I personally don't run with organizations that group cars of different size
and capacity by lap times alone, if I have a choice. I much prefer to have
groupings made by car type and engine capacity, so that the performance
potential is similar, and most importantly, the performance "style" is similar.
I've had the misfortune to be caught behind large cars, of big power and
low cornering speed, when driving a small car, of low power and big
cornering speed, and found that I had to take enormous risks to try to pass
the big car, since I couldn't keep up on anything straight but had to try
to pass in the corners, where I had the advantage. I was faster than the
big car by some 3 - 4 seconds per lap in the example that I'm thinking of,
and was in fact trying to lap it at the time. I did the "corinthian"
thing, backed off, and just shadowed the big car till the session
ended. Had it happened again, I would have complained to the drivers
committee, but such was not required.
So there's an excellent reason to not group cars by lap times alone.
Brian
At 01:57 PM 11/22/1999 -0500, MalcolmCox wrote:
>Can anyone give me an explanation why the obvious is not common practise?
>
>1) Segment the entries into open wheel race groups and and closed wheel race
>groups.
>2) Assemble however many race groups you have time for, by declared lap
>times at time of entry.
>
>Then if you really want to recapture your lost youth (darn, I let it out),
>you can declare some made up macho lap time time and thrash and bash with
>all the other testosteratti.
>
>If you want to drive fast, safe and still have something to take home on
>Sunday night, you declare a lap time you are comfortable with.
>
>That way,
>a) YOU can choose who you drive with and what your track environment will be
>like.
>b) Pre-war cars and daily driver cars and first timers can still have some
>fun, without going cross eyed watching to be lapped every second lap.
>
>Malcolm Cox, very red and shiny MGA, and planning to keep it that way.
Brian Evans
Director, Global Sales
UUNET, An MCI WorldCom Company
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