Hi San Francisco Region Members,
For those of you that could not attend the March Club Zoom meeting you can view a copy on the SFR webpage at https://youtu.be/fhfETdSx4xM. We covered not only a recap of 2025 but layout the plans for 2026 and beyond.
As I said in the meeting, this is a special time for San Francisco Region. We are moving in a different direction, one that matches the changes in Amateur Road Racing.
No longer is SCCA the only game in town and the only way to get on a racetrack. Gone are the days when SFR SCCA got a race date, and then word got out and Drivers and Workers showed up. Now SFR has many competitors, offering Track Days, Time Trials and yes Road Racing. And the costs of events have risen at a rate far exceeding entry fees. Increases in track costs are the biggest, but across the board fees have increased and many things we previously did not pay for now we do.
And at the same time the number of volunteer Workers have dropped. 12 years ago, a typical event would bring 120+ Workers now we are a 50% of that number. Some of that is due to the cost the Workers must spend to “volunteer”, and some is simply the change in generations. We have rightly so, gone to a $100/day stipend for our Workers to offset their expenses.
So, are we talking about the end of SFR Road Racing? ABSOLUTINGLY NOT!
What we are talking about is the end to how we manage the SFR Region. SFR, like all the SCCA Regions, is led by a group of volunteer Board members. Our duties range from getting race sites, to building schedules, to solving logistic problems. Some Regions like SFR have a staff person that helps support the various needs of the members.
However, as Amateur Road Racing has changed so must we. Managing a Region the size and complexity of SFR can longer be done successfully buy a volunteer Board, A Board that can change every two years. A Board that cares and works very hard but does not have the continuity and sometimes the skills to lead in the changing environment we are in.
What’s the solution? If you look at successful businesses, both non and for profit, they all have a strong and successful leader who can take the vision for the organization and turn it into day-to-day success. We are going to hire such a leader, with the skills to work with the Board of Directors to create long-term success in our Road Race programs and future new areas. This includes pulling in modern-day marketing, partnering, race formats, and new ideas to grow the club; serving as a single point of contact to manage the finances; and overseeing the day-to-day operations of race events, schedules, and SCCA National compliance. This critical shift will also free up the Board to focus on longer-term strategic planning for the future of racing and the club.
The question of how we will pay for this dedicated professional is a natural one. Fortunately, through the hard work of everyone involved, we are now in a financial position to make this investment. Our race operations are now near break-even, which means we can use the Thunderhill dividend for its intended purpose: to grow the club. Having a dedicated, full-time person focused on these initiatives will ensure we get a significant return on that investment.
What are the core skills we’re looking for? This job is multi-disciplinary—encompassing marketing, operations, and finance—to drive the club forward.
See the link below for the “position description”. If you know someone who is interested, they can email me at mike@sfrscca.org or you can give me their name/contact info and I will contact them.
Thanks for helping SFR move into the future,
Mike
