Wes,
You know that there will always be people that will complain, and
imagine all kinds of reasons when things change, or don't change. We
have several on the net that have responded in such a way that it seems
that their only concern is setting records. Setting records is rewarding
to anyone and I don't want to down play that as a goal, but being able
to just sit strapped in a car, with the engine running, looking down the
course at the floating island, ready to make your first run, is enough
to bring tears to your eyes.
I truly love this sport. Every time I run down the course I get my
reward for the effort and money I have invested. Many on this list may
think I have always been a record holder. Not true! It's position that I
have spent many years reaching. My first completed run, in 1959, in the
roadster was a qualifying run, but it was 1965 before I held a record.
That record stood until 1969. My next record put me in the 200 MPH Club
in 1990.
It is true that I have held many 1/4 mile and Lakes records before that,
but we are talking Bonneville here. Bonneville records are tough to set
for most. There have been soft minimums where people have entered the
200 MPH Club, but that was short circuited by the 200 MPH minimums of
recent years.
I think that there are three major changes have caused the 200 MPH Club
membership to accelerate in recent years. 1. More available HP and more
money to buy it. 2. Changing the record setting process, a qualifying
run and a backup, instead of the old way of qualifying and then making
two runs for the record. 3. More opportunity by having multiple meets in
which to compete.
As for the prestige of setting a record being diluted by the number of
classes and soft record, I don't think so. If you set a soft record, you
probably won't have it long. I tried that trick of letting a soft record
stay there until I could get Jeff in, but John made us work harder. I
think that I'm voting for "blasting it out of reach." Really even those
records get broken, there is always someone who will go faster.
Tom, Redding CA 6:40PM PST
Wester S Potter wrote:
>
> Tom, List,
> Tom, your comment about the number of classes reminds me of something I
> heard maybe thirty years ago from a long time salt racer who was moaning
> about the number of new classes. His complaint was something like "It's
> just so all the guys on the Board of Directors can get their buddies in the
> 2 Club."
> Has the recognition a driver gets from setting a new record been diluted by
> the number of records available and the number of "soft" records or open
> classes in the '80's on until today? How about the idea of not only setting
> a record but blasting it out of reach. That attitude has replaced the
> rather "gentelman's club" attitude of raiseing an existing record by a few
> mph and then trying to get a crew member/friend a record in the same car
> Do you think there are too many classes and too many members in the 2Club?
> What about class "minimums" from the 2Club, not the governing body
> certifying the records?
> Any comments or opinions from the group?
> Wes ... with my feet toward the hot stove.
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