[The Commissioner]

I voted no, I think it's a poor weekend, since that is the hottest time of the year, one of the busiest driving holidays, gas prices "Seem" to be higher. VIR was insanity in that heat, and every one I've attended, whether it was Road America in 97, which was during a major heatwave, pushing 100 air temp, or Lime Rock, 90's, it's always the same. Nashville was hot on Memorial Day, and it also rained, but I've been rained out more on July 4th, losing $$$$$ for lost track time. I would never travel to the Left Coast for a SAAC convention, driving all that way for little track time, over crowded run groups (More cars = More $$$$), and all that heat. I can't imagine what Miller will be like, well, actually I can. I have a very hard time listening at the convention banquet about how hard it is, how expensive, blah blah blah it is to get a track once a year. SAAC is making a killing on these weekends. The most expensive track to rent that I know is the one across the street from us, $15k a day. But do the math, if only 50 cars total showed up it would be $300 per car per day. I saw maybe 150 total on track at VIR? $15k would then be $100 per car. They got $200 if people ran both sessions per day. Our business, in conjunction with a Cobra club rented Sebring for 2 full days, not out to make a profit, just to pay expenses. Think it was something like $330 for 2 full days, and that was 4 run groups of at most 20 cars on the track at a time. By day 2, there were just a handful of cars as everyone had had their of more track time than they could handle. That's the mark of a successful event, peole leaving "full up", not leaving pissed off because there were 65 cars on a 2.5 mile track. If anyone is interested, the Deep South Cobra club has Sebring rented in the Fall, $330 for 2 full days of track time.
As for the other parts of the SAAC convention, the car shows, banquest, etc are fine, doesn't matter what the weather is for those, but the people on the track are the ones footing the bill and need to be getting their money's worth. I have stopped the track stuff, as I feel I'm being short changed. My 2 cents, for what it's worth.