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Calendar and Permit system.....Review? How do we organise our racing?

Permit system and calendar revision:

Premises:

To create larger permitted meetings, greater numbers, but have fewer major

events, and reduce the number of permitted events on the calendar.

To reduce the costs to clubs re the high number of permitted meetings and high

overheads

Positives:

More emphasis on quality meetings, greater profile for sponsors and competitors,

build a series of more 'traditional' style occasions on the calendar

Reduce the amount of travelling for elite competitors, increase the

regional interclub competition where practicable, building experiece.

Negative:

Reduced fees from permitted events means reduced income for KNZ. Putting fees

up to compensate hardly helps clubs costs.

Assumptions: (1) That series promoters want to run together.

(2) That running a big meeting with two series dominating is better than two

meetings with club racers in support classes.

(3) That reducing the overall number of meetings will automatically result in the

competitors choosing to race as often and transfer their allegiance from smaller

meetings to the larger ones.

The upper and Central North Island is the primary problem area with an abundance

of clubs and tracks but a decreasing number of competitors.

Question: For calendar organisation and to assist clubs to run more regionally what

sort of system could be put in place to adequately govern the number of meetings?

Answer:

A permit system or a zone system

Option1 A zone system:

Divide the country into zones to encourage regional co-operation,

and regional series and events, with about 44-48 weekends taken

up with karting opportunities:

Zones

1. Northern (3-4?)

Whangarei, Mt Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton?

(Hamilton

is 90 minutes from Auckland, some common memberships, Easy access via expressway.)

2 Central NI (4-5)

BOP, EBOP, Rotorua, Tokoroa

Hamilton?

(Hamilton would have the option of choosing which zone it wanted to be a part of.)

3. Lower NI (4)

Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Wellington

4. Southern (5)

Marlborough, Nelson, Christchurch-Westland, Dunedin, Invercargill.

Given that each club would run approximately 12 events per year that makes each zone

likely to run 48-60 events a year eliminating as much as is practicable weekend double ups.

Only the South Island would be likely to reach 60 races per zone and that would be club

events as far apart as Invercargill and Nelson or Dunedin and Marlborough

Limit the number of permitted meetings a year per zone. Each track

may get 1 permitted event plus another 3 per zone, (7 per zone)

That’s 28 for the whole country not including hosted events which would not be included in

the numbers. A maximum of 2 hosted events per zone would spread the events around the

nation

Definitions of what is a permitted event would change.

There are a number of options for criteria

Series definitions

(A) Low key regional (zone) series without significant prizes (based on results) but aimed at participation,

would be encouraged to get people to travel. Although these series should be permitted to make sure the

series regulations make sense, the events themselves would not be permitted, being essentially club day

meetings.

Series points would be restricted to licence holders who are members of clubs within the zone.

(B) Zone series with major prizes (based on results, licence restrictions etc.) would be regarded as

major series and would require a series permit and an event permit

permit.

Clubs within a zone would need to cooperate to work out what events/series they would

host to maximise their advantages from their permitted event allocation.

offered significant prizes, licence restrictions, or any other criteria that genuinely

defined the event as being of national significance.

The above system would result in a limited number of major meetings, with no conflicts

nationally for any permitted sprint events other than the Islands.

Option 2. A permit control system

This system uses permits to achieve its aims rather than mandating the co-operation of clubs within a zone or

region.

Each club would be limited to a maximum number of events each year. (12? 13? 14?) Too many and we don’t

achieve the goal of reducing meetings.

(Club limit or venue limit is debatable. Should the Formula S club or Superkart Club be entitled to run

a similar number of its own race meets

at venues and should those be included as an

allocation for a club or for a venue?)

Within that limit would be a limited number of permitted meetings.

The definitions of what constitutes a permitted event would be much the same as

per the above rules for the zone event and series definitions.

The criteria would be based on similar criteria to the zone system but there would be

no zones.

The definitions here:

(a) Low key regional series between adjacent clubs with no significant prizes

based on results but based around participation, could be encouraged to get

people to travel

although the series should be permitted to make sure the

regulations make sense, the events themselves would not be permitted,

being essentially club meetings.

