Ian Peters wrote:
>
> Jeremy wrote
>
> >
> > I think most of us online tend to use the american term 'Vintage" on the
> > basis that most of the audience will not understand what we are talking
> > about if we use 'Historic". It's still a shame to see an exact definition
> > being lost in this way.
>
> Aren't the current proposed changes driven by the FIA dispensations under
> which historic/vintage racing is conducted? As I understand it that is a
> rolling 15 year old limit which represents the youngest car possible.
> As we are all united(??) under the FIA banner this sets a global minimum.
>
>Up here in Canada as in most North American clubs we tend to 'lump' everything
>up til '61 as 'Vintage' both pre and post war from the end of '61 to end of
>'72 is 'Historic'.
We chose those dates due to technology i.e. right about the end of '61 you get
a generalized period when the 356
was replaced by the 911, the MGA by the MGB, the 948 Frogeye Sprite with the
1275 sq. body and on and on.
The end of '72 saw similar technological changes with moncoques (sp?), fuel
injection, tires, formulas...look at the
changes in Can-Am cars right about that time.
The biggest problem we have up here with rolling dates and introduction of new
classes etc. is population.
We physically have trouble getting enough warm bodies (especially this weekend
at -25°C) to get more than a
'couple of each' making for really strange grids and a simple dilution of the
sport into 'old/used/obsolete car racing
as opposed to vintage racing.
As well, a lot of us IMHO (certainly not all in VARAC anyway) just don't seem
to generate any exictment for F5000,
1989 NASCAR, or too many developments past the early '70s.
There are still a HUGE number of very desirable, very neat race, and potential
race cars out there which fall into
both pre '61 and pre '72 dates (or the other similar dates of other
organizations) which will help keep our sport
looking like 'Vintage Racing' and not just a place to drag out all the old, no
longer competitive CASC/SCCA cars
which are out there by the thousands.
There actually are large numbers of '50 & '60s 'Specials' still sitting in
garages, back yards and even basements
waiting to be re-discovered, restored, loved and raced again for new
generations to see (I found mine above a
men's room in a factory).
And by the way... up here we in VARAC, as a part of CASC are FIA licensed.
Mike Rosen
1958 VAY Canada Class Special
|