Waldorf November 15th Results

[BugBomb]

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November 15th Results

Here is a link to all recorded runs.

[Silver_Surfer]

Thanks!! That was a really fun course. My only critique would be maybe not allow double runs when it is that big of an event, but at the same time, I understand not wanting to turn money away. Regardless I can't wait till next year!

[echan]

Thanks!! That was a really fun course. My only critique would be maybe not allow double runs when it is that big of an event, but at the same time, I understand not wanting to turn money away. Regardless I can't wait till next year!

There were several factors that caused us to run late:

1. The course didn't have enough safe over-lap to allow us to send the second car earlier. The result was that we held the next car longer than normal.
2. We had to deal with some parked cars in the lot.
3. The change-overs were slower than normal (I can't blame the participants too much because it didn't warm up as soon as we had expected).
4. We can normally run about 130 participants, so it was my mistake to think that 120 wouldn't be an issue.

In general, I don't think the double slot was an issue because we would have continued to fill the field with about 120 participants. The other factors that I mentioned above were much larger factors. For what it's worth, there was still Some daylight left, even when we packed up.

Believe me, the organizers are the first to show up and the last to leave. The last thing we wanted was to be there picking up in the dark. Keep in mind that the head organizer even has to return the trailer before they get to go home, which means they often don't get home until after 8pm.

As for the Double Slot Option:

We try to accommodate our participants requests. Normally we don't get requests for double slots. In the past, we offer the double slot discount during the slow months during the summer. We then do not offer the discount after Labor Day and the participants don't typically requests a double slot. This year, the double-slot option was very popular during the Summer, AND it was still popular AFTER Labor Day (even when we no longer offered the discount). I guess our participants realized that the double slot option is a great way to get twice as much seat time (12 runs) for a reasonable cost.

The philosophy of CDC was that when a participant purchases a slot(s), they can do what they want with them (within reason) including trading cars, allowing others to drive their slots (they still have to sign the waiver, attend driver's meeting, the results may not be accurate unless the participant informs the timing tent of changes, etc). We feel that giving the participants this latitude helps foster the fun atmosphere, promotes more interaction with other participants, and helps develop better drivers.

I suppose we could not allow double-slots to ensure that we would be able to allow the maximum number of DIFFERNT participants in the field (a valid point). However, if we look at how our reservation system has gone this year (and past years), the field typically is NOT Full during the "Member-Only" Reservation Period, where members and their guests can make a reservation. The field gets full only After the "Member-Only" period, during the "Open-Reservation" Period. So allowing the double slot option doesn't really affect any CDC member, provided that they make a reservation before the "Open-Reservation" Period begins (e.g. they don't procrastinate).

I can see that allowing the double slot option does not allow more unique participants, but another way to look at it is that these other participants are either non-members or members that did try to make a reservation until the "Open-Reservation" Period. I think accommodating a CDC Member that wants more seat time and willing to make a reservation early seems more "fair" than to save the slot for a non-member that may or may not materialize. After all, this other participant has not even joined the club, which by definition is less committed to CDC than a CDC Member.

If in the future the double slot option, starts to affect the ability for CDC members to make a reservation during the "Member-Only" Period, we will have to then look at ways to accommodate our members. In the past when our members had problems making a reservation, we stopped taking new members, and we added more events to our schedule (ever wonder why we run so many events?). So if we have issues in the future, we will probably have to do similar actions.

I realize that the above logic is flawed if we want to grow our membership base because if we feel that we can fill the field without double slots, we would get more non-members, which a percentage of them would become members. The only problem is that if we removed the double slot option, we would be reducing one of the privileges that we offer to participants (mostly used by members). In a sense, we would really be trading off a membership perk for an effort to get more CDC members. I feel that giving as many privileges to our members as possible is the best way to promote a dedicated membership base. Sure we won't have as large of a membership base as we may get, but what's our goal? To be the largest club possible? I like to think that our goal is to offer the best "fun factor" by giving as many runs possible, offering decent food (some have described CDC as a cook-out that also has an autocross), and do these things at the most reasonable price possible. In short, we try to provide an atmosphere where people have fun with a "best value" approach. Let's face it, people spend their free time and money on things they to do. We all have work, other commitments, and chores that we need to do. Our free time is very limited. I like to think that if CDC offers the best value for the "fun factor" we can build a following with a percentage with the community - not just those that currently autocross but those potential future autocrossers (provided that they don't impinge on our current members).

Sorry that this response is so long. I tried to not be defensive but am trying to articulate the logic and provide some insight of why we do the things we do. In addition if others have suggestions, we will also look into them. Good comment by Silver Surfer - without his suggestion (and by others), people wouldn't realize why we do the things we do.

Every once in a while we get a comment or suggest, which leads to a change. We didn't have food until we got a comment. We didn't have A and B heats until we got a comment. And we didn't have hot lanes, morning & afternoon runs, our current timing system, TNT, music, free drinks, and a bunch of other changes without suggests and comments from all of you. Just ask any of the members that have been around several years. CDC today is very different from what was like in the past, which is all due to suggestions and comments .

Ed

[hufflepuff]

Mike, my afternoon runs were taken in my dad's neon. Would you mind adjusting the index for those runs? Thanks in advance.

[hufflepuff]

Perhaps some folks would be interested in seeing the lean, mean, green, neon expresso machine from in-car!

http://youtu.be/D3y21x6uEqc
Charles' fastest run

http://youtu.be/QCi1xTgrujw
Matt's fastest run

Fun course!

[Claff]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zKlbsqlGu3M

43.90 in twilight