September 1 2026 Board Meeting Recap

[Philip A. Young]

September 1 Board Meeting Recap

## Attendance

Scott Boito; Jeff Cox; Dennis Bartlett; Trae Larkin; Cindy Larkin; Austin Greer; Ted V; Chase W; Shawn Gebbia; Randy Adkins; Justin Brown; Chris Harp; Matt McBee.

## Meeting Minutes

The previous meeting minutes were reviewed. No changes were requested.

**Motion to approve previous minutes:** Trae Larkin
**Second:** Scott Boito
**Result:** Approved without opposition.

## Treasury Report

Trae covered the treasury report for Cindy.

Deposits totaled approximately **$8,035** from SCCA and MSR. Major expenses included **$982 to SCCA** and **$327 for Starting Line School lunch**. An additional **$1,100** was deposited into the SOP fund savings.

Jeff noted that another deposit from Tracy is expected to cover the Starting Line School lunch and lot fee, which should further improve the monthly balance.

**Motion to approve treasury report:** Dennis Bartlett
**Second:** Scott Boito
**Result:** Approved without opposition.

## Hill Climb

Hill climb activity is currently quiet. Brushy Mountain is being looked at for the last week of August. The Manchester/Shamrock event is also coming up after Nationals. No major hill climb changes were discussed.

## Solo Program

The next Bristol event is scheduled for **September 26–27**. Saturday will be a **dual cross**, and Sunday will be the final local Bristol event of the season.

Jeff is still waiting to hear back from Bristol about locking in **Memorial Day weekend** for future national events. If that works, Summer Nationals would move to Memorial Day weekend, and the July event would shift around the Fourth of July schedule. The preferred format would be test and tune on Thursday, Pro on Friday/Saturday, Tour on Sunday/Monday.

The group also discussed repeating last year’s Solo Committee meeting before the banquet to lock in next year’s event schedule and chairs. That process worked well and is worth doing again.

A previous discussion about purchasing timing equipment for Pellissippi Motorsports was tabled for now due to other funding priorities.

## Website and Communications

Matt McBee brought up the ETR website and noted that several areas are outdated, including old class information, helmet pricing, CAM references, and other older content.

Proposed website updates include:

* Correcting outdated solo information.
* Adding clearer classing resources and links to the SCCA Solo Classification Assistant.
* Adding car-numbering guidance, including the two-driver/100-number rule.
* Adding clearer event descriptions for test and tune, dual cross, local schools, Starting Line, Evo, and points events.
* Adding better information for Bristol and Pellissippi, including maps or aerial views.
* Adding a more prominent Hill Climb page.
* Linking to nearby autocross clubs and the ETR Facebook group.
* Adding content about Bristol Nationals and why it is a major event for the region.

Chris noted that the current WordPress site needs a new template or a larger refresh. The forum is also aging and currently depends on a personal server, so the group discussed long-term continuity.

Discord was discussed as a possible replacement or supplement to the current forum. Justin and Austin both noted that Discord works well for motorsports teams, event channels, board-only areas, voice meetings, file sharing, and role-based access. Chris also noted that the current forum history should be exported or archived before any major change.

No spending or formal motion was made. Matt, Chris, Justin, and Dave Disney will continue working through the website/forum options and bring back anything that requires board approval.

## Road Racing / Flat Rock

Jeff and Mark Kelsey met with Flat Rock about a possible corner worker partnership.

Flat Rock is planning an eight-race series and would need a minimum of **17 corner workers** per event. The idea discussed was for ETR to help source certified corner workers, with Flat Rock paying ETR and ETR reimbursing the workers for travel and related expenses.

Jeff is working with SCCA contacts to get a list of certified corner workers in the Southeast Division. The board discussed reaching out to ETR members who may want to become certified. Ted explained that the online certification is straightforward and includes reading material, videos, and a quiz.

The group agreed the opportunity is worth exploring because it could help ETR build a stronger relationship with Flat Rock and potentially open the door for future track days or time trial events.

There are still details to work through, including:

* Contract terms.
* Worker reimbursement structure.
* NDA requirements from Flat Rock.
* Whether enough certified workers are available.
* Legal/compliance review before final commitments.

No final commitment was made. Jeff will continue gathering information.

## Closing

The meeting wrapped with well wishes for everyone heading to Nationals.

**Motion to adjourn:** Scott Boito
**Second:** Dennis Bartlett
**Result:** Approved without opposition.

## Follow-Up Items

* **Jeff Cox:** Follow up with Bristol on Memorial Day weekend availability.
* **Jeff Cox:** Continue working with Flat Rock on the corner worker opportunity.
* **Jeff Cox:** Coordinate with SCCA contacts to obtain certified corner worker information.
* **Jeff Cox / Mark Kelsey / Ted V:** Review corner worker recruitment and certification options.
* **Matt McBee:** Continue drafting website updates.
* **Chris Harp:** Assist with website structure, WordPress/template needs, and forum archive options.
* **Justin Brown:** Share Discord experience and help evaluate communications options.
* **Dave Disney / Chris Harp:** Review options for archiving current forum history.
* **Board:** Review any website, forum, or Flat Rock-related spending or agreements before approval.