NWARC track schedule

[italcarguy]

i never said to completey change the whole arosc tack program. i said certain weekends NOT EVERY WEEKEND. it's the alfa club so it'd be nice to have an alfa only weekend maybe once a year.

if i did not care for the alfa club, i would have taken my idea of the Alfa Cup Series (which will have 20-25 cars at Laguna seca alone) to VARA or HSR-West. they would have gladly taken my idea, but the Alfa Cub deserves it more cuz they are the "Alfa Club"

that is the problem with arosc "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". they are still doing things the way they did 20 years ago. it's ok to make changes once in a while, change is good cuz it can open doors and oportunities in the future that will help make things better.

if i wanted to start my own club, i would. i can easily get plenty of cars at the track and have it fully insured too, but i am not the type of person that would take away from other organizations that i am a member of. i run with several different clubs. while all have their pros and cons, i enjoy ever bit of track time i get with them.

that's my opinion take it or leave it.

[75evo]

I love AROSC! My local club does wine tours most of the time....yeap people, drink and drive....

Anywhoo.... I hope I won't get turned away for Laguna this year, I sent in my form last week!!! For May's event...

But I kind of agree with what Anthony says.... I wish there would be an all Alfa time trials once a year or something like that. But, then again Brad, you are correct about not enough participants.

Seems that until there are more Alfa entrants, we will see about 40% Alfas at the AROSC events, fine by me though. I hardly see any Milanos. I wish there would be an all transaxle car event only

I will be at Sears Point on April 30th...and hopefully no double standards (i.e. at the meetings it's always "No Passing in the turns")....but some race cars end up passing in the turns.

[argtv7]

Thanks for your comments. Snaidy. Geez, that's just the problem....the time trial board DOES care. I have been on the competition board for over 10 years. We all work really hard to put on the best possible event. Why do you suppose I take it personally when people are critical of our events? Anyways, we are all volunteers, and we have regular jobs and families to support in addition to the huge time commitment to the club. Terry Watson. our registration director, gets the worst of it. Right now, he has 160 applications for Laguna Seca, and he has the job of turning people away. We do warn everyone in advance to send in Laguna applications early. Now, Terry works extremely hard for us, and puts in probably 40 or 50 hours of his own time per event. He drives a Merkur. Also, nobody on the AROSC board gets paid. Not for instructing at the schools, working the tech line, teaching intro group, doing registration, anything. I live in Sonoma.

We have recently been contacted by another club (a big one in CA) who is asking us to partner events with them since they are struggling with a declining # of participants, and race tracks getting more expensive. This is the tale of woe coming from many clubs these days, in a tough economy. Well, we are at near capacity for each event, and possibly the healthiest club in CA. We had to turn down their request.

I hope that our program contiunues to improve. I think it has, with the Enduro, the Alfa Cup, and the improved schools with 'famous' guest instructors, and the inclusion of Laguna Seca this year. Hell, we didn't even get a date at Laguna, and now that we come up with one....people complain. And we will lose money at Laguna.

Still, I believe that most of the success we have had is due to the people involved in AROSC. It is not ONLY about cars. It's about friends, fun, competition, and comeraderie. If we were to draw a line in the sand by excluding non-Alfa owners, even to one event, we would be rotting the foundation that has taken over 30 years of safe and fun track events to build.

Brad

[Sniady]

Brad I hear what your saying. I really really do like the club. I understand the involvement you guy's dedicate to this club, and it's great. I don't have to even say how great the club is, just look at how many people show at the event's.

I also understand that the club is not ONLY about the car's. But I'm hard headed and think Alfa's should have the first dibb's after the competition board member's fill in first. I guess I have to visualize that there have been people attending the event's for a while now and don't own a Alfa, which deserve a spot aswell. But like I said it's hard to get in my dome.

[67GTV]

I've got one of those old hand-crank drills. Bet that'd get into your dome.

What time are you people planning on getting to the speedway? I might be able to make it. I've already been 'told' that I'd have to take the Accord though. Harump!

[argtv7]

By "speedway", are you reffering to "Mazda Raceway"? The reason I ask, is that one of the recent posts referred to "Infineon Raceway".

Sheesh, talk about some things not getting into your dome, those are two names that have to go!

[Azzurri GTV]

They are talking about California speedway. HSR West is holding a event there.

[argtv7]

Oh, California Speedway........

Too many tracks, not enough weekends.

Thanks for the clarification.

I'm sure that by the end of the week, California Speedway will have a new corporate name too.

Anyone else besides 75evo doing the Sears Point ARA event on the 30th?

[75evo]

Speaking of priorities, for the May Laguna Seca event, there are already Alfa owners and regulars who are on the waiting list. My question is, shouldn't Alfas owners who are regulars for AROSC events get priority?

It would be a little disappointing on the event day, we get 40 Alfas participating, 50 brand-X cars get to join and another 10 Alfa owners and regular participants are left out.

This Laguna event is quite unique because the reg. forms came out way before the usual 1-month prior to the event. Even some of the "late" entries have sent in their forms way before the one month prior to event date mark.

I was wondering if a 10 days cutoff period could be implemented? Especially for Laguna events? That means, the forms are sent out 1 month prior to the event. Between that time and 10 days before the event, regulars driving Alfas get highest priority. Other applicants are set aside. When the 10 day cutoff period arrives, all the other non-Alfa driver applicants will be considered according to the postmarked date. Non-Alfa driver's should not worry though, you can hardly get more than 40 Alfas at any event, much less I think. So the majority of the participants will always be non-Alfas.

