Bob,

I read up on CVAR's rulebook and they are definitely restrictive. How are the car counts in your events? What is the trend?

Are the rules enforced or do the officials look the other way when an influential person shows up with a car that is a bit of a stretch?

We are pretty strict on enforcement and have a system of Group Reps led by an Authenticity Chairman that oversee the process. We are fortunate in that our membership is of like mind and very few problems arise. It also helps that only 10% of your yearly points accumulation is how you finish a race and 1ST to 4Th get the same points and points are awarded only for the last race of the weekend. Authenticity, participation, documentation and finishing races counts for most of the points and trophies are given only at the end of the season.
Visiting entries are limited to twice per year and they must be reasonably close to our rules plus they get no points and do not figure into the points finishing order. Their entries are sent to the Authenticity Chairman for approval prior to accepting the entry.
A typical entry is 140 to 150 cars in 6 run groups and we do six events per year at three tracks in Texas and Oklahoma. We are a small club and don't care about 200+ car events that limit track time and social activities. It is about having fun with your vintage racer and friends.

Bob

I assume that the owner of CVAR is a car lover and not trying to make a killing out of it. This is clearly one model for vintage racing where you do it for the love and it is basically your own large private club. This model seems to downplay hard-core competition. (SOVREN awards points based on attendance and CVAR gives the same points to all top 4 finishers). VDCA has no awards and only a few points championships.

The other emerging model is the HSR, SVRA model where its all about size and profitability, accept all cars and manage the competition. Hmmmm.

Uh huh (grin, wink)
Don't know about all the groups but I've raced with the Mustang guys at Hallett and know the "real deal".
Don't go around saying CVAR defines genuine pre-72 "Vintage" because some of us know better.

J,
I never said that CVAR defines anything. The rules are posted on the website and yes there are some things allowed that are not pre 1972 that have to do with maintenance, safety and availability of parts. We allow roller rockers but not roller cams, a 302 can replace a 289 with a point lost for authenticity and a few other items. The basic rule book is the SCCA GCR for the year that you build to and the listed exceptions.
And yes we have some very fast Mustangs and Cameros, but when they are taken to other events are maybe mid pack entries on the East coast or up north.

CVAR is a member owned corporation and a registered not for profit organization.

We are a bit like herding cats, aren't we. We all like what we like, want what we want and do as we please. So far, it's worked for me.

As I mentioned earlier, the current SVRA and VSCDA vintage legal Spridget is about perfect. Uncomplicated, reliable (OK, so I had some problems last year) and pretty darn fast. The Hoosiers and those nasty illegal Avons are amazingly predictable and stick enough to drive hard but not so much as to start tearing apart the chassis or tax the crude suspension. I really wouldn't change a thing about them.

How about you guys in other classes? How would you rate the state of your cars. Makes me think about how the SCCA used to -probably still do but I'm not involved - have class and make meetings at the runoffs to get some feedback from the competitors. Of course, that all seemed to have gone badly, didn't it. But it doesn't have to, and it would be interesting to hear some other's thoughts about rules.

Dave Brown

Very interesting topic!

For those of us who love racing and motorsports in general, you don't have to be a purist vintage racer to notice very significant changes, not only demographics but entry numbers across all racing disciplines.

I was born in 1969, so I am probably part of the lower end of the demographic racer age these days in vintage events. Even at my age, I wonder who will be the next custodian of my race car, or if it will simply become a digitalized memory when I have retired from the sport. I don't see very many folks younger than myself seriously attracted to spending considerable time and money pursuing such activities.

How do we get more youth to pursue racing?
As many have already pointed out, much has changed from the racing heydays of the 1960's and 1970's. Over time costs have increased dramatically, as well as the minimum equipment necessary to participate in a successful and enjoyable way. By that, I mean not having a mechanical thrash session for the whole weekend, placing well in the race(s), decent and safe tow rig and trailer, sufficient spares and tools to fix what needs to be fixed, knowledge about your car and a good mentor or two to call on, and enough of a budget that you don't have to load up a second plate at the Saturday night banquet to feed yourself the next day.

