>"richard nichols" <rnichol1@san.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>> 1) If there's something I want to do to my car and it kicks me out of
>> a
>class, I'll probably do it because I drive my car a lot more on the >>
street than I do at an autox.
To set the record straight, though I agreed with this statement, I didn't
make it. I cited it from another post to say "see, I'm not the only one"!
Though I did receive a bit of "hate" mail from a Lister on this topic,
marked Private so he wouldn't have to defend himself on this List. And he
didn't have the courage to respond to my own response (I wouldn't be
surprised if he deleted it on sight, knowing he deserved a "reasoned"
response).
I had to explain to him that I have *lots* of experience in founding and
promoting professional sports, and certainly more than he could claim.
Now well past its 20th year, mine is now a national program for the largest
sporting organization of its type in the world, is an international sport,
is the national championships for the American program, is used as a course
of training by police and military all over the world, and is headed for the
Olympics.
And these guys and gals *make their living at it*, which had never been done
before my two partners and I came along. If the SCCA is really the "Secret
Car Club of America", you'd think that they and some Listers would be
breaking their neck to ask me how it's done, yes? Instead I get hate mail.
Maybe that's the secret to why one of those "C"s stands for "secret".
>Well look at the message they get: "Here's my car." "Oh, sorry dude, that
boost
>controller puts you in Mod. Bummer." - so right away, they understand that
they don't fit in.
Despite my persistence at contributing to this List, and showing up at
autoxes for practices and events, that's exactly how I've been made to feel
about my street tire penchant, my turbo penchant, my mustang penchant, and
my search for a class that my car fits into.
Just because I can't put "RR" after my name doesn't mean I feel like my car
is welcome (though the *people* in San Diego have always made *me* feel
welcome, so no complaints there. But then I fit the SCCA demographic:
middle-aged white male, middle class, ectomorphic subclass).
>established group. When they are the only guys there, they feel like
>fish-out-of-water-outsiders.
>
>That "mentor factor" is SO important. It goes on all the time, in all
classes,
This is really a great perspective that hadn't occurred to me. It makes
sense now that you mention it: my oldest son absolutely won't go *anywhere*
he doesn't have budds at.
Good luck with your quest. I still feel that street tires need to be a
component of it, if attracting a new breed of cat is your objective. There
are already plenty of R classes in Solo II (like, virtually every one of
them). Ah, well, more hate mail. That's OK, I give as good as I get. And
I use my real name, too.
And I believe that Solo II is a worthy program, filled with good people,
that more people should have an opportunity to learn about and participate
in.
Richard Nichols
rnichol1@san.rr.com
1986 Ford Mustang SVO / 1C
VirtualTeamSVO Member
1972 Ford Pinto Sedan / 3J - Original Owner
Displayed @ San Diego Automotive Museum
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