On Tue, 10 Jul 2001 17:53:22 +1000 "Brian Caldersmith"
<BrianTC@bigpond.com> writes:
>
> You guys really are in a mess over there. And it seems it has all
> been going
> on too long, with too many clubs, promoters and vested interests
> throughout
> the country all looking after themselves for it to ever get resolved
> into
> one harmonized group. It must make it complicated when you want to
> buy a car
> or sort out where you want to race.
Yes, there are a lot of different groups, but I'm not sure it is a
"mess." Americans, and particularly Texans, are an independent bunch.
We have a difficult enough time tolerating a centralized Federal
government, much less a centralized governing body for vintage racing. I
don't know all the history, but I understand that the SCCA used to be the
400 pound gorilla in vintage racing and splintered into a lot of today's
groups when its heavy hand inflamed rebellion.
Perhaps it would help in your understanding to consider that Texas alone
has a population about the same as Australia and a culture as different
from that of New York or Californa as Australia's is as different to
perhaps the UK or even the US. So we can find plenty of cars to play
with in our respective regions without a "harmonized group" mucking
things up. The US situation actually gives everyone a lot of choices.
If you don't like the "intent" of one group, there is likely another that
you would like. As I understand it, the majority of the population of
Australia is concentrated in just a few cities, mostly in Sydney and
Melbourne, which makes creation of a harmonized group certainly easier
and perhaps even more necessary.
> Perhaps you should all emigrate.
Hmm. There's an idea. Is a criminal conviction still a requirement for
entry? JUST KIDDING!!
> and eligibility for everybody. If you have a legal car with an
> approved log
> book, you can race it at any historic meeting anywhere in the
> Nation.
We do have the Vintage Motorsports Council, which does a lot to
coordinate between the groups. I think the VMC has a policy that any car
from one group can race as "guest" with another group, even though it may
not necessarily meet all the rules of the host group. Such guest status
is limited to once a year, though. So you can race your car anywhere in
this country, as well. In my enquiries to other groups I have never
received anything but a warm welcome. Mostly they are grateful and
appreciative of the fact that I would tow my car thousands of miles to
participate in their events. Whether my car meets '72 or '67 rules and
which one the local club uses doesn't seem to be much of an issue.
> No
> club or promoter can introduce a new category, accept "marginal"
> cars or stick you in with an unsuitable group to suit their thinking or
> profit requirements.
Are any of the US vintage groups "for-profit?" I thought they were all
"not-for-profit" organizations (clubs, really)?
>See http://www.hsrca.org.au/cars.htm for a brief
> breakdown of
> the categories.
Well, if emigrated it would mean I would have to leave my car behind.
What does a "bottom end" (Spridget, Formula Vee) vintage racecar go for
in Oz?
> Just remember amongst all the confusion to try and enjoy it.
It ain't all that confusing. All the racetracks are still closed loops,
so we always end up where we started!
David Littlefield
'62 MGA MkII
'51 MGTD
'74 MG Midget vintage racer
'88 Jaguar XJ-S
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