Increase novice retention

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Shawn summed up what I was thinking -- autocross isn't something you normally learn to love. Generally you either get it or you don't. So we need to cast our net wide, and then try to make the newbie experience pleasant, but we can't make people like the actual act of autocrossing if they think a Prius is an aspirational vehicle.

Regarding the list of potential club goals:
1) To produce national competitive autocrossers
2) To produce competitive lemon's drivers and HPDE world champions
3) To have fun
4) All of the above.
There's a 5th reason that overrides all the rest. Shawn knows what I'm talking about. (hint - it starts with "w"

)

Thank you to Chuck for teaching me a new term -- "glass transition temperature". So that's what I experienced that day in the esses at Road Atlanta.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:31 pm

Forgive me but you guys are such AutoX'ers. You think like AutoX'ers and you spout theory like AutoX'ers.

Retention.................... a word that denotes long term............ not an AutoX kind of word.

This isn't about AutoX, it is about keeping money and new members flowing in to the club. AutoX is the gateway drug, let's pretend that we are the Pusher-Man. We can turn them away at the door or we can coddle them just a wee lil bit.

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground. It's about the competition Les says............

................... it sure is. ..... right after you figure out what is actually happening.............

Thrown to the wolves may not still be the club motto but I am sure we (not me but Ya'll) could do better. In times of economic stress companies have to be keenly aware of the slightest burp in the perception of their goals and focus on every possible income source moving forward.

On the other hand, ya'll could just continue to mow down cones...........

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

steve remchak wrote:

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground.

It's enough work to make it our personal playground, let alone worry about making it a business. For someone who has so many suggestions, you really don't tend to actually DO anything. I know thats a pretty common theme on these forums, but it was never more applicable than to you. You talk about our novice program like you've actually been a part of it recently. You talk about how we handle our novices at events despite having been to ONE event.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:59 am

Looks like I have reached that level where the glass overflows ................... Peace Out.

Come visit us at VIR next weekend Brice. :mrgreen:

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:17 am

steve remchak wrote:

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground. It's about the competition Les says............

Actually the expenses and revenues of the auto-x program are pretty well documented to make sure we're in the black ink and not hemorrhaging. No one understands how important the number of event entries are as the folks adding up the tallies after it's all said and done.

Great points Les, I think the reason I'm still hooked after eight seasons with THSCC is the camaraderie, but also the competition as you mentioned. Even though it's just for bragging rights and a few laughs, it's a rush and you know you're part of a competitive niche when only a 1/2 second or a single knocked over cone can sort of make or break your driving that day. The learning process of autocross is what keeps me around too, especially when you change cars, upgrade parts, tweak this, tweak that, etc...

I did one HPDE five or six years ago on VIR-F and it was unbelievably fun but the reason I wasn't 'retained' by the track bug, is that it's not time for me to get into that yet when I'm having so much fun autocrossing. Plus, the expense of autocross is way less for me and it's less vehicle maintenance/risk. With that said, I can still see myself getting into the track stuff in a few years but now's just not the time since the auto-x itch is getting scratched, plus the new sites make it even more exciting.

Shawn's right too, it's just not for everyone. Getting folks out is one thing, and with 31(?) Novices at the Jimmy V, the word is being spread I'd say. The main thing that keeps Novices coming back IMO is the fun experienced by the learning curve of getting quicker and the best way to perpetuate this is to go the extra mile to encourage Novices offering ride-alongs, riding/instructing with them, and encouraging them to help the times drop and sharpen their driving. When I ride along with a Novice, I tell them the goal is to have fun, don't overthink anything, and if they drop a second or more from their first to last run of the day (almost always the case), they're dropping more time than drivers that have been doing this a lot longer. :wink:

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:20 am

Matt McGrain wrote:

Shawn's right too, it's just not for everyone. Getting folks out is one thing, and with 31(?) Novices at the Jimmy V, the word is being spread I'd say.

How many of those novices were local to Fayetteville?

JamesShort · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:52 am

Jason Mauldin wrote:

Matt McGrain wrote:

Shawn's right too, it's just not for everyone. Getting folks out is one thing, and with 31(?) Novices at the Jimmy V, the word is being spread I'd say.

How many of those novices were local to Fayetteville?

Surprisingly few.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:49 pm

steve remchak wrote:

Forgive me but you guys are such AutoX'ers. You think like AutoX'ers and you spout theory like AutoX'ers.

Retention.................... a word that denotes long term............ not an AutoX kind of word.

This isn't about AutoX, it is about keeping money and new members flowing in to the club. AutoX is the gateway drug, let's pretend that we are the Pusher-Man. We can turn them away at the door or we can coddle them just a wee lil bit.

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground. It's about the competition Les says............

................... it sure is. ..... right after you figure out what is actually happening.............

Thrown to the wolves may not still be the club motto but I am sure we (not me but Ya'll) could do better. In times of economic stress companies have to be keenly aware of the slightest burp in the perception of their goals and focus on every possible income source moving forward.

On the other hand, I could participate and just continue to mow down cones...........

