>I realize some (few, based on what I read in this list) of
>y'all are serious competitors at the national level, and the
>issues of shift knob weight or whatever are of legitimate concern
>to those who may have beaucoup bucks invested, but please don't
>take offense if you overhear some of us real grassroots types
>chuckling gently in the background.
>
>Three or four year$ from now my little rotary rowboat may
>actually *BE* an FP race car, but even then I'll just be
>out to have a blast, like _most_ everybody else in autox-ing.
>"Spin or win, it's a grin".
I may be the only one here who feels this way, but a lot of the
enjoyment of autox for me is seeing what I can get out of the car
while still following the rules. I love the driving...don't think for
a second that that isn't true, but it's a challenge to stay between
the lines while changing anything on the car. I LIKE that. While
I may not protest you for having a grey area, I WILL look down
on you as a competitor if you don't follow the rules. I look at a
car, see an aftermarket shift knob (which can be a HUGE
advantage on some cars....a poor man's short shift kit) and wonder
what else has been subjected to the grey area. After all, if you're
going to wave a technical rule book violation in the open, what
have you done that can't be seen?
I run a 1986 Cressida in DM....I put a turbo on it, so it's definitely
mod, and I want to run in the same class that my MR2 can run in
(too small for EM). The times aren't what you'd consider for DM
at all....and I could probably get away with running in ESP or whatever
SP class this beast falls in (and still lose)...but I don't, because I
know the rules don't allow it. I run a 1993 Mr2 Turbo in EM because
I turned the boost up. It has crappy street tires that give me no traction
and I run behind a couple ASP folks on race tires....I could run ASP
locally - but I don't.
My dedicated autocrosser is a 1986 MR2. It's a CSP car, and it will
always be a CSP car. I'm building the engine, and the rulebook is
going to the machine shop with me. If it's not in the rulebook, it won't
be done. I was going to put a 7 rib 4A-GZE block in it for the stronger
block and bottom end. It wouldn't have given me a performance
advantage and would probably have added some weight to the car....
but I decided not to because I'D know that it wasn't legal.
My point? I don't see it as weenie/bickering/petty if someone calls you
on an illegal mod. The rulebook is there for everyone, and for some of
us, the sport is a lot less fun when we see blatant disregard for it. An
STS competitor last month pointed out that someone in the class was
on Nitto Drag radials (treadwear of 120 or so) and asked that he run in
the proper class. The Dragger got all bent out of shape and sulked for
the rest of the event.....should we feel that the Dragger is the one to be
pitied? Technically....he was cheating. He had no right to be in that
class
and he was sapping some of the enjoyment for the other people in his
class.
Wow....it looks like I'm trying to make up for my lack of posting in one
fell
swoop...
David 'unemployed and suddenly verbos' Hawkins
86 MR2 CSP w/rod knock
93 Mr2 Turbo EM
86 Cressida EM
86 Cressida HS
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