This subject caught my interest and apologize for being so late to reply. I
think I've read most of the messages on the
topic which leads me back to Mr Porters:
>
> I have had, on numerous occasions, arguments, personally and by email,
> with VTR officials regarding this very point--I've felt, for the longest
> time, that the VTR and other regional clubs have depended upon the
> trailer queens for membership and support.
>
Mike, IMO VTR welcomes all enthusiast of Triumph for membership and
support. Has been from the very beginning, well except for those initial
years when those later cars were kind of "not accepted"
> I've always felt that the greatest pleasure in the cars was in driving
> them, and that's at great odds with those who only wish to show.I felt
> strongly enough about this matter to work on creating, with the help of
> John Macartney, a "daily driver" award, named after John's father, who
> was, over fifty years, either for Standard, or Standard-Triumph, a
> service manager, a works manager, production and/or a quality assurance
> manager.
>
> John's dad really liked the cars, liked driving them, and wanted others
> to take the same enjoyment in them. A trophy in his honor for people who
> drove both Standards and Triumphs, rather than just showed them, was
> long overdue, I thought.
>
> We worked to include recognition of the ordinary drivers, the people who
> _drove_ the cars, rather than just hid them away from show to show, to
> no avail. The awards ceremony for the 2001 VTR was to include the
> inaugural "Charles Macartney Daily Driver Award," and yet, it didn't
> happen. The trailer queens won.
How did the trailer queens win? I don't get it.
I trailered my car there along with others. Some
are older, some are younger, some with families, some with different sets of
tires and others like me who don't
really have an excuse other than I like to get there and back as quick as I
can. I came to be
a part of the group that enjoys the Triumph marque. That
doesn't mean I don't like to drive it or appreciate it. I've been through
the daily driving. Did it for almost 20 years. Every once in awhile I'm able
to go places for special events. VTR National is one such place. I chose to
get there in another fashion.
>
> If the way in which shows of all sorts are run bother you, contact your
> local club, and the VTR. My general feeling is that the people who most
> appreciate the cars are the ones who drive them, and those are the
> people who are most likely to feel excluded from shows.
Mike, I didn't feel any different than the times I've driven cars to
VTR. Always a good time and never excluded. There were numerous winners in
the 2001 VTR car shows and driving events that took home awards. We had two
from Indiana other that mine
which won and drove there cars there. One first place concourse winner.
>
> Those who really get the most bang for the buck are those who drive
> Triumphs, rather those who hide their cars away in a bag from show to
> show, and yet, events are too often structured for the latter, rather
> than the former.
As others have said, VTR has all kinds of driving events. Which events are
structured for these tucked away vehicles? I've put my trailer queen through
all of the driving events before(except TSD and I won't because I don't
follow directions real well). Not this past year either, For some reason I
felt lazier than my usual lazy.
>
> All that said, it's quite okay for the trailer queens to have their
> venue, to have their place to exhibit their cars. But, they should not
> make the rules nor run the shows.
OK. So how did those people run the show?
>
> John's dad, bless him, thought that the car's should be enjoyed by being
> driven. That was the ultimate reason for their manufacture.
>
> My GT6 Mk III is a real horror to the guys who only wish to show their
> cars.
Not true. Personally, I'd rather see original unrestored cars.
Realistically, as time marches on, they are not as prevalent. I also like to
see immaculately prepared concourse cars. I like them all.
Dent in the nose, rust peeking through on the top, crappy chrome
> on the rear trim. But, the mechanicals are pretty good--I didn't give a
> second thought to driving 500 miles each way to Breckenridge, last
> summer. Just hammered it out and went. Didn't need a tow truck or a
> trailer.... Just did it. Drove. And didn't care that the trailer queens
> looked down their noses. I drove. They didn't.
Great. Way to go. I enjoyed looking at all the cars and just being there.
>
> I think there are many more people, mostly younger and less well-heeled
> than older folks, who drive the cars because they love them, than those
> who just show, and I'd really like to see the regional clubs and the VTR
> respect the daily drivers to a greater degree than those who just
> trailer their cars from show to show. I don't know, exactly, how to make
> that change happen, but I very much want it to happen, before those of
> us old farts die and our cars end up in the local crusher because our
> heirs don't know what they've inherited, and the daily drivers wonder
> what happened to that Triumph solidarity.
Mike, I don't know what happened to the award, but I think you have left at
least me wondering what did happen. I'm not convinced it was trailer queens
that made the difference either. I guess I',m confused by your comments with
no specifics to base your claim on. Did you go through VTR process of
getting
things approved? Was this a decision that had been approved but for some
reason fell through the cracks? Were there standards established for this
new award that didn't happen?
Tom Beaver
Indy
(Taking 2 this year)
>
> Cheers, all.
>
> --
> Michael D. Porter
> Roswell, NM (yes, _that_ Roswell)
> [mailto:mporter@zianet.com]
>
.
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