Jerry,

I guess you missed the fact that I am also a candidate for the Area 4 Director's seat being vacated by Larry. For those who are not familiar with me please allow me to give a brief resume'.

I have been active in motorsports for over 33 years and an active member in SCCA since 1993.

My racing experience includes many years of karting across the globe, being a track owner, race organizer and State Director of the International Karting Federation.

After karting I became involved in SCCA club racing at the regional and national levels and have competed regularly since 1993. My participation in SCCA includes being a car owner, driver and wrench. I have been fortunate to experience a reasonable amount of success and had the opportunity to attend the hallmark events in SCCA club racing. I have also served in the capacity of driver coach for SCCA driver's schools. Outside of the SCCA I organized and managed an IRL team which led a number of laps and finsihed 7th in the 1998 Indy 500.

Professionally I am an attorney and have practices in Indiana and North Carolina. My practice includes work for both manufacturers, teams and suppliers in the motorsports industry.

SCCA is a member driven organization and simply stated will not succeed unless the members are given programs and services which they believe in and find good value in. It is up to the members of the Board to define the programs and services and to insure that they are delivered to the membership.

I am committed to leading the club into the future and
helping to develop the services and products which our members want. I have experienced motorsports from the bottom to the top and believe that I have a unique perspective to bring to the Board. When elected I will represent each and every member to the best of my ability.

Thank you,

John LaRue

John,

Obviously, I was not aware of you throwing your hat into the ring. I appologize for the miss, and encourage you to expand on your beliefs in the direction the club should proceed and how you can help in that endevour.

For all the candidates, a one-page "press release" does not define your beliefs and positions on how the SCCA should be run. This is an important position and I am looking for more input from the candidates in order to judge who I vote for.

Cheers,

Jerry

Thanks for the chance to say a few words.

Platform Statement of Marcus Merideth

Candidate for SCCA Area 4 Director

This is a very exciting time in the SCCA. Challenged by a slow economy and real competition in the market, we need to solidify our position as the leader and the only place to have fun while playing with cars. As a Club we need to promote ourselves both nationally and locally. SCCA was once the place to go for motorsports competition in the US. Now there are numerous competitors trying to wrestle the crown away from SCCA. Reaching out in the community with driver training and other community service activities will show the community our enthusiasm and value.

My experience with many levels of the club as a competitor, crew and volunteer provides me with a broad based perspective of how the Club operates and how to address the issues facing it today.
SCCA is a club and a business. Fiscal responsibility and openness will allow us to maximize the membership value. Financials should be tracked on a quarterly not yearly basis. Action cannot be taken at the end of the year to offset unexpected occurrences. Fiduciary responsibility for the SCCA is the BOD’s primary responsibility and along with that communicating to the membership. We must assure we never see financial difficulties again with long term planning and commitments.

The Great Lakes Division National Racing program is at a cross roads. Declining numbers of participants and volunteers threaten the viability of events. Scheduling conflicts have driven us to a competitive situation between Regions and Divisions for participants and volunteers to the detriment of all. Continuing to address the situation with the same old approach has not worked and will not work. A fresh perspective on the National level is needed. Exciting and fun racing drives the club and is what attracts participants and volunteers. Analyzing event scheduling from a joint Divisional perspective will eliminate event deterioration and help all Regions get their share of the pie. Possible solutions are to have fewer events, restrict the classes at the current events so the competitors have fewer events, or have weekends showcasing classes offering more seat time or a preferred race time. Finding a way to include a PDX in a race weekend might be a way to offset some of the event costs. I am sure there are more ideas out there but continuing on the current path is not the better idea. Working together on the Regional level, we must find a solution and move forward.

Formula SAE is a great program for SCCA and we must do everything we can to provide the competitors and organizers a positive experience. Mentoring the local collegiate team and encouraging them to come out and play with us not only at Solo events but all events will guarantee the future of SCCA. SCCA continues to be the safety leader in motorsports and that must continue. We must reinforce our strengths and address our weaknesses. SCCA will be known as the best events with the best competition in the US.

