Thread: 2008 Convention

Mid-Ohio is probably my favorite track that I've ever driven. I bet a Friday rental for it would be in the neighborhood of $40,000 though.

Thanks, that works, Feb and July were the only months completely shot for me getting out of town.

Please let me know how I can help.

Plans are already underway for 2009 to be in the SE and Georgia more specifically.

People have already done the leg work on track rental, hotels, and picnic site.

The challenge now for tracks like Mid-Ohio, or any really active facility is they have mostly set their 2008 weekend and many weekday dates for all the high season by now. Never had the pleasure of driving there, but have seen the course.

We're really screwed here with Lime Rock (unless you have an extra $110k and $550/month) - Skip Barber (the guy, President for LR) and several others started a club "Friends of Lime Rock" style, with 110k one-time fee, good for 50 years, and $550/month "dues". The signed up their first 100 members almost immediately. Not a terrible business idea for a privately owned track in need of cash, $10M just like that, plus at least at least $50-100k 12 months a year from the dues. They're even building a members pit row (puke) and clubhouse. Can't question what they're doing from a business perspective, other than the impact it has on the base of enthusiasts who are used to at least a few club track days a year there, timed laps. They risk alienating a large part of their ticket-buying fan base, and ALMS has been their sole "really big" event for awhile.

Now one of the local clubs who puts on really good autox throughout the year has exactly one half of one day in June for the entire year - compared to an average of two full days, and that's just one club. Clubs get screwed, members get 60 track days - go figure.

It's just wrong to essentially give David Letterman and other local celebs or rich enthusiasts the only real road course in CT, just wrong...60 member days a year per person, in a state where it snows in early October until April. They just turned a jewel into a private club, I hope they have Gopher Cong visit the infield.

Anyway, dates were usually announced for all the major events for example at PIR in OR, for example, by late Summer prior year, or the sanctioning bodies already at least knew by then. That usually blows Fridays right out, leaving Tues-Wed-Thurs available for anything else, at least there they have a full season available, and the city owns the track, so no one can start a Rich-Mo-Fo Private Club. If you want to snag a good date at a major facility, you really have to commit for 2009 by not later than mid-2008.

WOW!!

So pretty much it is out of the question


Now how do they usually do it? Do you guys find a team hosting the day and buy into it? Or does the SE-R crowd rent the track for day strictly for them?

SERCA usually financed the track from the money in the bank and tried to make back at least as much money in track tickets, from what I understand.

I heard some rumors of some money issues from last years convention. Was all that settled? Anyone know?

That is how it was explained to me when I started researching for the 2009 convention.

From what I was told, the issues have been resolved. A lighter than expected turnout caused the costs to exceed the ticket sales, resulting in the shortfall. The key is in geting enough people to attend and participate in the track event, so that it at least breaks even. Making a little extra to offset additional expenses is a bonus.

My breakdown on projected expenses to run Roebling Road for 2009 was almost $5500. At $175 per person we would need 32 people to sign up and pay to break even. Lowering the price to $150 would require at least 37 people. Both do-able numbers I think.

I think the t-shirt or some other high-profit item is a good way to make a little extra $$$.

If you preface the price with a huge disclaimer that the proceeds go to paying for the convention I think people are willing to buy $20 tshirts. Maybe we should do them in 1-color, 1-sided to keep the cost down.

And I don't think you should promise any sponsors a listing on the t-shirt. Its a very empty place (the shirt) for effective promotion, anyway.

But we can talk about all this when we get ramping up...(maybe it should be now?)

I couldn't disagree with you more. The back of the T shirt is where the vendor is getting exposure for sending raffle prizes or money for the track or picnic. Without having their name on the T shirt, what is the point in sending stuff in?