Jack W Drews wrote:
>
> 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
As one who works both SCCA and Vintage races, I think the way I would
like to see things go, is not to dilute the vintage races with current
spec,flared fendered etc. SCCA production cars, since that will take
away from the vintage look and feel of an event.
If an entrant shows up with a car that meets the vintage specs for his
car, and an SCCA license, I believe he should be allowed to enter and be
very carefully watched in his first sessions. If the driver even begins
to show signs of the ocntact we sometimes see in SRF, SSA, SSB, SSC he
should be removed from the session and have the facts of vintage racing
explained to him in no uncertain terms. I do not believe that an entrant
should be excluded simply because he has an SCCA license.
For those of you who don't know me, I have been Chief of Tech at many
SCCA National races, I am Assistant Chief of Tech of VSCDA, and am Chief
of Tech at many of VSCDA's events, including the Brian Redmond
International Challenge. As Chief of Tech of an event, we will not let a
car run without meeting the safety parts of the rules, and if the car is
prepared to later than 1973 rules as far as tires, flares etc, it will
not run.
Those of you that have run VSCDA events also know that at many of them I
am combined Pit Tech and Black Flag Steward and have no problem
explaining the vintage philosophy to errant drivers when necessary.
I do believe in letting anyone who has a properly prepared car to be
allowed to run until such time as he or she proves they don't partake of
the proper philosophy for vintage racing. Maybe a stipulation is in
order, that the SCCA or other licensed driver who has never run vintage
anywhere, shouls have to attend a vintage school where the philosophy of
vintage driving could be adequately presented in a classroom situation
before they go out on the track with "vintage only" drivers.
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