Bob,
I agree with you regarding the initial VDCA event ... what a blast. I
apparently need more work to fit into their rule structure, but I will
eventually get there. The tire dictates still confound me, but I guess I'll
just have to accept the rule and switch to Yokohama's (as much as I dislike
them). Hope to see you on the track this year.
Pete Towell
Austin Cooper 'S' #91
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Spruck" <bspruck@mindspring.com>
To: <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 12:47 PM
Subject: Spirit of Vintage Racing, was Re: Lime Rock Fall Festival
> Doug:
> Bravo! Well said! I have raced my ' 67 MG Midget since 1990 with SVRA for
> the first two years and HSR for all ten. My initial primary concern was to
> be able to race close to home (Road Atlanta) and with the two groups, was
> able to get three races there and one or two at Roebling. I, too, have
seen
> the movement of the equipment, speeds, and attitudes away from what most
of
> us consider to be the "vintage spirit" as it applies to both car
> preparation and driver attitude. I see it more like racing vintage sports
> cars, as opposed to vintage racing sports cars. To me SCCA is racing
> vintage sports cars. I fully understand the reasons for this since HSR and
> most of the other sanctioning bodies are not non-profit organizations. The
> creation of the Thundersports Cup, "vintage" NASCAR class, B.O.S.S.
> series, etc all attest to this movement. I also fear that the closing of
> many of the Production Classes in SCCA will cause the cars and drivers to
> infiltrate the ranks of vintage racing. We have already seen Fiberglas
body
> panels, air dams, wide wheels, flares, coil overs, etc in Group 2. What
> concerns me even more is the SCCA driver attitude. I will continue to race
> with HSR because I like the people in the organization and the people in
> the small bore class. I also like racing at Road Atlanta.
>
> The prospect of getting to race more as well as reasonably close to home
is
> a very positive incentive to embrace VDCA. I was at the inaugural event at
> Roebling in December (missed you there!) and was very impressed with the
> direction and the attitude of the founders and the competitors. We had
lots
> of track time and lots of fun on and off the track. The founders seem to
> know what they (and we) want and are determined to provide a more
> "vintage" opportunity to do it. Sure, there were some growing pains and
> some things weren't made clear or fully planned for, but the overall
> experience was very positive. One of the competitors I talked with felt
the
> group was looking for "old ladies racing slow cars". This was somewhat
sour
> grapes since he had a car that would not be invited back because of
> violating the period preparation rules. Sure he is fast and a great guy,
> but this group may just not be for him. In my opinion, VDCA looks like it
> will provide what I am looking for in a race group. All my car apparently
> needs according to Peter Krause is tires other than Hoosiers. (Bob Woodman
> is working on this). I plan to have a car that can run in HSR and VDCA
with
> only wheel/tire changes. I may not be up front in either group, but I will
> be racing and will be doing it more times per year than I was able to
> before. To me, that's what I enjoy.
>
> Hope to see you there!
>
> At 11:17 AM 01/17/2000 -0500, S800Racer@aol.com wrote:
> >
> >In a message dated 1/17/00 10:25:42 AM, acace@juno.com writes:
> >
> ><<Last year attendance was down at the festival
> >and although that may have prompted the decision, it should be noted that
> >the weather was a major factor.>>
> >
> > In fact, the last two years. Labor day 1998 was miserable with
strong
> >thunderstorms. I was there competing in 1998 and my race group was
decimated
> >by no-shows -- I moved from 17th on the grid to 7th due to no-shows. Two
> >consecutive years of bad weather is very hard for an event to recover
from.
> > I have to say that I very much enjoyed the event and the style in
which
> >it was run. I don't know how HSR plans to handle the event but their
> >involvement will tend to discourage me from returning because I'd rather
not
> >race against heavily modified cars covered in vintage bodies. I would
also
> >be a bit leery of racing on the tight confines of Lime Rock when the
13/13
> >rule will be given much less (if any) emphasis by the new sanctioning
body.
> > That being said, we may be a bit premature to say that HSR taking
over
> >the Fall Festival is bad for the sport of vintage racing. The clear
> >downside, to me, is that the primier vintage racing event on the East
coast
> >will become much more 'racing' than 'vintage'. Personally, I would
prefer to
> >have the vintage aspect glorified rather than the racing aspect. But I
think
> >that this development is an inevitable byproduct of the growth of vintage
> >racing.
> > The increasing popularity of vintage racing over the last 5-10 years
has
> >resulted in a general shift toward looser rules and faster cars that are
less
> >and less vintage. The racing has become more intense with more
'incidents'.
> >Sanctioning bodies and sponsors have become more concerned with increased
> >entry lists and paying spectators than the desires of the average
entrant.
> >For the average guy on the couch in front of his TV or sitting in the
stands,
> >these may all be improvements. Like it or not, I believe that this
psuedo
> >vintage type of racing is here to stay. It might even produce a pretty
good
> >show for the fans.
> > While these changes have altered the nature of vintage racing, there
> >remains a great number of fans and competitors alike that want to see and
> >drive real vintage cars just the way they were seen and driven in their
day.
> >This kind of "backlash" to the changes in vintage racing is just now
> >beginning to really gather some momentum and take some recognizeable
form. A
> >prime example is the formation of the Vintage Drivers Club of America
(VDCA).
> > VDCA provides the East coast with a new venue for period authentic
vintage
> >racing. VDCA will demand that the cars be prepared in a form true to
their
> >original specification as they were raced.
> > VDCA will also demand that competitors participate in the 'proper
vintage
> >spirit'. While defining that term is not easy, cooperation with your
fellow
> >racers is an important key to 'proper vintage spirit'. Two or more
closely
> >matched cars dicing together is a cooperative excercise and sometimes
your
> >part is the passer and other times it is the passee. If you are racing
in
> >the 'proper vintage spirit', successfully executing the part of being the
> >passee is just as satisfying as being the passer.
> > The 'proper vintage spirit', both in terms of car preparation and
driver
> >behaviour is something that has become all too rare in vintage racing
today.
> >I am clearly not the only one that feels that way and I believe that
others
> >who share that view will drive the resurgence of vintage racing that
> >emphasizes 'vintage' more than 'racing'. I don't expect this movement
will
> >displace the competitive, modernized form of vintage racing that HSR
seems to
> >represent. Again, I don't see that form of racing as either good or bad.
> >What I do see is that vintage racing seems to be evolving with these two
> >polar opposites. I think there is room for both forms of vintage racing
and
> >I expect that the sport will continue to 'polarize' with these two
distinct
> >forms: vintage based but heavily modified and updated racing on one side
and
> >tightly regulated period authentic vintage racing on the other.
> > Currently the form of vintage racing represented by HSR is the
juggernaut
> >with all the momentum and consequently has taken over one of the primier
> >events on the East coast. But I think the form of vintage racing
represented
> >by VDCA has a bright future and will continue to gain popularity.
> >
> > If you have read this far, I thank you for your patience.
> >
> > Doug Meis
> > 1967 Honda S800 Coupe
> >
> Bob Spruck
> Sharpsburg, GA
> ' 67 Midget Vintage Racer
> ' '72 Midget Weekend Car
> 4 parts cars in the woods
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