Yeah, we have what we call "work/run" events. To run in a group, you have to work in another group. Mostly course workers to pick up cones and guys on radios to call in cone counts (each cone you knock down is a 2 second penalty). There's the guy waving the starting flag, who has to be experienced enough to space cars close enough together to keep things moving, and far enough apart to avoid problems. The guy on the chair after the finish line that hands you your time on a post-it note. In the trailer there's someone on radio responding to the cone count calls, someone taking down everyone's score, someone running the timing clock, and someone announcing. Then there's one guy stuck out at the entrance gate making sure everybody signs the liability waver before they come into the pit area.

All these positions are filled with racers who are running in another group. Most of the money goes towards renting the lot and insurance. There are also trophies for every event (though they don't materialize for a couple of weeks). What's left over goes to the club that runs the event.

The club that's running the event has an event chairperson to oversee it all, a crew chief to make sure there are enough workers for a run group, and a safety steward to make sure the event is run safely. Club members come early and design and setup the course and trailer, fill in work positions that are empty throughout the day, and cleanup at the end of the event.

Now, if you're one of those lazies that makes your runs and don't work, you get a big, fat "DNW" listed in the scores (Did Not Work) and your times are not posted, and your name appears in a specially designated box at the bottom of the score sheet. If you do it twice in a year, your number will be suspended and you won't be allowed to play for the rest of the year. They do this because it's not fair to the regulars to have to pick up the extra slack. If you don't work, a club member has to fill your spot.

It's not a bad deal, really. Course work isn't tedious. It's fun. You get great track-side seats to the action, and you can watch how the better drivers attack tricky parts of the course to aid you when it's your turn.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter