In a message dated 02/03/2001 8:46:44 AM Pacific Standard Time,
wspotter@jps.net writes:
<<
List,
As I suggested a year ago when this same subject was discussed, the thing
racers respect is their peers. Any record which is accepted against a peer
standard is accorded the approval of those who care and matter most, other
racers. For anyone else it's a curiosity!
USFRA was the first of the Bonneville/hot-rod/saltflats racing governing
groups to offer FIA certification. This was because some of the racers
wanted it. Rick Vesco could give you all the details. Continuing that
certification proved to be very expensive and was allowed to lapse because
of costs. Fred Larsen and the Tradup/Thomason streamliners for instance,
both set FIA records and as was mentioned, the FIA bias is toward such
envelope bodied cars. The question is whether the number of classes
recognized by SCTA/BNI, USFRA, ECTA and the Australian group, all using the
same class and safety rules, are a workable number for a new authenticating
group, whatever it be or wherever it may be. With the acceptance by the
involved racers however and the demonstrated ability of these groups to time
and govern record setting, who better to dictate the rules and to approve
the record times? We don't need another governing body!
Is there anyone else with the expertise, participation and recognition?
There are no better safety crews for this type of racing, no better venues
and no more experience in managing land-speed racing. Oh yes, and it's
amateur.
Quit trying to re-invent the wheel. Polish what we have and give it the
respect it has earned.
Wes
>>
Well stated Wes,
Most of us competitors are pretty happy with the venues we have now. In
my view, to try and group all the organisations under one umbrella would be a
bureaucratic and logistical nightmare, not to mention the acrimony and
arguing. Hell, there isn't any majority consensus within our chat-group of a
couple hundred racers and fans as to how to organize it and recognise the
existing records, rules, and standards. One can only imagine what would be
involved world-wide.
We have race courses at 4000' MSL, 2600'MSL, and Sea Level, a 1 mile
course on concrete, 1.3 mile & a 1.5 courses on dirt, 3 mile & 5 mile courses
on salt, 7 & 11 mile courses on salt (sometimes), and the Aussie course on
salt. These venues share some common class and safety rules but each has it's
own course length (as determined my Mother Nature) and timing-trap length,
all very accurately surveyed by the volunteer setup crew.
I personally enjoy the differences of the various courses. Most racers
understand and accept the fact the Maxton has a 132' trap, as do El Mirage
and Muroc, and that Bonneville has both 1/4 mile and 1 mile traps. These
features are unique to the different venues.
Just preparing a race car and getting it to the salt or dirt is about the
most that the majority of us can handle. For a racer to take time away from
this pursuit to get involved in re-inventing the worldwide LSR structure
would defeat his goal of going fast. If non-racers reorganise the worldwide
LSR structure it would soon become bogged down in the quagmire that caused
many former drag racers to migrate to LSR.
As Wes Potter stated so well, The uniqueness of this loose-knit amateur
hobby is what attracts us. Individuality is the common thread that drives us.
It's working fine just as it is. People know the differences between the
various race venues and accept them as they are. This is not to say that
constant "fine-tuning" isn't a good idea.
To quote Dana Wilson (past SCTA official) when somebody started offering
a long-range plan for the Wilson-Waters GR "Young man, look at my face. Does
this look like the face of a guy who has unlimited time left to pursue my
goals"?
Most of us limit ourselves to racing on one or two of the above race
courses, not by choice but by financial and chronological(sp) necessity. We
would like to experience the Maxton concrete and the Australian salt but in
the real-world are very happy to pursue our goals in our own geographical
region. Personally, I'm thrilled to live within a 12 hour tow of Bonneville
and a 6 hour tow of El Mirage and Muroc.
Ardun Doug King
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