----- Original Message -----
From: R. KASTNER <kaskas@earthlink.net>
To: Greg Solow <gregmogdoc@surfnetusa.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 9:04 AM
Subject: Re: "Were Raced"?and Vintage Racing
> I find this interest in LEGAL "old cars" really a peek at the olden days
to say
> the very least. You are suggesting rules of the 1967 era and I was a real
> factor in those days both of writing of those regulations and of enforcing
these
> same regulations. In fact I started the RulesEnforcement Committee for
the
> Calif. Sports Car Club. The job was to be at the tech inspection before
every
> race and inspect each of the cars for legality to the regulations and
> supplements. NO OIL COOLERS, NO LIMITED SLIP DIFFS, NO WEBER CARS (unless
> furnished stock) only such options as listed in the beginning of the year
for
> that model and then agreed and homologated by the SCCA board and then
published
> in the annual rule book. Sound complicated, WELL IT WAS JUST THAT. I
fully
> understand the frustration of having guys pull you down the chute with
bigger
> engines and in the main that was pretty much put out to pasture in the old
> days. We all read the rules very very carefully but in the main the
fastest
> cars were the most legal. Cause the best preparation people and the best
drivers
> were in these cars and in a lot of cases the top cars were representatives
of
> imported car factories ( Triumph, Jaguar, Porsche, Toyota, Datsun, MG,
Corvette
> etc.) and could not take the chance of being thrown out. If you were
caught
> cheating in those days you were put down for a YEAR. It took a lot of
thought
> and effort to get where you think you wanted to be in the preparation but
it was
> successful in having reasonable classes. I might add here that NEVER were
there
> allowed body panel changes and that goes back to the 50's when I was
actively
> driving. Fender flares were not allowed for a great number of years and
finally
> they allowed the material to be stretched but not added. In the later
years
> fender flares were allowed and just ruined the looks of the cars. It was a
big
> deal when we were finally allowed to have spoilers.
>
> BUT, in the view of cost and fun and reliability, I believe and fought in
years
> past for oil coolers, limited slip diff , ( which we finally got okayed)
but
> rods and cranks and rockers were never allowed. Locked rear ends were
legal but
> you could not add material, so I heated the spider gears red hot, peened
them
> over and this locked the diff. I do believe that rods and cranks should be
> allowed now. Cost up for the initial build but soooooo much cheaper in the
run
> of a years competition. Anyway not meaning to take either side of these
issues,
> but these same issues are certainly not new, just another version. Because
of
> the regulations and the terrible penality of losing the chance to compete
for a
> full year is one of the things that drove me to write the Competition Prep
> manuals.
>
>
> Greg Solow wrote:
>
> > Dear David,
> > Stewart's comments were directed at participants in "Vintage
Racing,"
> > not SCCA "Current Racing".
> > And therein lyes the distinction between "Vintage Racing" and "
Racing
> > Old Cars!" Vintage Racing traditionally was/is about racing cars that
are
> > prepared to the rules and /or technology that was in place and existance
at
> > a given time in the past. Traditionally that time was usually a date
limited
> > to a year before 1965 or 1967. That date may vary from group to group.
> > That is why it is called Vintage Racing. I have no argument with
anyone
> > that is interested in "Racing Old Cars", in fact I think that it is a
great
> > pastime. My argument is with those who do this and call it "Vintage
Racing"
> > As a mechanic and engine builder, I like to have some idea of what I
am
> > competing against. When someone whistles by me on the straight, is it
> > because they have done a better job of building an engine than I have,
or is
> > it because they have 200cc more displacement with valves sizes .150
inches
> > larger than they are suppossed to be?
> > Perhaps a partial solution to that would be for each competitor to
> > "testify" to the size of their engine and if it is larger than it is
> > suppjossed to be, then the displacement must be painted on the side of
the
> > car for all to see!
> > If they were then caught lying about that displacement, then the 13-13
rule
> > would apply. At least then all would know why the 1800cc Lotus 26R or
the
> > 1800cc Porsche 356 was so damn fast!
> > My personal preference would be for the SCCA rules in force in the
1967
> > GCR be used as a guideline for car preparation. Displacement as
standard
> > +.040 thou. overbore max. Standard valve sizes as delivered from the
> > factory. Standard carburation as approved by SCCA or possibly FIA. No
> > roller rockers or roller cams. Blocks and heads must be of original
> > manufacture, type, and material. I would allow aftermarket rods as a
> > reliability addition, as long as they were of original demensions. and
so
> > on...
> > I believe that it is time for a shot of HONESTY in what we are doing
in
> > Vintage Racing. At the very least everyone should have to "fess up" to
> > what they are running!
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Greg Solow
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: David C. Wingett <elkhorn@megsinet.net>
> > To: FRIEND OF TRIUMPH <fot@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 12:58 AM
> > Subject: "Were Raced"?
> >
> > > Stewart/Greg
> > > When you mention the HSMA philosophy of preserving Triumphs as
> > they
> > > "were raced" You do many others a Great disservice ... the Triumph is
> > still
> > > raced today . The few that will still carry on a marquee that died off
> > more
> > > then two decades ago should be looked upon as heroes and there autos
as
> > the
> > > High bread of the specie. There may soon be a day the SCCA opens the
flood
> > > gates and squeezes us out.
> > > The Runoff entry list for the E Prod group has only 3 TR-6's
in
> > > it. Dwight Cooke, Mark Gerdes & Sam Halkias. (per the SCCA web) It's
my
> > > understanding that Speedvision may carry this race on Sat.10/9/99.
There
> > > are many others of us that have chosen not to freeze ourselves in time
but
> > > to continue the Racing tradition that the Triumph was built on.
> > > The philosophy I most appreciate about Vintage is the
strict
> > > enforcement of GCR 9.1.1 & others. The racing is clean and that comes
with
> > > ATTITUDE...It's not the age of the car, It's the maturity of the
driver.
> > Any
> > > auto that's still racing, many long years after the walls of the
factory
> > > have fallen silent ...IS Vintage.
> > > David Wingett
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>
>
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