Most of the above is in a person's direct control to some extent, sadly many other elements continue to negatively effect and erode the interest in the sport. And, as we all know, a successful and enjoyable race weekend starts long before we show up at the track. Well at least at our age we know it!

So here are but a few of the differences between "then" and "now" for getting folks interested in racing:

Societal Views:
THEN: People worshipped the motorcar. It was the ultimate freedom. Entire cities were designed with the car in mind. If you bought a new car, or even a "new to you" car, everyone on your street came out to see it and talk about it. Road trips were fun. Friday night after school you washed the car and went "cruising". Race car drivers were Gods.
NOW: Driving a car in the urban environment is a social no-no. Driving in the city places you in the societal outcast category, ownership of which marks you as a Earth-hating example of carbon-offsetting hazardous waste. Road trips, when taken, are distracted by in-car video, i-pods, wi-fi everywhere (even most campgrounds!). You could be on your sofa, for all that it engages the mind.

Freedom:
THEN: There were lots of empty roads to race each other on minutes from your home....yep I did it in a Mini even. OK it felt fast at the time!
NOW: Cops, street cameras, and envious do-gooders with cell phone video are everywhere. You seriously risk lives in densely populated areas if you even do the speed limit. Street racing can cost you your vehicle and hard time. Every block there is another traffic light. You live half an hour or more from any open road. Demerit points effect your life long into the future, as credit rating agencies and insurance companies have access to your records for 7+ years.

Transit Options:
THEN: Public transit was very limited in most communities, in particular in non-peak hours.
NOW: Huge investments in transit infrastructure (in some cities) are making cars obsolete.

Fuel Prices:
THEN: Gas was cheaper - I think I saw somewhere it was $0.31 per gallon in 1965?
NOW: Even if you adjust for inflation over that time, a gallon should cost $2.12 in 2010, but the escalating taxation burden skews the inflation figure. Here in Canada, I have paid in excess of $17 per gallon for race gas, and average at the pumps today is $1.31 per ltr for regular. Nothing compared to the EU, but ultimately being a car enthusiast was likely a bit less costly in the 1960's. In addition to race fuel, there is the cost of getting the rig to and from events.

Insurance:
THEN: Few had it.
NOW: OK so many folks still don't insure their race cars, but the truck, trailer, and in some cases the tools and equipment adds a significant burden to the costs. If you add up your house, vehicle, trailer, race equipment/tools, life, disability, critical illness /medical insurance, etc. it comes to a surprising percentage of your gross income. Granted many of today's insurance options were not available "back in the day", but few of us are now willing to risk not having decent insurance coverage. And it costs big time, especially for youth (young men particularly) who are considered a high actuarial risk for MV accidents and premiums reflect this. Especially if you have a hot car.....

Safety Equipment:
THEN: Cheap, basic and not very protective.
NOW: My personal gear list includes: SFI suit, helmet (not too heavy), underwear (several sets), gloves, socks, shoes, HANS, and in the car a fire system, race seat, window net, full cage, padding, fuel cell, etc. I don't keep accurate track of the expenses but I would guess around $7K.

Driver's License:
THEN: Getting a driver's license -easy.
NOW: "Graduated" license, many restrictions, expensive. To say nothing of insurance.....

Opportunities to learn/Exposure:
THEN: Average family had a single detached home with a car, which they had to maintain (particularly if British!). People generally spent more time outside "doing stuff" rather than watching reality TV re-runs. Kids learned from their parents (sometimes what not to do!), and had more exposure to things mechanical from the family car, bicycle, to the lawnmower. People could not afford specialists to fix everything and did many of the smaller repairs or general maintenance on their own. My dad certainly tried, although he was not very mechanically inclined.
NOW: Condo-living and dense urbanization means you will seldom see a guy fixing a car in his driveway. In fact, having a driveway is a bit of a luxury in many cities. If there is a garage at all, it is very seldom a shrine to things automotive and is most often a storage facility for household junk. Who will teach the next generation?

