It's very easy to criticize the actions of someone in a responsible
position. I agree with John Hamilton's astute observations on this current
thread...
(Deep breath...)
I speak in no capacity other than a concerned vintage racer who happens to
make a living in supporting this sport.
Jack Lewis (Competition Director of HSR) has a very tough job. Like Jack
Woerlhe (Lewis' counterpart at SVRA), Lewis is being given (thankfully) the
autonomy to put into effect changes he sees fit in order to heighten the
value of HSR in most competitors eyes and to increase interest from a
broader audience than HSR has had attend in many years. He should be given a
chance. He has the experience, depth and breadth (plus he DOES attend events
outside HSR for more experience) to do the job.
I started with HSR when it was simply known as the "Walter Mitty Challenge
Vintage Racing Group" (try saying that fast fifteen times!) nearly twenty
years ago. They issued me my first competition license (hah, I hear you
sneer), though over the last five years, they've gravitated more towards
glorified Porsche Club of America Club Racing weekends, IMHO. My customers
who used to attend the Mitty, Daytona and Savannah ultimately voted with
their pocketbooks and schedules to commit to SVRA or try events elsewhere.
This year, we did support the North American Chapter of the SRCC by sending
a car to HSR Sebring for the first round of the championship.
Joe Pendergast took Steve Simpson and Howard Turner's idea and created a
powerhouse that ultimately resulted in the assimilation of SVRA, another
organization where my membership dates back to when it was known as the
"Southeast Vintage Racing Organization." Under Jack Woerlhe's careful and
crafted direction, the philosophy of SVRA has won back many competitors who
were concerned about it's direction only a couple of years ago. Most of this
was due to stricter enforcement of the rules and the helpful but firm
attitude Jack (W) presented to the competitors. My customers like to know
what is expected of them!
When I was doing research for the recent Grassroots Motorsports "Vintage
Tire Test" (3/03) article, I was surprised to learn as early as the end of
last year that Jack Lewis had plans (published in plenty of time for this
Jag/Chevy fellow to read them) to institute more rigid enforcement of rules
HSR had had on the books for years, but not enforced and in addition, take
steps to slow competitors further by instituting bias-ply tire requirements
for most HSR cars, a trend across the country for many years.
The simple fact is that the HSR rules changes (for the better, IMHO) have
been on the books long enough for this instance not to have to happen. When
an entrant signs an entry, they acknowledge that they AND THEIR CAR are in
compliance with the organizations rules for that event. It is NOT enough to
rely on "nudge, nudge", "wink, wink" deals anymore. I don't understand why
people are upset when finally; they are told they must follow the rules.
Jack Lewis is an exceptional Porsche driver, racer and preparation guru with
near legendary status and credentials among that crowd. That crowd often
places more emphasis on performance than "people skills." I respect him for
what he did at Sebring. I also respect everyone who has the unenviable job
of "policing" so that the fun for the many outweighs the fun for the few (or
one).
Let's go racing....
-Peter Krause
www.krauseandengland.com
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