----- Original Message -----
From: Greg Solow <Gregmogdoc@surfnetusa.com>
To: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: The good news/ Bad news weekend
> Bill,
> I read your note regarding your dismay at the possibility of
having
> to bring your car into a more historicly correct vintage trim.
> I think you'll find that most groups are experiencing the same
> concerns.
> I am wondering why there are so many cars that have been allowed
to
> race that are not prepared as vintage race cars. Are the fibreglass
fenders
> easier to repair and allowing people to attempt more risky manuvers? are
> they lighter allowing better acceleration? The weight of the generator is
> considerable and must slow you down, maybe you could gut the thing and run
> constant loss without any horsepower draw at all.
> The TR-3 's that were run in the 50's and 60's were controlled as
to
> engine displacement (valve sizes), originality of the suspensions, tires,
> brakes, carburetors and handled, excelerated in a manner that the SCCA or
> FIA wanted to effect even and safe race groupings. It would seem that
your
> not really wanting to race a TR-3 and are more concerned with your ability
> to placing high in the final order. I personally think the Triumphs are a
> fun car to drive within the spirit and rules of our stricter groups.
> I had a chat with Bill Parish at a VARA event at Buttonwillow a
> couple of years ago. He expressed concern over the preparation of the
race
> cars as not being in vintage preparation which resulted in higher top
> speeds, handling, and braking potential. I think we looked at a Mark II
> Jaguar sedan with Willwood brakes, BMW 5-speed gearbox and a XJ6 engine
with
> all the state-of-the-art performance modifications. He thought that the
> spirit of that car and a number of others were not vintage and could hurt
> the ability of insurers to provide inexpensive coverage for vintage
events.
> SCCA has in the past changed rules citing insurance as the predominate
> reason.
> I really like vintage racing and the HMSA philosophy that we are
> only preserving the cars as they were raced. If you have a real land
speed
> record TR-3 that did Bonneville , I'd love to see it on the track. If you
> have a rare TR-3 that was run in Modsports in the 80's it would be real
> interesting. I don't think any one is terribly interested in a half baked
> cheater weird "hotrod" Triumph or how it placed nor how disappointed you
> are.
> I would really be interested in seeing you and your TR-3 in
original
> configuration at a CSRG or HMSA race some time, and having a good time
> after!
>
> Stewart Smith
> 1957 TR-3
> 1958 TR-3
> 1962 Morgan +4
> 1958 Lotus 7 series1 F (Ford 100E flathead engine)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
> To: <fot@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Monday, September 20, 1999 11:26 AM
> Subject: The good news/ Bad news weekend
>
>
> > I had a great weekend racing at Seattle International Raceway in
SOVERN's
> > fall finale. The TR3 ran perfectly, I drove fairly well, though I had
some
> > concentration problems at the end of the last race. I was too far back
> from
> > the first six pack, and too far ahead of the second pack, until a Lotus
> > Elite started running me down. Bugger passed me in the last corner, last
> > lap.
> >
> > I usually run in with the Vintage group, but my registration was late so
> > they bumped me into the historics, where the cars a typically much
faster.
> > My lap times would have put me in the top three in vintage, but the best
I
> > could manage was eighth in historic (out of 41 cars on the grid).
> >
> > The bad news was my car was randomly selected for detailed rules
> inspection.
> > Sovern has been very loose about originality, engine tweaks, etc. until
> just
> > recently (except for the Porsche guys, who were continually flogging
each
> > other in the pits over originality issues). So now they're going a
little
> > far the other way. Basically I'm going to have to completely rework the
> TR3
> > if I want to race it next year. They even want me to put an original
> > generator back in, and a lucas distributor in place of the mallory. Of
> > course all the fiberglass I have on the car is verboten, so I'm going to
> > have to find a bunch of tin (or rework the junk I've got). I'm not sure
> it's
> > worthwhile, especially since I have Peyote to play with, but it seems a
> bit
> > too sad to take literally the only TR3 running up here off the track
(for
> > that matter, oftentimes the only Triumph).
> >
> > I certainly understand the reasons for the rules, but we're all just
doing
> > this for fun. I don't give a hoot what someone else does to their car as
> > long as I can get on the track and race with someone. I know most of you
> > guys race in organizations that have always been strict, but I've never
> > really understood how that all influences the amount of fun anyone has
> doing
> > this sport.
> >
> > I'll have to wait until my ox heals from this goring to figure out how I
> > really feel. I know there's no such thing as a set of rules without a
> > political agenda. Maybe I just need to go back to SCCA racing to
> experience
> > complete frustration for a while. Then this will seem minor and
completely
> > reasonable again.
> >
> > Ah, well, great weekend anyway.
> >
>
>
>
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