TeamLemon-aid wrote:You need to tell us if you're going there to "win" or just complete the race. (I know... To finish first you must first finish.. blah blah)
To win you'll usually need a fairly flawless race, and no driver stints that are giving up time because "they've never driven this track" or "have never driven at night".
To Finish, everyone needs to be driving 8/10ths. Always. You also need one guy on the radio to the driver, always. You also have to kneo where everyone is at all times. You also need to make sure that if a team member is going to wander around, they have a radio on them so they know what is going on. Otherwise, team members need to be at your paddock at all times.
I remind guys we've all paid a decent amount of money, so lets act like we are here to "race".
Good stuff there too. Last thing I want to have is disorganization from the start but that's me... You might not care.
Set expectations but base them on what you want to accomplish. For example:
"Just have fun and don't care if you finish" is a concept everyone needs to understand. "Here to compete and race" is different but likewise everyone needs to be on the same page.
Also....you will break something so decide on what you'll do:
When we break, we fix, no matter what or how long it takes.
When we break, if it's easy we fix. if we have to go get parts, nah.
If it breaks, we're done, I don't care what it is, just start drinking.
When we break, if it's tough to fix we don't care, we'll beg, borrow, steal parts and find help to fix it. (That means upon arrival you already have someone scout the paddock for teams with a similar setup for who has parts and knowledge.)
Who is the captain or co-captain and when he's sleeping or cannot be found, what is the decision making process?
THEN you can start organizing at some level (or not) with your team all on one page.
If you do not know already, ask each person what kinds of things are likely to upset them...not that you can really hold them to it but at least you asked.
Get your money from them up front and be clear under what circumstances (if any) a refund is possible.
If you have to go get parts from somewhere, have a plan for where you will go, who will go and who will pay.
Think also about the future. Do you want the same folks to drive next time? Do you plan to change your goals for next time ...but maybe this first time just relax and have fun? Will those same people be OK with a change in the goal next time?
If you behave like a jerk as a captain, do you care if the drivers don't want (may not want) to race with you ever again?
If you have the tendency to be a jerk, you probably already know it and should say something prior to the weekend so the team understands that it's possible and you at least gave them info that is now not a surprise to them. The benefit is that they'll probably overlook the jerk behavior and still try to get through the weekend by your side as opposed to packing up and leaving mid-race because you were a jerk.
Are you ready to have your vehicle broken, set on fire, totaled or otherwise destroyed by one of your drivers? Be ready and if not, re-think entering a vehicle you care a great deal for.
Ask each team member what they think is fair for accidents that damage the car (made unrace-able) for which they are at fault according to video. Ask them the same for cosmetic damage if you care... Share with them your own thoughts of what fair is and come to an agreement for the team and tell the team.
What about incidents that are not their fault but render the car unrace-able. Is the driver still responsible? How do you want to handle that? It's a tough conversation to have and (believe me) even tougher if you never have the conversation and something has already occurred.
You'll be surprised at the amount of good drivers out there. Some are fantastic, some are still cutting teeth but safe. A few are terrible and need to find another hobby. Some are a collection and all on the same team. Work to know who is who and remember it on the track as best you can.
LowBAR Racing