Anyway, I do realize that Terry Watson is doing a great job, and for free too. So I appreciate his efforts. This was just a suggestion so I hope nobody gets mad or anything.

[75evo]

So do you guys agree on some kind of priority based on cutoff period? If some non-Alfa people who have participated feel that we are treating them as 2nd class citizens, well, it is an ALFA club event to begin with. And if they decide to not join the club anymore, believe me, other people will fill in their spaces pretty darn quickly, especially with the current AROSC track fees. Besides, at most events we have room for 90-100 cars, hardly 40 Alfas will show up most of the time.

I'm a little bummed that one of my friends who drives an Alfa and had sent in his form for Laguna 2 months before the event is still on the waiting list, and he can be considered a regular participant.

[italcarguy]

75 evo,

i can feel for you on that one...people you want to get in not getting accepted. last time the club had an event at laguna 3 of my customer's who wanted cars towed to the track and track side service all weekend didn't get accepted and they are regular participants. they sent their stuff in before some people who got accepted did. so, they didn't get to run and i ended up making a lot less that weekend than i was hoping for. oh well, what can one do? thoughts anyone?

[JoeCab]

Maybe a simple name change would clear things up for everyone. For example, we could become the:

Alfa Romeo Owners and Anyone Wanting Cheap Track Time Club

or just AROAWCTTC for short

Seriously, the word OWNERS in the club's name is there for a reason. If they are not assured entry, then there is a problem.

[John M]

Just a thought or two.

If I lived in so. Cal, I would be thankful to have an active club that is getting any track dates at all. That is a great benefit for you guys. Leguna Seca, hell I am jealous! And it demonstrates the people running the club can get things done.

However, someone doing the applications for 50 hours should (even here in Kentucky) be able to sort them out so that active club members (whatever they drive) and Alfa owners get priority. No excuses there. Volunteer or not and I don't care what they drive. If this is not being done, what is the focus of the club? It would seem not its primary active members who regularly attend the meetings (other than track events) and not the Alfa owners. Should do as someone said, set a cutoff date for priority apps and then open it up to everyone else. If you miss the date, you loose your priority and fall in the SOL category of the general population.

Sponsorship. Why not? SCCA does it regularly with success. I don't understand why not go there and bring out the so. Cal Alfa venders. It would certainly defray your event cost and who knows, leave the club in the green for the event.

With that said, your club could be much worse. Hell, ours has not updated their webpage since August of 2001. Just sounds like the so. Cal club needs some fine tuning.

John M

[75evo]

Terry Watson already does a wonderful job, no complaints there.

For most event's this doesn't seem to be a problem. But for Laguna Seca, it has always been a problem because everybody wants to drive there. The reason why I am voicing some concerns is that the event is on May 17/18. Some participants have already sent in their forms around March 20-23rd and are still in the waiting list. The time between March 20th and May 17 is almost 2 months, way more than what is normally done for any regular event.

IMHO for these type of events (Laguna Seca), the prioritizaion should go like this:

From March 1st - March 31st priority is given to (ordering matters):
1-Regular AROSC participants driving Alfas (not other makes).
2-Regular AROSC participants driving other makes

From April 1st - May 17th:
1-Open to all

Right now, it is March 30th and some regular AROSC participants driving Alfas are on the waiting list. This, I think, is a little strange. We are still about 45 days away from the event and regular Alfa driving AROSC participants are not being given priority.

Essentially, I am not suggesting a radical change. Just for specific events where over subscription is anticipated, the cutoff dates and priorities should be revised to reflect what the club really stands for, i.e. an ALFA club. For regulars who purposely send in their applications in late, then they deserve what they get.

[argtv7]

Geez, funny that everyone is crying about Laguna Seca. Everyone was warned. The event wasn't sold out the first day, or even the first week. During the second week, we sent out a "warning" email that the event was filling up. No, we are not changing everything and cutting people out of this event because they followed instructions, and some Alfa owners didn't. Some people have been supporting our events for over 20 years. Every race. Every time. They volunteer to help. They take board positions. So they don't own an Alfa. Cut them out for someone "new" who can't mail their application promtly? I don't think so.

If you really feel strongly about excluding other cars, I suggest that you send a letter to Paul Blankenship and Doug Bender. It can be discussed at next year's annual board meeting.

If you have ever sat in on one of our driving schools, classroom sessions, etc., then you have undoubtably heard the instructors talking about being prepared. Being prepared means sending your application promptly, and having your car teched before you get to the track.

I understand that you don't think it's fair for non-Alfas to get priority, but we DO welcome other cars, and all members/regulars got thier applications first.

My suggestion is that you voluneteer to work at our events. As a board member, I get a final draft of the application before it is even mailed out. Another suggestion - when you are WARNED that an event is going to sell out, mail your application the day that you get it.

You know, for Willow Springs events, we get 80 percent of the applications AFTER the deadline. Every time. Terry bends over backwards to accomodate people. He is usually up late into the night on Friday before the event proccessing last-minute applications. I think it would be hilarious if Terry Watson would bring in the postmarked envelopes and slap a $100 late fee on anybody whose application missed the deadline (at registration, so if you couldn't afford it, you go home).

Remember, we are voluneers, and we all have regular jobs. We do the best we can.

I have not heard one person in this forum volunteering to help out at our events, but I certainly have heard a lot of crying about the job that the AROSC competition board is doing.