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As a journalist it is always critical to have sources you can trust.
This is a letter sent to ISF participants by the commissioner.
It is reprinted here.
Once again it is good to be...
In the Pits!
Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett
Hi friends, racers, track owners,
When John and I had the idea to start the ISF in 2000 it was because we wanted to hang out with friends and have fun with a hobby we all enjoy while talking racing.
Thanks to you that mission has been accomplished over the years.
Now the ISF is facing a situation that makes continuing this tradition tough.
That situation is life. Stuff happens. People get families, kids, new jobs, move away, develop other interests, and just have things get in the way of what has been a Thursday night tradition for the last 13 years (or more for many of us).
As you recall just a few years ago the ISF had 8-9 full time drivers and 4-6 part time drivers.
This pool of friends resulted in fields of 10-12 on race night.
Life happens.
We lost several icons of the league in a short period of time, plus several of us have moved to part-time status.
Those who have joined us over the years either stopped coming after their first race (usually I heard from them that they didn't think they could ever compete with us since we've been doing this for years),
or just disappeared after several races without a trace.
This has knocked fields down to four at most races and six on a good night.
This has frustrated all of us, and some of us to the point where they didn't see the point of holding races anymore or caring if postponed races were rescheduled or not.
I can understand that feeling.
For me getting together and racing with you is something I really look forward to these days.
As life has gotten complicated with family, work, laundries, Thursday nights racing with my friends and talking racing has been sacred to me
because I'm not a business owner, sales guy, or any of the other roles I play in life. I'm just me and for a few hours I can escape into a land of play.
As Spock said in the "Shore Leave" episode of Star Trek, "the more complicated the mind, the more the simple need for play."
Yes, I understand these are plastic toy cars.
Hanging out with you guys and enjoying this hobby is something that my family always encouraged me to continue and they enjoy the benefits of the ISF as well.
While the league has hit a rough patch and it might be easy to just fold it into memory lane, I'm not ready to give it and Thursday nights up yet.
What I'm proposing are some simple changes and after I explain them I'm going to ask you to answer three questions for me.
First the changes to the series:
1. season cut down from 18 races to 6-9 events with each track getting one race
(If someone wants to hold a second date that is an option depending on how many want to host)
2. races will be run the week before Indyslotcar races. This means no one has to prepare basements/tracks for several races at different times of the year.
Tracks will also have been tested for the following weeks ISC event (Thanks Fitz for this idea)
3. Clarification that no one has to provide meal. Drinks would still be great.
IF you want to provide a meal that is up to you but please make drivers aware of that before time.
All the rules the same for racing except the following:
1. Any rookie driver gets unlimited de-slots in heat races, and B-main
(after every fourth de-slot they will serve a time penalty just like veteran drivers)
2. Floor rule stays in effect for rookies in B-main and final.
3. Rookie Drivers get 16 de-slots in final
4. At the end of their rookie season, or eighth race whichever comes later, the veteran drivers vote on if they are no longer a rookie (thanks JW for this idea)
5. Drivers that have rookie status revoked by veteran drivers receive four extra -per heat and finals for second season only
(no matter if they run once or the whole season)
6. Once a driver completes 16 races or their second season, whichever comes first, they receive the same amount of de-slots as veteran drivers
7. Drivers that return to the league but have more than 16 previous starts (i.e. Cory or Nic)
get an extra four de-slots in the heats and finals for the first eight races in the season in which they return or
total of eight races over two seasons if they are part-time racers
8. Drivers who have been away from the series for three years or more and have more than 40 starts (i.e. Chad Sorce or Jim Iverson),
receive an extra four de-slots in all heat races and finals for one-off races or for a total of five races in their first season if they are returning as full or part-time drivers
The above changes should make it easier for rookies to compete and get seat time and allow someone like Iverson to be competitive in a one off race or someone like Sorce who could decide to race a full season to make up for lost time.
We're getting to the end of this long message.
Ultimately I'd like to get back to 4-6 full time drivers and 4-6 part-time drivers so that any given race we have 6-8 drivers for this upcoming season.
If we hit those numbers and have a fun season then we can worry about the following year.
Here are the questions that I would like you to please answer for me:
1. If you are a track owner please look at the schedule and tell me if you still want to host a race and if that date works for you
2. Please tell me what your commitment is in terms of races you'll attend in the IDEAL world for this coming year only
a. full time 6-9 races
b. part-time 4-6 races
c. just for fun 2-4 races
3. Is there anyone you can think of, either a rookie or former driver, that you will invite to race with the ISF this season? (thanks Mike Lack for this idea)
Please get back to me with changes, questions on the new rules, or comments on anything I've said.
You are the ones that made and make this series fun.
I look forward to hearing from you.
