I have to admit that it really upsets me that the daVinci Days race was cancelled this summer. I have expressed to daVinci Days how the loss of this event is sad for several reasons. I am hoping other will also express their disappointment.
When they said they did not volunteers to run the event I said I could come up with those and volunteered to host the event. Then they added some other things and I said we could handle that as well. Then the could not provide or pay for insurance and also decided to not post any information about the event in their flyers or news spots so the event would not be part of daVinci Days. Those were the final killers.
-This it what daVinci Days is all about..Young people engineering, designing, building, operating, repairing, etc. a device from the ground up.
-There is history to this race...It was the longest running Electrathon event in America and I think the world
-There are a number of spectators and fans that have moved all around Corvallis with the event changing locations nearly every year over the 18 years (or 19?) of this event. Every year we have many fans come by to say this is one of their favorite events and ask questions of our students and older participants about the race and electric cars.
I hope that some of you will also voice your disappointment about the loss of this fun, educational, entertaining event. The daVinci Days coordinator this year is Nicole Beachboard-Dodson and her email is davinci@davinci-days.org
I agree this is very sad. I have seen so many times over the years where this sort of stuff happens for the political vandeta of likely one or two people. The part that I have always liked about this race was the number of people that came to watch the race. It was in the public eye, people came to watch and learn. The concept was perfect with the concept of daVinchi days. We had one family that came every year and looked for/talked to us about the race.
I see on the daVinchi days site that under races they still have pictures posted of Electrathons. So whoever decided to eliminate the race evidently did not have the authotity to do a total erase it from the website.
I can agree with Aaron and Mike on when people come up to ask questions about the cars/teams. I remember last year several people came up to me before and especially after the race on the second day last year asking the usual: Are you part of a team? Did you build it? What's involved with making a car? Have any pointers? etc. etc.
I was always happy to tell people about my car and sorts of insight of electrathon racing so they would understand what the purpose of electrathon racing is all about. I was looking forward to being in Corvallis this summer for just that. Now it looks as though no one will be able to race at da Vinci days from now on. I really did like the course that was set up last year at Resser Stadium, especially when we got to go backwards the second day. Honestly, I had no idea that the da Vinci day's race was the oldest race in America, yet the world according to Aaron.
But Mike does have a point,
-This it what daVinci Days is all about..Young people engineering, designing, building, operating, repairing, etc. a device from the ground up.
who is going to be the new engineers of tomorrow in the next decade or so?
I called daVinchi days office today and talked to Nicole. I asked her when the Electrathon was because I did not see it on the schedule. I was informed that she is new and only been there since December and that the decision to not have the race was made before she was there. Interesting. There is also an article in the Corvalis Gazette about daVinchi days. There is an acknowledgement saying:
Beachboard said that one of main reasons was because da Vinci Days lost the sponsorship dollars needed to run the event. Another reason was that the Electrathon Gran Prix requires a lot of leadership and volunteers to run smoothly and it just didnt have them this year.
The article is located here: http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/celebrating-corvalls-da-vinci-days-opens-this-weekend/article_c8ba175e-d071-11e1-8c92-001a4bcf887a.html
So has anyone figured out the truth yet? It will be interesting if we ever do find out the real season for the race being canceled.
I think, initially it was a lack of volunteers but when I offered to cover it all and many of you volunteered that was solved. The final decision I feel was based on that they just decided it was not a 'major draw' and they felt it was too much of a liability to carry their own insurance as they have in the past. So, with money tight and Entek, the sponsor for the last years, decided not to donate money they did not want to put limited $$$$ into the event and decided to use them in other places. I think if we can find another sponsor by early May I can get them to add it back into the weekend events as long as I can get all of you to volunteer again.
Kirk forwarded the article from the Corvallis Gazette to me yesterday.
