Kamloops 2009 Fall Touring Car Classic Race info

[weekend camper]

Thats what happens when you prethink your post and then type without thinking.   


All I mean is that I would much rather go to Saanich and have a fantastic race location .... than not.

[Gorden]

I know I was agreeing with you also.

Some info on the last Fall Touring Car Classic Race I added up the total drivers in the class's
and it works out to 51 cars out of them 22 are drivers from IROCC.

[Gorden]

I know I was agreeing with you also.

Some info on the last Fall Touring Car Classic Race I added up the total drivers in the class's
and it works out to 51 cars out of them 22 are drivers from IROCC.

opps missed the 19T A

that changes the numbers to 59 / 25 IROCC

[FIVE7]

In response to "whodoyouthink", I would like to appologize for your bad experience that you state you had in kamloops when you say:

"Kamloops who?"  "I went... once, and for me, once was more than enough!". 

I have always considered our races to be very good and well done.  I have not attended one of your races there and mainly due to very limited time restrictions.  As club president, I am extremely busy with working at the track, on fundraising for trophy races, administration, running local club races and then of course on top of that family, work and being a spouse to a self employed wife who always needs help as well....I just don't get away.  We have family on the Island that we don't even get over to see.  It is offensive to me to see this post.

Like I explained, we tried our best to work around races dates but obviously can not accomodate everyone's.  I am sorry that it happens to fall on your dates but this is where we are leaving it.  As you already know, we are a very small club and we also have to work around our schedules and come up with the best dates for all 8-10 of us.  Some of you mentioned that the TVRCRC'ers don't ever attend your races and therefore this date really shouldn't be a concern to you unless you wanted to join us, in that case you will need to make a decision on what you want to do with your race.  We understand that you may have booked your race well in advance and therefore that you may not be joining us, I personally was not aware of the post and did not know about your Central Sannich Race dates.

Jody posted that this was a fall classic race...we want to clarify that.  We had to move what we called our "fall classic" race to the August long weekend and we are calling it "Mid Summer Challenge".  The only reason for this was because we are part of the CORCS series and this year is our turn to hold the final.  Unfortunately, the finals are always labour day weekend which we have no control over.  Therefore, rather then holding another large race two weeks later we decided to fit in best were we could in the summer like I explained in my previous PM.  I know that you guys are able to hold large events very close to each other and that is a benefit to a larger club.  We unfortunately, do not have a very large membership, especially inthe summer months.  I can't do it all......

Again, I appologize that the dates conflict.

Brent

[WhoDoYouThink]

Brent,

I'm sorry if you took my post so personally, but as anyone who knows me will tell you, I usually speak my mind, and you always get my honest opinion.

The one year(5 or 6 years ago) I did go up to the race in Kamloops, I found the race and race entree turnout to be sub-par.
In fact, racers from Vancouver who were there Friday afternoon for practice were nowhere to be found Saturday or Sunday!
Had the four of us who made the mad dash all the way from Victoria to be there in time for practice on Friday afternoon scared them all away? I don't have an answer.
All I know was come Saturday and Sunday, there weren't too many others there.
As far as the actual racing went, it was rushed and disorganized with a horrible pit area out in the middle of nowhere, behind/beside the Rec Centre, poorly setup power sources, in fact, if memory serves me right the four of us charged our multi-class cars off the single battery in my van!
I remember a whole lot of hurry-up and waiting, race delays, too many piddly classes, MONSTER dots, equipment breaking perimeter piping, rough and uneven racing surface, and on and on. Not to mention the drivers stand in completely the wrong spot!(I've seen that has since been rectified)

In fact, I prefer not to remember too much about that road trip actually.

I do however remember thinking, "Hey, the four of us have made this trek and what have we got to show for it? We get to race against ourselves and few other racers? Come on!  I gave up a race weekend at home to come here, I should have stayed at home and supported my fellow IROCC racers instead of making this trip."
To the point, I felt I had wasted money on ferries there and back, gas, food and accommodation.

As the years have gone by, I've participated in a lot of day to day activities in IROCC. Sourcing sponsors, setting up and tearing down track equipment, ensuring that I'm there before track set-up time(We don't live in the "City of Tournaments" so unfortunately, we don't have our own personal permanent track facility) and tear down afterwards and try to help out in any way I can. I've put a lot of time and effort in, as have many other IROCCers in order to make every race day a success. Even on rain-out race days, I try to remain optimistic and I am always looking for that bit of elusive blue sky!

Lately, I've watched as people that race in IROCC have gone on road trips(as I used to back in the day at race events like the Randy Shantz Memorial Race, the ROAR Canadian National 4 cell Championships held in Vancouver, and many other races put on by Roger Brown and others. Those races were always fun(except the time we raced in the Agrodome or whatever it was with all the steel and cement and radio interference problems!) with lots of competitors showing up to make the events worthwhile attending year after year.), but you know what happens in recent years to IROCC club events when core groups of people go away for a long weekend? It depletes our membership sufficiently that there aren't enough people left to really get a busy Sunday race schedule off the ground. As I said, with IROCC having to set-up and tear down the driver's stand, racetrack perimeter safety walls, inner walls, corner dots,  pit lane, computer, etc., etc., each and every race day, it take a lot of bodies and coordinated effort to get it all done!

Personally speaking, I don't like the idea of supporting others when there isn't a reciprocal effort made.
Various IROCC members have been attending the Kamloops Club's races for years!
Some have really enjoyed it, with others, it left a bad taste in their mouth.

As far as our very successful SpeedWeekend Race and our Saanich Days Race, we've had repeat participants from as far away as Alberta attend both events. Now that's dedication and passion!

