In a message dated 11/7/00 11:08:17 AM Eastern Standard Time, pmeis@bgsm.edu
writes:
<< Forget about the autenticity (authenticity sp) of the car -- I vote for a
minimum age
> for drivers -- like maybe a driver must have been of legal driving age for
the
car
> he's racing during the year of its manufacture.......
If this is the qualification, I think Uncle Jack and myself could probably
race Locomobiles or Stanley Steamers. ;) >>
Funny you should write that. In the mid 1950s ...before there were buzz
words like "vintage"and "historic" race cars....Cal Club sports car races
occasionally had some race exhibitions of pre-war (WWI) cars...like the
Locomobile and the Steamers....which were 45 years old at the time. Wow..
they were really ancient or pre-historic!
Wait a minute....I just counted up my fingers and toes (x2 +) and ....my 1954
Arnolt-Bristol is now 46 years old! Is that really true? Yikes! Is it
really the same? Of course not....it's not the age....it's our
perception...what the mind's eye sees as acceptable...or not!
Interestingly, if the age requirement/ licensed driver/year of manufacture
rule were to be implemented...some of us real old vintage drivers would only
get to race a Willys Jeep or a Sherman Tank....because they fell into the
the "BIG" War years...when auto racing was put on hold for a while! Now
that's not fair!
As to the Westlake....Eastlake replica controversy...there are probably a few
North and Southlake models out there in the barn as well. Are they vintage?
Probably... but not designed to be vintage racers! Keep them in the
spectators' parking lot at the track, please!
Lee Raskin
Brooklandville, MD
Arnolt-B and 356ers.
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