> The SCCA-NWR has a committee looking for autoX sites. One possible location
> is a Navy base but we haven't been able to get the base to agree to it. I see
> that your event is at a military base. Any suggestions or any ideas? Perhaps
> we could have the Navy talk to someone at you facility who will give us a
> recommendation?
I'm in the Air Force and also involved with the club that sponsors
events on Ft. Meade, MD, so I'll throw in my $.02.
You have to have an "in." I recently had Andrews AFB here in DC almost
begging me to do an event... I turned them down simply because they
wouldn't allow use of the huge, mouth watering flight line (OK, so AF 1
flies in and out of there, big deal - eh?) and no other lot on base was
suitable from a size or safety standpoint. Too bad, they were 100% sold
on the idea even after I clearly explained what an autocross is.
The angle to work is from the bottom up, with a charitable twist. Never
ask military brass for permission - the answer will always be "no." Ask
Airman or Soldier Snuffy if they want to earn some brownie points by
organizing a charity event with a local community organization. Andrews
AFB had an airman's memorial foundation run by junior ranking enlisted
members. Look for organizations like that - check base web sites. I
approached them with the offer of splitting the "gate" for 4-5 events
over the summer each drawing 100+ entrants at $15 a pop. They could give
the money to any charity they chose and all they had to do was
coordinate use of a large empty parking lot with base officials with our
group supplying insurance, crowd control, etc.
They were drooling. Their usual fund raiser activities are donut sales
and the like. Making $3000+ dollars for the charity of their choice for
basically doing nothing was a sweet deal for them. Lot costs in the DC
region run from $500 to $4500 per day, so splitting the gate was an
no-brainer. It also protected us from being on the hook for a big $$ lot
cost if bad weather held down participation. Having a military sponsored
organization actually ask for the lot instead of some local car club
gave us a legal "in" with base officials. And in the end, the money
would have benefited some worthy cause!
So, we were set. The airmen worked the red tape and arranged a meeting
with a base official to finalize things. Now at this point you still
need to look and sound professional and have your ducks in a row as far
as insurance and safety issues. I emphasized the "low speed car control
exercise" part of things. They agreed. We went out and looked at many
lots and there were simply too many poles, curbs, or just plain not
enough room. I was disappointed, but the process of getting them to
agree to using base facilities was quite easy using this approach.
Another way to get an "in" is to entice base members out to your events
with a discounted (even free) entry fee. Once you get a few to come out,
they might know of a car club or something on base that can arrange use
of base facilities. This is basically how DC region autocrossers get to
use Ft. Meade facilities. A group of us work at the facility that owns
the lot, so we can use it through that connection.
--
Ron Katona
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