SoCal Tour and Pro

[Steve Ekstrand]

My dream schedule:

April 1-3 SDTour
April 8-10 Western States Championships El Toro
April 15-17 El Toro Pro

[Greg Peng]

Wouldn't it be better to have some time between major events to fix car setup or broken parts? Just saying.

[Michael Wood]

OK, I guess my topic could be seen as kind of provocative...who woulda thunk I'd come up with something that would cause discussion ;)

Like I said, I LOVE the SD Tour...not the falling apart surface (although I've done ok there the last few years), but the people, the hill, the weather, the town...the whole deal is very cool. Chris, cowboy up on a couple of extra miles, fercryinoutloud.

It is good to know that El Toro could be, potentially, the site for two National type events a year. Heck, if they do it at Blytheville (which, believe it or not, I've been to), why can't we do it out here?

As has been said, Lemoore is a ways down the road as a potential site for a big event...but, I'm liking the idea of trying to get a second big event, with SFR hosting, for El Toro. I also like the idea of running big, Nationals type course there, instead of the Pro format (which is all I've done at El Toro). How about trying to get an "after Nationals event", like they're running in B-ville in a couple of weeks?

[Chris Autox]

I will admit that I have become some what of an Auto X snob over the years. Hell I won't even go to my own divisional any more because we hold it at Golden Gate Fields. We call it gravel gate locally. That is also why I don't like SD any more. The site has gone down hill (no punn intended) fast over the past several years. I would rather go to El Toro where we can have more than the typical San Diego Zig Zag up the hill, cut across to the back corner 180, slallom, zig zag finish course they have done for the last 20 years down there.

As far as the time to the events. It does take 5 hours total because of the Fu****g traffic north bound after the event on Sunday. Then we do it agian thru LA. Fun. No, I would rather just go thru LA traffic and be done with it thank you very much.

-Chris-

[Pilar Miranda]

Gee Mike, you sure sound excited about this idea of having SFR run an event at El Toro...sounds like you are volunteering to head the efforts to see if we can do it and you will be the chair! Go for it dude!

Pilar Miranda
~event chair of way too many divisionals, tours and pro's in both SFR and Cal Club (many years ago)
(if we ever get Atwater back, you WILL see Chris and I chairing that event!)

[Bill Martin]

Chris/Mike, If all that's stopping you is a site, what about Lemoore? They ran there just last week. And I remember doing a Pro Solo there a few years ago.

Whoa! I just noticed this thread ran amok. Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting there's *any* problem...

Sorry...was referring to NorCal Mike, Mr Wood, regarding add'l national events. Not messin' with ours.

As has been said, Lemoore is a ways down the road as a potential site for a big event...

Not sure what you mean Mike...are you saying the site isn't up to it? I thought the Lemoore ProSolo a few years back worked out okay, but I confess I don't remember much detail.

[Craig Naylor]

As far as the time to the events. It does take 5 hours total because of the Fu****g traffic north bound after the event on Sunday. Then we do it agian thru LA. Fun. No, I would rather just go thru LA traffic and be done with it thank you very much.

-Chris-

Well there's your problem, your driving up the 5 on a Sunday night. Distance is about 15-20 miles farther, but potentially 2 hrs quicker. Heck, you ought to use this route south bound too. I'm 45 miles north of El Toro, it's typically 1.5 hrs home from El Toro in the evening. But I'm 140 miles north (via route below) of the Q and typically 2.25 hrs home from there.

SB: I5 - 210S - 210W - 57S - 71S - 91E - 15S
NB 15N - 91W - 71N - 57N- 210W - 210N - 5N

[Jayson Woodruff]

Not so much for a tax accountant.

Jay W

My dream schedule:

April 1-3 SDTour
April 8-10 Western States Championships El Toro
April 15-17 El Toro Pro

[Aaron Goldsmith]

How about trying to get an "after Nationals event", like they're running in B-ville in a couple of weeks?

