Reno SCCA meeting tonight?

[sperry]

I never got an email from the SCCA mailing list about a meeting tonight. Are we still meeting at Austin's Restaurant at 6pm?

[Nick Koan]

I got my newsletter the other day, and it had tonight printed on it.

[MattR]

www.renoscca.com

Meeting tonight. I will be there.

[Dean]

I'm there.

[sti deede]

I going to come tonight too, I'm all excited for the upcoming race season.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

I never gave permission for a meeting at my restaurant.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

I never gave permission for a meeting at my restaurant.

Haha ...Your resteraunt is pretty good...and those young waitresses, where do you find them?

[MattR]

Here's the agenda for tonight...I can't wait to hear about what a failure I am for not putting the Car corral together at Norpac, I'll just remind them that there was 20 inches of snow on the ground that day, so everything worked out okay..

Hello Reno SCCA members and friends,

Tonight's meeting will be held at Austin's restaurant in Reno. Please plan to be there at 6:00 PM if you want to order dinner, the meeting starts at 6:30 PM. Austin's is located at 7671 S. Virginia St., 775-852-1600.

Here is Dave's proposed Agenda:
Old Business (@ 20 minutes)
Minutes of Jan Meeting 0:05
Treasurers Report 0:05
NorPac Convention Jan 7-9, 2005 - Region Rebates 0:05
2005 Reno Region Event Schedule Proposal / Chair Sign-up, Safety Steward, MyAutoEvents.com Registration 0:10

New Business (@ 1 hour, 10 minutes)
Super-Set Solo2 Classification Proposal - Board Recommendations 0:10
National Convention - Summary Overview 0:10
New Time Trials Program Overview 0:10
Reno-Fernley Raceway - Potential for Reno Region Events / PDC's, Club Trials, Track Trials, Vintage Race, Road Race 0:15
Las Vegas Region, Hawthorne Proposal - North/South Challenge Solo2-Club Trials 0:15
Walk On Items 0:10

Take care,

Eric

Directions to Austin's: Off 395 heading North, take first S. Virginia exit (exit just after the S. Meadows Parkway exit). Take right on to S. Virginia and restaurant is on left within a light or two. 7671 S. Virginia (cross street is Longley. Other businesses are Mattress Land and a car wash).

[Dean]

There is also a new Novice/RNP proposal added to the agenda that I submitted that will indirectly affect Street tire by removing the newbies from it for the most part. Oh, and you will need to replace your "N"s with "T"s...

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Dean

There is also a new Novice/RNP proposal added to the agenda that I submitted that will indirectly affect Street tire by removing the newbies from it for the most part. Oh, and you will need to replace your "N"s with "T"s...

Along those lines, I'd like to propose we use *'s after or before a number/class to denote RNP. That way, everyone keeps their number and class when running rnp so we don't end up with like 6 "14 rnp" cars at an event.

so I'd be 04 TSM and later in the afternoon 04 *TSM for rnp.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

Along those lines, I'd like to propose we use *'s after or before a number/class to denote RNP. That way, everyone keeps their number and class when running rnp so we don't end up with like 6 "14 rnp" cars at an event.

so I'd be 04 TSM and later in the afternoon 04 *TSM for rnp.

I was going to cut and paste, but here is the whole thing... 4,5, and 11 discuss class displays.

This proposal is for the management of Novice and RNP drivers to allow us to more easily balance run groups, make the first experience for new attendees as simple, and as enjoyable as possible, reduce the "classing" load on tech, reduce some of the confusion at registration, and possibly reduce the at event load on timing and scoring for new attendees.

1. Novice is defined to be a driver new to autocross who does not know what class they are in, much less what classes are, and has not competed for more than 1/2 the events in a season in any region or club.

2. RNP drivers are defined as drivers who are not interested in competing for event, or season results for any reason. This may include visiting drivers from other regions, drivers running a seccond time after completing their competitive runs, non classable car, drivers not eligible for novice status, or drivers just wanting to run in a specific portion of the day.

3. Novice and RNP cars must meet normal tech requirements, but classing of cars is not required, and car numbers may be of a non-permenant nature. (Tape, paper, etc.)

4. Novice cars should display a "N" for class clearly on both sides of the vehicle

5. RNP cars should display either their normal class with a line through it(tape), normal class turned sideways or upside down in such a manner they are not confused with a normal class, normal car class preceded by an "R", or the class RNP. Cars with no class listed may also be assumed to be RNP by timing and scoreing.

6. Novice and RNP drivers will sign up on a seperate worker sheet, or registraion cards form normally classed drivers. Colors/fomat to be determined.

7. Approximately 10 minutes before the driver's meeting, event staff will make the determination which run group Novice and RNP drivers will run in. If possible, all Novice drivers should be in a single run group per 1/2 of the day, but RNPs can be distributed as needed.

8. A new worker position, "Novice chief" will be added to registration forms, and will be responsible for mentoring and coaching novic drivers. This position should be filled by an individual with the approriate skills for this position. If this position is not required for a run group, that worker will be reassgned by the worker chief. In the event that a novice coach is not availale, grid worker and other event staff should make every effort to assist novice drivers in any way possible without neglecting their other duties.

