Gee, my first thought from my point of view as a new owner of an '85
4-cyl Fiero and former HS'er in 10-year-old-rust-buckets was "no way!."
Then I got to thinking a bit more rationally, and a time limit on stock
eligibility does make sense, if there is a sensible place to go after
stock category. Only having to track relatively new cars would make the
lives of the rules makers easier, as they wouldn't have to eventually
put every car now in existence in HS, eventually, due to improved
automotive technology. Maybe a sensible place for older stock cars
would be, as suggested by someone else, a regional-only vintage class,
with PAX based on the last stock class the car was in before losing
eligibility for stock. Some would say, "What about folks with older
cars who want to run Nats?" For them, there will always be the "higher"
categories, such as SP. You might complain that some folks want to stay
in Stock. However, I don't think this would be a real problem, because,
I believe, there are generally three kinds of people who own cars older
than 7 years of age (of course, as with all generalities, dozens of
exceptions will be found, but I know the risk I'm taking here.)
1. Poor people. If you don't have much money, you can't be very
competitive. Their cars usually live, as they do, from paycheck to
paycheck, without benefit of wash and wax, but usually reduced in weight
by mother nature to equalize the weight gains of the owners. I live on
the outskirts of this town. Folks around here aren't going to Nationals
anytime soon.
2. Collectors/historians/purists/stuck in the sixties. Their cars are
the opposite of the poor people on the cared-for scale, but will never
be improved from they day they left the showroom floor. The car-show
crowd doesn't even like to put oil in their engines, anymore, lest they
drip one drop on the floor of the show. Some might stray far enough
from the fold to actually participate in an autocross, but have little
or no fear of actually collecting a trophy, only a few grins. Nobody
here would go to Nats expecting a trophy other than for a show 'n'
shine.
3. Drivers. Their cars are objects of desire, love, lust, even life.
These folks have relationships with their cars on all levels, and
actually do interesting things with their cars. They look for ways to
make their cars better than new. They wouldn't stay in stock classes
for long, anyway. It's too restrictive. Given unlimited funds, they'd
probably end up in very interesting mod cars. With a little cash (or a
bit of plastic,) they'll be at the Nationals, and be competitive,
somehow.
So, is there life after Stock?
Yes. Just that, for it to be rewarding, there must be a sensible place
(or places) to go. I'm not entirely sure if there is such a place for
all, but at least this year's new FSP does work for me and my Fiero
(I've been bottom-feeding around DFL, so far, this year, but the car
does have potential with some development, at least regionally.)
Enough for now. My fingers are getting tired. ;^)
Chuck (Bony Fingers) Schultz
----------------------------
Kevin Stevens wrote:
>
> It's simpler than that. Expire Stock class eligibility after 7-10 years.
--
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