Improvements in vehicle reliability:
THEN: Cars were not that reliable. They needed a first service after just a few hundred miles. There was a service garage at many gas stations. With attendants to check your oil!
NOW: 8K to 15K before the first oil change! Who needs to know how to fix or maintain a car? When you fuel up you can buy a Coke and a hotdog instead of oil and wiper blades.

Stigma against skilled tradespersons:
THEN: Being a mechanic was a good living, relative to other jobs of the day.
NOW: My sister who works as a clerk in a university bookstore makes more than a licensed mechanic. One guy in her high school class of 300+ students was taking automotive trades.

So bottom line is that not only has our sport become more expensive, exclusive, and some would say elitist, the general demographics and societal trends have done much more to prevent new people from even entertaining the idea of racing in the first place.

What is the solution? There is no argument among many racers I talk to that vintage racing organizations need to be more creative with succession planning in order to maintain long term-viability. To their credit, most vintage racing organizations are doing a heck of a job with a small, dedicated (and often volunteer) committee. Having served on such a committee I know how much work is involved, and I applaud those who serve.

I have noticed that everyone seems terrified about having modern (if you can call a 1985 car modern!) racing at the same events as we enjoy. "Diluting the quality" is a term I have heard before. It begs the question: are we there to race or to showcase our cars to an adoring audience? I am not for a moment suggesting we combine groups of modern cars with vintage ones - that would be dangerous. However, if the grid is split properly, i.e. the newer more advanced cars in separate group(s), just as we do now with closed and open wheel, who cares if there are Honda's, VW's, Toyotas, Mazdas, and such on the track while we are frantically fixing that blown oil gauge line in the pits? If we can have a G70 group and make it work, why can't we have a G80 group? Can we not figure out a realistic set of rules for newer cars to fill up our grids?

The question is, how long can we realistically hope to sustain viable events of less than 100 vintage cars, with the escalating track rental, insurance, and other costs? Will these events end up as "vintage parades" of priceless cars, and not races? Who will watch these carefully moving mobile museums? And who will drive them?

It would certainly take some time to make changes to the current system, but with a bit of creative marketing and properly written rules, it could be done to the betterment of racing as a whole, and ultimately for vintage racing. And, if we are open and welcoming to this new group of car enthusiasts, my guess is some would want to give "vintage racing" a try!

Well put Rachel,

However, I'm not quite as negative about the current interest in cars among the youth. Every week of the year, my local machine shop has a dozen Mitsu Evo motors, another dozen Subaru WRX motors, and three or four Nissan GTR motors in for performance work. With the exception of the GTR motors, most of these projects are for twenty to thirty year olds.

Where do these kids go? To the drag strip or to drifting. Why, because they're the only events available to them. (The GTR motors go to some strange thing in Texas where they all try to top 200mph on a mile long stretch) The success of NASCAR -not so much at the moment - also indicates enthusiastic interest in car racing.

I do think you hit the nail on the head about cost. Early on, it was a "hill" to climb, now it's a cliff! I'm sure that I race on the cheap end of vintage, just as I raced on the cheap when I was racing SCCA... but it still takes a lot of money and commitment. But vintage racing doesn't really need to market to twenty and thirty year olds. If there is a stream of fifty years olds who find the time and have the resources that would be all that's necessary. But they need the cars to race. Cars that mean something to them. A connection with their youth. And there's the fly in the ointment.... It's a case of allowing the marketplace determine what cars, not a rules committee.

I'm going adrift here, but it's not really my problem to solve. I imagine that I'll be long out of the sport before this really heats up.

Dave Brown

Safety is a big cliff.

