RacerRay52@aol.com wrote:
>
> There are, it seems to me, two parties at work in autocrossing. One of
> them is the party of "let's make it bigger, more expensive, more a national
> sport, more important and like a real form of bigtime racing".
> The other party to which I belong [and which is losing] says "autocross
> is a small amateur form of motorsport which gives people a place to enjoy
> some competition without a lot of expense or elaborate machinery--let's work
> toward keeping it that way and keeping it local".
Yes, there are these two factions in autocorssing. No doubt about it.
And there are many clubs in the country that put on autoxes. SCCA
happens to be the biggest, and also happens to have created a national
championship based for its membership. This is the single largest
particpant attended motorsport in the country. There are reasons why the
SCCA designs its rules around a national level format, and that's a big one.
Locally, SCCA events are -encouraged- to create ways for the casual
autoxer to participate. It really can't be that hard to get a street
tire class started in your region. Lots of regions have done it already.
> At least provide a place in the "big" events for the street-tired
> tightwads to play among themselves.
You've got a big contradiction here Ray. People who go the "BIG"
events, want to do well. They've possibly traveled a very long way to
play against the best they can find. Often this is the only way some
people find competition in their classes. To them, the effort of
traveling a long distance has made this at least a somewhat serious
endevour. They will want to win, even if they know that they are
incapable of doing so, they'll still want it.
This "street-tires for national events because they are less expensive"
argument has been shot down repeatedly. If someone wants to win, they
will do what ever they can to do so. For some people that may very well
mean buying the best street tire that's legal, shaving a set and
mounting them on an extra set of wheels. We havn't created a cheaper
class, just a different one.
If your region is hosting a divisional event, talk to the event chair
and organizers about installing a local points race in that event.
Participants can either compete for the divisional trophy or for the
local series points. It has been done before. As for a "Tour" or a
"Pro", write a letter. But be prepared to be "out-spent" anyway by
someone who -really- wants to win.
> In our area there are, for a number of
> reasons, fewer and fewer autocrosses each year. A date or two is given up for
> a "pro" event or a Tour event from time to time. I know a local Region or
> hosting club can install a street-tire class if they like. To lobby for that,
> one would need to join every club or Region within 200miles and devote one's
> life to lobbying to get such a class.
Ok. So why not do it? If you're so concerned about diminishing number
of events in your region, why not go to a few other events around the
area? To have that many differnt clubs in a 200mile area is great!
Consider yourself lucky. There are many regions in this country that are
the only ones around. And no, you don't need to devote your life to it,
just make an effort. It's probably alot easier than it seems. Or work
towards finding a new site for your region to play at. We're all in the
same boat together, all it takes is a few people making just a little
bit of extra effort to make things considerably more interesting and fun
for a lot more people.
> It would make life so much simpler for
> members of the Keep-it-Simple Party if the place for us was written into the
> national SCCA rules and classes that the autocross world, including clubs
> that are not even affiliated with SCCA, seems destined to accept and use
> locally. [Street-tire classes that use the @#*&! PAX are another subject
> about which more at another time.]
Like I said, if it's written into the rules, as a national level
qualification, there will -still- be the people who invest as much time
and effort (and money) as they can to win the class. That means shaved
tires and extra wheels. No, it's not professional racing, but alot of
people enjoy it to the point that it is the main focus of their free
time. Many to the point that much of what they do in thier lives
revolves around it.
> Everybody cool it and don't spend so much money so that I --or anyone
> and everyone -- can COMPETE, not necessarily win, with the same minimal
> investment of money and preparation. Rules pushing in that direction rather
> than in the bigger-more-costly direction is all I'm talking about.
Calm down Ray. You're making it sound like an "I" clas argument now.
And I don't see any rules that are pushing us to "bigger-more-costly".
This is a motorsport, and by nature, will require some minimal level of
investment to be competetive. And as far as other forms of motorsport,
autox is by far one of the cheapest.
I have a grand ol' time. I am very competetive in my local class
(didn't win though...), got eaten for breakfast at nationals, actually
managed a trophy at a National Tour last year (ye-haa), and probably
spent considerably less than a majority of autoxers last year. What did
I spend money on for my 914 last year? One used set and one new set of
tires (first new set in 2 years), a tune up, and an alignment. I had a
blast last year. Does that mean that I'm a tightwad? No. It just means
that it's possible for someone to be at least somewhat competitive, have
fun, and still not spend a mint. And I'm in CSP! That's an expensive
class. If you want a minimal investment, same level of preparation
class, then look at B or D stock, or F-Mod, or C-Mod. If your local
class happens to be populated by big-time hot-shoes, then maybe you
should set your sights differently. They are all going to want to win.
If that means making more of an investment than the other guy, then that
-will- happen. I know that if I even have a -hope- of being nationally
competetive in my class, I'll have to spend a great deal more money than
I have been. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I'll still have fun.
SCCA Stock classes are still quite inexpensive in the grand "gear-head"
scheme of things. Shocks, exhaust, tires, brake pads, and alot of seat
time. Some people get really really into it, and that is unstopable no
matter where you put them, or what the rules are. They'll go out and get
the best exhaust they can within the rules, they'll spend all that time
to get their alignment -just- right, they'll spend the big bucks to get
those super-fast-sticky tires, shave them, and only use them for
autoxing. It doesn't matter if it's an "R" tire, a "Z" tire, or a spec'd
Big-O tire. If there is an advantage to be gained by doing something,
and that person feels they can afford it, they'll do it. Everyone
participates within their own means (well, some of them beyond their
means), and for some people, that means five sets of wheels, an enclosed
trailer, an assortment of sway bars, and lots of other do-dads for a
-stock- class car. They're into it, and they feel they can afford it.
Nothing is going to stop them. Does that mean that they are always going
to win? Not neccessarilly, but they may have the right equipment to get
them there if there's a hot-shot driver behind the wheel.
We're all car enthusiasts here. Heck, your username is "RacerRay", you
too obviously have some form of racer's image going on. We all do! I
know I do! We love this stuff, we love playing with cars, we love
learning how to drive our cars at 10/10ths and still have fun doing it.
Get in touch with your local club, get a street tire class going the way
-YOU- feel it should be done. Contact a neighboring region or club,
start a street tire competition between the two. Write a letter to the
SEB! Believe it or not, they really do read and pay attention to all of
the letters they recieve. If you feel that there is something lacking or
missing, do something about it.
Ok, I've said enough for now...
-Josh2
--
Joshua Hadler '74 914 2.0 CSP/Bi - Hooligan Racing #29 - CONIVOR
'87 Quantum Syncro - aka stealth quattro
jhadler@rmi.net
http://rainbow.rmi.net/~jhadler/
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