Mark, you raise some valid points, and I appreciate your comments.
>
> Simon,
>
> I don't race vintage, so I decided to post this to you privately and
> you may use any and all of it on the vintage race list.
Thanks, I will. ;=)
> I do race an Improved Touring "C" VW Scirocco in SCCA club racing, and
> from the sound of this past weekend, I'm safer in a snarling pack
> of IT cars than I would be in a "supposed" vintage race. Although
> the SCCA method of licensing is far from perfect, it does tend to
> keep novices from driving over their heads, at least through two
> drivers' schools and two regional races. After that, it's up to the
> competitors and stewards to keep things under control.
At least all the IT cars are prepared to the same safety standards. You
just can't do that for all vintage cars. The IT cars also have to be
prepared within certain very specific rules. Some vintage clubs are
very lax, others are pretty strict, but it still doesn't come close to
Spec Racer or IT rules. You are safer.
> What really appears to be happening in vintage racing are several
> things:
>
> 1. The proliferation of vintage sanctioning bodies is lessening the
> impact of "suspending" a drivers' participation rights. A driver who
> is aggressive no longer has to fear being thrown out since there are
> plenty of other sanctioning bodies in which to play in.
Possibly, but HMSA is supposed to be one of the premier clubs that it
just doesn't pay to be excluded from. A lot of the HMSA racers run with
CSRG, or VARA, so you do have a point. HMSA BTW, is just a front. ;=)
HMSA is the sanctioning body, and the club all the racers have to belong
to, but these are Steve Earle's events. We all know this. There are no
HMSA meetings, no BOD, virtually no member input into the conduct of
events. Perhaps therein lies part of the problem. At least the other
clubs can get together and come to a consensus on what their mission
statement and rules of conduct are.
> 2. The billionaire boys club "syndrome". Someone with a lot of money
> tends to feel that rules are for the "other folks". Now I know I'm
> generalizing here, but it exists.
No argument. One of the scariest near-misses was between two 250 Testa
Rossas. There was no contact, but one of them was clearly trying a
banzai move in a $3 million dollar car! OTOH, most of the other serious
incidents were with much less expensive cars. I tend to think it isn't
the size of the wallet that breeds disregard for safety, it's the
attitude that the car is always replaceable. Some are, some aren't.
The problem comes in when you have two different attitudes on the track
at the same time. If everybody was on the same page, we'd get along a
lot better.
> 3. A lack of formal driver education. Vintage racing is not supposed
> to be as "competitive" as, say SCCA club racing, but human nature being
> what it is there will be people who simply must win. To satisfy their
> ego, or whatever. Unfortunately, from what I can tell the licensing
> requirements in vintage are minimal at best. See my comments on SCCA
> licensing above. The earlier posts on "taking the line" merely
> demonstrate that there are a lot of drivers out there who don't have a
> clue on what "racing" is.
This is a generic problem. Most clubs don't even have licenses. You
show up, you drive, if you behave yourself, you get to come back. Many
clubs have mandatory school sessions at the start of the season for new
racers. I did Russell Racing's 3 day class. I also went through the
SCCA drivers school. Although I only went for the vintage license (no
way to do Regionals unless I rented a car), it taught me a lot about how
to go thru tech, fill out paperwork, pay attention to flags, etc. All
valuable skills, even the paperwork. I entered vintage racing as a very
overtrained novice. HMSA and CSRG let me in without a peep.
Unfortunately, it's the ego part of the equation that seems to be out of
control. It gets drummed into us over and over that these cars have
already made all the racing history they are ever going to, and that we
have no business putting them at risk over matters of ego. Some people
are not listening. They're the ones that need a whack over the head
with a 2x4 as one of our corner workers put it. Steve Earle commented
that he looked at the entry list, and it's the same old bunch of people
he always gets. It certainly wasn't the few newcomers that made a mess
of things.
> 4. Unrelated to driver ability is the fact that vintage cars are now
> racing at speeds much higher than when the cars were originally raced.
> Technology exists and the competitors will use it. These cars were
> not the safest when new, and combine the higher speeds with lesser
> driving skills and abilities and you have a recipe for disaster.
Yes and no. HMSA in particular (that's pronounced 'Steve Earle'), has
mandated certain spec tires for some classes, notably mine. We run on
the Dunlop L series hard compound tires. Many clubs are also very
strict about originality, but you're right. It's still possible to make
some cars go faster than they ever could when new. Some cars were
driven by pros when new, so they aren't even close to going faster. ;=)
> Unless vintage sanctioning bodies resort to "passing" and "no passing"
> zones on the track, I think the problem will continue to grow worse.
> At least in SCCA club racing you know the other guy wants the position
> as bad as you do. But that's why *we're* out there. What is the
> driving force behind the vintage racer? That's more difficult to
> pinpoint.
Exactly. It will likely never come to no-passing zones, but it is the
mission statement and general assumptions everybody is supposed to be
operating under that need review. If the general assumption is that no
matter what club you race with you have to go as fast as the fastest car
or get blown off the track, then I may as well go buy a new Formula Ford
and quit vintage racing. I think it is possible to have a vintage event
that is not a single file parade without having people doing stupid
things every time. It's something to be worked on.
> Happy motoring and good luck!
Ditto.
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