>Re: Moving the dates for eligability
>
Picking up on the thoughts expressed by Geraint Owen last week concerning
the eligability for Vintage Racing, readers of the list may be interested
in my observations of the position in Sydney, Australia.
The Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia VSCCA had its 50th Anniversary in
Sydney in 1994 at which time the club had approximately 186 members in New
South Wales. Some of whom were in fact founding members of the club.
Eligability over the years has been held to the stricter definition of
vehicle such that, as I review a comprehensive list of current members'
vehicles, the cutoff seems to be predominately 1930 with exception granted
to T type MGs which were included many years ago as a sub register.
With time this has created quite a dilemma for the club which is now being
seen as likely to threaten the very future survival of the club. For as the
average age of current members advances and the cost of entry level
vehicles increases it has being noted for some time that new members are
just not joining the club.
Considerable time has been spent debating this problem without any really
satisfactory suggestions/solutions yet having come forward.
Historic or Vintage Racing has virtually been relegated now to the Historic
Sports and Racing Car Association of New South Wales (HSRCA) which is now
racing vehicles up to the mid '70's. Regularity events are run for the
older/slower/more valuable/historic vehicles which takes into account the
age/condition/skill of driver and car such that neither are asked to
compete beyond the limits at which they are comfortable.
I'm not aware if this particular event is known to you but in essence
drivers nominate a lap time from a practice session and then during the
event are penalised if they are quicker/slower than the nominated lap time.
Individual racing speeds on the track can thus be achieved without
exceeding the limits of either the car or driver. Fields of 30 vehicles are
not uncommon with good drivers maintaining consistent times within 0.1
seconds over 4 consecuitive laps.
Vehicles are grouped by times achieved at practice rather than vehicle
marque or model.
Regards to all
Paul
P.S If any of you may have suggestions as how to increase VSCCA membership
I would gladly pass them onto the club executive.
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