Even events like Lemons and Chumpcar still require at least a thousand dollars worth of safety equipment.

I've been reading this and many other forums for a long time and just decided to join now and post. I usually keep my mouth shut and just observe but I'm 28 now so I guess I can shed some light from the "younger" end of the spectrum. I've grown up around cars and racecars my whole life. My first race was the Jefferson 500 at age 17 and I've been racing on and off since then due to college and work etc. I guess to answer the question of how to get younger people involved with vintage racing isn't an easy one. It's a necessity but a delicate one at that.
I feel (and this is just my opinion) but a certain number of stars need to be aligned. First there needs to be an interest in "vintage" cars and I feel that interest has been sparked in a lot of people my age. To drive or own a vintage car now a days is considered cool by people my generation.
You have to be able to afford to race and racing and cheap don't go together. I'm not saying you can't race on a budget, but I've been told by many people and I'm sure most of you have too that those to don't mix. I don't come from a "trust-fund" and the car I race now, my father and I built it from the ground up ourselves (with some assistance from Jim Boffo). I maintain it all myself and put my earned dollars into it. I try to keep everything on the inexpensive side because I am a frugal guy, but there's no way to spin it. Racing is not a cheap hobby. Unfortunately not a whole lot of people my age can afford it. And for the most part those who can(not all I'm making a generalization here) don't appreciate the cars because daddy has given him/her the car to use.
Which brings me to my next point of appreciation. Having appreciation for cars is one thing. Having appreciation for vintage racecars, some invaluable, while racing on track is another. I've run SCCA cars and banged fenders and gone door to door on cars and if I bang one up a little, I can go to the junk yard and replace it. I would never dream of doing that with the guys in vintage. Most of the parts on these cars (at least my SVRA Group 8 "production" car) are all custom fab. Unless you have the know-how or tools to replace them, it's expensive.
At the end of the day I enjoy racing vintage more than SCCA or NASA or any of the other series I have raced in. For the most part, people respect you and your car a lot more in vintage racing than in any other type of racing out there.
It can be done and it has to be done. Maybe not as young as I started but every case is different. IMHO the best place to start is in a group like SVRA, VRG, VDCA or any of the other ones out there in a small bore car (MG Midget, MGB, Datsun 510, Triumph TR4 etc). They're pretty inexpensive, easy to work on, there's no real tricky electronic systems, everything is mechanical and so on. That's what helped teach me the ropes, anyway.
To me this is a topic like "tires in vintage racing" or "Porsche 914-6's" or "SVRA Group 6 Mustangs vs. HMSA Mustangs"... Things are going to progress with or with out you/us and if the vintage community doesn't keep up...well it's going to be a bunch of really old people stuck in their ways and not many people will want to join at that point. See what happened to VSCCA recently. Just my 2cents

Good post Chris...your insight is well founded.

Keep posting and let's see where it goes from here.

jw

It really boils done to how much you value your life verses your finishing position.

Safety equipment is expensive if you never need it. However, when you need it, you don't have time to go shopping!

For some reason the name Hardy Prentice popped up in my memory. Some of you may know or remember him... for all I know he may still be actively racing. But what I specifically remember of him was that from the late seventies until sometime in the eighties, he was a regular at the runoffs. He drove a TR3 and if he didn't win a championship or two, he was always a frontrunner.

Thing is, he arrived at Road Atlanta from somewhere in the Pacific Northwest flat towing his race car behind an E-type coupe. That was it, that was the complete sum total of his rig with spares and all.

Would anyone even consider doing that today? (you don't need to do it with an E-type) Point is, that some of the increase in the cost to go racing has to do with self-imposed "necessities" or niceties. Trust me, I've no interest in flat towing my race car, but if I had to to go racing, I'd think about it.

As for safety equipment costs, well, safety is perhaps the slipperiest of slopes. It has no logical endpoint except for non-participation. I've witnessed several fatal accidents in the SCCA, and I can think of only one instance in which the driver may have been saved with more modern equipment. I'm not for abandoning all of our safety gear, but there does come a point where we are "defending against the sport" itself.

