Baby Grands seem to be getting a lot of attention lately from SCCA. As an
option available in the market of affordable" scale model" race cars
(affordable being a relative term), they seem to be carving out a niche. =
My
next race car is apt to be something along these lines. However I doubt t=
hat
a Baby Grand is in my future. At least not if I were to make a decision
today.
I visited the Baby Grand Web site (as suggested) and then visited with the
builder today because the Web site didn=92t answer all of my questions. I=
am
convinced the car is a good product. But the reason I would pursue this r=
oute
in the future has nothing to do with how good the car is. It has everythi=
ng
to do with the availability of places I can go to race (i.e. play with) th=
e
car. With all of it=92s warts, SCCA like problems, as well as a questiona=
ble
looking car, a year of following INEX sanctioned Legends cars has me leani=
ng
their way. In my part of the country there are 5 oval tracks that have ve=
ry
active programs within an hour and a half of me (2 alone at TMS in Ft. Wor=
th,
TX; 1 in Wichita Falls, TX; 1 in Altus, OK; and a dirt track in Lawton, OK=
).
There will be at least 9 INEX sanctioned road races in 1999, the furthest =
away
being the 7 hour drive it takes to get to Topeka. Not to mention SCCA roa=
d
racing. Not to mention SCCA autocrossing. Not to mention the introducti=
on
of a drag racing program for Legends cars this year.
Are there any existing race car (non-go-kart) options, in the same price
range Legends cars are available for, that have programs already in place
where it can race on dirt, asphalt, or concrete. Turn left only, turn lef=
t
and right, or not turn at all. Mostly wheel to wheel, although what we do=
for
time is an option too. All with the same set of tires. All with the same=
set
of shocks. Only requiring gear changes to suit, suspension settings to su=
it,
and the proper membership card. If there is please let me know what I=92m
missing!
The Baby Grand builder is getting close to building his 200th car. There =
are
somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 Legends cars already built. Used
Legend Car prices, as a result of availability and demand, are beginning t=
o
drop to the price range of a typical 125cc go-kart. The BF Goodrich =91br=
icks=92
the Legends Cars run on can last competitively for more events than anythi=
ng
we=92re familiar with (although =91fresh and shaved often=92 still has its=
strong
proponents).
Catering to Baby Grands, as some in SCCA seems to want to do right now,
doesn=92t make sense to me. The number of available cars is a small fract=
ion of
Legends cars. The spec tire is Goodyear, which refuses to have anything t=
o do
with our Solo II program (for reasons that were originally spelled YOKOHAM=
A
008R). And let us not forget BFG=92s role as title sponsor to the Trans-A=
m
series, as well as that equally famous series - the BFG Solo II Talent Sho=
w.
I=92ve seen a couple of Baby Grands show up in what I think was an attempt=
for
the dealer to have a chance to sell his wares to us at a local autocross o=
r 2.
I=92ve also seen 6 - 8 Legends Cars show up unannounced at our last event =
this
year with their car owners (who were not there selling their wares and cou=
ld
car less if we bought one or not).
There=92s a message in here about Legends Cars if we SCCA types can get pa=
st the
ugly looks and NIH (not invented here) syndrome for scale automotive race =
car
type fun. If the message is "We need options of this kind in our Solo II
program to help increase or maintain participation", then which product on=
a
local, or national basis, has the greatest potential for improving
participation levels today, tomorrow, and in the foreseeable future? 200=
+
Baby Grands? Or, 3,000+ Legends Cars? If it=92s 200 Baby Grands SCCA cho=
oses
to cater too then, so be it. It doesn=92t make sense to me, but that=92s =
why they
make chocolate and vanilla.
Bruce (I plan to keep the FF now one way or the other anyway) Dickey
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