My experience as Regional Executive, with the Solo Events Board and working with the BOD leads me to believe that one thing we are not lacking is passionate knowledgeable people who want the Club to be the top of the motorsports pyramid. We as a Club should not be afraid to draw on that knowledge and enthusiasm.

My extensive competition history and broad based volunteer experience make me uniquely qualified to lead the Great Lakes Division as their representative on the Board of Directors. I will bring a fresh perspective with a respect for every facet of the Club.

Past Club Experience
Chairman, Solo Events Board 2005-2007, member 2001-2007
Regional Executive - Detroit Region
Solo Competitor 1987-Present
Regional Road Racing License holder 1999-2002
Formula SAE SCCA Chairman
Detroit Pro Solo Chairman
Chairman for numerous Regional Solo Events
Solo Safety Steward
Solo Safety Steward Instructor
Solo Youth Steward
Race Volunteer
Rally Competitor
Pro and Regional Race Crew
Member since 1990

Please vote for me in the upcoming election!

Marcus Merideth

mailto:membod@comcast.net

http://membod.home.comcast.net

I also appreciate the opportunity to use this forum.

Many of you know me. But for those who do not, I will tell you that I am honest, hard working and innovative. I am also experienced with Boards of Directors having served on both private and public boards for many years. I know how to build consensus and how to accomplish goals. I know how to lead.

The SCCA can be great again. We are fortunate to have some excellent staff members. What they need, and are not currently getting, is direction. That direction must come from the BOD. This is why my Platform contains some of the details that will shape our future.

I have been endorsed by every past Director of recent years - Pete Hylton, Chuck Shapiro, Bob Burns, Erik Skirmants - and current Director Larry Dent. There is a reason I have earned their endorsement. They realize the type of skill sets it takes to succeed on the SCCA BOD. I am deeply honored that these past leaders believe in my abilities.

My Platform ideas benefit our members and makes the SCCA affordabe and fun. Having vision is important, but knowing how to lead will serve our members best at this crucial time.

I thank you for your support.

Yours for the Sport,

Steve Harris

sharris@rixan.com
937 438 3005 (0)
937 681 4484 (c)

Steve Harris’ Area 4
Election Platform
September, 2008

My Fellow Members,

Thank you for your interest in this year’s Area 4 election. It is a critical time for SCCA. We have real competition that has directly targeted us. We are getting older. Our products are getting stale. We must take immediate action to meet today’s challenges. New leadership is required that understands what we do well and has the intelligence and courage to fix our problems and move us forward. More importantly, we are only electing 1 of 13 Directors. Our Director must know how to motivate and work with others to execute a plan to reach our goals. I am the best candidate for the job. Please consider my Platform and the steps we will use to return SCCA to its position as the premier club for autosports enthusiasts.

GENERAL

1. I seek to represent you. I will actively solicit your thoughts on how to improve our club. Communication is the key. I will communicate with you monthly via the Great Lakes Website and through email releases to all Regional newsletters and to any individual who wishes to sign-up on a Director’s Distribution list. But I am also here to listen to your ideas/concerns/problems. Your emails will be answered.

2. I believe that all members of SCCA are equal. At the end of the day, all participants in an SCCA event must gain the enjoyment and satisfaction they seek, or they will not return.

3. I am committed to increasing member equity by building a club you can be proud of, want to participate with, and in which you will be treated fairly and with respect. Fun, fair and safe is in our Mission Statement; let’s make it so!

4. We will improve the SCCA by making it fiscally sound. We will promote our sponsors and create events that potential new members will want to join. And we will lower our costs for current members by applying smart business principles that help reduce our member’s individual costs.

