Its good to have Dave D back posting to the group.
Always Dave's remarks question how things are being done now and how they
could be done more efficiently using the knowledge and technology that we
have in the 21st Century. And I feel that the sport should not be locked
into the past, but.....
As you would expect there has to be a 'but'.......
No doubt those on the USA side of the Ocean will confirm the realism of
what competing in the classes at El Mirage, and carried through to three
Bonneville events is all about, but from this side I see over 60 plus years
of dry lakes racing and a fifty three year old event at Bonneville with an
abundance of history and rules that are there to control the racing.
Yes 'control' - the very thing on this list the NHRA and Nascar and CART
etc are accused of doing. Why? because in the preamble to the SCTA rule
book it states "The rules and/or regulations are designed for the orderly
conduct of racing events.....". To me that is the start of controlling
what happens on the dirt or salt (and the ECTA use for the concrete).
To me - from this side of the pond - there will be a difference between
Land Speed (LS) Racing and the setting of Land Speed Records. Now, this is
always a concept that this group has had some difficulty coming to terms
with when I put it forward as existing now.
In the USA you have groups of racers representatives (in both the East and
the West of the country) ruling on and hosting LS Racing events. In
Europe, I would suggest (and I do not claim it as a superior form of rules,
as body styles are generally forced in a single direction), we have only
Land Speed Records. LS Records in Europe for vehicles with two, three,
four or more wheels with defined motive power sources and capacity or
weight divisions. Vehicles setting only Land Speed Records that are not
competing with others for a points title at the end of a gruelling season
of events on dirt or concrete just setting their fastest speed over a
defined timed distance.
The SCTA rules do not allow for all out innovation to go as fast as is
possible - but that is probably why there are so many car and bike class to
enter each with many many years of past records. Are they just there to
promote going as fast as possible whilst competing against the class rules
at the inception of Land Speed Racing?
We have a paradox here, in that I could build a car to compete with Don
Vesco (used just as an example) for the wheeldriven automobile fastest
speed as recognised by both the FIA and the SCTA, but the SCTA/BNI
might/would be forced to ban me from running at the same meeting as Don
(say The World Finals). This would be because of the electronics that the
FIA rules permit me to use on my vehicle, but the SCTA ban. The same would
arise with the streamlined motorcycles. (And as for the use of thrust
power.................that's another argument itself and one the SCTA has
been forced I gather to avoid).
Could I suggest to people like Dave that they campaign (in the correct rule
changing manner) for the Lakesters and Streamliners to have totally
unlimited access to current (and then future) technology - including
electronic systems operating in two directions and on all parts of the
vehicle?
Just an 'outsiders' view on the topic.
Malcolm Pittwood, Derby, England.
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