Mid State of Ohio Kart Club
Board of Directors Meeting
January 19, 2006
Plank’s – Grove City, Ohio
Call to Order – Mike Unger called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM. He began by reflecting on the 2005 season, indicating that participation (kart count) was up from previous years. He also identified several issues for the 2006 season that need to be addressed.
Attendance – In attendance were:
Mike Unger – Member
Kevin Brown – Member
Laura Bruce – Visitor
Dana Conlin – Member
Jim Conlin – Visitor
Mike Dillon – Member
Erin Dillon – Visitor
MaShaun Jones – Visitor
Mike Long – Alternate
Paul Lyda – Member
Jay McDaniels – Visitor
Steve Sharp – Alternate
Bo Strawser – Visitor
Bob Strawser – Member
Steve Tatman – Member
Scott Thompson – Visitor
James Willis – Visitor
Patrick Willis – Visitor
Bobby Wilson – Visitor
Mike Yoerger – Member
Eight of 10 regular board members, in addition to two alternates, were present.
Apologies for Absence – Those who had indicated that they were unable to attend the meeting were:
Bill Bruce – Member
Heath Tatman – Member
Election of Officers – The first item of business was election of officers for the 2006 season. Following some discussion, the board elected the following officers:
President – Mike Unger
Vice President – Paul Lyda
Secretary – Bill Bruce
Treasurer – Mike Dillon
The following non-board-member positions were also filled:
Membership Chairperson – Erin Dillon
Webmaster – Chris Putman
Disposition of Alternate Board Members – The circumstances by which alternate board members become regular board members (e.g., by missing too many meetings, etc.) were discussed. Mike Unger indicated that he would draft a proposal for discussion at the next board meeting. ACTION – Mike Unger to draft proposal.
Club Membership Fees – The club membership fees for 2006 were discussed. These will be held at $30 for an individual membership and $50 for a family membership for 2006. Mike Unger suggested that a membership application form should be posted on the website as soon as possible. ACTION – Erin Dillon to draft 2006 membership application.
Chassis Setup Seminar – Mike Unger indicated that he and Jim Conlin would again offer their chassis seminar in 2006. The seminar will cover setup for both American and European chassis. The tentative date for this is Saturday, February 11, 2006. The venue will be confirmed soon. The cost of the seminar will be $30 for non-club-members and free for club members.
Sale and Distribution of Club-Spec Tires – The next item of business was the sale and distribution of club-spec Vega tires. After some discussion, a proposal from Bob Strawser was accepted by the board. Under this arrangement, Bob Strawser will personally buy and sell tires and divide the profits evenly with the club. Any tires provided free of charge from the supplier (e.g., for promotional purposes) will go to the club. Safe storage and the availability of tires was also discussed. It was noted that all of the tires that are currently in the possession of Steve Tatman are spoken for from certificates awarded at the banquet.
Chest Protectors – The new WKA rule pertaining to chest protectors for junior drivers was discussed. The rule requires all drivers in the 5-7 age group and the 8-12 age group to wear a SFI certified chest protector. The board approved the adoption of this rule for the club, as written, with no grandfather clause. All drivers age 12 and younger will be required to wear a SFI certified chest protector at MSOKC races in 2006. It was noted that one of the SFI certified chest protectors – Armadillo by Valhalla Racing (419-682-1049) – is available for approximately $125-$140. Patrick Willis indicated that Willis Brothers will have these available for purchase.
Class Sponsorship – Mike Unger indicated that it would be beneficial to rejuvenate the class/race sponsorship effort from past years. Various schemes were discussed (e.g., incentives for being or finding a class/race sponsor). Paul Lyda offered to draft a proposal for discussion at the next meeting. A notice should also be posted on the Karting Forum on ohiomotorcycle.com. ACTION – Paul Lyda to draft proposal for next meeting and post notice on the forum. It was also suggested that race schedule cards be made available to visitors to the track for promotional purposes.
