I too was confused at who I saw in the National series in Ft Meyers. After
a little thought, I came to this conclusion:
Pro Solo is trying to step it up a level. The Net result of this is more
payouts and more classes. I to am on the cusp of a SS competitor and a P2
competitor, but I feel you only get better if you get a whoopin' once in a
while. <Actually Randy, I think you sent me packing at the 1997 Pro
Finale, round 2, Open Challenge...> It really isn't fair to require a
driver to pay more money for a license and more money to enter if they don'
want to. So Mark Chiles is a multi-time National Champion, what if he
drove a car that doesn't 'fit' into the current Pro classing scheme? The
SS RX-7 wasn't going to be classed until the zero hour. We are now running
against CSP and ESP Supra's and DSM's. A good fit? I think so. But if
the National office didn't find a spot for these cars, you would have the
likes of Erik Strelnieks in Open SS. Not his fault, he isn't going to sell
the family RX-7...
What I am afraid may happen is that there just aren't enough competitors
coming to these events to fill up the Open classes. In SS at Ft. Meyers,
FS got bumped to AS and that group got bumped to SS...three classes for a
total of 8 cars.
I challenge all of you to get some of your local 'shoes' to try the closest
Pro. They will love it.
AB
Andy Bettencourt
Solo II Stock Class Advisory Committee
Chief Operating Steward, NER
1995 Mazda RX7 R2 - Super Stock
1966 Sunbeam Tiger MK 1A
Hello, I would like some feedback on this issue. If you don't care about
Pros, please delete.
Previously, ProSolo experimented with a "Club Class" and an Open Class.
It seemed the intent of the Club Class was to give some of us, less
seasoned drivers, a chance to play in a challenge, and secondarily to
run against each other and not the Open class guys. We did however run
the club drivers against the Open driver in each class.
Now, I ran club (since I consider myself a bit below the level of the
Open Class drivers), but I enjoyed running against Kevin Bailey in my
class. Frankly, being staged against Kevin at the lights was really cool
to me, I could see how well (or bad) I was doing against one of the best
drivers in my class. This method also helped fill a class with more
drivers.
Anyways, in the old scheme, there was some grumblings about certain fast
drivers who chose to run club. There was a rule to help deal with this,
I think it was that anyone finishing in the top three trophy spots
nationally in Pro, HAD to run in the Open Class. The thought being that
maybe a very fast driver could romp over the Club Class, but only for
one year. Not perfect, but it seemed to work.
Now, the new definitions of National Series and Pro series are
different. I don't see the intent of the two series as the same as the
previous Club and Open classes. Pro is for those who want to take the
sport to the next level as far as appearance, potential payouts,
prefessionalism. Nationals is for everyone else...regardless of ability.
Yes?
I received a private e-mail questioning if certain people should even be
allowed to run in the National Series (I am flattered to have been
included in that group)...and I know there was some thought about Chiles
on the east coast. Frankly, I wondered the same thing about if I should
run in the Pro Series, but I don't see myself having the level of
commitment as almost EVERYONE of those drivers. I don't even own an air
tank, trailer...I aligned my car over a year ago...and I ran on Toyos
because they were cheaper..I last tuned my car...uh...1996?. 8)
I would like some feedback on this. Should there be some system that
pushes the fastest drivers to Pro, or does that work in the new Pro
philosophy (I think it doesn't).
Perhaps the rule should be "if you trailer your stock car...run in Pro"
hehhe...
Frankly, the monetary incentive to run Pro is not there if I can finish
2nd in CS and be in the challenges, or finish "also ran" in P5 and be
out of the Pro Challenges.
Thoughts?????
Randy Chase (just found out that the New York Autoshow is the same time
as the San Diego Autoshow..now wondering if we will see the MR-Spyder
and S2000)
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