Several years ago I went to a test and tune night at a local track. All they required was that I wear a helmet - no suit or gloves. I went out feeling a little naked, and was at first a little timid. However, after a few laps, I felt truly liberated - It was like a totally different experience - exhilarating. I'm not saying that we shouldn't wear our suits and all, but recognize that we wear them at a price in enjoyment... and no guarantee that we will be saved from fatal injury - none of the fatalities I've witnessed could have been avoided by wearing a better driver's suit.

In fact, I'm going to be a little inflammatory ;-) and say that the greatest guarantee of - and risk to - our safety is track and race management. The infamous pile up at Road America - which could have been horrific if anything had caught fire - was in my opinion the result of a confluence of poor decisions on the part of the race staff and the track management. And as such was completely avoidable.

Another fatal accident at Road America occurred primarily because corner workers are not made aware that some parts of the track, which are clearly visible to them, are totally invisible to the drivers.

Anyway, I do think we can go a little too far in the driver and car safety equipment department. It's not all "good for you" and sometimes over-the-top expensive. Yes, you may get hurt, but when the day comes that we can guarantee that you won't, the whole point to the experience of driving a car - fast - will have disappeared as well.

or so I think,
Dave Brown

Dave, I raced with Hardy at the runoffs in Road Atlanta a few times.

I'll add I think safety equipment is based on how long you have been in racing, I had to break down and get a Hans recently, I resisted for as long as I could, I think this was because I had never had one and never thought I would need one, newer drivers thought I was nuts for not getting one until now. Now rewind a good 20 years and I can remember SCCA HP national champ Jim Miller bitching at a Comp board tent meeting, because the SCCA has changed their rules on fuel cells and no longer could a grandfathered car not have a fuel cell, he was upset because he had to buy one and let the comp board know about, as well as all of us there. I remember at the time, I thought he was crazy, because every since I had been racing fuel cells were required. I think you are right though, we who have done this for awhile, were never under the illusion that we could not get killed doing this, and I too have saw drivers get killed in club racing, and sometime I think the driver who have not did this that long think with all the safety equipment, they cannot get hurt or killed, and we long time racers know better.

I've test road race cars at the local short track, just to make sure with a new car, it all worked, and nothing fell off :), we would have the place to ourselves, and I have to admit I driven race cars around that place with a helmet, a T shirt, and even short pants. I would still race if none of this race safety equipment was involved, not saying we should do that, but I would still race. After studying my new hans, I've came to conclusion that this device will halp me not to break my neck if in a heavy front impact, but not with much else,and I guess that is something worthwhile, but I still don't like the damn thing.

I'll respectfully disagree with Hap and dcb, I don't think safety has anything to do with getting younger people involved in vintage racing. People my age (<30) have grown up with the movement of improving safety in racing and it's not only encouraged, but expected. We've grown up seeing Senna, Dale, Weldon, Moore and the list goes on in the professional rankings pass away because of some safety failures. We've also seen people like Joey Hand in the M3 at Mid Ohio a few years ago walk away unhurt after tumbling end over end 8-10 times at 145mph because of safety improvements or Alan McNish at LeMans last year. I don't want to speak for everyone my age but to me, safety is just as important as the engine that you spend big $$$ on building every so often. I'm not saying everyone needs to go purchase a new Sparco or AlpineStars suit for $2,500 or new shoes for $400 because a suit from G-Force or wherever for $300 will do the same thing. If you want the "brand" names, ie Sparco, Alpinestars, Puma and so on, yeah you'll pay through the nose for it. But in the grand scheme of things, safety should never be circumvented and I believe in most cases in vintage racing it isn't. Racing and cheap or inexpensive don't go together. You can shortcut things here and there, but there's not a doubt in my mind that safety is a hindering factor in involving younger people or anyone in vintage racing for that matter. If someone wants to get involved in racing, the equipment is part of it.
I respect what you guys are talking about and believe me I wish I could have lived through that era of racing when it was more laid back, but today whether is pro, semi-pro, or amature we're all spending money on safety.

