Jeff Zurschmeide wrote:
>
> I'm not sure what you mean by "current SCCA rules" and "SCCA drivers."
>
> If I hold an SCCA Vintage license, and my car is legal in SCCA Vintage
> but not in Production, GT, IT, or any other "full competition" class, etc
You make a good point regarding the need to carefully define my terms
when expressing views in these sensitive areas.
I do think the current or near-current SCCA safety specs are the very
best there are, and are superior to what I see on many vintage cars.
Current performance rules, like flared fenders, wide wheels, and in some
cases wonderful and exotic suspension mods, are quite another matter,
and create cars that are different both in appearance and capability
from what most vintage organizations encourage or require.
I also think that SCCA licensed drivers are generally excellent.
However, my own mentality when racing SCCA, and that of most SCCA-only
drivers, tends to be more "win at all costs" and "all the rest of these
drivers are at least as good as me and probaly better". My mentality
when driving vintage is "be a gentleman, recognize various levels of
drivers' skill out there, preserve the cars, and have fun". Maybe not in
that order.
So my opinion remains that it is inappropriate to mix cars prepared to
current SCCA performance standards, driven by licensed SCCA drivers who
have never driven in a vintage race, in the same group with vintage cars
driven by (in many cases) drivers who have driven only vintage.
There have indeed been unfortunate incidents that could have been less
serious had the car met current SCCA safety standards. There have also
been a number of incidents caused by drivers who made erroneous
assumptions regarding the awareness or skill level of his fellow
drivers.
Please please please don't anybody who races vintage take offense at
these remarks -- they are directed solely at the idea of mixing
"non-vintage" cars and drivers with "vintage" cars and drivers.
--
uncle jack
TR4 Rallye Replica vintage racer
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