One thing that is being lost (in addition to trees) in this recent spate of Spa changes is a sense of egalitarianism that permeated at least part of the facility. As a denizen of the backyard, I was, on occasion, annoyed by the "tourists" and the amusement park vibe, but at the same time, I appreciated the fact that the sport and experience I love was able to be shared by people other than the Whitneys and hardcore racing degenerates like myself. I also assumed that, as had been the case for me, this kind of outing would serve as a gateway drug for many, and help stem the tide of attrition afflicting the sport, evidence of which is provided daily in the obit column.

I'm sure that some MBA metrics wonk has run the numbers for Chris Kay (my own eyeballing of the figures suggests the picnic table surcharge could add close to half a million to the coffers). Does that move the meter on the bottom line sufficiently to overcome concerns about keeping out potential new customers? There is no way to know that. For one family, coming on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, that's now $160 that gets added to the trip expense. That will be a deal breaker for some. Of course, they wouldn't be adding to the bottom line of the handle very much anyway, but the problem is that they won't be replaced by those who will, because they're either already there, or have opted out of the live experience altogether. The casualties, however, might be to potential customers who may now never set foot inside the best race track experience in the country, which really makes it a growth issue. But, Chris Kay, like many CEO's, need only be concerned about the bottom line of the moment. Apres lui, le deluge.