Peter McLaughlin
Owner, SVRA
Dear Peter,
We have been members of SVRA for the past 11 years, and have treasured the
wonderful friends we have made through this organization, and the
opportunity to race our old small-bore cars in an atmosphere that strongly
promotes safe driving. We have been concerned about the uncertainty
regarding SVRA which preceded the sale of the organization to you. We have
been interested in what changes are planned for the group and now have had
the chance to attend the recent Zippo Grand Prix at Watkins Glen to observe
for ourselves. Our impressions have been mostly positive.
1.The personnel at registration were efficient and cheerful.
2.The inclusion of an event t-shirt and medallion in the race packets was a
very nice touch. All of the racers that make the effort to show up are
"winners" and having the medallion to put on their walls is neat.
3. The tech crew were thorough and easy to deal with. Mike Swaine was his
usual cheerful and competent self on the grid, helping to keep the
butterflies calmed in the racer's stomachs. We support Jack Woehrle's
continuing role as technical director. He listens to racers who have
concerns, deals with problems fairly, and has the correct vintage attitude
towards the cars. The Driver Programs are in the capable hands of Peter
Krause and Duck Waddle, who, besides being superb teachers, are perhaps the
two nicest people in vintage racing, and wonderful ambassadors for the
organization.
4. The track party was very nice, enhanced by the excellent clubhouse
facility at the Glen.
5. Participation with the town of Watkins Glen in the Vintage Festival adds
a very special flavor to racing at this historic track.
6. The driving in Group One appeared to be serious and safe, with few incidents.
7. We support the current Group system. Minor changes may be helpful, but
we would be concerned about the decrease in track time if any new groups
were added.
8. The bottle of Champagne as one of the first three finishers in the race
was an unexpected treat. We may not finish that high again, but will
treasure the memory, enhanced by the tiny bubbles!
On a negative note, we are concerned about the escalation of entry fees. We
definitely have a limited budget for our racing, and we suspect this is
true for the vast majority of SVRA members. The cost of $300 for the entry
was not justified for us by inclusion of an extra day of practice. The
higher cost of the registration made us choose not to incur the additional
cost of the enduro race. We understand that SVRA has had high
administrative costs in the past, and has lost money despite its steady
rise in entry fees. With the growth of other vintage racing groups, we
believe that racers often have a choice of where and when to race. For SVRA
to continue to be the largest and premier vintage racing organization,
administrative costs need to be minimized to allow registration fees to be
kept competitively low. Part of this effort must be to negotiate the best
possible deal with tracks that attract large crowds of paying spectators
for vintage events.
We are undecided about the merits of the new point system for racing
infractions. The system is certainly worth a trial. We suggest an addition
to this system: publish, in the SVRA newsletter, all points awarded to
drivers, and reasons for doing so. This policy would provide two benefits.
It would show evidence of the fairness of the Driver's Committee, and would
provide an additional incentive to keep your name from being seen on the
list of "problem" drivers.
We wish you all the best in your new role with SVRA. We have great
affection for the concept and the people of this organization. We have
raced with other groups, and the flavor of an SVRA event is unique and
wonderful. If we can be of any assistance to you, we will be pleased to be
available. Good luck!
Paul and Doug Meis, Team Escargot
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