I had the pleasure of my first-ever vintage race just one year ago. I had
presumed that - certainly by age 55 -my driving habits would have matured
sufficiently for the somewhat different ethics of vintage events. I was a bit
surprised to discover that, based on the comments of a few, I was still not
quite comprehending the vintage spirit, at least with respect to objectives,
if not ethics.
I didn't loose a lot of sleep over it all, as it seemed pretty clear to me
that if you are in a race and you are not happy with a car behind you that is
quite clearly trying to get past, then there are many opportunities to simply
let 'em by. On the other hand, no one wants to feel like they are the bull in
the china closet, especially when it occurs to you (somewhat after the fact),
that the previously succinct objective of moving to the front ain't exactly
what everybody has in common.
With that still on my mind, an ad on the back cover of the latest issue of the
SCCA magazine that showed up a day or two later helped get me back to normal.
I'm fuzzy about whether it was from Toyota or Mazda, in any case it showed a
variety of driver photos from a formula car series using their motors. The
bottom line was very clear however: "These guys would slam the door on their
mothers!" Thank god, thinks I, at least there are some folks out there who
aren't conflicted concerning what they are about.
DT
David Talbott, President
Architectural Reproductions, Inc.
Portland, Oregon
Toll Free (888) 440-8007
www.archrepro.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Babcock
To: riverside
Cc: fot
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [FOT] new track design
That happens in Vintage Racing too. there's no bumping, but when you
need to get past somebody who's marginally slower the technique is
identical--take their line away. the big difference is what happens
afterwards if it doesn't work out and the bozo wanders into your door
(or the place a door would be).
Of course in SCCA I also tend to guard that inside line a bit more.
In vintage racing that's called "blocking" in SCCA it's called
racing. I raced Rabbits in the SCCA long enough to perfect both the
inside bump and the outside squash. they look a lot alike. the only
difference is whether you are the passer or the passee. and whether
the other cars runs off the track on the inside or outside of the
corner. I try not to do that in vintage racing.
On Jul 13, 2006, at 9:40 AM, riverside wrote:
> The conversation about passing zones
> is amusing in that it illustrates a difference
> between vintage racing and SCCA racing.
> In SCCA racing, you would not be held up by
> a car going thru the corners slow. You would
> just stick your nose underneath the blue flag
> ignoring miscreant and dare him to defend his line.
> Bill Boemler told me I could pass any damn place
> I wanted to - just steal the other guy's line. Making the
> pass stick was often alot iffier (refer to the section
> on daring the other guy to defend his line) unless contact
> really messed him (and not you) up.
>
> art de armond
>
>
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