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MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:26 am
by Red_Bullet
I have inherited the position of MX-5 Club of QLD competition secretary for 2020!

In the early stages of formulating what nest years offerings will look like, but I can reveal that we are going to continue our affiliation with BMW club QLD to provide access to Sprint events at Lakeside, QLD Raceway and Morgan Park throughout 2020.

I'm looking into strategies and ideas to broaden the club's appeal to a wider audience.

The club is looking at a number of activities which include but are not limited to Sprints, regularity, karting, skidpan, motorkhana and hill climb.

So please subscribe to the mailing list and we will be able to keep you updated. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

http://eepurl.com/bihGIr

Regards
Keith Wade
MX-5 Club of QLD competition Secretary 2020.
E: compsecmx5qld@gmail.com

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 11:40 am
by Red_Bullet
Red_Bullet wrote:I have inherited the position of MX-5 Club of QLD competition secretary for 2020!

In the early stages of formulating what next years offerings will look like, but I can reveal that we are going to continue our affiliation with BMW club QLD to provide access to Sprint events at Lakeside, QLD Raceway and Morgan Park throughout 2020.

I'm looking into strategies and ideas to broaden the club's appeal to a wider audience.

The club is looking at a number of activities which include but are not limited to Sprints, regularity, karting, skidpan, motorkhana and hill climb.

So please subscribe to the mailing list and we will be able to keep you updated. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

http://eepurl.com/bihGIr

Regards
Keith Wade
MX-5 Club of QLD competition Secretary 2020.
E: compsecmx5qld@gmail.com

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:19 pm
by Magpie
Red_Bullet wrote:I'm looking into strategies and ideas to broaden the club's appeal to a wider audience.
I left the club when my fees were due to be renewed this and nobody even asked why.

What audience are you trying to appeal to? Most of the people I talk to at the track (sprint days, general practice) do not want to do regularity events. That being said door to door racers do not see the appeal of sprints so horses for courses.

Further, week days only appeal to the people who do not work, take leave/sick days or have flexible working arrangements. Why not take a grid up on sprint days at QR like the 86 club does. Less exposure to high costs and it can be capped at the number of entries.

A few years ago, Adam's last year from memory the numbers participating in club/non club motorsport events increased, however the next year the whole format was changed and geared towards regularity. Interested to see how many people 'dropped out', I know I did.

Most of this has been discussed before and I doubt that things will change. If younger members are not introduced it will get even more of a reputation for being self serving, exclusive and irrelevant. I'm also speaking of the club drive days as well...

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:58 pm
by SKYHI
Good luck with it all Keith.

I'm pretty sure I'm already on the mailing list, and keep an eye out for events that might interest me, or that I'm able to attend (weekends). That being said, I'm not currently a member, because I honestly just couldn't justify the cost.

I enjoy my motorsport, and it's the main reason I own an MX5, but the club just hasn't offered events that make it worth me being a member. These days I'm into Sprints and Time Attack type events, after competing in door to door racing for a number of years. I'd like to attend these sorts of events with other MX5 owners, but owners seem to be quite fractured across an number of different series and events.

Getting a grid together and buying a slot in the existing QR Sprint Series has worked well for the 86 club as Mark said, and I think there would be merit into looking into something like this, even if it''s in conjunction with the BMW club initially.

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:03 am
by Red_Bullet
Thanks guys, comments noted and appreciated.

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:07 am
by Red_Bullet
Red_Bullet wrote:I have inherited the position of MX-5 Club of QLD competition secretary for 2020!

In the early stages of formulating what nest years offerings will look like, but I can reveal that we are going to continue our affiliation with BMW Club QLD to provide access to Sprint events at Lakeside, QLD Raceway and Morgan Park throughout 2020.

I'm looking into strategies and ideas to broaden the club's appeal to a wider audience.

The club is looking at a number of activities which include but are not limited to Sprints, regularity, karting, skidpan, motorkhana and hill climb.

So please subscribe to the mailing list and we will be able to keep you updated. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

http://eepurl.com/bihGIr

Regards
Keith Wade
MX-5 Club of QLD competition Secretary 2020.
E: compsecmx5qld@gmail.com

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:10 am
by Red_Bullet
Whoops, funny bulletin board this, whenever I edit it presents as if I quoted something. I only fixed a spelling error, content remains the same. Once upon a time after a time expired edits were not possible.

I do agree that for many the fact that events are held on workdays is very limiting to increased participation. It has not escaped my attention that combined with the 86 club that we could look into buying track time during weekend QR events. I thank you both for your input.

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:03 am
by The American
Consider the model that the Sunshine Coast Motorsport Club is following. They run 10+ events per year and frequently field participation together in events that are put on by others (and their events are open to non-club members).

The core of their program is sprints at the the Lakeside DTC on weekends, which is a far better location for people to be introduced to 'the track' than Lakeside itself (there is almost always a tilt-tray with a destroyed car on it there).