For less than 10 grand you can build a car from scratch, buy a used open trailer and have all the safety gear. Granted you probably won't be on the podium anytime soon, but it's rare for someone new coming in to be up there anyway.

I think it's more the strict peiod correct rules they don't understand, and the intimidation factor of someone young and inexperienced trying to get into a sport with guys their fathers and grandfathers age.
No one wants someone looking down at them, real or imagined.

When I built my car those are the two major things that concerned me, and I was 48 years old when I built it. Luckily I met some guys around my own age that put me at ease on the intimidation part, but someone 20-25 years old will be hard pressed to find many his own age, which is why I think NASA and newer cars appeal to them. Younger crowd and cars and rules they understand.

The period correct rules? Well, most of you know my stance on them already.

This is a very interesting topic. I started vintage racing at the age of 25. I was introduced to vintage racing because of my father and his involvement. I dont believe that cost or safety is a limiting factor in bringing in the younger generation. It doesnt matter what you are racing or whom you are racing with. You are going to spend as much money as your conscious allows. I also grew up seeing several of my heroes, (family included) pass as a result of racing and safety related incidents. That being said, I honestly dont really put much emphasis on it. If I did, I would sacrifice the aero advantage of the single short hoop I run and install a full cage. I would probably also spend the couple hundred dollars on an actual fire system as opposed to just mounting the minimum fired extinguisher that is clamped to the door bar. I am more interested in performance than safety.

I believe the key is for the veterans of racing to seek out the younger generation and get them involved. Perhaps just as a mechanic at the beginning. It doesnt matter how much mechanic or racing aptitude a young person has, as soon as they go to a race, their life will change. If they are only introduced to the forms of racing that their friends run, they will never find their way to vintage. I cant see a promotion or gimmick that could be as effective as making an effort- on the personal level - to bring younger generations into the fold.

I can tell you a funny story based on this, I had a vintage MGB customer, he decided he wanted to go SCCA, he is now in his later 30's, one of his thoughts was he wants to race with guys closer to his own age, in a more modern car, well this past weekend at VIR, he now drives a very nice and well prepped F Production Miata, he won both races, and he stood on the podium with two, older bald guys

I can see where the Miata's appeal to a large crowd these days. They're the cheap sports car of the era.
In the late 70's it was late 60's early 70's MG's and Triumphs for me. I drove Spitfires and GT-6's, never paid more than $800-$1000 for one. Probably about the same cost percentage wise for the Miata's now.

Back then I couldn't find a TD, TF or TR3 for less than 3 grand, it was old technology and they generally needed everything. Parts for the 70's Triumphs were fairly easy to come by with Collins and Henley's, I think it was, being in Greenville.

I guess it's pretty much the same song, just a different dance now.
They have a choice of a Miata they understand and know or something older than they are.

I love this thread. There's so much here that organizers should pay attention to if they have any interest in the future of the sport. I love the picture of Haps customer standing on the podium with two old guys. Yea I know it's an SCCA event, but the truth is that vintage and SCCA racing are about a gnats wing apart as far as who they appeal to. And amateur road racing is an age equalizer.

I started in SCCA when I was 23. Started vintage racing when I was 60. When I put on my helmet, I still feel 23. LIke Mr. TexasCorvette, I don't think much about safety except that I'm not reckless either in my preparation or driving. I also have a single hoop roll bar and a simple fire bottle. In 40 years I never needed either (hope I don't regret saying that this weekend!)

I've a 21 year old "crew chief" who's so exciting about the thought of driving my car that I think he's going to soil himself. He's already hooked, we're just looking for entry class for him. I'm a Miata fan, what's not to like? It's the MGB with the Lotus driveline we all dreamed of back the 60's and 70's. Now that it's here, why bitch about it.

