Ted Smith makes some good points about inspection, just wanting to have a
good place to run an authentic car, etc. In comparing CSRG and HMSA, there
are a few caveats to keep in mind. I also race with both, as well as the
SCCA Vintage event at Laguna. I also have a period-correct Formula Jr.
The thing to remember about HMSA is that up till now, it is essentially
just the drivers club, or sanctioning body. The operation of the events is
all Steve Earle and General Racing Ltd. The tech inspectors, AFAIK, are
paid employees of General Racing Ltd. Adding club events is great, but they
base their season on the 3 big spectator events. That's what pays for the
knowledgeable tech inspectors. HMSA doesn't have a complicated set of rules
listing allowed and disallowed mods. They publish a philosophy statement,
and depend on the fear of God (Steve Earle) to make policing minimal. ;=)
Just this year, some of the HMSA club events will actually be run by HMSA,
not General Racing Ltd. We'll see how that works out.
CSRG, OTOH, is entirely a volunteer organization. With the exception of the
Buchannan field event, CSRG runs its season off of essentially private,
club events. The tech inspectors don't all have vast experience with a wide
variety of cars. Some do, but not all. CSRG has also been a bit lax in
publishing its rules. They promised to finish that task this year. They are
getting out a newsletter, where it was clearly stated that crossflow heads
on certain Ford motors were not acceptable, for example. Since CSRG admits
FFord cars, the drivers decided that they would police themselves regarding
excessive mods. Since the vintage FFords are all pretty comparable in
performance, it's pretty obvious who the "usual suspects" are. Conformance
has improved in that area. The production classes are another matter. CSRG
still seems to be ambivalent on the "period correct" vs. "point in time"
preparation choices. CSRG doesn't have the kind of clout and oversubscribed
events Steve Earle does. With 5 times as many entrants as grid spots, Steve
Earle can make it very clear that he simply doesn't need the cheaters.
I enjoy running with comparable early cars at HMSA events. I enjoy CSRG
events where we have a paddock that's not packed like a can of sardines,
as in the big HMSA events. I enjoy the SCCA Laguna event because it's well
run, and because it's a lot cheaper than trying to do Monterey in August!
Each has something to gripe about, but each has something to offer.
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