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Re: Earning Trophies? Nope.

To: "Scott Meyers" <solo2@uswest.net>,
Subject: Re: Earning Trophies? Nope.
From: "Rocky Entriken" <rocky@tri.net>
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 00:44:37 -0500
>Jim & Marilyn Rohn wrote:
>
>> ....... Hey, if one person attends ALL the required events in a series,
they
>> have *earned* their one
>> person class 1st place trophy. The idea is to keep people happy, and if
>> they're happy "winning" without competition, so be it ...


I'm with Jim and Marilyn on this one.

Now I do not object to other concepts presented, such as PAX the single-car
classes into one class, or bump, or find some other combination. But it is
up to the organizing Region/club to decide to do that.

IF THEY DO NOT, then if someone shows up at the required number of events,
supports the program, goes to the expense of maintaining, transporting and
entering his car, is there ready to accept all challenges and none
materializes, THAT IS NOT HIS FAULT. He earned that championship just as
surely as if he'd beaten 100 drivers to win it.

He ran the events. He put forth the best effort in that class. He was there
and ready to take on all comers. Nobody did it better. So now some
idealistic individuals who are NOT EVEN IN HIS CLASS want to put him down
and say he should not received a trophy?

It's like this: If you don't think he deserves it, get a car in his class
and go beat him. Otherwise, shut up.

If, philosophically, you think one-car classes are a bad thing, then do
something about it that does not screw the drivers in the one-car classes.
Like establish a PAXed system that is set up before the season begins so
everyone is on the same playing field before the game starts. But with some
54 classes in the Solo II rulebook, not to mention local classes and ST
variants, many events have more classes than they have cars and one-car
classes are just how it is. Fix it or forget it, but don't screw those who
find themselves in that position. They did not necessarily go out to find
the class where they would be the only car. Nor can they make other people
buy/build cars for that class. Howevermuch they may even encourage others to
become their competitors, they cannot force it. In general, they are not all
that happy "winning" without competition, but there is not much any can do
about it other than show up and hope someone else does too.

About the only thing a hosing like this does is discourage that
one-car-class guy even more and then, soon, you lose him too. Because now
you even take away the pure fun of just going out and driving the best he
can. That's supposed to be all we are here for, the fun. Don't screw that
part up too with a bunch of bureaucratic BS.

--Rocky Entriken


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