Paul Foster writes...
> If the SEB had created SM and the exclusion list we would not > be having
this discussion.
I'd take your side, but SM started off as an experimental class, created by
Howard, yes, but with a lot of input (I am so understating this) from Dennis
Grant and the SM crew. In Howard's private post to your friend that you
published on team.net, he says he would forward your friend's concerns to
the SEB. This would indicate, to me, that SM is now in the SEB's hands.
SM appears to be in its evolution cycle (Evolution is a plug, by the way). I
wouldn't rule anything out. Personally, at first I didn't like the class,
mostly because I found Dennis Grant's posts really annoying. Locally, we've
got an SM contingent, a very strange, obnoxious group of folks that I can
identify with. One fellow is planning on putting a supercharger in his M3. I
like this person very, very much, and I'll kiss ass as necessary to get a
ride in this car at Topeka, unless my current M3 ride decides to go, but
shucks, that's a BSP car now, which squashes all of my dreams, but anyway,
moving right along...
As your friendly Ace Reporter who never writes for Pylon anymore due to
sheer laziness, it is my job to take the piss out of people, Howard
included. This is a no-holds-barred business, being the Ace Reporter.
Nothing is sacred. I'm quite proud of my SM expose that so infuriated Howard
that he actually sent NAP a letter-to-the editor. It explained a lot of
things that he could have made public a lot sooner to avoid the mass
hysteria that had been developing on the team.net waves. NAP merely exposed
the general sentiments, with my own biases, of course. I'm not the best
journalist, but I am honest. I had no idea that he'd be that angry, and I
felt kind of bad, and sent him a private post (that he DIDN'T send to
team.net), which went something like, "But Howwwwaaaard, Dennis started it!"
What troubled me with SM, and appears to still be troubling you, Paul, was
that the ONLY way anyone could be involved with its development was to be
online, which limited the input, in my opinion. I didn't feel that
SCCA/Howard/Dennis really made a concerted effort to really poll SM
prospects, which wasn't the problem. I was curious about SM, but never
attached a value, pro or con, to it. It was that Dennis blasted NAP on
team.net, as if it was OUR job to do their publicity. Most companies I know,
like car companies, anything, issue press releases, so the press will know
about it, and write about it, hopefully, if it's REALLY big. SM was
apparently SO BIG that team.net WAS SM's press release.
But that was then, this is now.
There are times when I feel a need to defend Howard, and this is one of
those moments. I really don't think Howard sits on his throne, looking down
on the masses, thinking to himself, "Hmmm, I wonder how I can piss a lot of
people off." That's MY job. Howard's role is to figure out how to make us
all happy. Howard is a very nice person to do this. I am very impressed that
Howard took the time to write to your friend and give a little background,
and that he gave HIS side of it, and also said he would forward your
friend's concerns to the SEB. That to me shows a lot of class.
I say make fun of him as necessary to maintain a balance, but don't post
private posts of his in an attempt to attack his credability. We can do so
many more creative things at the nationals talent shows.
Katie Kelly
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