National Vs Regional Drivers

[CitationFV21]

In another thread, there was talk about Regional drivers may not want National drivers around at Regionals.

Before we had all these Regional championships, people would run regionals for fun and when the touring National Race came around, everyone would enter to see how they stacked up. Now, very few Regional guys run Nationals and vice versa.

This split does not help and keeps an us vs them mentality.

Comments?

ChrisZ

[remmers]

I think it depends on a case by case basis. I'm certainly thinking of running some nationals in the next year or two to see how I stack up, but then again I've always been a glutton for punishment when it comes to competing where everyone else is far superior. Just ask the Gold level dancers I decided to compete against the day after the NARRC-offs.

[Larry Bradley]

They aren't "far superior", they have bigger checkbooks.

If you ran every other weekend you would be surprised how well you could do.

Larry

[FV80]

In another thread, there was talk about Regional drivers may not want National drivers around at Regionals.

...
ChrisZ

I run the occasional regional for testing purposes ... or possibly just because I like the track and there are NO national races within 500 miles of me (Barber). I have NEVER had any indication that the "regional drivers" don't want me there. I do fill out the forms to waive points and trophy and I make a serious effort to NOT influence the regional race by my presence. Racing is FUN for me - Iike to do it and, even if I don't have 'competition at my level', I can still compete against myself - try to better my times from last year, or simply improve my driving skills - or those of the car. I think it's good for regional drivers to see "how they stack up", without the pressure of actually having to compete against me. (I could be wrong here.)

I remember MANY MANY years ago when Tom Stephani came to a Road Atlanta regional to test for the Runoffs. I was pretty aggravated (it was my second year I think) that he would come down and take our points. (I never spoke to him during the weekend.) After lapping most of the field, he pulled off with one lap to go and left us to fight for our points. I came to the realization of WHY he was there and how far off I really was from national racing. I appreciated his efforts to NOT interfere with our race (back then, there was no such thing as a points waiver) and I try to do the same. It was my first experience with a top national driver on the track and very enlightening. That said, I still had people to race with that WERE at my level, so I kept at it till I could beat them.

I ran on a shoe string budget back then (I was 28 or 29) - built my own engines, did all my own repairs, slept in a tent at the track, borrowed a station wagon from a friend to tow with, ate hot dogs cooked over a campfire, etc. But we had a blast! Over the next 30 years, we moved up from a tent to sleeping in the back of a van (that I converted), then to a small (and VERY old) motorhome, then to a bigger one, and a sequence of motorhomes - a sacrifice of racing expenses to motorhomes to placate the "better half" - a small sacrifice in my book to keep Linda happy and comfortable at the track so that she hardly ever misses a race. I've been through 3 cars - all 'oneoffs' built at home in my garage (which I also built), but decided a LONG time ago that I would never be able to compete at the top levels while building my own engines. I still run on a shoe string budget (compared to most at my level), but am a LOT better at knowing where to spend my money now than I once was and that is KEY to my continued participation.

As for my CLASS, I'd like to see it continue forever. I do have a LOT invested in it. I have a lot of spares (almost all from junkyards <G>). I *AM* a cheap ass scrounger from the word GO. But my largest investment is KNOWLEDGE. I now know what to work on, when to work on it, what to buy, what to build and how to make it all go pretty quickly. I'd have to start completely over in any other class unless I was in a position to PAY SOMEONE ELSE for the knowledge and expertise ... and I'm not able to do that. Besides, I LIKE it!! <G>. I like the class, the people, and the competition.

And I'm still here 30 years later. I was 'ate up with it' then and I'm still 'ate up with it' now!
I've heard it said that the reason we have so many crack, meth, and cocaine addicts out there is that they just can't afford to RACE <G>.
Steve

[brian]

Very nicely put Steve. Couldn't say it better. Think it's all about checkbooks, why not swap cars with me and see what happens. VW has stepped up the last couple of years and it's really helped but I spend less than $10k a season and average over 10 races a year. Yea, I'm cheap and work on other vees to make ends meet, but it's better than anything else I know.

[butchdeer]

I have been racing since 1959. Most of it in a vee since 1963 when they were first a class. On a low budget for years I had limited travel money.( the largest part of my FV budget) and ran were and when I could. Regional, National, Midwest Council any race close to home on a weekend I could afford to go racing. In the 70's thru the 90's we had 25 + fv fields everywhere and the front of the field at Regionals and Midwest council races was alway National quality. A few ears ago i confined my FV racing to vintage( here in the midwest we still get 25+ car fields). In SCCA I have opted for a regional only class That takes a lot less maintance and suits my 69 year old lifestyle better.The fields in my class are national quality as about half the drivers have had runoofs expierience in the past but the fv fields at regionals in the Cendiv and Great Lakes divisions where i mostly run have shrunk to single digit nunbers most of the time. There are simply lots of parked race cars out there.
Butch