[Fot] Racing a Triumph

[Bill Babcock]

I've stayed out of this discussion, in part because I don't have a dog in this
fight (I use a dog box inside a TR6 case) and partly because I'm a consistent
proponent of vintage racing organizations understanding that the days of
people running "real" vintage cars are over or dying fast, and if we don't
want to see ever-shrinking grids it's time for a new idea.

When I started racing vintage there were all kinds of exotic cars, many in the
hands of ordinary mortals. People with dogs, kids and a job owned some very
celebrated cars that they had bought for next to nothing. Vintage racing
turned those cars into multi-million dollar icons and they all passed into the
hands of collectors, who only race them at the most prestigious events. When
is the last time you saw a Ferrari TR or even a Maserati 300 at a club level
event?

Making racing ridiculously expensive in order to preserve the authenticity of
cars that never raced before seems more than a bit counterproductive. I'm in
favor of a well thought out list of permitted modifications that allow cars to
have greater performance AND greater reliability which should equal less
expense. I don't really get why brake system modifications that were leading
edge 30 years ago are prohibited. I'd kind of like it if when I stepped on my
brakes they did something.

I don't know that I'd bother with a five speed, Peyote works fine as it is,
but it seems obvious that more modern transmissions should be allowed. You can
buy them at junkyards. They last a long time.

On Oct 12, 2012, at 8:23 AM, Bobby Whitehead <igofaster at att.net> wrote:

> I think if you want to race these cars you have to love these cars. And,
when
> you mix emotion with the costs, you really have to love the opportunity to
be at
> speed in these cars.
> The elixir that runs through your soul when the stars aline and you've
really
> hit a peak in matching the driving experience and the connection between you
and
> your car is toxic.
> Modified in the spirit of vintage racing should be the thought.
> Safety should be the #1 modification the cars have leeway with as far as
> sanctioning rules.
> Reliability modifications should be the #2 modification, modern gearboxes
for
> example.
> Performance should be the last modification that pushes the thought of
variance
> to vintage spirit.
>
> I think all of us want to have fun with the cars and as I begin my third
rebuild
> in 3 years I think I have a grasp of what it takes to try to run vintage...
> Personally I had my build booklet upfront when I joined CVAR here in Texas.
The
> car I purchased was built with a Toyota T50 gearbox and that was the way I
> presented it. CVAR 'allowed' me to run 2-3 events with the idea I would put
a
> Triumph gearbox in the car. I had what I think most of us agree, Quantum
> Mechanics build me a gearbox which lasted about 2 weekends... I was
warrantied
> with Quantum which I thought was awesome another gearbox with a modified J
type
> overdrive which also lasted about 4 events... warrantied again by Quantum
with
> exchange I had a TR6 gearbox built with close ratio gear set from England...
in
> the mean time I put the T50 back in the car and along with about $4000 in
> receipts went back to CVAR and said,,, you know,,, I tried to run like you
> wanted me to but if you want to to run consistently as a customer, I'm going
to
> run the T50.... no problem.
> I know the MG guys are having a tough time with 50 year old gearboxes and
their
> sources gone... SOMETHING is going to have to change if these cars are going
to
> continue to run.
> Personally, I don't see anything wrong with slotted brakes, four caliper
> pistons, roll cages, Hans devices, and other safety or reliability
efforts...
> the racing organizations are businesses at the end of the day... those who
are
> not flexible in business willing to modify will not survive in any business
> format... IMHO....
>
> Bobby Whitehead
>
> on the hunt... again.....
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