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Vintage racing or ...what is this anyway?

To: vintage-race@autox.team.net, team-thicko@autox.net
Subject: Vintage racing or ...what is this anyway?
From: LMR356@aol.com
Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 11:53:31 EDT
07-03-00 POST:
From: Wm S. Thompson  "...inspection showed failure of 2 bolts that hold the 
spindle to the steering arm."   "The Red Rat Bastard's days are over...better 
to end this way rather than rusting away in someone's back yard.  I'm 
thankful I had no serious injuries and no one else was hurt."

07-04-00 POST: brian@uunet.ca ( Brian Evans)  "Bad news all round then. Sorry 
about writing off the RRB ( Thompson's car)  FWIW, Don Sobering lunched a 
GT-3 Midget there about 10 years ago, and Mike Jennings punched the wall 
there in his Bug-Eye.  Mosport is not a forgiving track...."

07-04-00 POST:
From: Billd13@aol.com.   To: wsthompson@thicko.com  "If his fingers weren't 
hurt, maybe we should consider an alternate nickname for the 
Flounder..."Lucky Fuck II"


MY RESPONSE:
It's too bad  whenever there is a serious incident in motorsports...and 
especially for the future of vintage racing.  Luckily, Wm Thompson's injury 
wasn't life threatening.  But it sure seems like his accident at Mosport 
might have been caused by careless maintenance or... just none at all!    

As to "Mosport is an unforgiving track"  That is an easy excuse.  A track 
isn't really "unforgiving"..it's usually the driver and his lack of 
understanding of what he's driving that makes it appear that way. 
 
I am bothered by the last few days'  posts ...especially from Team 
Thicko...which  suggests  that there is some kind of fraternal dialect and 
dialogue among the Spidget group.....one that treats serious shunts almost as 
a laughable joke.

We all can talk trash, spit on the ground, drink beer, and piss it out the 
same way...but this forum isn't for that purpose...at least not from my 
"vintage" perspective.   If you want to continue this bs...why not do it  
between yourselves?

Someone recently asked me why valuable vintage and historic cars don't appear 
on the grid anymore?  Why would I want to put my Arnolt-Bristol ( 142 
made....less than 60 have survived) onto the same grid as Thompson's 
Sprite...knowing what I know today?   It's a no brainer!

So...like many other vintage racers, I too support the new VDCA's philosophy 
for promoting a more diverse grid of preserved race cars and...while 
recreating the vintage spirit of a bygone era....one which welcomes and 
appreciates the original Arnolt-Bs and A-H Sprites as well.  

Vintage racing is and has to remain distinctive.  It's too fragile to treat 
casually like the above referenced posts.   Vintage racing is a matter of 
....style.   Don't most of you agree?

Lee Raskin
Brooklandville, MD
Arnolt-B and 356er


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