<<Seems that SCCA racing has become a (relatively) high cost venture,
requiring extensive modifications that result in a non-streetable car
(assuming you want to be anywhere near competetive).
Vintage racing class rules seem to allow a street legal car, with minimal
modifications to remain competetive. Unfortunately for me, the cut-off
dates for production cars seems to be late 60's/early 70's. I have a late
70's B. I am sure no one would seriously argue that the late B's have a
competetive advantage over earlier cars, but this is not taken into
consideration.
Am I missing somthing, or am I just out of luck? >>
Both.
SCCA has been expensive and competitive for more than 25 years. There are some
organizations, for instance ICSCC in the Pacific Northwest, that have classes
that are 'stock' spec classes and much cheaper to run.
The late Bs are not welcome in vintage. The cut-off has to be made somewhere,
and 1969 is usually it. If you aren't prepared to sell your car to get an
early one, you certainly aren't dedicated enough to last a season or two of
racing. You have to really want to do it, and be prepared to do whatever it
takes to get there. I used to work washing dishes until midnight, jump in the
tow car and drive 6 hours, then race for the day before collapsing until the
next day, when I would race, drive 6 hours home, and go to work the next day
(only for the young!).
If you want low key competition, try autocross.
If you are prepared to modify your car beyond streetability, at sometimes
great expense, try vintage racing. Although you can run pretty stock, most
aren't satisfied with it, and many mods are necessary for reliability anyway,
ther is also a driver's school to attend and a few hundred dollars worth of
safety equipment needed.
If you are obsessed with racing and eat sleep and breathe it, and have enough
money or sponsorship, go SCCA (too much effort for this old fart - I've stuck
to vintage since the early 80s).
But real racing , even in vintage, is a serious committment, dilettantes need
not apply.
Hope that answers some of your questions. And no, the rubber bumper B doesn't
have a performance advantage - quite the opposite. You should have seen what
the SCCA teams had to do to go back to the old suspension while keeping the
then current rubber-maid snout, as required by the factory sponsors.
Bill S.
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