[Nate Smith]

As someone who's worked numerous post- and pre-season events, I'd have to say that they're very important. Not only does it give teams a chance to try out new ideas, new drivers, etc. but for those events I call "pre-season" (those in September, October, etc.) it gives the new incoming team members(students and otherwise) an idea of what they're in for when the real thing comes around in January. True, for the majority of them, they're not building a new machine(CDI and OCCRA being the only exceptions that I know of,) but the whole event atmosphere takes a bit of getting used to...