At 12:32 PM 9/26/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Out of the 1097 entries at this years Nationals, 171 were in Ladies classes.
>I am sure that if there were no ladies classes, a percentage of those would
>have run open class but some would have just stayed home. Just as in the
>open classes sometimes the entry level is low, but on the whole ladies
>classes have been a success, since there introduction years ago. I believe
>that until the letters written to do away with ladies classes are signed by
>ladies participants or the number drop, leave it alone.
>
>paula whitney
>
>
Paula,
I have the advantage of being educated by Pat Kelly years ago in SFR.
There are lots of good reasons for Ladies classes. One of them is that
without Ladies classes there probably would be a LOT fewer hard working
Ladies doing so much of the hard work that simply would not get done at
almost every event that I've been to in over 25 years of autocrossing!
I suspect that a lot of the wives and girlfriends and daughters who don't
even run but help with the events and also help "their guys" would be less
inclined to show up if there weren't separate Ladies classes for the women
who want to compete.
In other words, in my considered opinion, SCCA's introducing parallel
ladies classes at the National level is one of the best things that ever
"happened" to autocrossing.
Ladies classes are not an expense or a burden. They are a bargain!
Dick Rasmussen
CM 85
85 Van Diemen RF-85 Formula Ford
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