Sean:
Forget all that............
If you had an actual major series sponsor.........which no one does at the moment, and we haven't had since HFC left the scene prior to 1990,.... you make the rules....... The sport has flapped around like a fish in the bottom of a skiff for 20 years with efforts to let the racers make the rules. It's about time we faced the sad fact that it doesn't work...and never did. The only successful changes in that time (Factory 1-2 and the Supercat class) came from seasoned veterans and officials...it was only later that the "Class reps" screwed them up as well.
So...I suggest:
First sign a real contract for 3 years with a sponsor......... (Hardest part)
Until you accomplish this, don't do a damn thing except improve your marketing presentation and get the cash!
Then:
1. Give every racer 12 month's advance notice of race schedule, location and rules.
2. Talk to the various organizations SBI, OPA, OSS, LSMFT, TGIF, LAMF, etc and choose the one that offers the easiest coordination so you have officials, and safety personnel. Do not let them "lead the band".
3. Pay prizes to two featured National classes. (See earlier post)...and NO MORE.
4. Give trophies to one entry level class (see earlier post)
5. Televise (with the sponsor's money) the two National classes (66% of coverage to Main class 1, 33% to Class 2).
6. Ignore all of the whining and threats to "take my boat and go home". (Something that has never been done in the U.S. and is done constantly in Europe)
7. Have a H*ll of a race event year one.......
8. Repeat annually
Believe me, real racers will flock to this.
As for the rest....That's what Poker Runs are for.