BOD and OPERATIONAL REFORM

1. Many of the SCCA’s current problems stem from a dysfunctional Board of Directors. They are well meaning, but untrained in how a BOD should operate. The BOD should hire the professional staff, perform their fiduciary oversight responsibilities, and provide direction and guidance. They should NOT be the last court of appeal; they should NOT be over-riding spec tire tests; they should NOT be micro-managing the staff. I am committed to training current and new BOD members by utilizing professional services designed for that purpose. When the BOD understands their role, the club will function more efficiently. Having served on public and private boards, I cannot overestimate the value of this effort.

2. Are you aware that the SCCA’s Legal Counsel is also its Risk Manager? His salary is partially paid by commissions from the insurance carrier he recommends. I am not implying there is anything criminal about this arrangement; only than it is clearly a conflict of interest. Insurance represents 20% of the club’s operating budget and we have not bid this contract in many years. We have an insurance committee, but they never meet. We must have separate functions of legal representation and insurance procurement. SCCA’s President has also noted this need.

RULES AND THE GCR

1. The General Competition Rules (GCR) that govern road racing should be in effect from the Monday after the Runoffs™ until the last race Sunday of the Runoffs™. They should not be edited, amended or changed in any way once published unless there is an obvious error or omission. By maintaining the rules throughout the season, competitors will not be surprised and race officials can improve their consistency.

2. The Competition Review Board (CRB) does a competent job, but can be improved with more organizational help. I would like to see each class represented by a racer or team owner who participates in that class. Currently, each CRB member represents multiple classes. All submissions from competitors go through the CRB (which will now have each class’s interest better represented). Once rule changes are vetted (which includes publishing the proposed change, getting member feedback, and a majority vote from the CRB members), they will be noted as an approved change for the following year starting the Monday after the Runoffs™. Again, there will be no mid-year rules changes.

3. Our rules are so complex that it takes the average Steward about 10 years to become properly trained. My goal is ask the CRB to restructure our rules and put more responsibility on our competitors to police themselves. Race Officials should be available to adjudicate problems, but overly officious officials must be re-directed to assist competitors; not impede them. It will take some time and talent to restructure our races so that they can be run with fewer officials, but it can be done without compromising safety.

4. I will not let the BOD micro-manage the club. The staff and committees will be allowed to do their jobs without interference from the BOD. This does not mean the BOD will abdicate their oversight responsibility. But we will guide the club; not run it.

THE RUNOFFS

1. The Runoffs™ have lost their luster because it is too easy for slow, poorly prepared cars to qualify. By allowing the top 10 cars in each Division, we have also degraded our National Championship Races.

2. I would propose to the Club Racing Department that the top three cars (by points) in each Division get a free entry to the Runoffs™; the top five cars receive tow money and the top seven cars get invited. There would be no restriction on the number of races run in division and only one out-of- division race would count to the points. The result will be National Championship Races that are meaningful as racers compete all season for the free slots, tow funds and invitations.

3. The above would boost entries at National races, and help fill the fields at Road America (7 cars x 9 divisions = 63 cars) ( RA can accept 100 cars {4.048 mi x 25 car/mi})

4. Every National class deserves their own race at the Runoffs™. But we must cap the number of National classes at 24. This is a CRB function; not a BOD function. If we have a CRB where each individual represents a class, then the specific CRB members can meet and decide how to equalize performance of joined classes.

5. I am against making any IT class into a National Class. IT is grassroots, relatively low buck racing and should be enjoyed by those desiring this product. Making this a National Class would create $100,000 IT cars much like in AS, and ruin the flavor of this class.

MOVING THE SCCA FORWARD

Increasing membership has always been a goal of SCCA. I believe that a better goal would be to improve member equity by delivering better products. Increased participation (memberships) will come if we are successful building the brand. It equates to generating more sources of revenue, increased membership and lower costs for our activities. Here is how we build the brand:

1. SCCA Enterprises should be a key component in building the brand. “Walter Mitty” track days through SCCA Enterprises will become a great tool to recruit new members and sell more hardware. We would coordinate these days through country clubs and local tracks, letting potential members learn how to drive an SRF at speed for a fee. I have already detailed this plan with Erik Skirmants, President of SCCA Enterprises and we believe it is a great method or recruiting new members into SCCA and generating increased revenues for the club.

