Hear, Hear Dean. Very well spoken!
Greg
Solow
----- Original Message -----
From: <WATTSIT2ME@aol.com>
To: <JWoesvra@aol.com>; <gordonm@pacbell.net>
Cc: <vintage-race@autox.team.net>; <356talk@356registry.org>;
<rebjrmd@ix.netcom.com>; <ddlwheels@home.com>; <dickmac@yahoo.com>;
<76402.2072@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2000 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: Mechanical Failures
> Hi Jack;
>
> I've been on this list for a total of one day, and 'am probably going to
put
> my foot in my mouth from the get-go..
>
> Per your recent email;
>
> "...Vintage Racing is the United States is no longer a place to display
> museum pieces." I have a real problem with that philosophy. There's an
> obvious difference between west coast "Vintage Racing" and east coast
> "Vintage Racing." Although I've never had the opportunity to race on the
East
> coast, it's obvious from the photographs, race reports, and articles that
> there are two very different venues from coast to coast.
>
> I belong to a club, (Classic Sports Racing Group, aka CSRG), whose
philosophy
> has been the same since our club started over 32 years ago, "No
modification
> for the sake of performance," period.
>
> Steve Earle of General Racing has the same attitude and stands before us
at
> every drivers meeting to remind us; "You are not Fangio, you never were,
you
> never will be, and you couldn't have beaten him when you were the same age
in
> the same cars, so forget it!"
>
> "The core of our sport is now made up of enthusiasts that are more racer
than
> preservationist." Maybe so in your mind, but I like to believe the true
> "enthusiasts" are preservationist more than racers. You're probably
correct
> in sheer numbers, but they're not there to enjoy their cars, as much as
they
> are on a mission to win, at all costs. And you're correct, they are
racers.
> I noted an article in a vintage race magazine months ago, with a
photograph
> showing a 356 Porsche, rolled up into a ball of junk. The long and short
of
> it was the owner/driver was then on a quest to strengthen and modify the
car
> even more. Hmmm.
>
> I believe the majority of people that stand by the snow fences are there
to
> enjoy the cars as they remember them, not some 180 horsepower, full roll
> cage, disc brake, fiberglass, flared fender, slick tired 356 Porsche
passed
> off as a "1955" model...
>
> "Old parts that were often questionable when new are reaching the absolute
> limit of their design expectations" True for sure. And you know what else?
> When the same parts are put under such astronomical loading as per the
type
> of car noted above, something's going to fail. Cars were driven on tires
that
> were high profile, treaded and slid all over the damn place. Same car, low
> profile tires, wide slicks, guess where the load goes? Hello! Something's
> going to break! I defy anyone to show me photographs of cars, running as
> true competition cars in the 50's and 60's that even come close to what
you
> see on some of the Vintage race circuit(s) today.
>
> I respect your thoughts and opinions, but saddened that you believe
Vintage
> Racing is no longer a place to display our museum pieces. If so, you know
> what's going to happen? The true enthusiasts won't bring the cars out
anymore
> to take a chance on being trashed by some "1955" model anything that's
been
> built up to win at any costs. The real cars will return to the garages,
> become static museum pieces again, and that's a shame. That's the reason
they
> were brought out to enjoy in the first place, when they were nothing but
old,
> tired, noncompetitive pieces sitting in someone's garage or backyard.
>
> That's what "enthusiasts" come to see and enjoy, whether they're driving
> them, standing by the snow fence, or just holding their Grandchild's hand
and
> telling stories about what it was REALLY like. To watch some kids eyes
light
> up when he's invited to sit in a real race car, turn the wheel, move the
> shift lever, that what "enthusiasts" are all about. That kid couldn't care
> less if you finished in the race behind the one you started in, he/she is
> there for the cars, no more, no less.
>
> Racing? Fine, try SCCA.
>
> Respectfully; Dean Watts
|