Novice School

[MikeM3Allen]

[GottaMiata]

Sounds great! Where do I sign up.
I could use a refresher (or so my times tell me).

[red84vette]

I like the concept, you will need volunteers to lead and assist, gophers, a good facility with a conference room available nearby.  Add rooms meals, and it sounds like a hotel for overnighters.
We could also hold Course Design Workshop, and even a mini-trade show hosted by local businesses that are interested in the market opportunities (Novices may need "go fast" parts).  
Could be a way to get the SASCA name out there. I am available most weekends when we start discussions.

[timpryor]

where do i sign up i really wanna get involved but have no true auto-x experience and im sure with my fairly stock setup i will get romped on but i'd like to give it a go.

[racer99]

I would be glad to help in any way possible.

[kdwhite]

As a beginner, and new member ater tonight's meeting!, I love the idea of a Novice school.  I crave all the seat time I can get!
KD[:-jump]

[Ed Harloe]

Putting on a Novice School event has been on high up on SASCA's
agenda for over a year now.  There seems to be no sortage of folks
that would pitch in to make it happen.  Its been too long since our
last Novice School. (It was at Windsor Park Mall)

The main reason we haven't had one is the location problem.  Our
current autox venue (Verizon) is great. But... We CAN NOT get a
reserved date ahead of time at this venue.  4 to 6 weeks notice is
typically the best we have been able to manage.  Announcements made
with more lead time than that were basicaly "wiseful thinking" that
panned out.

I'm thinking that maybe we need to accept this risk and go ahead and
plan a Novice event at Verizon.  We risk having to cancel with a few
weeks notice.

The "low cost" lots we used in the past for these events are no
longer available to us.   So we need to bring in at least $1200
at a Novice school to keep from losing too much money on the
event.  Thats $40 per driver for 30 drivers.  To get
30 to show up and pay, you need about 40 to pre-register.  
(Live and learn)

So I think it boils down to 2 main options:

1)  See if we can get 35-40 drivers interested at $40 each.

2)  Find a "lesser parking lot" we can rent cheap for the school.

or... I guess

3)  Subsidize the event. (That is, lose (invest?) money.)

Comments?  Ideas?  Leads on parking lots?
 

[crazee240sx]

quote:

Leads on parking lots?   Originally posted by Ed Harloe - Dec 07 2005 :  12:02:32 PM

Somehow them darn drifters got a hold of an SBC lot. You can try there again.

[Ed Harloe]

Yeah. I found about the drift event the day after it took place.  Checking up on this is number 1 on my SASCA do list.  This could be good news for us.  I suspect it might be better suited as a alternative autox venue than for a Novice school, but that all depends on the price.  

But just the fact that the SBC center rented out the lot is encouraging. If my info is correct, it was lot 7, which is HUGE.

You didn't go drift the V8 240sx did you?

[JohnB]

I checked teh dorifto event out.  eedless to say my car would fit right in with that bunch of junk yard 240SX's .

The lot was small, with tons of light poles.  They needed to charge $100 per driver and $5 per spectator - so I imagine they paid a lot for the worst lot in the place - way in the back.  Folks were parking in the big lot and drifting in the small lot.

[emotionr]

Just curious if this ever went through and being held. If so, where?

[Laura]

SASCA has held novice schools in the past but I don't know if this particular discussion resulted in an event.  It has been discussed at recent meetings but no formal plans for another novice school exist right now.  Issues to be overcome or dealt with include finding a lot, covering expenses, recruiting instructors and of course recruiting participants.

[emotionr]

First off,
Are we looking at having classes throughout weekdays or just weekends?
What is the frequency?

This may help me get some leads and since parking lot or location to be the issue at the moment.
There are other options that I can try seeing if desired.

Northside stadium, the Dub Farris Athletics complex.
Its land purchasing a option or has been considered in the past?

Let me know a bit more so I may possibly be able to help

[Laura]

emotionr- thanks for the offer of help.  as you can see, this is a pretty old thread.  SASCA has acquired a new regular site since this thread was last active and we are planning a novice school at that site.  it will likely be held on a saturday in april.  keep an eye on the events section of this forum for more info as it becomes available. 

to answer some of your other questions... novice schools have traditionally been single-day events.  if memory serves, they have been held on both saturdays and sundays over the years but never on weekdays.  the frequency depends on demand and logistical considerations like the ones i mentioned in my previous post.  if logistics were easy, i'd estimate we might host schools once or twice a year but logistics are rarely easy.  our club has been in contact with the owners of most of the suitable lots around town.  we encourage members to submit ideas and contacts to the BOD but please let the BOD approach lot owners with a formal proposal to maximize the chance for success.  every few years somebody starts talking about buying land and building a suitable lot but nobody has managed to make the numbers work yet.  certainly no local club has the funds to make such a purchase.  if you'd like to build us a dedicated lot, we'd love to run on it though.