I was asked to make a post here to help clarify some of this in public. All of these questions have been discussed with the drivers.
RII Boxes.
Why this box?
After calling many places about building a setup to meet the specs we needed Larry was the one willing to take the time to design the system, build the prototype, and produce it. I've been working with Larry at Birch Communications this year building the prototype and testing to make sure it would do what we needed. This system is designed to work in the elements we need with 2 separate systems killing fire and fuel individual. Using a box thats standardized across the board takes away the possibility of a mistake of having the wrong radio and making this system useless in that time of need. I was also advised to not allow the radios to be public to keep the problem of cheating to a minimum. (X doesn't like Y so he kills his rig) After conversations with many people thats dealt with this type of system in a sport I found that it has been a problem and had to be addressed.
Is he making a profit? I hope so because we need a company that will stick around so they can stand behind the product. I don't know his liability or expense in this product. Is SRRS making an money on this box? No. It's costing me lots of time handling the orders for $0 mark up. The reason Birch wants SRRS to handle the orders was to get the boxes built in bulk (10 or more at a time) to get the price down to what it is. Once I collect orders I hope the number of boxes is enough to try for a better price and refund some $$$ back to each driver.
I've been sent several of the cheap options of the small remote relay options and the range or accuracy is not sufficient. How often do you see someone walking thru the parking lot 100' from their car with the remote to their chin trying to start or unlock their car? To be effective it must work as best possible.
Is this necessary?
Most people agree its needed. I've told the drivers I hope to never use this system but the one time it's needed makes it all worth it. There are times when a driver flips to the bottom of a hill in an open field with wheels down. If this happens when the driver is unconscious and on the gas or the buggy has a mechanical issue this could make the difference in someones life. Most of the drivers want to see bigger payouts and more help with sponsors. For this to happen we have to show the world we are set on taking safety to the best possible level. SRRS started with safety in mind and it shows with the steps made each year to progress. This system wasn't something that was just thrown out right now. It has been talked about the last 2 years and discussed at the drivers meeting at the races this year. We also demonstrated the system in May of this year giving time for the drivers to adapt. We also discussed the HNR system and lots of drivers have started running them this year to get ahead of the curve.
While I'm here I'll explain a little of why I do this. Hill climbing has been something i love since the 3 wheeler days and I've done it ever since. Like some of you my entire family is involved in wheeling and my kids have grown up on the trails. I'll always be on the trails and to be honest I wished i had more time to just wheel with family and friends. Most people who know me know that i put everything i have into anything I'm doing. I like to do things right the first time. SRRS is a passion for me and I love doing it.
SRRS and the elusive "pile of cash".
I would love to just buy all of this safety gear for the drivers but at the end of the day it is about making sure SRRS can continue to operate and grow. This year SRRS drivers went home with over $108,000.00 in cash plus lots of product from various companies. The entry fees for SRRS this year totals around $32,000. Most organizations pay out no more than 100% of entry fees. (SRRS is at around 400%) I will continue to do my best to keep entry fees down and grow payouts for these guys. Other expenses are insurance, banners, course tape, rope, trophies, fuel, stickers, paypal fees, trailer expense, and hotel rooms just to name a few. Multiple trips are made sometimes to prepare a park for an event. The time involved answering calls, helping drivers, coordinating events, working out agreements with sponsors, and doing the events themselves takes tons of time that I miss work to handle. SRRS is my hobby that I actually spend a ton of time and money to do. Am I complaining about it? No. I do it because I love the sport and will continue to work hard to keep growing SRRS. I learn a lot every event and every year to help make each event and each year that much better. In just these 4 short years SRRS with the help of many great people has helped many drivers get sponsors, get driver/buggy features in magazine, event magazine coverage, features on Xtreme 4X4, made SRRS a big part of King Of The Hammers week, and the Discovery Channel feature that was filmed at GrayRock.
I also want to thank the drivers, fans, parks, media, and driver families for the continued growth of SRRS. Got another great year planned for 2016 so keep an eye out on the Southern Rock Racing website.
Speaking of KOH, who's ready for a shootout?