Hello Listers,
I wish Tom Patton the best of luck. He, like so many others, deserves
better. In the mid eighties, at the run-offs in Atlanta, I sat in a
driver's meeting and heard the chairman of the Comp. board tell the
assemblage that the Comp. board would not make any changes that would
prolong the life of the LBCs in competition. In this case it happened to
be F, G & H production. We all assumed that he spoke for the board, since
he _was_ the chairman. He went on to state that, as far as he and the
board were concerned, eventually there wouldn't be any more parts, and
these cars would die a natural death. He was later removed from the board,
it may have had something to do with a conflict of interest.
Some time in the mid eighties I went to the national convention. The
only one I ever went to. Among other things on the business agenda was the
director's promise to make formula 440 a national class. They had been
running as a provisional, regional class until "their numbers were
sufficient" to warrant national status. The membership somehow got word
that the directors had no intention of moving 440s up to national status.
So the membership prepared, and when the topic came up in the meeting, and
the directors tried to gloss over it, there was almost a riot. I am not
exagerating. The 440 people had been promised, and the directors tried to
welch on their promise. It got pretty heated, and the directors, wisely,
gave in. I have no idea what the motivation was for trying to keep 440 out
of national.
The point in all this ancient history. Don't buy off on the nebulous
'they'. Some _person_ or _persons_ makes those decisions. Sometimes it
takes a big hammer to get their attention.
I belonged in the SCCA for over 20 years, and held office, until I got
tired of all the politics.
Fisher Jones
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