RE: running at pocono (was: Driving Event - TWS Feb 5,6; lambo's/ ferr ari's,...

["Sedon, Doug (OD/ORS)" <sedond@domain.elided>]

	>Dear Mr. Sedon,
	>  We have scheduled track time in the past for Alfa/Fiat/Lancia with no

	>takers. The next excuse we got from Alfa owners is that they felt they
should 
	>not have to share the track with Fiat & Lancias, they should be on the
track 
	>with Ferraris. 
	=================
	i find this *wery* hard to believe.  personally, i think track groupings
should be done by performance capabilities of the car.  my 3.0 alfa gtv6 will
run circles around a 328 ferrari.  but i surely woodn't complain if i can't run
w/them - i *know* i don't wanna run w/the faster cars out there...

	>Before we took over this event Alfa owners were not even welcome to
come and 
	>watch. I know of a couple of owners that were turned away at the gate
after 
	>driving over 2 hours to get there. 
	==================
	that would explain perhaps some lingering hostilities on the part of
some alfa folks - but to lump *all* of us into your category of basic
worthlessness???

	>We opened the event up to anything Italian including motorcycles.
Obviously you >have never run an event of this magnitude, if you did you would
know that the >scheduling of track time is crucial. Since most groups receive 6
or more run >sessions per day, with a 3 to 5 min down time between sessions. A
last minute >removal of an entire group with 6 sessions disputes the entire
schedule for all >participants. We had it happen before and won't let it happen
again. 
	=======================
	so, how could ya squeeze in an upstart group of 25 that wanna run?  how
could ya even get them interested, when they're made to feel so obviously
unwelcome?  i know if i was signed up to run my pantera, & then at the last
minute, 6 sessions dropped out, i'd be *delighted* - more time for *me*!


	>As far as my general attitude concerning Alfa owners is concerned. I
for one 
	>am an Alfa owner and a number of my close friends are as well. But
after 
	>years trying to appeal to the club, you get tired of the same line. It
seems 
	>I am not alone in my attitude towards the Alfa club. We were warned by
other 
	>clubs about them but choose to try and work with them. While the few
that 
	>have come to the event have been great people and had a good time. 
	======================
	?!?  what are *ewe* on?!?  i stopped doing lsd (non-automotive) 20 years
ago!!!!  ewe are copying this post to ~2000 wery active alfa owners - w/this
kinda good-will, yule be lucky if *anyone* shows up!  or, mebbe *unlucky* - they
all mite wanna show up & have a word w/ewe!

	>In reference to a forwarded email I received from "Foncool". I receive
many 
	>like that every week. Do I know who they are? Yes, I do. If we happen
to have 
	>a similar writing style, that I can't say since I don't correspond with
them 
	>on a regular basis. But they may have picked up on our general feeling
of 
	>frustation with the Alfa club.
	============================
	and the pantera folks, too?  oh yeah, only the "west-coast" ones...

	>Our policy concerning Alfa owners is as it always has been, they are
more 
	>than welcome to attend. However we will no longer spend the large sums
of 
	>money required for advertising to reach these owners, it simply is not
cost 
	>effective. We must purchase trophies for anticipated classes, arrange
for 
	>vendors to appeal to a particular marque, set aside space within the
event 
	>program for articles on each marque and that is just the begining. All
this 
	>must be done months in advance, we don't have a club treasury to fund
it and 
	>do it all out of pocket.  
	=======================
	?!?large sums of money?!?  friendliness, a good event, & the www are all
ya need for a successful event today.  if ya ever could dig yerself outta that
big pile-o-dough all you high-rollers suffocate yerselves in, mebbe ewe could
see this...  how come those who need money the least, seem to bitch about it the
most?

	>I guess I should apologize to you if you feel I was harsh in my
reaction to 
	>your desire to drive on the track. But when you continue to hear the
same 
	>line and you make arrangements to correct the situation, then have all
those 
	>complaining not come through, you tend to take a dim view of anyone
repeating 
	>that line.
	===============
	?!?  six paragraphs of insults & then an apology?  ya, rite!

	>I will repeat myself in saying that you and all other Alfa owners are 
	>welcome, if you choose not to attend, oh well your lose. We will still
get 
	>the higher end Alfas from the owners that don't belong to the Alfa club
and 
	>don't show up at any of the Alfa meets. We will still be the largest
event 
	>for owners of Italian cars on the east coast. 
	>There will just be a some very expensive Alfas, a handful of 164s and
Spiders 
	>under the Alfa flag. 
	========================
	jeez, such a warm welcome - how can i thank you???

	>If you have any questions please let me know.
	====================
	ya, were ewe born obnoxious, or didja study?

	doug sedon

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