Team Entries and Sold Out Races

[takjak2]

So we have seen the impact and influence of team entries growing. It is now not uncommon so see multiple two car entries at Champcar races. However, this presents an issue at sold out races: is it better to have the series be about teams or about a diversity of entries? Should a team have to wait to enter their fourth or fifth car until later in the registration window?

 

Or are multi car entries exciting and bring a higher level of competition to the series?

 

Should there be a preference in the rulebook or registration process for one or the other?

[Bill Strong]

Lots of races still open for team cars and individual cars.

 

Willow Springs $875 entry fee is one of them.

 

[hotchkis23]

So if a team like ours, due to being in the series for 8 years and due to drivers having conflicts during that time, has built a solid driver pool of 6-7 drivers and decides to build a second car so we can all come have fun as a group is that an issue?  Or are you more worried about a team that builds 3 cars and holds arrive and drives taking up spots from teams that are more aligned to the spirit of the rules?

[takjak2]

5 minutes ago, hotchkis23 said:

 Or are you more worried about a team that builds 3 cars and holds arrive and drives taking up spots from teams that are more aligned to the spirit of the rules?

 

Watkins Glen is sold out. https://champcar.org/register/entrantlist.php?eventid=438

There are 25 duplicate entries. More than one team with 4 cars to themselves.

[hotchkis23]

2 minutes ago, takjak2 said:

 

Watkins Glen is sold out. https://champcar.org/register/entrantlist.php?eventid=438

There are 25 duplicate entries. More than one team with 4 cars to themselves.

Register sooner?  We tend to have our races picked within a week of the dates being announced.  I get it, $$ can be an issue, but if I wait until the day before a big time ticket event in any other realm, especially knowing it is going to sell out, I do not expect to score a ticket if I wait around.  This is a nation wide business, as much as we want it to be a "club", not everyone gets to play all the time.

 

Plus a sell out at the Glen with the return of MCM makes me glad I'm not there.  I can only imagine the coming carnage from that race.

[Snorman]

23 minutes ago, hotchkis23 said:

Register sooner?

Uhh...thank you. 

Nothing is stopping people from registering sooner. With the exception of the first year at Indy, pretty much no race sells out sooner than several weeks or a few months. 

[mcoppola]

A $250 deposit is all that’s needed to save your spot. Reference Mid Ohio having 38 entrants 5 days after it was announced. 

[QuaTTro]

I'm pretty sure when you see 1 team name and multiple cars they usually have a roster of drivers for each car.  It's not like 4 guys are driving 4 cars at the same event to get extra seat time. Each car basically represents a different "team" of drivers.  Yes, I know there are a few drivers that might be in multiple cars but that's not many.

 

Basically what you have are teams that are willing or able to commit to the events earlier than others.  Or they sign up knowing they can delay their entry to a future race if the car isn't ready in time.

 

If there's a race you are interested in, get committed to the prep and register early.  Then you have extra motivation to be ready in time.

[ETR]

Doesn't really bother me if I look at a roster and see-

 

XYZ - #1

XYZ - #2

XYZ - #3

XYZ - #4

and so on

 

 - as long as registration is open for them at the same time it's open for me and they don't have any extra swing than I do.  Are we going to really suggest that signup demand is a bad thing?  Come to Texas, where we've gradually been losing races over the years and CC's reason is "the demand isn't there"...which I disagree.  Regardless, be glad you have to stick your elbows out both on track and at registration.

 

Now what does bother me is "This race is capped at xxx entries!!!"  I got my team like "We need to sign up ASAP OMG!!!"  Then Harris Hill consistently fields more cars than the advertised cap.  That's a little annoying.

Edited March 27, 2021 by ETR

[MR2 Biohazard]

I signed up and paid early for WGI for two entries. I have also already registered and paid for two eateries for PIRC.

 

An idea is that a team could plan ahead better instead of waiting until the last minute.