Feel free to come down for a local event. Arizona folks came to all of our ET local events this summer. It's about the same drive, i'm from San Jose, i've done both drives a ton of times. After Nats we tend to go back to California speedway. From past years, i'd guess our next ET event will be sometime in March.

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

My dream schedule:

April 1-3 SDTour
April 8-10 Western States Championships El Toro
April 15-17 El Toro Pro

It might be a dream for someone local... However, convince out-of-towners to potentially take off Fridays and Mondays for three weeks, and pay for back-to-back-to-back flights/drives. I doubt you would have good attendance at all three.

[Keith Brown]

If that were the schedule, I doubt anyone from up here would do San Diego. Too much extra cost.

Personally I like Wendover, equally inconvenient for everyone.

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

Personally I like Wendover, equally inconvenient for everyone.

And you have seen how "successful" that is with back-to-back weekends. It seems as though no one wants to make two trips to nowhere. Don't even let me start on Backwood. }:)

[Mike Simanyi]

It seems as though no one wants to make two trips to nowhere. Don't even let me start on Backwood. }:)

Hey Jason! What do you think about Backwood? }:)

[Steve Ekstrand]

Backwood has a slight edge over Blightville.

[Keith Brown]

We have the last NT and ProSolo of the year, If folks don't need the points, they don't come.

Hanging in Backwood is great, unless you live on fast food. }:)

[Randy Chase]

I really like going to Packwood and am happy to make the trip there.

[Michael Wood]

Gee Mike, you sure sound excited about this idea of having SFR run an event at El Toro...sounds like you are volunteering to head the efforts to see if we can do it and you will be the chair! Go for it dude!

Pilar Miranda
~event chair of way too many divisionals, tours and pro's in both SFR and Cal Club (many years ago)
(if we ever get Atwater back, you WILL see Chris and I chairing that event!)

Pilar, you know I'm a high concept, thought leader type of guy...I delegate the actual work.

JK, if others in our region really wanted to pursue this idea, I'd pitch in, of course.

btw, for the record, I also like Backwood, Randy. Prettiest place I've ever autocrossed and a great region.

Bill, Lemoore is in the courting phase...no marriage, yet, from what our Fresno folks say. I guess they've been happy with the results, so far, but it would be premature to suggest that they would be willing to allow a National type event.

[George Doganis]

I feel old and so should Chris... Lemoore was the first big, grippy site I ever went to back in 1990-91? It was like arriving at the gates of heaven after having only run at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds prior to that. That event was open to all the base people and we had a great time hanging out with them. I would love to run again there. I wonder if Mike F. still owns my old RX3...

George

[Randy Chase]

I didn't run Lemoore until (I think) 1996 at a Pro there. Wonderful site. A small pain getting on due to the restrictions, but a great surface to run on.

[Bill Schenker]

I didn't run Lemoore until (I think) 1996 at a Pro there. Wonderful site. A small pain getting on due to the restrictions, but a great surface to run on.

Man! You and George D. are old!

[Sebastian Rios]

I wonder if we used the same area that you guys did "back in the day". The area we used didn't seem big enough for a national level event.

[Leonard Cachola]

I would rather go to El Toro where we can have more than the typical San Diego Zig Zag up the hill, cut across to the back corner 180, slallom, zig zag finish course they have done for the last 20 years down there.

-Chris-

So how do you really feel about those SD courses, Chris?

[Randy Chase]

I wonder if we used the same area that you guys did "back in the day". The area we used didn't seem big enough for a national level event.

This is a pic from Lemoore...

[Chris Autox]

I would rather go to El Toro where we can have more than the typical San Diego Zig Zag up the hill, cut across to the back corner 180, slallom, zig zag finish course they have done for the last 20 years down there.

-Chris-

So how do you really feel about those SD courses, Chris?

Kind of board with the same thing. It's just the shape of the lot that causes the "didn't we do this last year" kind of course. Not any ones fault other than possibly a lack of imagination.

[Robert Puertas]

When was the Pro at Crow's Landing?
'91 or '92?

I have fond memories of running Steve Holmes' (now Tom Ellam's) RX3 there against Chris and his RX3...