----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Johnson <rjohnson@friendlynet.com>
To: Martin, William A <MartinWA2@navair.navy.mil>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 12:19 PM
Subject: Re: STS Tires - best way!!!
>
> > First, I agree your doomsday scenario could happen -- you say it's
> happened
> > before; I'll trust you on that.
>
Probably a dozen times that I am aware of. Probably at least that many
that I am NOT aware of. Bill, while you were off in the world of all out
race-tires and slicks, there was a REAL revolution happening in the DOT
world.
>
> > But you're insisting on launching a pre-emptive strike for a problem we
> > don't currently have, and it's only speculation that it will occur in
the
> > future. I really wouldn't object to a pre-emptive strike if any options
> > were palatable, but none of those four are. In my opinion a broad
> inclusion
> > list is palatable, but I agree it's a less secure f
>
My hands are fine now; however I speculate that if I lay them on a hot
burner
on my stove, I will get burnt. My speculation record is pretty good here -
Every time I put my hand on that damn burner, it hurts. Every single
time.
The chances of STS staying this pure, clean, pristing class you envision
are
nil. Zero. Putting your head in the sand and denying the clear potential
for this problem, given the history, is denial.
>
>
> > One -- no fix is struck in concrete. If a gentle one doesn't work, a
more
> > radical one can follow.
>
This assumes that you will KNOW when there is a problem. In one on my list
of 'case histories', it took two years before we knew. Two years, two
National Championships, lots of sponsorship dollars & recognition
for the driver involved. Big advertising dollars from the car sponsors.
STS is supposed to be an attractive class to the marketers. They think
this is their ticket to the youth crowd, far more so than our other
existing
classes. Look at what Toyo is spending, for example, with the NIRA
program. If a tire company wants to win STS at the National level, they
will. That simple.
> >
> > Two -- Who's ox is being gored here? I've been running STS locally for
a
> > little over a year. I don't hear any wailing and teeth mashing from
> STS'ers
> > on the subject. If we proceed into national status, and the doomsday
tire
> > thing happens, let the STS'ers lead the fix -- They're the ones being
> hurt.
>
Great - I take that as you volunteering for the Protest Committee that will
have to deal with the issue WHEN it happens. Not IF, but WHEN.
I wouldn't expect the relatively new (compared to you and I) folks in the
sport
to know the detail of our history to recognize the clear, potential
problem.
A handful are charging full speed ahead for National status, and there
are some clearly identifiable roadblocks - '140' is clearly the major one.
>
> > Also, I don't mean to accuse you of an agenda -- I have highest
respect.
> > But I remember when you lead the good fight to keep street tires out of
> > stock category with the rallying cry of " they won't work - they'll
> chunk -
> > it'll cost even more, etc". Well, street tires are here now in STS and
> > somewhat to my dismay they seem to work fine. I say dismay because I'd
> > rather run STR but all the competition went STS. What I mean to say is
> that
> > often "can't be done" is cover for "I don't want it to be done". Is it
> > possible there's an undercurrent that if street tires work for STS then
> they
> > might be imposed on Stock Category?
>
-My initial post on this thread referenced the inconsistency of saying that
street tire rules can't be enforced in Stock, yet we assume that they can
be
in
STS. This is a HUGE inconsistency, as you have identified.
-In the days of yore, when discussing this issue for Stock, I was not on
the
'chunking' team - my arguments have long been along the lines of
enforcability.
-You might be aware that my long-term arrangement with BFG has ended,
so I am a bit more at liberty to express clearer opinions.
-Personally, I would love to have the entire Stock Category on 'street'
tires.
This would be a major help in recruitment at the local levels. I still
don't
think there is a way to enforce this for an entire category. For a single
class,
Spec Tire or Spec Vendor is the only option on the table now that seems
workable.
-And tire technology has come a LONG distance in getting away from the tire
reliability & wear problems we saw when running 'street' tires in the early
80's.
>
>
> >
> > I say make STS a national class -- they met the opening bid. Leave the
> tire
> > rules alone until you have badness data to work with. It's not a
perfect
> > world. Let's have fun anyway.
>
If you are in this for the fun & simplicity, I would agree. But knowing
your
record at National Solo II events (6 wins, 7 times 2nd, and 7 other
trophies
in 23 tries, #4 on Rocky's "Who's Who" list) I would be VERY surprised if
you
would head to Topeka in this class with any other thought than winning.
When you find out two years later that you got beat by illegal tires, I
surely
hope you remember that "it's not a perfect world". And that you had a
chance
to engage a "pre-emptive strike" that could have mitigated the problem.
>
> >
> > -- Bill Martin
>
Roger Johnson II
> >
>
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