FV...The most popular open wheel class in SCCA!!

[AJP]

How's that for a glowing selling point for FV? Can we make that subject line a sticky for all potential FV drivers to see?

2009 Regional Car Counts from the SCCA website show FV as the most popular open wheel class.
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club_Even ... er-AUG.pdf

2009 National Participation Totals also show FV as the most popular open wheel class. (and 3rd overall out of 29!)
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club_Even ... _FINAL.pdf

If you look at the numbers, FV isn't doing so bad is it? Maybe the totals are down but they are still the best.
How can we work on getting some of those SM or IT drivers into a FV? They are at the track already, are used to spending a little money on racing, and apart from the IT classes, it seems like people will gravitate to a class with highly regulated rules. This gives the hope that they can be competitive. The only thing I see suffering is open wheel racing in general and that may be because people don't like getting wet!

Before the age of instant information, the class thrived because it made sense. It still makes sense, and is still doing well, but the instantly available details have diluted the fact that the formula still works.
Yes, we need to address the issues but all classes have issues. It's not the end of the class. The formula for FV still gives more bang for the buck than anything. We all know that and that's why we do it. Let's spread the word...keep it positive, focus on one thing at a time and move forward.

This post is my "positive" contribution.

I encourage others to follow in this thread with some great racing stories, why/how you got started etc. It's going to be a long "off season" so I expect to see many great stories.

-Andy Pastore

I'll go back to being a cranky New Englander now.

[jpetillo]

Andy - Wonderful!

There is no better way to turn folks on than to show a positive attitude towards what you have - and that's even better when what you have is worth raving about. The opposite is true as well - so let's not go there. I took the job I have now - still there after 23 years - because of the group of people I met during an interview with a positive can-do/will-do attitude. We still have that!

I'm glad to see in the last 24 hours a turn in this direction on the forum with folks saying that they like/love the class for what it is. We need to keep it up.

So, as Andy and Chris and Brian and Ed and fvkartguy and... suggest, let's be proud of what we have, look towards what has worked for guidance, and try to let the class evolve in this spirit. This isn't necessarily easy, but we should strive for it.

Perhaps a sticker we put on our cars like "The most popular open wheel class in SCCA!!" or "FV: Try it you'll like it!" or a series of saying for people to have on their FV would help.

John

[njg005]

How about Pre-registered runoffs entries. Second most entries overall, 2 less than SRF, and 5 more than SM. I think we should all be proud of our class participation at the runoffs. I know I am.

[Steven McWilliams JR]

I started racing this year, racing open wheel like my dad who races in FC. I spent all my money I made in 3 years of work on this car( after it blew an engine, had clutch problems so we took the engine out my first 2 races, and put it back in in time for my next session, and a bunch of other difficulties) Then I crashed it Labor Day. I bought another FV in order to make the FV 40th at Summit Point. and We'll be fixing this one up over the winter in time for my dad to try it out.

I have convinced most of my IT friends to try driving my car during a test day. One of them won't b/c his wife won't allow him to drive in open cockpits, and another friend is just too big. So I got a kid my age, and another younger guy to try it out. They definately will not switch over, but driving something that is created to go FAST is an experience I want them to have. I'm friend with a bunch of IT guys, and I think that people are just spooked by an open cockpit and/or open wheels. I'm pretty proud that I got my friends to try it, and hopefully they'll race it a couple of times.

I'm also proud to be a member of the WDCR, who regularly gets 16 FVs every race, and we had 26 FVs in attendance for the 40th! which was a blast.
I hope to see FV continue being the top open wheel class, and one of the top classes in SCCA, and hopefully over time we can merge FST and FV back together for even better car counts

It's gonna be a long winter, but at least I have a project,
Steven