THSCC Forums

We have the opportunity to host an autocross in Maggie Valley over Memorial Day weekend. This event would be run in conjunction with a large Corvette show, and would offer the 'vette drivers an opportunity to push their cars a little bit.

At this point, the format is entirely in our hands (and we're considering many options). While I would love for our club to run this event (it's fantastic exposure), the concern is that we would not be able to adequately staff it. Since the deal will be structured with the THSCC bearing the largest financial risk, the only viable option we see is a "normal" event, with everyone being invited. Consider a Sunday event, with Saturday being a school for the 'vette people (or possibly open to anyone?).

What I need from all of you is some feedback. Comments like, "Hell, yes, I'd drive 5 hours for a 1 day autocross at a huge site." Or, "Can I have some of what you are smoking."

I'd also like some comments like, "Corvette's rock, I want to chair this event!" or, "I'd drive 5 ours just to see the 'vettes run, and would shag cones all day for no reward."

While those comments are the extreme, I think you get the idea. Since some of our planning scenario's involve asking members to donate time, we need to know what incentive it would take to get you there (free stuff). Would you consider a family vacation in the mtn's for Memorial Day, and it just happens that one of those days you get to run an autocross?

The site is big:

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... ey%7cNC%7c

(if the link doesn't work, type in the following longitude: -83.10751 and latitude: 35.52220)

The Corvette event planners are trying to get GM corporate to come out, and if that happens, we get even better exposure, and I'd consider a slim chance that we'd see a few C6 Corvettes and maybe a C6 Z06.

Thanks for the input on this issue, but please don't think about it too long, we'd like to make final plans by the end of this week.

Scott

WOW, that is a BIG lot...

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Are all of those regularly spaced white dots light poles? I guess someone has scouted the lot already, but they worry me. I've heard fiberglass hit concrete, and it's not a pleasant sound.

A year ago we conciously decided to back away from this kind of thing, in the interest of having fun rather than increasing our fame and luring even more of these requests.

Do the Corvette folks expect us to participate in the event? I heard they are used to small turnouts and large numbers of runs. If we also compete, would that spoil their fun? (Aside from the beat-down aspect )

they look like the could be light poles, but they are right in the middle of the traffic lane. light poles would usually be along the long line dividing the spaces

my guess is that they are directional arrows

What is the parking lot for? Is it a theme park?

To answer your questions, I cannot commit but would consider it.

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'99 Mk IV Jetta VR6 now claimed by the better half.

'90 Miata A-package, Floats like a butterfly and buzzes like a BEE with loudspeakers.

The parking lot was for the theme park that recently shut down.

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In need of car.

Must be the old Ghost Town lot. It's been closed for about two years now.

Is this something that if we staffed it we would be paid for other than just running around shagging cones and getting to run on a big lot? If so, this may be a way to help offset the costs of the bus/trailer.

I would be interested, but if this is something that we would be expected to staff, then I think we should get committments from members to work it and maybe push those that do not do any thing extra for the club. Since it would probably not be financially viable to say "Free admit to the sunday event for saturday workers" there would have to be a big pre-sale of tickets

First, let me say that I'm not pushing us to do this event, and I'm not discouraging it either. The decision is up to the officers, and that will be influenced by the kind of feedback we get between now and Friday.

I'll try to give you a little more info as I've so far been the one in most contact with the Maggie Valley folks. Incidentally, the call came to us (really Mark Vitacco) because of a contact we have worked with in the past in one of the Corvette clubs. We helped them get to one of our sites, and they were sort of returning the favor by referring this "opportunity" to us.) So.. there is the potential for networking to pay off. This another reason we don't just bury our head in the sand when such things come along.

Anyway-- back to the Maggie Valley event. We have some time slots open to us to run something autox related- which are basically all day Saturday, all day Sunday, and I think even Monday if we wanted to use some of it. We don't have to use all that time. The format of what we choose to do is totally open to us. This event has been marketed to the Corvette clubs, but it is not limited to Corvette owners, drivers, etc. They just want people to come, rent hotels, eat, and spend money in the town. Since Ghost Town closed, I think the local economy has missed it, and wants to find reasons to bring people back into town.

If we held an autocross, we would be allowed to invite other folks to participate, including folks from other clubs, our own THSCC membership, etc. The one thing we have to make sure of though is that we have plenty of slots available for the Corvette folks that we've been hired to do this for. There is no rule that prohibits us from holding a half day autox on Monday solely for the volunteers that go down either. I use that as an example of the kinds of things we _could_ do.

The parking lot is the old Ghost Town in the Sky lot. I'm told by the people that are running this show that there are not many light poles, as Ghost Town was not open at night. The dots must be something else, Art. I'm told the lot is three footfball fields long. From the sat photo, it is at least "very big." I have no idea what condition the actual surface is in (gritty, relatively good, cracked, potholes?, etc.) A layperson has told me that it is "pretty good." Yeah right. We may ask a scout to look at it for us that has autocrossed before.

The promoter has managed to sign on Chevy corporate as a sponsor. They are trying to get Chevy to be the main sponsor. It seems fairly certain that Chevy will be involved, but to what degree remains unknown. I would think they have to be interested in what is expected to be a 500 to 1000 car Corvette event in NC.

The format, the number of cars we support, even the prices we charge, are all pretty much up to us.

The primary reason for us to consider running this event is:

1) We want to because we think it would be fun and enjoyable for those who participate and it benefits our club members. That to me is the real reason to do this. If we can't make it fun for the people that go, then it won't work.

