I just spent two days reading the email that piled up during my two week
absence from the computer. What fun!
Re: Driver qualifications at vintage races
It's obvious what the problem is. Read B. S. Levy's book, "Last Open
Road". During the 1950's, the SCCA was just like the vintage racing
scene today -- everyone was expected to be a gentleman and a skilled
driver, and most were -- but not all. The same exists in Vintage Racing
today.
I started racing in the early 1960's and raced on and off as time,
money, and frustration threshold would permit. The SCCA is the product
of an evolutionary process that addressed these issues one by one over
nearly fifty years.
I was often furious with the SCCA, but always respected their approach
to driver qualification -- two drivers' schools and several races with
results and observations entered into a logbook.
I have attednded four vintage drivers schools, and none held a candle to
an SCCA school. The Friday evening session is usually devoted to ego
satisfation rather than telling you when to empty your bladder, which
seat belts do what, and the ettiquette of passing. On the other hand, I
was infuriated by the SVRA requirement of a drivers school that was
beyond the cost threshold of most new drivers.
There will always be accidents, but there need not be drivers out there
without qualifications. While I really hesitate to suggest such a thing
in my beloved Vintage Racing Sport Hobby, we will come to this kind of
solution, because tragedies and ultimately lawsuits will force us to.
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