Let me again state for the record; I am not in charge of ECXC or NEXTerra. I do not make the ECXC rules or any rules. I am one voice among an appointed few that have the ear of those who have been elected (more than once) to run NEXTerra and in turn ECXC.
First off why would a non-Xterra driver help with (and pay for) ECXC if he/she wasn’t allowed to wheel it and join in the events activities?
They would not.
Why does NEXterra need a non-Xterra drivers help to organize ECXC?
According to the NEXterra bylaws NEXterra has in place an elected hierarchy that includes non-Xterra folk. These folks cannot be excluded from any NEXterra run and/or event.
NEXterra has in place an Events Committee with a system to run all its events staffed Supporting Club Members that include non-Xterra folk. These folks cannot be excluded from any NEXterra run and/or event.
Mike G. and the Mid-Atlantic Xterra Club (MAXC), the originators of ECXC have asked NEXterra to run ECXC knowing that this is the case. NEXterra has not changed any rule that was in place when they took control of the event from Mike G. and MAXC.
Mike G. knew and knows that NEXterra has the ability and correct attitude to carry on what he started.
MAXC and now NEXterra host The East Coast Xterra Challenge.
[1] Only Xterra owners/drivers can register for ECXC.
[2] Non-Xterra sponsors may attend.
[3] Non-Xterra Staff can pay in full and attend
[4] The Saturday raffle is open to fully paid ECXC participants only
No non-Xterra are allowed for this one event, ECXC. Exceptions are made for ECXC Staff and ECXC Sponsors as it has always been.
The first group I ever ran with at ECXC years ago was the NJAX group lead by their president, Jorge, who was driving a Jeep!
The MAXC member who set up the ECXC Groups before me, Will, drove an IH Scout during the event for years and many ECXC Sponsors have attended driving all kinds of different vehicles.
Most folks I talk to about ECXC are and have been happy with the event year after year.
My hope is that NEXterra does not change the precedent that has been set since the beginning because some unhappy folk that cannot wheel this one event with their non-Xterra friend have complained.
The goal of ECXC as I see it is not really “to grow the event, make it even bigger than it has been in the past”, attract new and more sponsors. That would be okay but not the goal. That is going to get more difficult as time passes since the Xterra is no longer in production.
I view the event as "The East Coast Xterra Challenge, a Celebration of the Nissan Xterra" and would rather it dwindle down to me with two or three Xterra drivers with Suresh in his Jeep and seven or more non-Xterra Staff making sure I have a good time than have anything change.