I agree with KB-1and have the same issues. There are other race venues that we can enter that only require a valid state drivers license. I have a valid drivers license that allows me to drive any of our 18 wheel semi-trucks on our Hiways, yet I have to spend the time and money to hold a conference license?
If you have the DOT physical required to legally operate a commercial 18 wheel truck and trailer combo on public roads it is very compatible with our racing physical and I have reviewed and approved those in the past. If you have a military or pilots physical we have reviewed those and accepted them as well. If you have a physical on another sanctioning body's form like the SCCA, I have reviewed those and accepted them. Until we dot all the i's and cross all the t's for the potential removal of the doctor's physical examination requirement to obtain a competition license I am pretty much required to adhere to the rules the drivers and their representatives WROTE AND ENACTED UPON THEMSELVES. I am more than happy to try to find solutions to just about any problem someone from Conference brings me as long as it is in keeping with the rules that govern what I am allowed and not allowed to do. I have consistently tried my best to be as inclusive as I possibly can i every Conference position that I have held and don't want anyone to be excluded if there is a legal solution.
Just so it is abundantly clear - when drivers are criticizing "ICSCC" who do they think they are really talking about? If you are a licensed ICSCC driver, you are talking about yourself. The International Conference of Sports Car Clubs is an organization that has rules made "by drivers, for drivers". There is no evil genius sitting in a darkened office somewhere wringing their hands and snickering evilly about how they have been able to steal the happiness of Conference racers. Conference and it's member clubs are run by people who really pretty much just wanted to race but stepped up to volunteer their time and effort to help preserve amateur sports car racing in the Northwest for their fellow and future drivers who, for a variety of reasons, either can't or won't. I can assure you that I sat in two all day meetings in the last 3 months where 20+ dedicated volunteers who gave up their own time and often cost themselves money, worked hard on ALL driver's behalf trying to find the best possible solutions to Conference problems while streamlining what we already do well to make it even better. Sometimes the size or the complexity of the task at hand requires more resources or time than we have available and we fall short of what we wanted to achieve at that meeting. It doesn't mean we forget it, it just moves forward until we can get it done.
The ICSCC and its member clubs are not businesses and those of you who are reading this are definitely not "customers". The only way the ICSCC is able to continue scheduling events and attempting to meet it's members needs is through the sacrifice of exceptional people who are willing to apply their considerable talents VOLUNTARILY to preserve the organization - not one of them is a paid employee. If you feel strongly about something you want to change in Conference there are multiple paths to achieve your goals. Any driver can write a rule, discuss it with their friends to build support and further refine it, and submit it through their club at the rules meeting in the Fall. From there it goes to the Contest Board meeting and the Executive Board meeting for adoption. Alternately, with certain kinds of ideas you can work with your club and have your E-Board rep introduce it as an agenda item directly to the Fall or Spring meeting. Yet another way is to convince the Steward that your idea is a good one because he is the only single person entity allowed to introduce a rule into the rule change process.
What I am saying is if you don't like the way things work it is YOUR responsibility to either get to work solving the problem or talk someone else into solving it for you through several available avenues. Next time you feel like criticizing "ICSCC" you might want to consider whether you are criticizing yourself or some altruistic sucker who is volunteering his time on your behalf in an attempt to make Conference work the way it's members want. Neither of those seem very reasonable or productive. Conference and the member clubs are suffering shortages of volunteers willing to work for the good of the membership in almost all areas. I personally have been willing to volunteer a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money because I find it fulfilling to support an organization that has given me years of exceptional experiences and lifelong friends. Over the years I have volunteered to be a driving instructor, worked on volunteer track maintenance crews, been a tech inspector, club Vice President, President, club Driving Master, ICSCC Steward, and now ICSCC President and there are a lot of people who have contributed more than I have! Does criticism help retain those people? Does it make it easier to get new ones to serve? If just a few people who have contributed 100s of hours decide that being berated for volunteering to help decide they "just want to be drivers", ICSCC could easily cease to exist. I welcome constructive discussion, good ideas, and offers to help but maybe we should temper our dissatisfaction towards people just trying their best to do your bidding.
Sorry about the rant but maybe look at the glass as half full and don't beat the dog for bringing you the wrong slippers.