> DG writes:
>> "If I can't possibly ever win, then I'll eventually get
>> discouraged and stop coming" is probably more like it.
> Consider the majority of Nationals entrants, and ask yourself -
> honestly - how many of them entertain the notion that they have a
> realistic chance of winning their class.
Well, there is a population of people for whom Nationals is really just a big
social event. These people don't care a fig how well they really do, they're
just there for the party.
So we can strip these guys out.
Then there's a population who know that their cars are currently underprepared
or underdeveloped, or that they are still on the steep part of their driving
learning curve. In other words, they know that they're not competitive now, but
they expect to be sometime in the future. Strip those guys out.
I maintain that of the remainder, most expect to have at least *some* shot at
winning.
>> What we have to watch out for are (1)the people who show up and are
>> beaten so badly that they don't see how they could ever possibly win,
> If it's their driving that's causing that, and they won't accept
> that or listen to good advice (I've seen this happen many times,
> BTW), there's not much anyone can do.
Agreed. I was thinking of the specific case of the "street driven car with the
mod not allowed in SP that gets banished to a Mod class". You know, that thing
that STU is designed to address. ;)
>> or (2)the people who show up
>> year after year, keep plugging away, and never get a fair shake.
> So, we wind up with concepts like "the Porsche
> guys don't get a fair deal" as if they can't help it that they're
> Porsche guys (come to think of it, maybe they can't ;<).
Within reason, any car that shows up should be classed in such a way that it
contains the potential to win the class if properly prepared and driven. If one
chooses not to fully prepare the car, or if one chooses (or is unable) to fully
prepare the driver, well, then that's one's own fault. If, however, a
fully-prepared car with a reasonably good driver is unable to be competitive,
then that car/driver deserves the opportunity to compete somewhere where the
playing field is more level.
If one's car of choice is a Suburban... well, then perhaps one is being
unreasonable. If one's car of choice is a Corvette or a Porsche though... isn't
this a "Sports Car" Club?
Inclusivity is a good thing.
DG
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