I do think a 'speed' based competition will be more attractive to more people than regularity, but if you have timing gear you can run both.

Another angle that appeals to me is education - if you have people who are willing to instruct and teach, that is a powerful draw card.

The other observation is that all of the above takes a team of very committed people to make happen.

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:38 am
by project.r.racing
The autocrosses at the Lakeside Park DTC are great events. A cheap way to get in a few events are a much cheaper option than the track. I see at least one mx5 per event.

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 11:13 pm
by Red_Bullet
I agree that regularity was not popular and after the first year trial Brian pretty much dropped it, just running a very low key "5 perfect laps" side competition inside the spring events to add a bit of interest. I do understand that weekday sprint events are problematic for many who are not in a position to take time off to go play cars.

Intention currently is to continue providing sprint events in our affiliation with the BMW club as has been the case for the previous two years. It's simply an economic impossibility to run these events for either club alone.

I do think that Autocross events at Lakeside DTC circuit are heaps of fun and present an opportunity for people to gain access to enjoying their cars in a competitive and safe environment. I know that the Lotus club of QLD and the Sunshine coast motorsport club run these. I've attended a few of these over the years myself and always had a blast.

MX-5 club ran a skidpan event this year with Skid Control at Mt Cotton Driver training centre, this was popular with people in the club not usually active in "motorsport" activities. I'm hoping to run more of these skidpan days in the coming year.

Also hoping to run more than the one karting day this year, likely with trophies being presented for the podium.

Autocross, skidpan and karting are forms of driver training which can only be a positive, as I'm aware of new club members crashing cars both on track and on social runs. It'd be nice for these to not have occurred.

Now, Happy Laps. Yeah I know it's not motorsport. But I've got an idea that maybe the club could provide a few empty passenger seats in cars to take disabled people out on track as a passenger. We would need drivers who have experience on the track, maybe having done a minimum of 8 sprint days and NOT binned the car. Safety would be paramount if this was to go ahead. It would also show the club in a good community spirit light, giving back to the community in some way.

Anyway, into the new year I'll be presenting ideas to the committee and would really appreciate positive contributions and suggestions on what people want from the club in regards to motorsport activities. Give me your ideas please!

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 12:02 am
by Magpie
Red_Bullet wrote:Now, Happy Laps. Yeah I know it's not motorsport. But I've got an idea that maybe the club could provide a few empty passenger seats in cars to take disabled people out on track as a passenger. We would need drivers who have experience on the track, maybe having done a minimum of 8 sprint days and NOT binned the car. Safety would be paramount if this was to go ahead. It would also show the club in a good community spirit light, giving back to the community in some way.!

Would be happy to help out if you do this as we have a special needs child who loves going out in the car. Ipswich Special School normally does a visit to QR each year to see the V8’s, they may be interested in coming to a track day for some passenger laps.

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 10:17 pm
by Red_Bullet
Magpie wrote:
Red_Bullet wrote:Now, Happy Laps. Yeah I know it's not motorsport. But I've got an idea that maybe the club could provide a few empty passenger seats in cars to take disabled people out on track as a passenger. We would need drivers who have experience on the track, maybe having done a minimum of 8 sprint days and NOT binned the car. Safety would be paramount if this was to go ahead. It would also show the club in a good community spirit light, giving back to the community in some way.!

Would be happy to help out if you do this as we have a special needs child who loves going out in the car. Ipswich Special School normally does a visit to QR each year to see the V8’s, they may be interested in coming to a track day for some passenger laps.


Thanks Magpie. Noted :D

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:00 am
by Red_Bullet
Due to the level of dis-interest from leading members of the MX-5 club of QLD committee in the role of that motorsport can offer within the club, I have decided to not continue in this role. I have identified quite early on that it's a futile task to be compsec where most of the members and the committee themselves have zero interest and are unable to even provide any feedback whatsoever to new ideas and strategies. I set up a new FB page with the aim of expanding the club's reach, spending many hours in the process. I invited leading members of the committee to view the page and to provide feedback. You know what happened? Zero, nothing Zip. I sorted out the club's mailing lists and again nothing, no feedback except from 1 committee member. Futile. The FB page has been taken down BTW, no point continuing with it.

So rather than try to push sh*t up hill with a sharp stick, I have decided to leave them with it. Glad I figured this out early on before I invested anymore of my time. :frown: :? :D

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:45 pm
by greenltd
Sad. Dissapointing. But probably you are correct that no use pushing the issue.

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Re: MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 7:47 pm
by Magpie
Red_Bullet wrote:Due to the level of dis-interest from leading members of the MX-5 club of QLD committee.
Sad but unexpected, the interest in motorsport has been in sharp decline for ages. It is bias towards old people who have retired and has no desire to attract younger members. This is one of the reasons I left.

On leaving nobody even bothered to ask why I decided to leave...