Is Any One Going to Marque Madness

[Double D]

Autocross - Club Drivers Shootout
MarqueMadness “Marque Club Driver’s Shootout”
April 28, 29, 2005 Marina, CA Airport (4 miles for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca)

Thursday, Day One: Input from the clubs says that many drivers will want to drive their own cars. Each car/driver will be sorted into run groups by marque. There will be 8 run sessions (four in the morning, four after noon), and intra-marque competition will be the order of the day. This will prevent one club from being soundly defeated due to car capability. Everyone will have something at stake, with each marque being sorted into stock, street prepared, and modified classes while aiming for TTOD for their marque/class. At the end of the day, each club will have three winners declared (clubs must have at least five cars to declare winners), but this is just the first day of competition. At the end of the event on Thursday, each club will then be asked to nominate a select group of their top drivers, based on any criteria they choose, to represent them in the “Marque Drivers Shootout.” To qualify as a club, there must be 5 cars. Cars with less than five will be pooled and the event management team will select the representatives of the “all marques” group. Each club gets at least one driver, plus an allocation based on the number of cars entered. Up to sixty drivers would transfer to the Friday Shootout.

Friday, Day Two: With private cars stowed, the single marque cars become the stars of the show. The goal would be a slightly more casual and fun pace than the previous day, with a 9:00AM start on the same course as the previous day. Conclusion would be before 1:00PM. A celebrity public address announcer would be sought from the press or magazine covering the event. One test run would be done by guest drivers to warm up tires and brakes, and check out each car. Order of driver’s runs would be determined by lottery. Then we begin the following shootout format:

Session 1: 60 drivers, driving each car one time (120 runs) – Best aggregate of the two runs moves on – 30 drivers eliminated – Approximately one hour duration

Session 2: 30 drivers, driving each car two times (120 runs) – Best two times representing one run in each car aggregated – 15 drivers eliminated – Approximately one hour duration 15 minute break – let cars cool and drivers to rest – possible promotional opportunity – Mazda celebrity demonstration?

Session 3: 15 drivers, 2 runs per car (60 runs) – Best two times representing one run in each car aggregated – 10 drivers eliminated - Approximately 30 minutes duration

Session 4: “Fast Five Finals” – 2 runs per driver per car (40 runs) Best two times representing one run in each car, aggregatedAwards will go to all of Fast Five, with medals for Top Three – Location of Award Ceremony – possibly at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Winner’s Circle later in the afternoon. It would be optional for Mazda to provide the prizes. The MarqueMadness committee would be responsible for event-specific recognition (plaques/trophies) if needed.

If a single marque car is not provided for the Friday Shootout, a handicap format with drivers driving their own cars will be used.

The format presented borrows heavily from Mazda’s “Rev it Up” program. Items such as number of drivers, cars driven and scoring, are open to review. The goal clearly is to determine the driver with the best natural car control in a situation with as close to a level playing field as possible. And then to provide a level of recognition never before afforded an autocrosser – the podium at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca! MarqueMadness is prepared to provide all autocross design, layout, and infrastructure.


Copyright © 2004 MarqueMadness