Thanks for hanging it out there and contributing your thoughts and
feelings, Larry.
Engstroms
>I had tried to keep my mouth shut, but with some new interest and articles
>posted I thought I might jump back in and state some issues.
>
>Re: Parity, I am still of the opinion that the solo vees have not
>reached real parity. From the observations of the multitude of comments
>seen on this media last Fall, I am convinced that the attempt at total
>agreement for a proposal will not happen. Hay guys we are competitors and
>the nature of competition is not to agree.
>
>Some are saying there needs to be a good comparison to know for sure. I
>suggest that we never will ever have a really scientifically controlled
>situation wherein we have an even share of both cars fully prepared, and
>have an equal number of outstanding drivers to measure the real potnetial.
>If we ever get close to this, there still will not be unanomous agreement
>as to the result. We can not agree on the president either! I hope you
>guys can prove me wrong!
>
>The best example was the vees that trophied at Kansas. They did a good job
>representing vees, but were not as close to the winning times as many would
>have liked. One or two seconds back is not parity.
>
>(boring!) I do not know about others, but my car has been developed over
>the past two years, first year the engine is built to the limits ($900
>heads within the rules) although carb can be improved some, and then this
>last year the tranny was developed significantly. Evansville was its first
>time out as such, driver was very rusty, and then the tires were going
>away as the rest of the year developed.
>
>Mid year this coming year we might see it show some of its potential,
>especially if Bob Monday joins my efforts. My health has interferred with
>getting the owner/driver back competitive.
>
>I have said before, I prefer returning to the legal formula vee, and
>finding a place for it.
>
>I suggest that solo competition should be driving skill, but it is becoming
>in all classes, competition in engineering and negociating out better
>classing.
>
>I enjoy my solo vee, and would like to seem some more mods, but I do not
>see this as the way to parity. I suggest that single class is the only
>real parity, and the political environment is such that this will not
>happen in my lifetime. My meaning, a class for F5 only and a class for
>vees only, either way solo vee or strictly legal formula vee.
>
>Protest rules issue
>I had thought I would never discuss this opinion, but you guys got me
>started. I very much do not wish the following to offend James Murphy and
>Clint, as I highly respect their efforts and I was soundly beat at
>Evansville with go driving and good engineering on their part. I admire
>what you did this year with that car!
>
>>From a purely intellectual view of the protest at Kansas I question the
>results. I do not understand how a clearly measured illegal car can be
>given a national trophy. Our 25 years of making the nationals such a well
>respected and highly regarded goal. We all expend considerable amount of
>effort and expense to pursue such a reward, and then we reward it to cars
>considered to be illegal for the class. The awards would seem to be best
>for the fastest legal cars that competed. End of comment on that, hope
>Clint and Jim will talk to me the next time I see them.
>
>I believe the vee is not quite up to parity, and that with the way the F5's
>are actively racing, they will continue to move ahead through development.
>
>Another factor.
>It is my opinion that finances is the big issue facing the class. First
>class prepared equipment is based upon money.....some may make it with
>engineering and lots of work, but money is becoming much more an issue than
>it has in the past years. Two years back the new engine was more than the
>cost of the vee, engine, and trailer when I bought it in 1979. The tranny
>and set of tires last year equals the original price of the car in '79.
>The winning is more and more becoming less a measure of real driving skill
>( it is driving skill of those who have the top equipment), and much more a
>measure of ability to finance first rate equipment, engineer those unfair
>advantages, and then have the opportunity for the best drivers to use that
>equipment. Even in stock classes, good drivers are way behind the
>engineers who work continually on shocks, alignment, tire choice, etc.
>
>Most of our national champions are eating, sleeping, and doing lots of
>travelling centered around soloing. Where is the enjoyable Sunday
>afternoon car experience yf years past?
>
>The club is facing concerns about no new blood. I have seen several young
>men attempt to break into F mod locally, one with a vee, another with a
>440, but they have fallen to the wayside, not having the resources and the
>many hours and endless week-ends of committment to reach a level of some
>success, even at a local event. That was a very expensive near last place
>I purchased at Evansville last July!
>
> My 1972 Honda had only one set of tires and an 80% winning rate during its
>6 years of solo competition. The game of solo competition is much
>different now. Sort of like when Bobby Unser was talking, in 1967 he had
>an open trailer hauling his Indy winning car behind a van, but now look at
>the transporters and investment in the cars. We are going that direction,
>even though most of the F mod. still have only homebuilt open trailers and
>old cars. We are a class ripe for the big money to run us off.
>
>Events Schedule.
>Sorry, I can not stop. I am also one that longs for the good old days when
>you could enjoy a solo on one day, and have the rest of the week-end for
>family and/or home chores. Everyone is turning to two day events, which
>turn into major physical endurance projects, walk the course 6-8 times,
>work the course 1-2 hours, change tires and drive, then second day same
>routine, plus loading and driving home. I didn't count the late night
>party. Many of us had our early experience and got hooked when we had
>spare time on the week-ends for other things in life also. It took us
>years to get interested enough to spend so many week-ends and turn it into
>a way fo life. Those days it was only one or two long week-ends a year.
>Gosh we even got to go on a family vacation away from soloing.
>
>I advocate for keeping things more simple, one day events. Even two day
>events , but only running one day would be more enjoyable to my liking.
>
>OK, guys this should get some writing activity going!!
>
>Larry
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