I don't really see any big reasons for complaints about the second race - everybody there should have been able to get quite a few free runs in (I had some 10-15 I think!), plus the three dial-in runs and at least one head-to-head ... and everybody got their slips ... and apart from slight chaos with registration, I think everything did work out ... the only thing missing were the people who had wanted to bring a grill ... something I had been asking, almost begging, for ever since a date for another run had been set ...
Anyway, with the two runs we've had, we have several points that will have to be addressed in future runs, and I'm certain they will be ... and still, I expect things to go wrong and changes to be made from event to event ...
About the question of FBE either going to or promoting - anybody can come to OSL racing - be it a single person or a club. Anyway, OSL will have to rely greatly on clubs promoting it - sure there will be attempts to reach out beyond car clubs, by talking to magazines and stuff, but the broadest way of getting word out to people will be through the clubs. This does not mean the clubs - FBE or others - will be required to actually
do any work, but help will probably always be welcome. In which way there will be compensation is no doubt one of the topics OSL will have to decide on. I could imagine things like waived or reduced entry fees or other "goodies".
< personal opinion, kind'a long ... also, there may be an inconsistency or two in the train of thought - I revised parts of it a time or two ... >
Frankly, I must say I'm slightly disappointed by some of the posts or the direction they are going ... being half US/half German growing up in Germany, and more or less being around Americans for the last nearly 34 years, I can say I know at least two cultures pretty well - german, and US army ("regular" US life only from too short visits to my relatives ... though it didn't seem to differ too much from the US army style ...
). I don't mean to step on any german reader's toes here, but my personal opinion about most (not all, but somewhere well beyond 90%) german people I have met is that they are extremely self-centered. Helping out a neighbor usually ends if that neighbor is more than a house or two away (and only if you know that neighbor real good, otherwise he's lost already!), and most pledges of caring and helping are little more than words (which I have again learned the recent years with the passing away of my parents). Even "family" doesn't mean too much to many - greed and envy seem stronger than blood. I have been received more lovingly and felt more welcomed when I visited with my relatives in the States the first time some years back than I have felt with the relatives from my german side of the family. OK, I might have mostly @ssholes for relatives, your milage may vary ... I hope it does ...
Anyway, as long as I can remember, just about all the Americans I have met in Germany, and only slightly less that I have come in contact with on my trips to the States, have always - at least appeared to - had an attitude of friendliness and helpfulness. In the occasions that help or support were needed or usable, it was always available, usually being offered without being asked for - something I still haven't found in Germany (at least not to that degree - with the exclusion of one or two good friends I have).
This was also my impression when I first got in contact with FBE. And to date that as such hasn't really changed. Even though there are people here that are spread out all over Germany and beyond, with the help of the Internet we have come together to help and support each other, or just have a good time as a kind of community.
In comes OSL. People have been BS'ing around, are presenting their kill stories and stuff, making up for the missing race tracks that can be found probably in just about every county in the States. OSL is discussed, people are enthusiastic about finally getting a chance of racing their cars. And they offer to help. Nobody forced anybody. People just offered their help, and it worked out. Worked out great. That's the spirit I've known and like!
Even the second race came out good. There were a bigger percentage of drivers the first time 'round that were FBE members than the second, and there were less people from FBE to help (how many FBE members actually DID do any work on the 27th? I couldn't make it on Sat due to the wreck, so I can't tell who set up the track, I know a couple guys helped clean up... most of the actual race work was done by Tony, Conny, Glen and his wife, and guys from Tony's shop; George and a hand full of other FBE's were there and helped out - I slightly lost track of who did what with the number of registrations coming in and trying to get some races in myself ...). I would dare to say that OSL was - while not completely - more than halfway self-sufficient. Even the unexpected large number of drivers (55 IIRC) didn't cause too much of a chaos ...
Coming back to FBE - I'm not quite sure how to understand some of the statements that were made, or the reason for them. Maybe out of fear of FBE being "taken over" in some way by OSL, or maybe even some kind of jealousy for the success of the OSL events in the light of decreasing activity of the FBE board (that changed a bit again since Bruce is back
). IMHO, neither is in any way waranted.
But statements calling for drawing out of OSL and just taking part in the race sort of disappoint me - this is the kind of behaviour I have experienced from many Germans, but did not expect to get from Americans. If somebody doesn't want to help, fine. You have your reasons, and I couldn't care less. What I do not understand in that context is why anybody would suggest or even advise other people in the club to stop helping and just go racing. Maybe I'm interpreting something into the one post I read, but at least that's the way I understood it. Sure, if we had a commercial thing going, like the tracks in the States, it is and should be up to the operators of the track to take care of personell and work around the track. But hey, OSL is a
public race, and for now will have to rely on the public to help to a certain degree. Again, do not misunderstand me - I'm not saying FBE as club should be under any obligation, not do or would I necessarily ask FBE to do so as a club - but I would go as far as saying that the club members are asked if they would offer some help ... just as I would ask other clubs' members or non-organized drivers to help.
As Robin said, I also believe that FBE can profit from OSL - not only by being given a chance to run our cars, but also by the increased publicity that FBE will get through the OSL events - for one thing, with the OSL website being extended, I will be putting links to supporters and car clubs in there - FBE having the possibilty of being a prominent link in the list. Of course, if FBE decides it does not want to have anything to do with OSL apart from taking their cars to race, it will be fine with me. I will keep on doing what I am good at and help out where I can with FBE, but I will also keep on working with and for OSL. But I believe FBE can get a lot more publicity through being a major supporter of OSL - if not, FBE's appearance to non-members is just another car club, coincidently made up of a majority of US service people, meeting every now and then and BS'ing around on their message board. But giving a hand (both figuratively speaking and by working at the events) can set FBE apart from other clubs (btw, did you know the German Camaro-Firebird Club charges DM 1200,- membership a year? And all you get more or less is the possibility of joining their group purchases and access to their documentation library ...).
Anyway, I do not think there should be an extended involvement BEYOND the point of being a supporter and/or promoter of OSL. With FBE's focus on F-Body cars, tieing FBE into OSL could deter other clubs or people from enjoying OSL. While a certain friendly rivalry between e.g. F-Bodies and Imports or 'stangs is OK, OSL will need to be open to any make and model and should not be mistaken as taking any side. While at the moment OSL is running as an FBE subdomain, I will discuss the issue of getting a separate domain just for OSL with Tony. If he should be able to join us on Saturday, the new domain might be running by next week, otherwise I expect a new domain just for OSL to be decided by mid December.
I believe FBE's involvement in OSL is one thing that should not be defined by any single person or select group, but by the FBE members - and again, I don't think FBE is REQUIRED to support OSL - FBE is welcome as a club if FBE so wishes, as are its members if FBE should decide against helping as a club. I will not think any less of anybody who thinks FBE should draw out of OSL, and would go as far as even forgetting about the whole subject if there was any mentionable minority that has objective reasons against it. Just don't project your personal opinion on the other people in the club ...
< end of personal oppinion announcement >