No restriction on who races at these events, X plates to A ratings.

(b) Series with major prizes, licence restrictions (etc.) would be regarded as major or

national series and would require a series permit and each meeting an event permit.

offered significant prizes, licence restrictions, or any other criteria that genuinely

defined the event as being of national significance

The result?

There are 12 currently licenced sprint tracks in the NI.

Possible outcome: A maximum of 12 events a year, 2 of which may be permitted.

This would result in a maximum of 24 permitted sprint events (not counting hosted events)

in the North Island.

So under the allocation each club would be entitled to run 10 'club' days

(including minor series as per the zone system) and 2 permitted events under

these restrictions.

(or 11 club days and 1 permitted event, or 12 club days)

There would be approximately 120 'club' days maximum in the NI which averages

less than 3 (2.5 across 48 weeks) club sprint days across the NI per weekend….

(This achieves Kartsport NZ goals of fewer events and a limited

number of major permitted events of national status.)

A maximum of 144 sprint race meetings in the North Island + Schools, Nationals,

Islands = 147 in TOTAL permitted and non-permitted, still less than 3 events per

weekend per annum across the North Island.

That’s enough racing, still enables clubs to create reasonable income, run

profitable meetings, and limits the calendar to an limited yet adequate number

of high profile major events.

There is a discussion on the Club Share site but

it is access restricted to Club Presidents and secretary's.

Anyone here can have a say, share an opinion.

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Comment by Ross Tait on August 14, 2011 at 20:12: Agree it is hard for Road racing and we are having dates changed alot less than 6 months closer to a meeting !! Clash of dates is always hard and for the top half of the NI there are sprint meetings basically every weekend which makes clashes impossible !! Road racing is only really viable with car club dates which we are unable to change to suit us as they work on track availabilty and that can change by the day ! MSNZ track hire fees change by the time of year and if hired and run alone entry numbers/officials and fees can be too high to cover costs.

Comment by Greg Neaves on August 14, 2011 at 18:45: This is a good point Andrew.

The permitted calendar is usually sorted at Conference the preceeding year.

Kartsport NZ has also indicated they want to lock in club dates as well before the year begins.

This means that effectively Road racing would need to have the calendar sorted before August for the following year.

Unfortunately most of our road racing venues work six months ahead and so they will not set the calendar for the end of 2012 until well after conference.

karters have to follow their dates so thats why it doesn't work so well. The sprint calendar is well sorted before that and if KNZ has their way so will club meeting dates. They also say they will not allow changes.

That creates a very rigid unflexible structure and that may only goin to lead to more dificulties.

Comment by Steven Gaskell on August 14, 2011 at 12:29: By permitted... I was really meaning anything other than a normal club points meeting. Not sure what the KSNZ terminology is for that. A club's Anniversary meeting would fall under it, for example.

If you have the major dates pretty much sorted, then restricting club days to be as least conflicting as possible should be easy assuming everyone accepts fewer meetings...

Comment by Andrew Hall on August 13, 2011 at 10:44: One of the most common reasons I hear as to why people are not joining in the Road Racing is that the particluar road race date clashes with a sprinting date. Will time be allocated in the new calander/permit arrangement for road racing? Given that road race dates can be booked well in advance it is entirely possible to organise them so that clashes can be avoided. And whats happened to South Island Road Racing. Is anyone down there going to pick it up?

Comment by Mike Peebles on August 11, 2011 at 21:23: While this is perhaps slightly off the point, (or maybe even already covered!) I think it would be worth putting some thought making sure that the big events are more accessible to competitors all over NZ. While Nationals obviously jump around the NI and SI, events like the Rotax Max Challenge are entirely North Island based this year. While there are certainly more NI competitors, it makes the event inaccessible to a great number of SI drivers. Likewise, while the Mainland Series exists, it strikes me that NI series like the top half series is 'followed' (ie all events entered) to a far greater extent.

So a bit off topic perhaps, but thats an area of organization that I think needs to be looked at.

Comment by Greg Neaves on August 11, 2011 at 8:38: You suggested 4 permitted events for each track.

One of the issues is that kartsport NZ wants to reduce the number of permitted events so we have fewer meetings but when we do they are bigger events.