2. SCCA University can build the brand. It can be used to train our volunteers, insure and certify them. Certified volunteers should reduce our insurance costs, build respect for our specialties and make them a valuable asset to other sanctioning bodies. It might also be an income generating asset under the right circumstances, which would help reduce traveling costs and expenses for our volunteers.

3. Really hip jackets, shirts and shoes build the brand. Do you know what kids pay today for Harley Davidson goods and Nike specialty shoes? SCCA can be branded to appeal to youth, which then brings them into the club.

4. The Street Survival Program should be funded and expanded. This program focuses on young driver training. In 2008 we will do 28-30 such schools. The market can absorb many more if our staff can be allocated to support it. The momentum of these programs should be capitalized by creating affiliated High School chapters of SCCA. This builds the brand with the youth market. We could be a force for High School affiliated driver training (and sell more shirts/shoes etc.). The public exposure and PR are invaluable.

5. As we expand the Street Survival program, the positive press associated with this program will generate many sponsors who will want to associate with the program and with SCCA. It will also generate many new members. I propose that sponsorship income be shared 50-50 with the National Office and the sponsoring Region. The National Office will use this share to seed other events and enhance the national prestige of Street Survival

6. Supported events and Media exposure build the brand (how about product placement through movies or a movie based around the Runoff™? – Look what “The Fast and the Furious” did for the car tuner industry). My guess is that we have a significant number of members that are affiliated with the movie making industry. Let’s get some placements going. My own company has had placements with movies like Jurassic Park and 12 Monkeys. It is not too difficult to interface with Hollywood.

7. Contract with a gaming company to create a video game based upon the SCCA Runoffs™. The gamer would start off at Driver’s School, then run Regionals, qualify for a National License, then run Nationals and accumulate points until they reach the Runoffs™. It is a natural fit. The game could also simulate a Solo event. Later, we would bring out a version that takes Solo from local events through Divisionals and finally to the Solo National Championship. This also enhances our value with sponsors who want their name associated within the game. But more importantly, it teaches the pattern for young people how to compete within SCCA – a sure winner!

8. Publicity and Sponsorships require coordinated expertise. The SCCA has been inconsistent in how we seek, nurture and cultivate sponsor relationships. We need to have a full time staff position dedicated to this important function for club racing, solo and rally. In addition, a portion of the revenue generated from this effort needs to be allocated to the Regions so that the sponsorships are meaningful and enforced across the entire club.

BUILDING MEMBER EQUITY – OWNING THE PLAYGROUND

1. One of the most difficult jobs for the Executive Steward, the Regions and the Scheduling Representative is constructing a race schedule. The days are gone when SCCA commanded the premier dates on the schedule. While this is true in Great Lakes Division, it is not true in other Divisions where the SCCA has a controlling or vested interest in the tracks. And where we own the track, like Thunderhill in Northern California, we actually generate an income stream that is used to subsidize other events.

2. We have a Track Acquisition Committee within SCCA. Most of the members I contacted did not even know they were on the committee as it has not met in years. I have spoken to track owners in GLD and almost all of them have expressed a willingness to discuss investment with SCCA. SCCA’s President has endorsed this idea.

3. If elected, I will work to establish an SCCA owned/invested track within Great Lakes Division. The SCCA owned/invested track will include a Solo site and Rally trail.

4. And since we are talking Solo, as an interim plan, I will work with each track owner within Great Lakes Division (yes, I do know them all), to establish a Solo site within their property.

