I must first preface my statements on this issue with some comments
regarding my perspective. I have been attending vintage events as a
spectator for nearly 15 years. I am not a competitor in Vintage YET,
however I have raced karts for 2+ seasons with more than 75 races (with
karts it was easy to race every Friday, Saturday, and most Sundays if you
are dedicated). I had lots of fun while running in the back of the pack.
But as I progressed in experience and competitiveness, the racing became
less fun as winning was everything to those drivers in the front of the pack
with whom I was spending more and more time. After a few serious incidents
in which some friends were hurt due to some highly aggressive driving, I
decided that karts were just too dangerous so long as safety took a back
seat to winning. I ceased racing karts about 8 years ago due to these
safety concerns. I have also been a BMWCCA member for nearly 10 years now
and have participated in their driving schools most every year. Racing is a
sport that is more intense and demanding in a physical and mental sense than
any I have ever experienced. It is an individual challenge to constantly
and consistently drive a car or kart safely and quickly on the track. The
competitive aspect is important, but it is not my primary focus. I have
always considered vintage to be the perfect sport for me. I have always
owned and maintained at least one British car. I reveled in the apparent
safety of the vintage racing at the track. I love that a full roll cage is
a possibility and that tires can last a season. I love that the cars were
considered sacrosanct (don't hit one or you'll really be sorry). I never
saw an incident in my first 5 years of spectating, excepting single car
mechanical failures, where a car did more than drive or spin off the track
with minimal damage at the worst. In the past 3 years I have seen a GT40
totaled in a single car incident due to brain fade, lots of body work left
on the track due to 'overdriving', and one death due to 10/10ths driving
combined with a poor choice of classes to run together. I have seen a
steady decline in the participation of seriously rare and valuable cars as
the number of paint swapping and diving-into-the-corner-with-all-4
brakes-locked passes have risen. As a spectator I bemoan the loss and am
appalled that this is vintage. As a potential vintage racer (thinking very
seriously about this '59 Bugeye that was a 70's HP racer with a really FULL
roll cage, read heavy but very safe), I am less and less happy with the
racing organization's control over its drivers. The profitability issues
have certainly taken their toll on the sport (from my perspective). {end
rant}
I must say that I am very disappointed with the new SVRA points scoring
system. What used to be a relatively restrictive organization seems to have
taken a turn toward supporting an SCCA or State licensing sort of points
system, except it may actually be more lenient than my State's point system.
I do agree that single car incidents need to be viewed a bit differently
than multi-car incidents. However any multi-car incident with any damage
should result in more than probation! That could have been my car you just
hit! If you hit me, I would expect a serious penalty, not just finger
wagging! I can certainly see single car incidents where I would want the
driver suspended for the rest of the season or perhaps barred from
participation for a period of years. This whole points scoring system is
ludicrous in its leniency. If you must have a points system, it should be
very, very strict and very, very high stakes and applied every time
regardless of who is involved or how much money they have.
The whole movement in vintage racing toward RACING vs. safe participation is
not a movement that I, as a spectator or future participant, support.
{flame suit on)
Jackson Zimmermann
jzimmerm@albemarle.org
'64 A-H Sprite
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