I've seen no such passion shown by either yourself or your club members.
For whatever reasons you care to come up with, those same work and/or family obligations apply to those of us in Victoria, yet there is always a group of IROCCers that find a way to get up to Kamloops!

I can't speak for anyone else, but I do get the feeling that there are those within IROCC that are disappointed that we make such an effort to spread our love of RC Racing and the fair and even competition that goes with it as far away as Kamloops,  but don't see any of it in return.

Sorry if what I'm saying offends or offended you, but as I said, I'm brutally honest. 
These are MY experiences and MY opinions, not the opinion of the IROCC Executive or Club Membership.
They can speak for themselves if they so wish.

This will be my last comment on this matter. It's been a long time coming!

Regards,
Nick

[Blake]

For me, I'm just disappointed to not have the opportunity for the usual fall road trip.  The Kamloops race is always a great time!

I honestly can't fault Brent for not knowing that this date would overlap with our "other" race.  I mean, it's not like we know the dates of other "off the map" races of other clubs.  It's a shame that there's a conflict, but that's how it goes when there are so many races offered nowadays.


** And Brent, we'd still love to see you guys here on Jul 11/12.  If you can squeeze yourself, Doug, and the two Jason's into a van, I will personally see to it that you will have 100% free accommodation for the weekend.  And no, I won't send you over to Nick's house...!


Blake

[FIVE7]

Thanks Blake for your understanding, it's really hard for me and being tugged in two directions trying to please everyone.....it really bugs me to say the least.     I do hope to see some of our guys down to your Speedweekend Race this Summer.

Brent

[RC51]

Maybe we should talk about it at our 1st out door race.

Let's just do it here: I'm in for Centra Saanich Days (for obvious reasons).

Phil

[BigDawg]

Sanich forsure,but now we need to find another road trip race van  havin a race this year?

[RC51]

Sanich forsure,but now we need to find another road trip race van  havin a race this year?

What if we inquired about what Ron Halford has on the go in Parksville and see if we can do a mini trip - or is that too close to home for you, Doug? LOL.

P.

[serpent]

I have been going to the fall race in Kamloops since 1999, and maybe it wasn't always my best racing experience sometimes because of me and sometimes other things but I have only good memories from each of these races.  It's too bad I am going miss this year, I really look forward to it.  This is another example of why Kamloops, Vancouver, Kelowna and IROCC need put together a racing series and comunicate a little better to make sure we all have good attendance for these big shows.
We have often thought about a winter race but haven't figured out where to fit it in.
Sorry Brent I won't be able to come out this year due to local race commitments but I hope you can make our July Speedweekend.  Maybe next year you can change the classic back to the fall, it has always been a great end to my outdoor season.
Craig

[jarrodH]

i liked the kamloops trips when i did them, the road trip itself is just as fun at the racing...lol

its good to get away and race a few new faces..

id go again, one of these years..

[RC51]

I have been going to the fall race in Kamloops since 1999, and maybe it wasn't always my best racing experience sometimes because of me and sometimes other things but I have only good memories from each of these races.  It's too bad I am going miss this year, I really look forward to it.  This is another example of why Kamloops, Vancouver, Kelowna and IROCC need put together a racing series and comunicate a little better to make sure we all have good attendance for these big shows.
We have often thought about a winter race but haven't figured out where to fit it in.
Sorry Brent I won't be able to come out this year due to local race commitments but I hope you can make our July Speedweekend.  Maybe next year you can change the classic back to the fall, it has always been a great end to my outdoor season.
Craig

Well said, Craig. Me, too. The thing I liked most about the Fall Classic in Sept is the camaraderie, the IROCC meals out, the good atmosphere, late nights at the hotel and so on ... and we're not organizing anything!

Phil

[haddow]

My comments were worded a such because I am extremely disappointed I wont be able to race in Kamloops this year. It is one of my favorite weekends during the entire year. That is why I feel so passionate about the topic. Sucks to miss it. Unfortunately as I pointed out, Victoria makes a serious chunk of the entries for Kamloops outdoor races and I foresee a zero turnout from Victoria this year.

L8R

[rcshadow]

     Wow thats a lot of reading from the start.  I have had good times in Kamloops, (as some can attest from an RTR Nitro car win and the late hotel nights...hic..) I also do love the road trip up late in the season for the last kick at the can for on-road. But I too, always drove home and added to the conversation about why do they not, like ever, make a trip down to support our race or races, when we pay the same cost to make their races. We dont even have any relatives in Kamloops that we can stay with either to offset said costs, we help your city's economy by staying in a hotel, that is 6-8 rooms also, I dont think any relative would take 25 rc drivers into their homes . We pass on deals for the ferry cost by lowering our entry fees to make it a bit more affordable, which has been used by others clubs now also, but started by IROCC.
    I also agree with Brent we do have other obligations, we do have outside RC lives, but I also agree with Nick our club has grown and is growning, and a blast to be involved with, cause we all pitch in, and help every week after week. I gotta admit I really enjoy seeing the new people at our club when they get a plaque at our big races in the C or the D class, that does wonders for thier self asteem in the club, and keeps them coming back, while unless you are in the A in Kamloops you dont get nuthin....ever....
   I am going to miss the Fall road trip to Kamloops but I dont have to think about what I am going to do with OUR race, im attending it. It has rocked every year I have been there, and its been going for a shorter time than the Fall Classic. Some one call the Ranchland Hotel and tell them they are not going to be able to get all the rooms filled this Sept,I am sure they will wonder where we have all gone. Now if Vancouver said they were having a race, I would be there for sure, any weekend, any time. They have done nothing but show up for our races, supported our club, and been  great competition. I would travel to their race any time, anywhere. I dont even know if holding a big BC challenge series or such would be worth it, cause it would always be for points between the Vancouver club and Victoria club as we travel the most.

end of rant