REDUCING MEMBER COSTS

1. The cost of membership is too high. It is an impediment to recruiting new members and retaining older members. Yes, many of the Regions offset these costs by awarding participation credits. But with the right blend of sponsorships, sales of branded goods, expansion of memberships, expansion of SCCA Enterprises, reducing our insurance costs by opening the contract for competitive bids, reduction in pro racing expenditures, and income from track operations, we will be able to stabilize our cash flow without burdening our members.

2. I would propose a dues reduction of 25% within three years and 50% over five years. This is enough time to launch our other programs and begin to see a return.

3. It is also too expensive for many of our members to attend the National Convention. This is especially true as we have many retirees living on a fixed income. I will work to develop sponsors that specifically support the National Convention with the goal of reducing these costs.

PERSONAL

Here is a short bio for your review:

• Married 34 years, two kids – one graduated from college; one in college.
• BS, Chemical Engineering
• President and CEO of a successful high tech business for over 25 years. My success comes from listening to my customer, then delivering what we promise, on time and under budget. I have learned that there is no substitute for planning and hard work, and that it takes a well trained team to accomplish any goal.
• Keynote Speaker on the subject of advanced robotics at several technical gatherings including the Naval Research Center’s Symposium on Space Robotics.
* Board of Trustees - Dayton Museum of Natural History
* Board of Trustees - Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
* Advisory Board - National Assciation of Industrial Technology (NAIT)
* Advisory Board - Cedarville University
* Advisory Board - BEST Robotics
* Advisory Board - Sinclair Community College
* Advisory Board - Robotics Industries Association (RIA)
• Chairman of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Concourse d’ Elegance for 10 years, an event which was the largest fund raiser for Dayton’s Children’s Museum and was supported by WOR-SCCA and over 100 volunteers.
• SCCA Member 23 years
• Regional Executive and Assistant Regional Executive of Western Ohio Region.
• Raced Sports2000 and Formula Continental for 7 years.
• Owned and prepped for an SCCA Pro team and an IMSA Pro team.
• Raced SCCA Solo for several years.
* Executive Steward, Central Division & Great Lakes Division, 2004-present
• Put together a great team of Divisional Administrators and Deputy Executive Stewards for Central Division and Great Lakes Division. Although I did not support splitting Central Division, I developed duplicate divisional administration so that when the split occurred, both Divisions were able to function efficiently.
• Have organized and planned (with the generous assistance of our Deputy Executive Stewards) 4 Spring Training Meetings and 2 Roundtables.
• Improved the Steward’s Program by:
I. Instituting organized full day training curriculum for Stewards in a revitalized Spring Training Meeting. We have not had a single Steward decision overturned by the COA since we invested in better training.
II. Authored many new training materials for the Stewards Program that have been used nationally.
III. Authored the Steward Strategic Plan for the National Stewards Program and presented it at the 2008 National Convention.
• Although provided a budget by Great Lakes Division, I have never used that budget or charged the Division for any of my expenses.

Thank you for reading this entire document. I will do my best to lead our club into the future, listen to your concerns, and improve your club experience.

Thank you in advance for your vote.

Steve Harris

Here are a couple of questions and answers you might find useful in making your decision. Please vote!

Question: Divisional Split

Answer: I was not a fan when it was done and I think it is proving to be a mistake. I understand the reasons for doing it but I would have liked for us to have found a better solution.

Question: Would you fight to put the two back together again?

Answer: If a majority of the membership wanted it, I would. We obviously need to find a better solution than what we have now but I am not sure the only solution is to unify. I am not sure it is the biggest issue SCCA has right now.

Question: What is the direction of road racing?

Answer: As for the direction of club racing, we need to take a hard look at both the classes and the event management. Competitors don’t seem to be banging down the door to run SCCA events and we need to find out why. Doing a survey at the end of an event would be a start and I think grading Steward and event chair performance would be a step in the right direction. A part of the problem is event management and the old boys club feel to some of the organization. Making competitors happy does not seem to be on the agenda of some of our stewards and it does not seem to be a part of the requirements for a successful race. The same can be said for the worker participation. Working to have fewer National races that actually have competition will improve the worker happiness and the driver enjoyment. History and tradition are great but they can not drive the club into the ground. For the first time in the history of the club we are facing competition and we need to make some changes to meet the competition. I also think part of the problem is the BOD thinking it runs Road Racing on not working on larger issues. I do believe we have to change but I don’t believe I have all the answers. The Comp Board needs to start focusing on the future of the club more and the BOD needs to allow them to do so.

