I also read Stan's numbers....we should be ashamed of ourselves. In all the Nationals to date...124 F500 entries and I am 5% of that total.
Is it no longer fun to race? Has something changed in the exhilaration of taking our cars to the limits of our ability to control them? If it isn't then maybe the numbers are telling us a truth we are in denial about. If the lack of competitive numbers were restricted to National's, then one could advance the argument about the change in the Runoff's location was driving the numbers down, however, as Dave Pomfret reported half way into the Regional MARRS series at Summit Point the first and only F500 has appeared. Personally, when I map out my race schedule, I don't care if I am running against 15 F500's or by myself, while it is definitely more fun to be racing wheel to wheel with someone for position, it is still fun just to get out on the track. It isn't like we can take our cars out for a spin around the neighborhood when we feel like playing with them. The crying I am hearing about the Runoff's move from Mid-Ohio to Heartland Park echoes the crying I heard when the Runoff's were moved from Road Atlanta to Mid-Ohio in 1994. Last I looked, there were 13 F500's entered in the Runoff's with most of the other classes having numbers in the 20's and higher. I have been to Heartland Park, presuming the repaving & reconstruction are up to the standards that Joe Palmer described from the June National the course will be a legitimate National Championship caliber course, it won't be Mid-Ohio but then Mid-Ohio wasn't Road Atlanta. Everything that I have heard indicates that Ray Irwin, the owner of Heartland Park and a GT-1 driver, is doing everything possible to make the Runoff's an enjoyable experience for all competitors. I will be there! While it is late in the competition year to get the dust off the cars that are still in the garage and get them back on track to raise the class' competition numbers for 2006, it is time to be mapping plans for the 2007 season. If we are to sit back, wait and see if Joe Blow enters an event before we enter the event, well Joe Blow is playing the same game. Competitors compete, they don't sit around and wait to see who else is going to take the challenge. The world is full of people that make excuses....I have always viewed the F500 community as being above making excuses....getting out on the track and competiting. Chuck McAbee SEDIV #16 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jeremy Swank Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 3:58 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [F500] Are we in trouble? Hey gang I just read some unoffical class participation numbers from Stan Clayton on the Apexspeed site and F500 is third from the bottom. According to my math and the "new" runoff rules, F500 as a class will not be one of the 24 top attended classes and not invited to race. Am I reading things correctly? I may need to get the car out of the shop. Jeremy Swank _______________________________________________ F500 mailing list - [email protected] To unsubscribe or change options please visit: http://f500.org/mailman/listinfo/f500 *** Please, DO NOT send unsubscribe requests to the mailing list! *** ----------------------------------------- This email transmission and any accompanying attachments may contain CSX privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the intended addressee. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or action taken in reliance on the contents of this email by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error please immediately delete it and notify sender at the above CSX email address. Sender and CSX accept no liability for any damage caused directly or indirectly by receipt of this email. _______________________________________________ F500 mailing list - [email protected] To unsubscribe or change options please visit: http://f500.org/mailman/listinfo/f500 *** Please, DO NOT send unsubscribe requests to the mailing list! ***