9. Novice and RNP times will be published, but will not be eligible for individual event trophies, or awards unless otherwise stated.

10. Novice drivers will be permitted to request that up to 4 events worth of results be moved to a national or regional SCCA class. Any resulting changes in class or PAX finishing positions, or points will be permitted, and required and are not protestable. Drivers making this request will no longer be eligible for Novice class.

11. Street Tire will change their class from "N" to "T" to avoid confusion withth e Novice class.

Feel free to comment now, or tonight.

[sti deede]

So would I be running NTESPL? I haven't completed a more than 1/2 the event in a season.

[sperry]

Not bad Dean, but I have some issues.

RNP with a line through or sideways, or the actual letters "RNP" doesn't solve the issue in the software that leaves us scrambling to edit people right before a run group and running into conflict after conflict for people running the same number. I'd like to be able to list people with their normal number/class, but just tag their run as "no points". Idealy, this would be handled by a change to the scoring software, but we should be able to utilize the 1st character grouping feature that's already there, but use "*" instead of "r".

The deal with bumping Novice results to points results: if the Novice drivers are not properly classed, then who's to say they're in the propper class when they get bumped? Let's say some "novice" comes out with a Z-06 and runs some great times for 4 events. Then decides to finish their season in DS in a WRX... if we're not meticulous about keeping the novice's car/class they could be getting an unfair advantage. Of course that's a moot point if the novice class continues to require proper classing and not just an "N" on the side of the car.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by sti deede

So would I be running NTESPL? I haven't completed a more than 1/2 the event in a season.

If you run as a Novice, you're not running for points... so you can be NESPL and run as a novice and not compete in street tire, or you can run in TESPL and compete in the Ladies Street Tire championship.

At least that's how I perceive it.

[sonicsuby]

I wish I lived up in Reno so I could autox more regularly

[sti deede]

Originally Posted by sperry

If you run as a Novice, you're not running for points... so you can be NESPL and run as a novice and not compete in street tire, or you can run in TESPL and compete in the Ladies Street Tire championship.

At least that's how I perceive it.

Oh. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I will run TESPL for points.
So the novice award at the end of the season will go to someone who completed in the N class then, or is there no award because it is not a points event?

[sti deede]

Originally Posted by sonicsuby

I wish I lived up in Reno so I could autox more regularly

Its a quick trip, just come up here for events, you can stay up here over the weekend.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by MattR

..and those young waitresses, where do you find them?

That's G-14 classified.

[MattR]

8. A new worker position, "Novice chief" will be added to registration forms, and will be responsible for mentoring and coaching novic drivers. This position should be filled by an individual with the approriate skills for this position. If this position is not required for a run group, that worker will be reassgned by the worker chief. In the event that a novice coach is not availale, grid worker and other event staff should make every effort to assist novice drivers in any way possible without neglecting their other duties.

I really like that idea...That will help newcomers greatly. As long as you don't assign some crusty corvette owner to the job

[Kevin M]

I'll be there tonight too.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

If you run as a Novice, you're not running for points... so you can be NESPL and run as a novice and not compete in street tire, or you can run in TESPL and compete in the Ladies Street Tire championship.

At least that's how I perceive it.

Correct.

[Nick Koan]

So, the new Novice class will be scored seperately? Or not at all?

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

Not bad Dean, but I have some issues.

RNP with a line through or sideways, or the actual letters "RNP" doesn't solve the issue in the software that leaves us scrambling to edit people right before a run group and running into conflict after conflict for people running the same number. I'd like to be able to list people with their normal number/class, but just tag their run as "no points". Idealy, this would be handled by a change to the scoring software, but we should be able to utilize the 1st character grouping feature that's already there, but use "*" instead of "r".

The deal with bumping Novice results to points results: if the Novice drivers are not properly classed, then who's to say they're in the propper class when they get bumped? Let's say some "novice" comes out with a Z-06 and runs some great times for 4 events. Then decides to finish their season in DS in a WRX... if we're not meticulous about keeping the novice's car/class they could be getting an unfair advantage. Of course that's a moot point if the novice class continues to require proper classing and not just an "N" on the side of the car.

OK, we need to add "in the same car" to the moved points portion. We will have reg cards, worker sheets if we really need to check up on them. Theoretically, they should not be competitive in class anyway...

R, or *, either way you have the same issues no matter what is on the side of the car. Not sure there is a fix for this. Aything that shows you are notrunning in your normal class is OK as long as your normal class is visible. RTESPL, or *TESPL are the same to me, and the software, except now that I thnk about it, * may not be an allowable character.


Keep the comments coming.

[MattR]

I think (and agree) that the RNP situation is way more important than a lot of people in the region think, it is so time consuming to get the scoring changed...I think Scott is on the right track with making it as easy to score in the computer as possible, but a good deal of focus needs to be on actually marking the RNP cars correctly or at all...

[Dean]

Originally Posted by nKoan

So, the new Novice class will be scored seperately? Or not at all?

Both. They will be seperated into their own class per event, and have their times listed, but not scored for season points unless they choose to move to a true class.

Novice year end awards will not be based on Novice class participation.

The purpose of the novice class is to give people a place to learn for a couple events and see if they like it and make a somewhat informed decision to move into a real class.

It is not intended to be a season long class as other regions have.