>>segments of a post from Jack Woehrle<<
>When vintage racing really started rolling someone coined the terms VINTAGE
>and HISTORIC. I started in 1983 and at that time most organizations
considered
>vintage cars to be at least 20 years old and historic cars to be at least
10.
>snip<
>It is all a matter of perspective. History shows that organizations that
don't
>recruit younger members eventually die. I'm sure that some of us would say
"so
>what". Since I expect to have many more years of active racing (I'm 53),
and
>since a lot of you will be pushing daisies before I'm done, I don't wish to
>race alone. I like big fields. I wish all the other cars were slower and
had
>poorer drivers than me. I also wished for a Lionel train set and got a Marx
>wind-up.
>
>That is my logic.
>
>Jack Woehrle
Jack, you and I certainly agree that the key to the future of vintage racing
is the driver/members. It seems the average age of a new vintage racer is
still about 45, that hasn't changed much from 10 years ago, but those of us
that have been in vintage racing that long are 10 years older. Maybe what
you should say is newer members, not younger members.
Most vintage racers start with the cars they loved in their late teens and
early 20's and that still leaves us in the 70-75 period for most new
drivers. That is the period where SCCA and IMSA professional sedan and
production based series switched to wings, slicks and tube frame look-alike
cars. Then amateur racing cars were still built from production cars. I
suggest that new drivers are more likely interested in the production cars
of the era from 63 to 72 than the tube frames from 75-85. My son's
generation (Sean is 24) still prefers pre 1975 cars to the bland econoboxes
produced from 75 to the present. Sports racing and formula cars were always
purpose built racers, advancing their production years is a separate and
distinct issue. In a way, after 75 so called "production cars" were
actually sports racing cars with production appearance.
A significant difference between production cars now raced in SCCA and the
cars now raced in the current premier vintage racing groups is summed up in
one word "investment". Like it or not, there are three key attractions
built into that word. First, we are racing cars that tend to hold their
value (might even go up!). Second, we hope we are surrounded by others who
drive like they have some interest in protecting their investments (cars or
backsides, you choose). And third, we have prepared them to a fixed
standard vs. a moving target so we don't have to update every year to stay
competitive. All three require some "maturity" to appreciate. If newer cars
means "cheaper cars" that might be counterproductive. There is plenty of
opportunity in SVRA for racers on a budget. Excellent Group 1 racers sell
for less than $10,000, race ready. But if you want to go 175 mph for
$10,000..... That’s different. Newer cars might hold the short term promise
of larger numbers on the entry list, but SVRA didn't set an entry record at
Watkins Glen because they had a large group 10 entry. In fact I think the
Exhibition group that they replaced would have had a more entries at that
event.
Special events bring out the really great cars or really large numbers of
cars, not loose or moving standards. After a year of trying to take some of
the newer car business away from HSR maybe it is time to reconsider. HSR
gives drivers of these cars plenty of weekends to race and at many of the
same tracks.
One less race group and more track time per group might lead to larger total
entry numbers. Happier racers too. People who want to chase newer cars
into a catch-all group may not have considered that the group takes 1/9th of
their track time away.
That is my logic.
Thanks, Jack for all you do. You continue to do a very difficult job in an
excellent and tactful fashion while being pressured in both directions
constantly. I realize that I am part of the pressure and therefore part of
the problem, but alas, pressure is also part of the solution.
By the way, I will really miss the Road Atlanta event (are you listening,
Peter?). I have been at that track almost every year since it opened in
1970 as a corner worker, spectator and a racer. It seems safer and more
user friendly than ever and now has world-wide attention thanks to Petit
Lemans, CART and the fifth member of the Road Atlanta Flying Squadron
Pat Ryan
-- "SVRA is one-third race, one-third car show and one-third party; any one
of which is worth winning."
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