Won't quibble, Mark, with your development argument. Basically I agree. To the
point that if, given my scenario, the SEB decides to keep STX and SM2 as
supplemental again next year, giving further time for development, that's
okay. But if it meets the numbers next year, and breaks out next year, then
give it the full championship salute next year. Again.
But what we are saying THIS year is that, for example, Scott McQueen winning a
17-car E Mod class is more deserving than James Gunn-Wilkinson winning a
23-car SM2 class (SM2 broke out from EM). My argument is they are equally
deserving and should receive equal recognition. SM2 made the numbers to rate
it. If only 15 SM2s had showed up, then they would not have been a separate
class and there would not have been a separate champion. That's the
development time of which you speak, Mark. For some classes it may indeed take
some time, and that is a good way to give it that time without according full
status. It is admittedly hard to recognize if a new proposed class will catch
on, or if it will do so quickly or slowly. My proposal allows either to
happen, with full recognition coming when it does (by meeting a specific entry
target -- 18 cars this year.
If a class does not meet the numbers, the top driver might still be saluted,
much as the top F/SAE was this year -- but he is not the "F/SAE Champion"
because they did not have the numbers to be recognized as such. SM2 did. So
did STX. And FWIW, so did F125. BTW, that entry number is total entries. All
three made it on Open entries alone, with the Ladies entries added bonus.
My proposal is a redefinition of "supplemental" as "a class within a class."
F/SAE is a good example (even though they do not call it "supplemental") It
can stay in AM for years with 6-8 cars. But if someday a dozen colleges
decided to send their F/SAE teams and we had 20-25 of them on the lot,
recognize them as their own entity. If we are not sure they can do it again,
leave them as supplemental the next year, and the next, and the next, giving
them their own status ONLY when they bring the numbers to warrant it. F125
could assimilate into AM too if they are not sure about their numbers. The
multi-year development period you advocate is possible (and maybe even a good
practice) under my proposal.
Development? Classes are ALWAYS developing. A standard, however, has been
established: 18 cars at Nationals (which, of course, can be modified any
time). That, BTW, is a standard three "real" classes failed. So tell me again
how SM2, STX and F125 are somehow inferior to AP, BP and FP in driver count,
support and commitment (and I am a P driver, so I'm not advocating their
elimination or anything!).
AP/BP provides a good example of how it COULD work the other direction. Both
had just 9 entries this year total. So BP merges to AP for 2003 Nationals. The
Corvettes still retain their BP identity, but they are scheduled to run
together as a single class. However, if BP booms in with 18 of its own, it
breaks out again and leaves the APs to fend for themselves.
A breakout for this year need not necessarily carry through to next year. If
they want to make it prove itself more than once, I have no problem with that.
But it DID prove itself for this year. Next year's proof is for next year to
determine.
As for the "erroneous Ladies class argument," I think we agree there too,
basically. It is a different animal needing different consideration. Right now
we basically accept it as whatever they bring counts if the open class counts.
Which is why it is good the magic 18 is total entries not Open/Ladies
separately. I'd not like to see an open class of 1-2 cars. 18 is a nice
number, although I wonder how they came up with it. 20 would be good too.
That's an arbitrary determination and IMHO it matters less what the number is
than that there is a number. But if we say X number constitutes its own class,
then once a class hits it, let's do the right thing and recognize it.
By doing so we also answer the question of "how many times to we have to hit
it to be a 'real' class?" The answer becomes, "You are a real class every time
you hit it." We could even, then, do something like: Hit it four years in a
row, and you are no longer supplemental. How's that for development time?
--Rocky Entriken
(permission granted to forward to Evo list)
----- Original Message -----
From: TeamZ06@aol.com
To: rocky@tri.net
Cc: autox@autox.team.net ; Evolution Discussion
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: Supplemental classes
well, I guess I'll now have to send my counter-letter to the SEB (dang, one
more letter to write). Should be no surprise, I have stated this in so many
words previously:
IMO a class should have to develop before being given championship status.
No offense to those who won their respective supplemental classes, but when
the class is new, and especially if the vehicle development is modification
heavy ($$$), it takes time for it mature to the championship level.
Championships should mean something more than just somebody finished first,
which is a given if at least one competitor attends (and I won't be swayed by
by the erroneous adies class argument). I see nothing wrong with requiring a
several year supplemental period to ensure competitor commitment and class
development, which IMO is imperative for championship status.
IMO, the STS class is showing it's worth, STX is coming along, SM2
definitely needs more time.
Mark Sipe
Cc: Evo Digest
In a message dated 9/20/02 3:56:40 PM Central Daylight Time, rocky@tri.net
writes:
I was looking at the results of the "supplemental classes" (STX, SM2,
F125)
and thought just how ridiculous this "supplemental" concept is. So I just
sent the following letter to the SEB.
--Rocky Entriken
To the SEB:
I would like to recommend the SEB end the practice of "supplemental
classes"
at the Solo II Nationals. It seems, in retrospect, to be a silly and
non-productive practice that serves only to deny a few individuals the
accord of a championship they won just as surely as anyone else who drove
the same courses to the same end - many of them in classes smaller than
the
"supplementals."
A practice such as this year, SM2 running as part of EM and STX running
as
part of SM, then promised they would break out to their own class if they
exceeded a specified entry limit, is a far better solution. The class
then
has a chance to "make" itself. If it succeeds in doing so, as both SM2
and
STX did -- and F125 had good numbers too, then it should be accorded the
same status and awards as their parent classes. SM2 ended up bigger than
its
parent EM this year, but is demeaned as "not a real class" by being
ignored
in the list of champions in the Solo II rules and its winners refused the
champion's jacket.
How much trouble is it really to give a couple more jackets and a couple
more lines of type in the book? The cost of the jackets is easily covered
by
the minimum size of a class entry that would warrant the award, and we
already give the trophies.
These people pay the same entry fee, come with the same commitment, do
the
same work duties, drive with the same intensity, and are as much a part
of
our event as A Modified or H Stock.
If a class struggles, if it lasts only one year, so be it. But we gain
nothing, and perhaps lose some veracity, by denying those "supplemental"
winners the mantle of champion. None of the supplementals have yet failed
in
such a manner.
Thus I would propose that the definition of "supplemental class" would
now
be "a class within a larger class." The one group that would currently
fit
that definition would be Formula SAE within A Modified. If any class ever
is
so included, and then makes numbers to warrant being broken out to its
own
class, it would then no longer be "supplemental" but would become a
championship class in its own right.
This may also be the good method of handling classes on the edge of
viability (even ladies' classes). If, to take a now-unlikely example, H
Stock was making poor numbers then it would be assimilated into G Stock
for
Nationals (and Tours? Divisionals?) but its cars would still retain their
HS
identity. And if the HS drivers raised a groundswell of support to
produce
the needed numbers at Nationals, then it would break out again.
Similarly,
you could establish a Ladies Class minimum of, say, 5 cars. Fewer, and
the
class runs with its open. I am not proposing this, just illustrating the
possibility.
I would also propose that those "supplementals" of the recent past -
Formula
125, FM of 1995, STS of 1999-2000, and SM of 2000-2001, retroactively be
recognized as championship classes by inclusion of their winners in the
back
of the Solo II Rules. It seems to demonstrate how silly this exclusion is
when STS, supplemental just two years ago, was the fourth-largest class
this
year out of 32.
Such recognition does not mean a class could not still be "on probation"
and
disappear in future years. It only means the efforts of those who drove
in
them would be recognized on an equal level with the efforts of everyone
else. That is the real issue.
Rocky Entriken
#19814
Salina Region
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Partial archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|