Dean, I don't think it's worth working with the MSA anymore; they are too slow to put through changes. Green papers, turning up at meetings etc, these things happened years ago, today modern business is done within the blink of an eye, you snooze you lose as they say. The MSA are stuck in the past and I'm sorry to say it's not going to change, the MSA have been snoozing for years.
So the way forward, replacing the governing body (MSA) with an IndiKart association is not the answer. All it would be doing is kicking out one governing body and replacing it with an IndiKart 'Association' that will eventually over the years turn into another governing body that we all hate and moan about. So what's the answer then?
The answer is to scrap the MSA events at club level completely. All club level racing should be done outside of the MSA, no license, no medicals and the rules are left to the track owner to decide and enforce. The responsibility of insurance is with the track owner not the competitors or any governing body as it's the track owner who is hosting the event, not the MSA or any other organisation. The responsibility of the actual class rules should be left with the class manufacturer but only as guidance to the track owners, not a dictated rule. This allows the track owner to apply common sense to the racing regulations and be in complete control.
Now to stop everything becoming fragmented and complicated we need a website set up that explains what this type of racing is about and which tracks around the country host this type of racing. The website should be updated with all the results from these events. The website could also list all of the IndiKart race meeting dates at all of the tracks. The website should list all specific track rules for each track (a bit like pool house rules at a pub).
The website needs to be totally voluntary with no vested interests, no money for the end of year party bash, no petrol money for site administrators, no dinner money, absolutely zilch (think I've made my point ; ) ) completely voluntary and independent of any organisation or business. It should be completely free to use and have no paid adverts. Hosting for a website is about �100 per year, that�s all that�s needed.
By doing this is gives newcomers a chance to see quite clearly, without bias, where they can race, they can then find out information about their local track with contact numbers. They then go down and watch, if they like it they ask "so how do I start this kart racing malarkey" to which they get a very simple reply, "pick a class you want to race in, go off and buy a kart, a helmet, gloves etc, come back do a practise day to get you used to it, then you can race".
In short the website needs to be a gateway to the world of IndiKart racing (IKR). Everything you need to know, want to know about the racing is all at this gateway. No internal links sending you off to other websites it�s all on that website.
The profit in karting needs to be made by the track owners and the class manufacturers, component manufacturers. This allows private businesses to compete with each other for the kart racers custom, which keeps prices low, and helps keep the service high. It�s a win win situation and keeps everything fresh with new ideas and better facilities brought in to attract more customers. The IndiKart (IKR) allows this to happen without any restrictions, expensive time consuming proposals or insider vested business interests (not stating this happens in MSA but it stops the chance of this happening).
Now this doesn�t have to be a complicated switch over, IndiKart racing already exists, the website merely promotes the racing and connects it all together in one place. In a way it�s like the missing piece of the jigsaw to make it all work.
So what would happen to the MSA racing? Well naturally it will die out, just like it is now. I would hope that at the top level National Series it would stay, as karting needs a governing body for the top level of karting.
I�m willing to set up a website for this so consider my time volunteered, it would be good to have a group of volunteers to each have their own input to build the website. But that would be something to start a new thread with.
Chris.
|
|