Well Tigerfanatics & Funbeamers alike,
This time you can not blame me for bringing up the subject about the
controversial Trophy system.
So far all have a point, and I first and fore-most enjoy the fellowship of
the meets, but times have changed since I joined the Tiger community.
Back 8-10 years ago, most cars where modified or personalized, and the
owners restorations did not entail HUGE $$$$, not so today.
If I compare as an example Mammoth United, there where maybe 4 cars in the
true stock class, and as I remember, Stan Clark, took 1st place.
Today we could realistically have 20 or so cars, that have more than 30K
invested, in making them as close to original as possible.
This makes it imperative, that a true and tested system of judging, be
adopted.
Norm had it right for Eureka, he was going to use the pretty much standard
system, like the Shelby Club as well as the Jaguar Club, and the system I
helped implement for the Volvo 1800 club, years ago.
It is competition, it is fun, and we need to get more classes, and
especially the Masters class, again this class would embrace the past
winners of (3) wins, and then moves to that class.
It is not fair to the owners of those cars that always get the #1 to not
have superior competition, as well as no incentive for the participants to
enter, if 1st and 2nd place is already decided.
Also a category for Special interest cars, as they can not be competing in a
stock class as a production car, when maybe it was a one off or special
coach work car.
We all LOVE them, but we can not compete against a $ 75,000 or a $ 300.000
car??
And many of us restored our own, and did not send them out for a
professional shop restoration.
Some clubs have a class for owner resto & professional resto, as well as
driver car vs. towed to the event cars.
The events must be interesting to all participants, some come only for the
auto-cross, something that I enjoy to watch, but will never enter. Others
like the Rally, and some want to be recognized for painstaking work and many
many hours of detailing, right down to the correct stickers and such.
And I know that no one would complain about paying another $10 or $15.00
entry fee to get a classy trophy or add some extra for classes added.
What ever we do, please let's once and for all create a system that is
equitable for all, is something that I do not think will go away.
Now I know that one of the reasons that Norms fantastic form was abandoned,
was that some wore worried that it would cater to the ORIGINAL/STOCK cars,
and that the Modified's and Personalized cars, would be unable to obtain the
Lord Rootes trophy.
Maybe that should be so, after all, Lord Rootes never did see a fire
breathing, supercharged, 500HP Nitrous injected BEASTS, at his factory.
Maybe we should add a second trophy, the Shelby Trophy, or something like
that??
Please take this rather lengthy note as a positive, and not as criticism,
and change is GOOD...
To all a VERY HAPPY & HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON !!!
Jan...
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