Edited March 28, 2021 by MR2 Biohazard

[Snorman]

32 minutes ago, MR2 Biohazard said:

I signed up and paid early for WGI for two eateries. I have also already registered and paid for two eateries for PIRC.

 

An idea is that a team could plan ahead better instead of waiting until the last minute.

Will you be cutting back on racing now that you're in the restaurant business?

Best of luck!

[MR2 Biohazard]

12 minutes ago, Snorman said:

Will you be cutting back on racing now that you're in the restaurant business?

Best of luck!

Fixed. 

 

I am only racing two races this year with my cars. Budget and time. Tires are costly!

[scottyk]

1 hour ago, MR2 Biohazard said:

Fixed. 

 

I am only racing two races this year with my cars. Budget and time. Tires are costly!

You’ll only need one set of the RS4 for your entire season then.

[MR2 Biohazard]

21 hours ago, scottyk said:

You’ll only need one set of the RS4 for your entire season then.

Two cars so it would be two sets if only doing two races, though I am trying out a set of RE71R and Coopers for the next race and we will see how long I can get them to last. After watching results and speed I have accepted I really should and need to run the fast tires to compete.

[wvumtnbkr]

2 hours ago, MR2 Biohazard said:

Two cars so it would be two sets if only doing two races, though I am trying out a set of RE71R and Coopers for the next race and we will see how long I can get them to last. After watching results and speed I have accepted I really should and need to run the fast tires to compete.

I am coming to that same conclusion.   

[Team Infiniti]

7 minutes ago, wvumtnbkr said:

I am coming to that same conclusion.   

@DuncanDana

 

We too are stepping up spending on tires, side effect will be less races entered.

 

Please people, pass one of the petitions that make it more time to change soft tires often.

 

As for multiple teams? The only time it annoyed us was the first Indy sellout.

[MR2 Biohazard]

12 minutes ago, wvumtnbkr said:

I am coming to that same conclusion.   

I am running two cars at WGI.  One will have RE71r, as I still have an unused set from PIRC, well one lap used I should say, sad I know. I will also run the Cooper RS3-r. We will see how long they last. At WGI with the D7 and an hour of the 7 will be under pace car and they should last 6, I am hoping they will last both days on my cars. We will see.

[dimitri.mariutto]

ChampCar should have a Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (DIE) policy that would allow teams with less funds, slower/late registering teams, teams with people of color, transgender teams, ethnic teams, disabled teams, political teams, and all other underrepresented populations first right of refusal for registration. That would create an equitable racing field. All cars at the end of the race will be given enough laps to put them on the lead lap so that no team feels like they were not fast enough. This inclusion will guarantee more similar outcomes and make racing a more inviting activity. Also, we will need to make trophies for all entrants, including ones who couldn't register because the race filled up.

 

If you disagree with these statements above, vote for me at the next BoD election.  

[Rodger Coan-Burningham]

46 minutes ago, MR2 Biohazard said:

I am running two cars at WGI.  One will have RE71r, as I still have an unused set from PIRC, well one lap used I should say, sad I know. I will also run the Cooper RS3-r. We will see how long they last. At WGI with the D7 and an hour of the 7 will be under pace car and they should last 6, I am hoping they will last both days on my cars. We will see.

 

What size are you running?  If you don't abuse them I think you are going to be surprised at how much you can get out of them.  Just don't put as much slip angle as what you are used to. 

[MR2 Biohazard]

14 minutes ago, Burningham said:

 

What size are you running?  If you don't abuse them I think you are going to be surprised at how much you can get out of them.  Just don't put as much slip angle as what you are used to. 

I get really even wear on the RS4 and they last 30+ hours, they heat cycle out before tread is gone. I run 255/40/17. I will report back after the weekend how it went.

[Rodger Coan-Burningham]

13 minutes ago, MR2 Biohazard said:

I get really even wear on the RS4 and they last 30+ hours, they heat cycle out before tread is gone. I run 255/40/17. I will report back after the weekend how it went.

 

I predict you will move tires around Saturday night and last all weekend, but just depends on how much you have to push it.