David, Please let us know if the Corvette club guys take off their gold chains and toupees when they take their cars out on the track at MSR. Cory (still hitting the garage every night and loving the smell of 2-cycle oil!)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: NOW, you are easing into why I sold all of my F500 stuff. It has ALMOST nothing to do with the equipment or its future (i.e., bike motors or not, shocks or not, big wheels or not, etc.) My MAIN reason was the rising fixed cost of racing. These costs are roughly the same for all classes. HOWEVER, as a percentage of the overall cost to compete, it hits our class much harder than, say, a GT1 or FA competitor. If I can afford a CSR, the percentage of cost I attribute toward gasoline is lower than if I compete in SRX7, FV, or F5. Whether we are have-nots or not, we have all decided what we want to spend toward our racing habit. These percentages will affect us all in the same way, regardless of how we earn our money or how much we collect each week. I will also confess that I just plain lost interest in spending 60 hours/wk on the job, and then another 25-30hrs/wk in the shop getting my marginally competitive car ready to race only to have some idiot in a FV (not that all of them are idiots; only the ones that hit me) slam into me after hitting 1-3 of his/her competitors and then ask me why I was on the driving line. I've been doing this for awhile now and am ready for something different. I want to increase my track time and decrease my prep time. I think I may have found a compromise: I bought a used Corvette in fairly good shape. I am a member of the Motorsport Ranch (www.motorsportranch.com) so I have a track time outlet at my disposal. I am joining the local Corvette club. Combine that with events held by the various Corvette clubs and I think I'll have some fun. And, it's insured, it's air conditioned, there's a chair for my wife to go with me, and if I take care of it and get tired of it, I can probably salvage a higher percentage of my investment than from a purpose-built race car. True, I will NOT be racing wheel-to-wheel and I will miss it. I won't miss the lonely tows or the ever-increasing entry fees and fixed costs of racing (meals and hotels). Yes, I confess that I am a have-not. I am a racing have-not. However, not only do I not have abundant funding, I am also severely time constrained. I believe this alternative will suit me better at this time. I intend to continue to crew for others and try to "bum" a ride or two as my time and their equipment permits. I wanted to jot down a few words to assure everyone that I am NOT leaving because of the turmoil in the class stemming from car counts, soft motor supplies, and differing opinions on how to address the problems of the class. This is mostly about me. Maybe we will run into each other (only a pun). I will remain a subscriber for now and will check in on eFormulacarnews but, I will not state my opinion too much. Don't want to be a "voting rail bird." It is my firm belief that those with their skin in the game (racers, cone chasers, owners, builders, and suppliers) should have the say-so, right or wrong. Dave Gill Crew guy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve K. Thompson" To: Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 11:32 AM Subject: RE: [F500] Numbers decrease > There are a lot of racers out there who have marginal budgets. Pretty > much the vast majority of us from what I've seen. Those of us who run > F500 nationally do so because it's where we can put in the most > professional effort. 99% of the people I've known who race anything do > so at the limit of their discretionary income, whether that is F5, FC, > EP, AS or anything else. > > The point of the mods as I see them is to attract others in the same > position. Not to make the class so expensive you can no longer run on a > limited budget. The point is not to attract the FC or FF national or > even regional entrants. The point is to attract the Spec Miata, > ITA-B-C-D, IT7 competitors and maybe college grads as I've mentioned > before. These are the people who can't and won't be able to afford an FC > or FF nationally. These are also the people who I've heard from time and > again "I didn't buy a F500 because (insert noise, shifting, CVT, > suspension gripe here)." > > Most of us operate under marginal budgets. Our best bet is to remain > nationally competitive, and become a MORE ATTRACTIVE class to new > entrants. > Lots of the SM guys and IT guys spend as much as we do. Some just don't > like the formula. > > Steve > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:f500- >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Richard L. Hensley >> Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 12:13 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [F500] Numbers decrease >> >> I pointed this out about three weeks ago. A road race, at the minimum >> costs >> about $850.00, + + +. and that's just to be a tail marker. To many of > us, >> its not beyond our desire, its a simple matter of run one or two SCCA > road >> races or a whole season of Solo and / or something else. I don't > object >> to >> MC engines or other changes to the class as legal alternates however, > I >> don't feel they will improve participation unless they attract racers > from >> other more expensive classes. (and I don't think that will happen) >> >> Richard L. Hensley, P.E. >> Hensley Engine & Machine >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: >> To: >> Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 11:19 AM >> Subject: Re: [F500] Numbers decrease >> >> >> > Exactly, not so much the gas but the entry fees. The reason that we >> > autocross is that I can justify $15 to 25 plus a couple gallons of > gas >> and >> > a Sunday. To road race with a $300 entry and associated costs is > still >> > beyond my desire to compete. >> > >> > Allen >> > >> > ---- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> >> I think Gene's post has correctly identified the problem with our >> >> lowering >> >> participation numbers. >> >> >> >> Like any social or other group, generally a groups make up is >> structured >> >> with >> >> the "haves" and "have not's". Not meaning to be derogatory to any > one >> >> sector, >> >> the FA guys have a very low percentage of "have not's" in that > group. >> >> F500 >> >> has the just the opposite make up. Among my golfing buddies it's > the >> >> same >> >> with skill level. >> >> >> >> There are however two factors consistent with the "what happened to > the >> >> F500 >> >> class number" situation. (1) about 2002/2003 we started losing > numbers >> >> and >> >> (2) about the same period different sectors of the economy started >> >> "tightening >> >> up". >> >> >> >> In my opinion...F500 would have a resurgence of car owners back > racing >> if >> >> the >> >> price of gas was again $1.70 a gallon and entry fees were $50 to > $75 >> >> less. >> >> >> >> Louie Schultz >> >> Philly Region, SCCA >> >> September 15 & 16, 2007 @ Watkins Glen >> >> Formula Car Magazine F500 Challenge Cup >> >> Presented by Hoosier >> >> With Additional Support From >> >> SUNOCO >> >> The Glen Motor Inn >> >> Lakewood Vineyards >> >> Sunset View Creamery >> >> >> >> >> >> > It scares me too, and I don't yet have a National ticket. But I >> think >> >> > I have some idea of why the numbers in this class have fallen so > much >> >> > more precipitously than some other classes. F500 is truly (no >> offense >> >> > meant, so if you take some keep it to yourself) a bottom feeders >> class. >> >> > By that I mean that, due to the low cost of competing, many of > the >> >> > competitors are very budget limited. If the cost of racing goes > up >> >> > 10%, a much larger proportion of F500 drivers will drop out or > reduce >> >> > race entries compared to, say, FA drivers. I know that's very > true >> in >> >> > my case; after a long "discussion" with Medicare and my health >> >> > insurance company, we now owe a 4 digit balance for some physical >> >> > therapy my wife needed. Due to that unexpected expense, I have >> scaled >> >> > back my planned season and will not be able to get my National in >> time >> >> > to add to our numbers this season. I WILL have a National going > into >> >> > next season (unless the car breaks catastrophically), so if we > manage >> >> > to make it through this season, I'll add my participation. If we >> >> > don't, well, I'll just race Regional and continue to flag the >> >> > Nationals. >> >> > >> >> > Gene near Seattle >> >> > >> >> > On Apr 15, 2007, at 6:50 AM, Jay Novak wrote: >> >> > >> >> > > It just scares me to see >> >> > > our National entry numbers drop by about 60% from 5 years ago > to >> last >> >> > > year & >> >> > > now down another 20% this year. For the life of me I can't see > why >> >> > > our >> >> > > numbers have fallen so quickly. --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! 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