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Re: lap time groupings

To: rebjrmd@ix.netcom.com, vinttr4@geneseo.net
Subject: Re: lap time groupings
From: WSpohn4@aol.com
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2000 13:26:44 EST
In a message dated 12/02/00 10:14:13 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
rebjrmd@ix.netcom.com writes:


> .  It is only when you have a
> flexible policy or a policy that isn't clear cut, that you get grumbling and
> requests (or demands) for movement from one group to another.  This is a
> nightmare for organizers.
> 

Have to agree with Dick on this one. I have helped to arrange races and the 
time you can waste listening to people giving you their argument for moving 
them down a class can be staggering. Exceptions can always be made to fine 
tune the thing, and to suit, say a dead stock Bugeye that should run in a 
lower class and an old SCCA car that needs to be up with the faster stuff, 
but the clear guidlines sure save a lot of wasted time.

Paradoxically, running my MGA, I have had some of my best races with cars 
like Mustangs and Corvettes that I was a tad faster than (due to driver 
conservatism and drum brakes, respectively) and some of my worst experiences 
as well when, for reasons of space, or time, I was temporarily our running 
with old McLarens and such that damn near turn a small car inside out when 
they pass.

As an old time regular racer, I always try to be very careful about watching 
my mirrors - running my production car in ICSCC sports racing just to get in 
another race, sure taught me that! But some of these guys that are just 
vintage racers are so intent on what's in front of them, they tend to pay far 
too little attention to what is behind them. If what's behind them turns out 
to be an old Canam car in an open practice, you have a potential for a bad 
accident at worst, and some soiled Nomex for the slow car, at the least!

Bill Spohn
(2 mirrors, clean Nomex)

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