So in reality 4 permitted events might be too many.

Then the issue of requiring permits for events that wre really little more than club days comes up and they require added officials and techies etc. So thats a burden on clubs.

Hence the rearrangement of what is a permitted meeting, what requires a permit, etc

The bottom line is that we need fewer events but more economical and profitable events so clubs actually make money. That in turn improves facilities and makes the clubs investment worthwhile and ultimately builds the sports infrastructure. Fewer meetings but larger numbers reduce costs and make the meetings more profitable. That seems to be what is driving the exceutive's thinking on the revisions to the calendar and permit system.

Comment by Greg Neaves on August 11, 2011 at 8:32: The problem with regular rotations is that they don't allow for public holidays, school holidays etc and Kartsport NZ also wants to keep time before major events like the nationals a permit free zone for the 2 weekends prior to the event. Thats easy to respect as long as whatever system you allow for is flexible enough to deal with it.

I have dates for Top Half, Pro Series and Rotax almost finalised for next year already courtesy of the series organisers so should be able to produce a permitted event calendar for the upper NI by the end of next week.

Then all I have to do is slot in the dates for the club meetings in the central region and the zone 2 calendar for the year would be complete.

Its not hard. All it needs is some communication and cooperation from the people involved and it all fits together.

Comment by Steven Gaskell on August 10, 2011 at 22:22: I'm just going to rattle off a few thoughts, and I doubt they will be entirely congruent with each other as I haven't fully worked them out...

I'd go with zonal. However, Z1 and Z2 would be tricky, and you'd have to put Hamilton in Z1.

So far as I can tell... we don't want MTW clashing or consecutive with AKL, same with EBOP and BOP, and Whangerei and EBOP (I believe these will want keeping apart for the Rakets?)

4-weekly rotations, with 4 week break around Xmas, eg

Auckland, Whangerei, Mt Wellington, Hamilton.

Rotorua, BOP, Tokoroa, EBOP

Then with a quick swapsy:

Auckland, Whangerei, Mt Wellington, Hamilton.

Tokoroa, BOP, Rotorua, EBOP

Then back to original, then the swap... ladidah. Make 7/12 'club points', 1/12 blank, leaving 4 for permitted events. The blank must be utilised when a 'protected' event is being run, which would be schools, islands or nationals.

Permitted events? Championships such as Rotax/ProKart; protected such as Schools, Islands, Nationals; and other bigger events such Anniversary, Tauranga Street Race, Anniversaries, Club, Citrus, Blossom.

Obviously, without a complete list of events it's hard to actually work it out.

Thought number two: Allow the 12 NI clubs 12 dates each at least 2 weeks apart. 144 dates to go racing and never at the same track two weeks in a row. Then, in an ideal situation:

Islands / Nationals - arrange those dates and circuits.

Rotax speak to ProKart and agree on a mutual calendar with the clubs, forward those dates.

Top Half, Schools - arrange those dates and circuits.

I figure this is 12-ish dates covered, leaving 132 ish to be decided. Assume each club (excuse my ignorance) has around 4 'special' days - Anniversaries, Club Champs, Citrus, Tauranga Street Race, Blossom, Ladies / Pit Crew Day, etc. That's about another 48 dates which would ideally clash as little as possible with each other and the above.

That leaves 84 dates, or about 7 per club for points series, or just good old club racing. As much as possible they wouldn't clash, but to ensure a maximum choice for your everyday karter, some would.

For what it's worth, it might be worthwhile speaking to the English FA. They have a mean system to work out the Premier League calendar which would make organising KSNZ look a cake walk. As much as possible teams play home then away, never more than twice home in a row. Teams local with each other (which varies depending on where you are) never play at home on the same day (prevent rioting and traffic congestion). Teams never play on consecutive days and as much as possible at most every third day. Teams which generate massive interest don't usually kick off at the same time meaning Joe watching Sky at home can theoretically watch the big games live consecutively. Large round trips are not made during the week as much as possible (so people take minimal time off work).

I'm sure if we ask them nicely they'll let us borrow it to bung in what the karters want and see if it's possible!