim has brought Nick on a golf cart ride around the track for course design purposes. Has also reached out to the DSSS, but hasn’t gotten a response yet. 
12.    No updates thus far. Large parking lot by WHP? PIR again? Cardinals stadium again?
13.    Banquet in the beginning of fall series in September or October depending on Sat vs Sun. Plan to have it right after event, preferably at Ground Control. This will allow more people to attend because of full day events in the Fall series, and will allow awards to be ready to present at the banquet.
14.    When to have next meeting? August 4, 11 or 18 for meeting, to be ready before Aug 31 registration for first fall event. 

Edited by cgroppi
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Yes, we are changing back to full day events with time onlys for the Fall series pending solving the security officer isse. If we have over 100 people on site at a time, we need to hire an off duty police officer as a security person. We are working on this now for the Fall. 

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36 minutes ago, Mach5Mk5 said:

Didn't we have an officer who would come to the events before COVID? Does anyone still have their contact info? I would always see the police pickup there. Can't say I knew who it was personally.

we had officers pre-Covid but now we are finding it difficult to locate sworn officers (either as an independent contractor or through a third party agency) willing to do the task.  Options are being worked but if you or others have possibilities please contact Brian Miller, who is leading that effort. 

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We expect 4 runs per run group typically, including for time onlys. If we're running slow, we'd reduce the TOs to 3 before we reduced the competition runs. So if you actually stay the whole day and do time onlys you will get 7-8 runs. If you only stay for half the day you'd get 4. 

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11 hours ago, cgroppi said:

We expect 4 runs per run group typically, including for time onlys. If we're running slow, we'd reduce the TOs to 3 before we reduced the competition runs. So if you actually stay the whole day and do time onlys you will get 7-8 runs. If you only stay for half the day you'd get 4. 

Why the change? Seems like the current system was working pretty well. 

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As a steering committee member, I voted for the change to the full day format for the Fall series...  Keep in mind the Steering Committee chose to use the Fall series as a test and can decide to go back to a split day format later if needed.

While I enjoy the split day format a lot, there are some things we as racers miss out on by using it.  First and foremost is the comradery and socialization that a full day format allows.  In the split day format, for the most part, entrants are either working or driving a heat, there is almost no time to just hang out and visit with friends, learn about driving techniques, car adjustments or just enjoy being with others with like interests.  With a full day format, and entrant has an open heat between their run and work assignment plus you can hang out before or after your run groups and hang out there as well. 

Skill improvement of new drivers also is lacking with a split day format.  Every time I hit a wall and can't seem to get any better as a driver, my first go to is to put a driver of higher caliber in my car so that I can learn from them how to be better.  There are many National Championship caliber drivers in our Region that are always happy to help newer drivers improve, but the split day format does not allow that to happen.  With the Time Only option, one can chose to stay a bit longer and make practice runs in an extended format, make adjustments to one's car and have an experienced driver get in their car and show them how to improve.  This is by far one of the best ways to learn how to be a better autocrosser and our current format doesn't allow it.

With a full day format, an entrant can still volunteer for a Setup work assignment, chose group A to run in and be off site well before lunch.  So if the shorter day at the track option is what you prefer, you still have that option.

As far as the running of an event, what some may not realize is the split day format takes twice as much work in several instances to make the day happen.  There are two sets of Waivers, Registration, Tech, and Driver's meetings that have to take place.  A lot of that double workload is currently being done by volunteers taking on extra work assignments each event. 

How many of you that may be opposed to switching to a full day format are willing to volunteer to work double shifts just to be able to get a few more runs in a shorter day of racing?  You can reach Registration at PhoenixAZSolo@gmail.com to volunteer to do so.  The upcoming April event is a perfect example because a lot of our regular double dippers are going to miss this event because they are out of town at a National event and we are looking for the extra help needed to put a smooth running event on.

         

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As a course worker, I didn't want to be standing out there for over an hour while the group went on for 6 runs of 35 cars. Since this split format with more runs has originated, I've specifically only registered for the morning group because I don't want to be baking in the heat of the afternoon on course for that long. I don't want to imagine what 75 mins on course chasing cones is like in September at 2:00PM.

If you want more than 4 runs, you'll have the option to pay for it and stay all day to get them. Some people don't need 6 passes to get their time down, and they have the option to register just for comp groups. That seems like it covers all options in a reasonable fashion.

I don't have a vote, but that was my $0.02 I had shared with people who are voting members over the past few months.

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3 hours ago, SSLance said:How many of you that may be opposed to switching to a full day format are willing to volunteer to work double shifts just to be able to get a few more runs in a shorter day of racing?  You can reach Registration at PhoenixAZSolo@gmail.com to volunteer to do so.  The upcoming April event is a perfect example because a lot of our regular double dippers are going to miss this event because they are out of town at a National event and we are looking for the extra help needed to put a smooth running event on.

Happy to volunteer to help with the extra workload referenced.  Here’s the thing… I’ve been out there from before 7am in the morning until late afternoon in the baking sun just to get three f’n runs.  Never doing that again.  No thank you, huge waste of a day, yes I would much rather volunteer to do something extra.  

Anyone is welcome to ride along with me (probably learn what not to do)… perhaps let the first AB group people, who want to improve, come by in the afternoon to ride along a few times in the C group.  Probably can get a few experienced morning driver volunteers to ride along in the first part at least for the afternoon to help learn.  Learn more in 6 runs than 4.  Staying late for time only makes for a very very long day.

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For those who have never done this format can someone explain how it would work?

Is the day still split into 4 sessions where you run/work alternates?

Is this format able to handle the same amount of drivers? Seems like there might not be enough room for all those cars. 

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There will be 6 run groups. 4 competition and 2 time only. Each will have a max of 38 drivers. So the spots for comp runs are the same as we have now, plus two more run groups for time only. You work one group for each group you run. Usually it’s a/c, b/d and e/f. If you do not elect to do time only you can leave after you work and run for the comp runs. If you stay for time only you run and work one more time. 
 

Our region has done all of our events for almost 20 years this way. We only switched to the half day events to get around COVID event size limits in 2020. 

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