Fixed that.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:53 pm

steve remchak wrote:

Forgive me but you guys are such AutoX'ers. You think like AutoX'ers and you spout theory like AutoX'ers.

Retention.................... a word that denotes long term............ not an AutoX kind of word.

This isn't about AutoX, it is about keeping money and new members flowing in to the club. AutoX is the gateway drug, let's pretend that we are the Pusher-Man. We can turn them away at the door or we can coddle them just a wee lil bit.

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground. It's about the competition Les says............

................... it sure is. ..... right after you figure out what is actually happening.............

Thrown to the wolves may not still be the club motto but I am sure we (not me but Ya'll) could do better. In times of economic stress companies have to be keenly aware of the slightest burp in the perception of their goals and focus on every possible income source moving forward.

On the other hand, ya'll could just continue to mow down cones...........

And yes, we do need to get info from our audience and we are taking steps to do that. Just because YOU feel it is a gateway drug does not mean that everyone else does. AS MANY OF US HAVE POINTED OUT SOME PEOPLE LIKE AUTOCROSS MORE THAN HPDE OR CHIMPCAR OR WHATEVER. if you really want to be helpful you would have stopped typing after your helpful suggestions and not gone back to insults.

BTW since you haven't figured it out yet the object is not to mow down cones, maybe that is where you messed up

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

Matt McGrain wrote:

steve remchak wrote:

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground. It's about the competition Les says............

Actually the expenses and revenues of the auto-x program are pretty well documented to make sure we're in the black ink and not hemorrhaging. No one understands how important the number of event entries are as the folks adding up the tallies after it's all said and done.

This is correct. We have turned a profit on every event this year, including the boat race at NCCAR and the miserable weather test and tune.

Keith Quistorff · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:42 pm

BriceJohnson wrote:

Matt McGrain wrote:

steve remchak wrote:

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground. It's about the competition Les says............

Actually the expenses and revenues of the auto-x program are pretty well documented to make sure we're in the black ink and not hemorrhaging. No one understands how important the number of event entries are as the folks adding up the tallies after it's all said and done.

This is correct. We have turned a profit on every event this year, including the boat race at NCCAR and the miserable weather test and tune.

That's great to know - I, for one, am surprised (and very pleased) to hear that all our 2012 season autocrosses so far have turned a profit for the club - speaks a lot for the THSCC officers making smart choices and keeping overhead expenses low. I also agree wholeheartedly with Brice, Matt, Rob, etc. - I'm sure most of us look at autocross as a hobby, not as a business, and, most importantly, this hobby is only made possible as the result of the hard work of all the fine folks that volunteer their time to support our club's autocross program. You guys should be highly commended for your efforts, not bashed for aligning your decisions with the majority of the club.
:clap:

shawnwhipple · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 6:28 pm **Posts:** 603

Quote:

Forgive me but you guys are such AutoX'ers. You think like AutoX'ers and you spout theory like AutoX'ers.

AutoX'ers in the Autocross forums? That is truly surprising

Quote:

Retention.................... a word that denotes long term............ not an AutoX kind of word

You hate Autocross and you are still participating 8 years after you started, I'd say we are doing a fantastic job of retention. I mean we are in the "selling ice cubes to eskimos" league of salesmanship.

Quote:

For once I just wish some of ya'll would look at this little hobby as a business and less like your personal playground.

It's a club, not a business. It's a different model. For example that novice survey you seem to think will solve all your problems. Well Rob is now going to donate his time and effort to the club to make it happen. The good people in the club will often step up to do things like this. It's how the club has been successful.

I do kind of wish you would start an autocross business. I'm sure it would be fantastically successful given all your great ideas. I'd love to run at your events when you get it going. Post something up here in the forums when you have an event planned.

Quote:

On the other hand, ya'll could just continue to mow down cones...........

Thats what I'm planning on doing. I still enjoy it.

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

I <3 Shawn Whipple. :lol:

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:21 pm

uhhhghlah, I just felt a chill. For a moment there I thought I was back in 2004 again. Deja vu WOW.

Ya'll remember 2004, when the prevailing THSCC attitude was:

(1) What? You don't get it? We don't care.

(2) What? You might not come back? We don't care.

(3) What? You expect us to coddle you? We don't care, we are busy here. This is a competition and we are serious about it.

There's 20 more just like you waiting to get in.

Besides, you really aren't our kind of guy anyway.

Ah yes, the good old days. :mrgreen:

RobLupella · **Posted:** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:43 pm

steve remchak wrote:

uhhhghlah, I just felt a chill. For a moment there I thought I was back in 2004 again. Deja vu WOW.

Ya'll remember 2004, when the prevailing THSCC attitude was:

(1) What? You don't get it? We don't care.

(2) What? You might not come back? We don't care.

(3) What? You expect us to coddle you? We don't care, we are busy here. This is a competition and we are serious about it.

There's 20 more just like you waiting to get in.

Besides, you really aren't our kind of guy anyway.

Ah yes, the good old days. :mrgreen:

And some people can't ever leave the past......

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