CORSA 2012: NECC: Next Year

[O'Neill, Brian M CTR US USA]

To suggest that somehow NECC just gave up on the car show does not tell
the whole story. Yes, once upon a time the judged show was serious
enough to earn credit toward CORSA Senior Division status. However, that
procedure no longer exists. Years back, we wanted to have a
min-convention with a CORSA sanctioned concours. Bob, if you remember,
we were required to fund travel and lodgng the CORSA Concours Chair and
required to use CORSA judging procedures.  Unless, my memory fails me,
you were in agreement that we should not do that.  In fact, as I
remember, you then wrote the judges' instructions still in the NECC
procedures manual.

In addition to what we then considered unbearable financial and
procedural; support for the car show waned.  It became harder and harder
to get works to work as judges.  Finding a location as the Interlake
continually raised their rates. Became almost impossible.
To say that the loss of the car show has been 'self-defeating' is
overstating a complex issue.

Although I do not agree with you and terry that we need a name change
nor do I believe that we should give up on the Olympics which have been
very well attended and profitable; your idea has merit.  Unbelievable as
it may be; I have been day dreaming about a long weekend event in the
off cycle years between Bay State's Clark's show. My plan was for an
autocross, low key rally and a car show. The event would be focused on
fun and friendship.  To quote a friend of mine---" Make everything else
"just for fun.  Not everything has to be a serious contest -- our slow
drag races proved that."A New England location would probably be the
most suitable but could move among the northern states.

So, my vision for the path forward is a minimum of one track event in
2013 with the hope of a south eastern Olympics and the long weekend
event in 2014.


-----Original Message-----
From: conv-2012-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:conv-2012-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Vairtec Corporation
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 3:09 PM
To: Terry&Alexis Stafford
Cc: neccexec at corvair.org; conv-2012 at corvair.org
Subject: Re: CORSA 2012: NECC: Next Year

Terry provides interesting food for thought.

I like the nomenclature, "Corvair Triathlon" but I would suggest that 
along with a new name there is a need for a new mindset. Just as we were

trying to re-invent the convention this year, we should consider 
re-inventing the signature NECC event.

For a long time the NECC did the track event at Lime Rock in conjunction

with a judged car show that in some years was serious enough to earn 
entrants credit toward CORSA Senior Division status.  In later years the

car show became less formal.  In recent years the car show at NECC 
events virtually disappeared.

There is a great deal that can be said about the age of the cars and the

age of their owners and the diminishing Corvair participation in track 
events.  But the loss of emphasis on the car show and then the loss of 
the car show itself has been self defeating for the NECC.

I would suggest that an annual "Corvair Triathlon" should consist of:

(1) a track event.  Whether it is a high-speed event such as the NECC 
has done for so many years or a reasonably fast autocross such as the 
convention autocross at Stafford Speedway, track events are the 
foundation of the NECC.  However, while some of us may not want to admit

it, an event like the Stafford Speedway autocross is far more accessible

to far more Corvair owners, and therefore far more likely to succeed.

(2) a road rally or driving tour.  The road rally at conventions is 
typically the best-attended moving event, and today more and more 
Corvair owners are participating in AACA driving tours. Maybe we should 
take the hint.

(3) a car show.  Car shows are a big part of why people own Corvairs 
today.  The cars are no longer daily drivers, they are hobby cars, and 
hobby car owners like to go to well-organized, well-run car shows.

If we were to situate such an event in New England, I would suggest that

it become an every-other-year thing, alternating with Bay State's "Fall 
Classic at Clark's."  This would prevent each event from "cannibalizing"

the other and would in fact allow them to support one another.  This, of

course, means that we would be planning for 2014, not next year.  (This 
does not mean that the NECC cannot do something in 2013, it just means 
that it ought not be in New England in 2013.)

As an aside, I have not heard about the road course plans that Terry 
mentions at Thompson Speedway, but I will take it upon myself to ask the

track owner about this.

--Bob


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