Marcus Merideth

I feel I must respond to Marcus' comment above. Marcus is a good guy, but he is remarkably uninformed about the state of the SCCA, road racing and about Great Lakes Division.
* REGARDING THE SPLIT- hardly anybody was for this split. I certainly lobbied against it. Mike Engelke and Erik Skirmants along with the then BOD decided this was what was necessary at the time and they did it. So be it. I did my part to ensure both Divisions were properly staffed and trained so that the split went remarkabley smooth.
* REGARDING RE-CONSTITUTING CENDIV - No way. Our race schedules overlap too much and the physical impediments that split us still exist. Instead, I have advocated growing GLD by adding Tennessee and Western Pa. Both NEDIV and SEDIV have too many racetracks, too many races, and great distances in between. It would make a lot of sense, especially with the new Bluegrass Motorsports Park in Kentucky to add Tennessee to GLD. Adding the two Regions of Western Pa. would also add Beaver Run Raceway and make a nice collection of easy to access tracks -Beaver Run, Nelson Ledges and Mid-Ohio.
* REGARDING ROAD RACING - Sorry, Marcus, you get a big "zero" on this one. To blame our problems on unfriendly Stewards shows how little you know about what is going on at the track. When I became Executive Steward, I mandated Steward Training for a full 8 hours at our Spring Training. We focused on being GCR firm but user friendly. Certain Stewards that had the wrong attitude were released from the program. Others have been coached to improve their "can do" appraoch to ensuring our competitors get on track safely and in compliance with our rules. Today, GLD has the finest Stewards in SCCA. We have also improved our worker quality through the excellent work of our Division Administrators (which I recruited and appointed, by the way). Our GLD Volunteers are tops - well trained and motivated. Our own Rhonda Knapp won F&C Volunteer of the Year this year. The problems with GLD's Road Racing program are
1) The Economy - we have been hit harder than any other place in the USA. This affects Racers and Volunteers.
2)The Runoffs - many racers bypassed the Runoffs this year and vis a vis, our National races. Road America may change that next season.
3) NASA Runoffs at Mid-Ohio - if you were not going to Topeka, you could race locally and compete with the other guys. This will certainly change with NASA going to Utah for a few years.

We should see some recovery in 2009. And we will continue to improve our Volunteer Training to meet the safe, fun and fair provision of SCCA's mission.

As I have said before, if you just want someone to represent your interests on the BOD, any of the three candidates for Area 4 Director would be fine. If you want someone who understands the SCCA and knows what to change and how to change it, then I am your candidate. Thanks for your consideration.

Steve Harris

Mr. Meredith,
I read your post, and I’ve re-read it several times to make sure I understood your points. I need to take issue with a few of them.

First, there is no question that we need to take a hard look at race classes. That’s been a regular fixture of SCCA for as long as I can remember (that would date back to the late ‘70s) Classes have always been in flux as older cars fade, the search for the new, low-cost entry to the sport continues, and some classes evolve to high-buck competition. The search for the right balance of classes that will let a driver ‘run what he brung’ but provide a stable and affordable platform that participants can count on was a challenge 20 years ago, it still is today, and it will be 20 years from now.

Certainly we need to continue to pay attention to this important issue, but it’s not a new concern.

