I had tried to keep my mouth shut, but with some new interest and articles
posted I thought I might jump back in and state some issues.
Re: Parity, I am still of the opinion that the solo vees have not
reached real parity. From the observations of the multitude of comments
seen on this media last Fall, I am convinced that the attempt at total
agreement for a proposal will not happen. Hay guys we are competitors and
the nature of competition is not to agree.
Some are saying there needs to be a good comparison to know for sure. I
suggest that we never will ever have a really scientifically controlled
situation wherein we have an even share of both cars fully prepared, and
have an equal number of outstanding drivers to measure the real potnetial.
If we ever get close to this, there still will not be unanomous agreement
as to the result. We can not agree on the president either! I hope you
guys can prove me wrong!
The best example was the vees that trophied at Kansas. They did a good job
representing vees, but were not as close to the winning times as many would
have liked. One or two seconds back is not parity.
(boring!) I do not know about others, but my car has been developed over
the past two years, first year the engine is built to the limits ($900
heads within the rules) although carb can be improved some, and then this
last year the tranny was developed significantly. Evansville was its first
time out as such, driver was very rusty, and then the tires were going
away as the rest of the year developed.
Mid year this coming year we might see it show some of its potential,
especially if Bob Monday joins my efforts. My health has interferred with
getting the owner/driver back competitive.
I have said before, I prefer returning to the legal formula vee, and
finding a place for it.
I suggest that solo competition should be driving skill, but it is becoming
in all classes, competition in engineering and negociating out better
classing.
I enjoy my solo vee, and would like to seem some more mods, but I do not
see this as the way to parity. I suggest that single class is the only
real parity, and the political environment is such that this will not
happen in my lifetime. My meaning, a class for F5 only and a class for
vees only, either way solo vee or strictly legal formula vee.
Protest rules issue
I had thought I would never discuss this opinion, but you guys got me
started. I very much do not wish the following to offend James Murphy and
Clint, as I highly respect their efforts and I was soundly beat at
Evansville with go driving and good engineering on their part. I admire
what you did this year with that car!
>From a purely intellectual view of the protest at Kansas I question the
results. I do not understand how a clearly measured illegal car can be
given a national trophy. Our 25 years of making the nationals such a well
respected and highly regarded goal. We all expend considerable amount of
effort and expense to pursue such a reward, and then we reward it to cars
considered to be illegal for the class. The awards would seem to be best
for the fastest legal cars that competed. End of comment on that, hope
Clint and Jim will talk to me the next time I see them.
I believe the vee is not quite up to parity, and that with the way the F5's
are actively racing, they will continue to move ahead through development.
Another factor.
It is my opinion that finances is the big issue facing the class. First
class prepared equipment is based upon money.....some may make it with
engineering and lots of work, but money is becoming much more an issue than
it has in the past years. Two years back the new engine was more than the
cost of the vee, engine, and trailer when I bought it in 1979. The tranny
and set of tires last year equals the original price of the car in '79.
The winning is more and more becoming less a measure of real driving skill
( it is driving skill of those who have the top equipment), and much more a
measure of ability to finance first rate equipment, engineer those unfair
advantages, and then have the opportunity for the best drivers to use that
equipment. Even in stock classes, good drivers are way behind the
engineers who work continually on shocks, alignment, tire choice, etc.
Most of our national champions are eating, sleeping, and doing lots of
travelling centered around soloing. Where is the enjoyable Sunday
afternoon car experience yf years past?
The club is facing concerns about no new blood. I have seen several young
men attempt to break into F mod locally, one with a vee, another with a
440, but they have fallen to the wayside, not having the resources and the
many hours and endless week-ends of committment to reach a level of some
success, even at a local event. That was a very expensive near last place
I purchased at Evansville last July!
My 1972 Honda had only one set of tires and an 80% winning rate during its
6 years of solo competition. The game of solo competition is much
different now. Sort of like when Bobby Unser was talking, in 1967 he had
an open trailer hauling his Indy winning car behind a van, but now look at
the transporters and investment in the cars. We are going that direction,
even though most of the F mod. still have only homebuilt open trailers and
old cars. We are a class ripe for the big money to run us off.
Events Schedule.
Sorry, I can not stop. I am also one that longs for the good old days when
you could enjoy a solo on one day, and have the rest of the week-end for
family and/or home chores. Everyone is turning to two day events, which
turn into major physical endurance projects, walk the course 6-8 times,
work the course 1-2 hours, change tires and drive, then second day same
routine, plus loading and driving home. I didn't count the late night
party. Many of us had our early experience and got hooked when we had
spare time on the week-ends for other things in life also. It took us
years to get interested enough to spend so many week-ends and turn it into
a way fo life. Those days it was only one or two long week-ends a year.
Gosh we even got to go on a family vacation away from soloing.
I advocate for keeping things more simple, one day events. Even two day
events , but only running one day would be more enjoyable to my liking.
OK, guys this should get some writing activity going!!
Larry
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