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Re: Electronics vs. old way

To: joe boogie <boogiewoogie12@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Electronics vs. old way
From: Peter D Carpenter <tinshed@ozemail.com.au>
Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 08:57:29 +1000
joe boogie wrote:
> 
> Friends, Members, and SCTA, ECTA, &USFRA officials:
> 
>     ...Kvach is absolutely right about all the "unfairness" of new tech vs.
> old tech...

I guess there's a place for the new tech since it was on the lakes that
many if the ideas now used in production engines were developed and
proved.  However i think these cars should be separated from the rest of
the feild as it's grossly unfair to pit a high tech electronically
managed car against a 'real' one.  I live with the high tech stuffall
day everyday but I still feel it's unfair for things like the Turbinator
to be raced against a record like Al Teague's.  For my money teagues
record is THE record for wheel driven cars using a real auto engine.  If
you wanna run a helicopter engine or a jet then race against airoplane
records.
> 
>     Exactly why I, (a pretty serious dragracer from the "old daze") don't
> even bother to go to the drags anymore.  There is NOTHING there anymore  in
> common with the way we raced. It's ruin't.

Totally agree and I guess this is how come the door slammers are the
most popular class running in my neck of the woods.  The rules are
pretty simple.  There's almost no rules other that the car hasta
resemble a production car and there's no computers allowed other than
maybe a recording tach or a race recording system so you can see what
happened on the last run.  Yup our boys here even allowed to run Hemis
and various types of blowers etc.  It's purely heads up no holds barred
racing.  Does it sort the men out from the boys.  You betcha.  Do we
have variety.  You betcha. These guys run engines from every
manufacturer (Including the two fastest Ford powered drag racers on the
planet - how about a SBF that runs 7s ina full bodied door slammer)
likewise bodies. 
 
>    Who in their right mind wants to sit all day watching
> computer/electronically controlled cars run against a breakout index???  As
> exciting as watchin' paint dry.  -or for that matter, sit in a hot car in
> the lanes the whole day thru waiting to make a couple of passes where some
> computer nerd in the other lane "out chipped" ya?  Usta be it was Man &
> machine against Man & machine.  Now it's all about electronics.  Bah Hum
> bug.   Gawd I'd rather go to the lake... (-or "THE LAKES"!)

Some of the best roundy round racin I've seen in recent times was at a
very mean and wicked track called Bathurst.  This is a most awesome bit
of road running up one side of a mountain acrross the top and down the
other.  The main straig is called conrod because of it's record for
breakin them.  When racing started there many years ago it was in all
kinds of home built stuff.  Then as time progressed the touring cars
that made the place the pinacle of Australian motor sport became like
the NASCARS, nuthin like they appear and all with the same mechanical
package.  The race I enjoyed this year was six hours of bog standard
production cars.  All shapes and sizes and all price brackets.  Nuthin
like  seein a Ferrari crash and burn as a standard Ford or Holden
grocery getter whizzed by.  The overall winner was a Porsceh or sumthin
like that but a class win is equally prestigiuos.  The class rules are
simple.  Up to 1.5 litres, 1.5 to 2.5, 2.5 to 3.5 and so on.  Plenty of
paint was swapped and lotsa cars got broken but it was the most
entertaining competition I've seen in years.  And the people bein
entertained could relate to the cars bein raced because they drive
exactly the same thing every day.
> 
>           For what it's worth, heres my two cents worth;
> 
>       If the SCTA, USFRA, and ECTA don't pay attention to, and STOP
> electronic "rule stretching" by the "New Tech" boys NOW,  LSR as we know it
> will cease to exist because only the filthy rich will be able to race.

A scary thought.  yet it's easy to prove.  Just look at ANY other form
of motorsport.
> 
>       LSR is what it is because there is "room" for those many who enjoy
> racing with what many in other forms of "Motorsport" would laugh at, and
> call "Obsolete" -if not downright antique! How many other types of racin'
> have 40yr. old COMPETITIVE Racecars ?

I've not met any serious motor sport people who laugh at lakes racers. 
Most I know hold us in awe because we haven't protituted our sport for
the sake of a few bux.
> 
>       I won't even watch NASCAR or NHRA because of what they have become.
> I'm not that old, but I remember when "Stock Car" MEANT    STOCK, CAR.
> period. Richard Petty used to build one from a car taken off a dealers
> showroonm floor...Remember?   I remember; I still have my 1964 NASCAR
> Mechanic's membership pin to prove it...
>       NASCAR today is a corporate farce; a charade. Every time a Good race
> team actually finds an advantage (which is after all THE objective in
> racing....)NASCAR, due to  some "corporate" coddling, interveines....  "It's
> Entertainment" is what they say; and that's very TRUE.  They have succeeded
> in taking the SPORT out of the equation.  It no longer is a sport. When they
> threw away SPORT, they also threw away  fairness.
>       The"OUTLAWS" are rapidly following suit as well, and are well on the
> way to becoming a place where RACERS cannot afford to race.

Know anybody wants to purchase a few years old but still competetive
Sprint Car?  Can't afford the couple of hundred thousand required to run
just the local circuit this season.
> 
> Any time you want to screw up a sport, just add MONEY   -from any source;
> Purses, "sponsors", "corporate" or out of pocket.  That's what makes LSR so
> special boys; there ain't no money; so (hopefully)  there ain't no
> corruption.

Don't believe this?  Take a look at Formula one racing!
> 
>      "GREED" ain't good.  Not in sport. Not anywhere.  As far as I'm
> concerned ....Friends, Good times, and good clean Racin' fun IS.

Sounds like as good a reason as any to travel halfway round the world to
watch a bunch of old guys in weird cars run as fast as they can down a
black line painted on a salt lake.
> 
>     ....Ok, I'll jump down off my soap box now.

Sorry I think I may have pushed you  ;-)
> 
>       Really DO "have a nice day"!

You too, and you.

Carps
Melbourne - Australia

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