As to doing event surveys to solve attendance problems, here’s a starter list for why attendance is down.
1) Racing is expensive
2) Travel is expensive
3) Spare weekends are harder to come by
4) Events are sometimes inconsistent (we can agree on that)
5) Some of the classes are aging (cars and drivers) and replacements aren’t coming in at the same rate

Granted, these are the obvious problems. Fix these, then do a survey if you need to know the fine points. Better yet, walk around the paddock for a while and talk to competitors, and I think you’ll find yourself drawn back to these issues. On a related note, talk to the workers at these events, and you’ll get some additional insight on why worker attendance fluctuates, with a strong emphasis on items #2 & 3.

As a Steward, I’d be interested to hear the criteria on which my performance might be measured. My view of Stewardship on a race weekend is relatively simple:

1) Safe
2) Fair
3) Timely
4) Well communicated

The best road to achieving these items does not always get total agreement. As a Steward, whatever I have to do to achieve objective #1 will be done without consideration to appeasing my critics.

Almost all the jobs Stewards perform require considerable skill and involve activities that the majority of competitors never see. How will someone evaluate Steward performance when they have never seen Race Control or Medical or served as Safety Steward or settled a Request For Action? How many people completing an evaluation will have read the entire GCR? (as your stewards have)

As to your concern about the ‘Old Boys Club’, I’m mixed. I’m reaching the point where my resistance to the word ‘old’ may be faltering. However, after 16+ years as a competitor, 26+ years as a worker, and 4 years as a Steward, I’m a bit puzzled where and when the ‘Old Boy Club’ notion kicked in. Do I feel a kinship with workers and competitors? If that’s what you mean, then yes, the SCCA is a club that has some old boys in it.

On the other hand, if you mean that Stewards live in their own world with an intent to exclude others, I’ll take strong issue. The Stewards I know are dedicated, focused, and driven to make any given weekend a rousing success – for the competitors. While that means many hours of activities that are by necessity removed from face-to-face contact, I know of no Steward who has an ‘Us vs. Them’ view.

To imply that Stewards don’t have competitor satisfaction in mind is a disservice to say the least. Are we going to let an unsafe car on the track because it will keep a competitor happy? No. Will we let a participant bash his way around the track? No. But Stewards don’t sign up for a weekend for any reason other than making a safe, fair, and timely event within the GCR – for the competitors.

On the matter of other sanctioning bodies: Unless your view of history is very limited, this is not the first time SCCA has competed for entrants. There are reasons that people go to other sanctioning bodies. Some are good reasons, others we need to fix. NASA, Midwest Council, and others aren’t even close to new. Some things they do well, some they don’t. Same for us. We need to do what we can to make ourselves better. That may mean looking at what has kept these other sanctioning bodies around for the past few decades. I guarantee that they’re looking to us to see what we do right. They do, after all, use our GCR – as they have for a very long time.

Mr. Meredith, we’ve never met. That I’ve been a Steward for 4 years and a competitor for many more years makes me wonder why not? Clearly you have opinions on the state of road racing, but if we haven’t met and I’ve been at the road races, I wonder on what you’re basing your opinions?

If you are elected Director of Area 4, I trust that you’ll develop a well-informed view of the challenges SCCA faces in road racing. I think however, that your current view of the problems and prospective solutions could use some enhancement.

Dorn Lynch

First off gentlemen, I don't think Stewards are out to make the events unsafe or unfun but I firmly believe we can be more customer focused on many levels from Steward to worker to member. If you think SCCA does a great job on customer service then you should be a new person coming out to an event to work or compete and try to find help. At some events it is easy and you are welcomed with open arms on other occasions I think you will find the rececption you recieve less than hospitable. We should work on that.
Yes the ecomony is an issue yet this last weekend a road racing schedule was approved with limited changes from last year hoping that the economy will get better. I would expect the majority of these events to lose money next year. The schedule is National race heavy with only one Double National. Not the best approach in my opinion.
Attitude can be judged by anybody.
Dorn,
I am happy to learn, I don't know everything about anything. I have not road raced since the mid 90's and only done limited corner working but I do have numerous friends who still do both. I am not ashamed to learn.

Marcus Merideth