Race Schedule for 2006 – After some discussion the race schedule for 2006 was finalized. The schedule differs somewhat from the previous version that was posted on the website. The reason for the difference is that there were conflicts with the track schedule. The official 2006 race schedule is as follows:
Race 1 April 9th Sunday
Race 2 April 23rd Sunday
Race 3 May 6th Saturday (night race)
Race 4 May 21st Sunday
Race 5 June 10th Saturday (night race)
Race 6 June 25th Sunday
Race 7 July 15th Saturday (night race)
Race 8 July 23rd Sunday
Race 9 Aug 6th Sunday
Race 10 Aug 19th Saturday (night race)
Race 11 Sept 10th Sunday
Race 12 Sept 24th Sunday
Rain date 1 Oct 1st Sunday
Rain date 2 Oct 8th Sunday
Class championships will be decided based on the best 9 finishes from the 12 race schedule (3 drops). As before, the race day schedule is as follows:
Sunday – Gates open at 8:00 AM, drivers meeting at 11:30, races start at Noon.
Saturday – Gates open at 2:00 PM, drivers meeting at 4:30, races start at 5:00.
MSOKC Competition Rules – Mike Unger offered to draft a proposal for changes necessary to the MSOKC Competition Rules for the discussion at the next meeting. One item that was discussed was younger drivers racing in a class designated for older drivers. ACTION – Mike Unger to draft proposed rule changes.
Additional Classes for 2006 – The addition of new classes for the 2006 season was discussed – a Yamaha Junior Sportsman class for the 8-12 age group and a Yamaha Junior class for the 12-15 age group, in particular. The idea of a SuperCan Novice class for adults was also discussed.
Rookie Box Intek Engine Program Update – Mike Unger indicated that the Intek engine program for the Rookie Box class was proceeding. He suggested that Butch McCall should be invited to the next meting to give an update pertaining to his plan for purchasing, modifying (removing the governor), sealing, and distributing the engines. ACTION – Bill Bruce to invite Butch McCall to next meeting.
Spec Fuel – The need for and the distribution of spec fuel was discussed. It was agreed that if spec fuel is to be required, then it needs to me made available for purchase at the track. Patrick Willis indicated that Willis Brothers would be willing to be the fuel distributor.
Transponders – Steve Tatman reported that the track is moving forward with the purchase and installation of an AMB scoring system. Approximately 30 transponders will be purchased with the system. These transponders will be made available to rent for $5 per race day per kart for MSOKC events. A proposal was made that would involve the use of the system in 2006 by MSOKC for timing and scoring purposes only (i.e., not for qualifying). The transponders (AMB TranX 160) would be turned in upon exiting the track. The use of personal transponders, which can be purchased in quantities of 10 or more for approximately $200 each, would also be acceptable. Kid Karts would be exempt from the use of transponders. After a discussion pertaining to the benefits of using the system in this manner, the board approved this proposal for the 2006 season.
Public Relations Chairperson – Mike Unger suggested that Bob McConnell would be a good candidate for a non-board-member position of Public Relations Chairperson. ACTION – Mike Unger to contact Bob McConnell.
Banquet Date – Erin Dillon indicated that Friday, November 17, 2006 (one day prior to the OSU vs. Michigan game) was being held by Villa Milano for the banquet. Mike Unger indicated that He would have John/Sandy Fox confirm the arrangements with Villa Milano. ACTION - John/Sandy Fox to confirm arrangements with Villa Milano.
Next Meeting – The next meeting will be Thursday, February 16, 2006, at Plank’s in Grove City unless a better venue is found. Mike Unger indicated that he would try to schedule the meetings for the third Thursday of the month.
Actions – The following is a list of action items from the meeting:
1. Mike Unger to draft a proposal pertaining to the disposition of alternate board members
2. Erin Dillon to draft 2006 membership application.
3. Paul Lyda to draft a proposal and post notice on the forum pertaining to class/race sponsorship
4. Mike Unger to draft proposed rule changes for 2006 season
5. Bill Bruce to invite Butch McCall to next meeting for Intek engine program update
6. Mike Unger to contact Bob McConnell regarding Public Relations Chairperson position
7. John/Sandy Fox to confirm Banquet arrangements with Villa Milano
Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:20 PM.
Note: The names of those making and seconding motions, as well as the voting results, were not recorded at this meeting, which was a secretarial oversight. This information will be captured and included in the minutes in the future.
Bill Bruce
Secretary
MSOKC Board of Directors