Gentlemen:
I need your advice. I am relocating to the West Coast soon. For the past
eight years I have raced extensively in the East in both VSCCA and SVRA
events. Most recently I have campaigned a '60 Lotus 18 FJ as well as a '63
Lotus Elan that is "near 26R" spec. The 18 usually places in the top 3 in
its SVRA class/VSSCCA group while the Elan is usually first or second in
class and top 4-5 in SVRA Group 8. Although not usually placed in the same
group,the Elan gives away 1 to 4 seconds in qualifying time to the Gil Nickel
and Dirk Layer 26R's, depending on length of circuit, when those fellows are
racing out here.
What I need to find out is does it make sense to take one or both of these
cars out West based on the rules and (unwritten?) policies of the car
classification committees of the primary vintage racing organizations in the
region. Secondly, based on your view as to how the cars would be classified,
would they be competitive in their respective groups and classes?
Some additional info may be helpful: the 18 is "pukka", has the original
spec Renault-based transaxle (Query: can I run a Hewland box instead?), and
dynos at 105 HP. The Elan is rather more utilitarian but is very presentable
nevertheless. Although it dynos at over 185 HP, it does not have a dry sump
oil system. The car is shod with Dunlops on 5 1/2" wheels beneath 26R fender
flares. My only prior West Coast racing experience was in a Jaguar XK 140MC
OTS I ran at Monterey in '90.
I would be grateful for any insights active West Coast vintage racers could
offer and look foward to meeting many of you in the seasons ahead.
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