And Hap's comment about Jim Miller complaining to the comp board about having to install a fuel cell really hits home. The last SCCA race I ran was in 1989 - basically the last year that much of my car would be legal. It was the June Sprints which was kind of the feature race of the season in the CenDiv. By all accounts it should have been a high point for me - poll position, first overall and a lap record. At the end of the day we all got in a car to go to the awards presentation only to have to listen to this drunk-on-his-butt Chicago Region official slur or mispronounce everyone's name. What really was eye opening to me was when he couldn't come close to pronouncing Ray Yergler's name. Now Ray had probably won the Sprints 5 or 6 times in the 80's and had been the HP national champ a couple times as well. But to this drunken SOB he might as well been an unwelcome guest from Mars interrupting his happy hour.

Right then and there, the combination of having to do what seemed totally unnecessary, arbitrary and expensive to update my car to continue racing with an organization that literally treated us like unruly crap pushed me over the edge and I quit.

To put a final point to it. HP, GP and FP were cheap classes to race. You could buy an Autopower roll bar, some good wheels, do a little engineering that was well within the realm of all of us, and go out and be competitive. After 1989, all that changed dramatically and one by one the classes started running out of entrants. Now I don't believe that the SCCA should have to accommodate the old sports cars forever, but the "market" still wants to race them, and they're still race worthy. But they should be cheap and easy to prepare or they stop making sense... They're cheap cars, "shitboxes" as Jack so eloquently reminded us.

I've lost track of where I was going except to say that I think the vintage organizations have for the most part captured the essence of this fact, and I'm once again having the fun I remember so well. I want my young crew chief to share in it as well.

Dave Brown

I know this is a bit off-topic but since we are talking about SCCA at VIR and safety, I thought I would share. Besides, everyone like Spec Miata crash videos!

This is why you need good safety equipment. And maybe why we don't need Spec Miatas in vintage racing!

VIR is very exacting in their landscaping - no lawn mowing over 44 mph.

YIKES!, ya mean that those Diminutive Dangers (Precursors to a Fist Fight) have a riding-mower blade spinning beneath them? Suddenly, they become EVEN MORE frightening!

I suspected that this might be an evil grin.

Here's my thoughts on SM racing, if we raced our vintage cars that close with that many cars on course, we have that many wrecks as well, close "pack" racing comes at a cost, wrecks. For every SM video you can show of SM wrecks, you can find another dozen more that show incredible car control in tight pack racing. I feel if you can run up front in SM, you can win in anything else. I've saw quite few topdog racers, John Fingers comes to mind who gave SM a try, and found themselves mid pack, don't kid yourselves, these guys who win in SM, are some of the best road racers in this country. I fiqure if I could take the 25 years I drove in SCCA production and now vintage and combine all the tight, up close and personal racing I ever did, and combine it into one race, it might come close to what a front running SM racer does every race. I think most of us covet our vintage cars way too much to grasp what SM racing is all about, but if we see it only as crash fest, then we're not looking close enough, there's big time talent in those fields, do I want to do this sort of racing, no, but I recognize talent when I see it.


AS you can tell, I'm not a Miata hater either, it would have been great for Fred to go SCCA production racing in a MGB, but he chose the correct car, the FP Miata the class of the FP field, and it does what it does with a limited prep 10.0 to 1 engine, that still easily revs to 8000 rpm. I had to ask him to remove the hood late Saturday at VIR, just so I could see the engine for the first time , we did nothing more involved engine wise than check the oil level a couple of times all wekeend long, the computer controlld fuel injection is not climate compromised, no tuning the carbs to the weather, it adjust itself as needed via the Electromotive engine managment system, hell it can even come in after a 30 minute race and sit there and idle and not overheat even with no fan, while we take air pressures and tire temps, then drive back to the paddock.