There are some side benefits, much less certain and intangible:

2) We stand to make some money- how much depends in part on whether or not the club feels a need to partially reimburse the members that volunteer to go and set up and run this thing. This is not a trivial commitment. It's 285 miles from Raleigh. It's roughly a 4 1/2 to 5 hr drive according to mapquest. (Yes, I know YOU guys do it in half that time, but that's beside the point). It is MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. So, many families already will have plans to do this or that, and would not be free to go to Maggie Valley to support this.

There will be hotel costs for the THSCC volunteers (we are still trying to get some super serious discounts. "Free" has already been rejected.) The revenue we might generate from this ranges from under $1000 to possibly as much as $3000, depending on many, many factors, most of them out of our control and unknown. One big factor that determines how much is there for the club to make, depends on whether or not the club needs to reimburse volunteers for at least some of their expenses. If pay $50 to 20 people, that's $1000 and that may be all the profit there was anyway. However, if we can get the Maggie Valley folks to chip in enough freebies and coupons, and we give enough seat time of the right amount, maybe volunteers don't need cash form THSCC to make this work. Besides, if money were the only reason for doing this, we'd be better off just adding a "fun" event to a local site. So, we ain't doing this just for the money.

3) We get to introduce a bunch of people to the sport that have never done this before. From my limited experience with Corvette Club autocrosses and Corvette Clubs in general, most of those folks are the show and shine variety. Relatively few participate in autocross. I suspect most don't really know what it is. So, we'd have to package at least some of our activities in a way that would draw folks that have never done this before.

As for the one in 50 that do autocross, they will participate in National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) events. They are different animals from SCCA or THSCC style events. Not that we have to adopt a particular format, or run this event in a certain way. We have free reign to do whatever we want that is autox related.

4) We get exposure to a potentially awesome site, even if it is 4.5 hrs away from us. Doing this event would give us a strong relationship with the local marketing group in Maggie Valley that is putting this on. It would certainly help us get in there to use the site in the future if we chose to do a mountain getaway event for the club. However, at this point, I do not think that it is a requirement in order for us to run there. The future of this site is uncertain, as it for sale and has been for a long time.

5) We MIGHT get to see come cool Chevy hardware. We MIGHT get a chance to con the Chevy people involved to bring a new C6 Corvette to an autocross activity. We MIGHT get to see it in action. If I had my way, I'd be pushing to organize some drives for at least our own people in the new C6. Would they bring a new Z06?? Do they even have one they are using for publicity right now? Don't know.

Art is right. Some of the senior officers years ago decided that these kind of flings weren't necessarily in the best interest of the club, especially if they were done just to raise money. The reason this is being considered is that Maggie Valley is considered a great tourist area. Some of our members vacation in the mtns of western NC. Would it be fun to do a mountain retreat autox weekend for our club? I dunno. That's where you guys get to chime in and say your peace.

My thoughts at this point are that we would see who is potentially interested. If we get enough interested parties, then I have suggested to Scott that we get those interested parties to a meeting right away, and discuss some of the specific proposals, and hammer something out. We need to come up with a program that makes it fun for you guys. We know that nobody is interested in going up to Maggie Valley and shag cones for Corvette guys all weekend and have no fun. I can tell you- that won't happen.

We are also considering programs other than a "regular" autocross. We might do a half day "Introduction to High Performance Driving" program. We might do a full day autocross one day, and promote it also to other clubs in the area to ensure good participation. We might work with Highlands since this is their backyard (this discussion is still in the works).

So..... what kinds of incentives are possible?
-reduced rate hotel rooms (how reduced, we are still working on)
- discounts or maybe free evening entertainment/dinner (working on it)
- free time for you to do whatever you want in Maggie Valley (how much do you want/need to make it worthwhile?)
- seat time in an autox environment of some format TBD.
- a drive in a Chevy C6 Z06?? (I'm dreamin' ok...., but that's not illegal)

So..... you guys have to give us some feedback.


I may setup a poll on Thursday to gauge interest if the feedback here doesn't get a little more developed.

Think it over. No pressure. We are just exploring this for potential benefit of our membership. If nobody is interested, that's truly ok- we just tell them we can't do it and move on.

Miles Beam
Site Coordinator

I have personal limits. Those include a 10+ hour round trip for four minutes of driving. Chevys be damned.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Please don't make the assumption that we would expect you to drive that far and work 1-1.5 days for just 4 runs. We're looking for more constructive feedback, like what it would take to get you there, if you are interested at all.

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In need of car.

Great post Miles! I think that sums up all the holes I left in my vague story!

Scott

don't forget Harrah's is just up the road. nickel slots all day long.

We should have specific commitments from Maggie Valley by end of Friday on what they will offer us as incentives for our members that do this.

Right now, we are looking for "levels of interest". We will then have a meeting if we get enough interest to try and carve up a plan, assuming it still looks feasible.

We're not asking for commitments right now in this forum. Just thoughts.

By the way, this lot has the potential to be a great Divisional/Regional or Pro Solo site, assuming the surface is not too bad. So, for the autox community at large, it could be good for the sport if we can develop this lot and the relationship that has it.

Miles

Right. So your "slot" on the worker assignment will be at the 1 armed bandit? J/k.

One thing that might help my case is if there is something my wife could do other than autocross while I was working the event. (That means nothing car related) So what else besides Harrahs is around? Is this in the mountains? I'm assuming so. Are there any hiking trails? What are the options for our better halves?

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'99 Mk IV Jetta VR6 now claimed by the better half.

'90 Miata A-package, Floats like a butterfly and buzzes like a BEE with loudspeakers.