Car Grouping Change

[Brad Ellingson]

For those that race in the Midwestern Council on a regular basis and for those that race with us on occassion, something happened at the last board meeting that may come as a big surprise. Without driver input, it was decided that all open wheel cars would be racing together this season. This means F440, F500, FV, CFF, FF, FC, FA and whatever other open wheel car. My concern is the speed differential between these cars. As has been stated by some of my fellow competitors, and accident waiting to happen.

I spoke to one of the stewards this weekend and the reason I was given for the change was that the weight differential between a Spec Racer and a Vee or 440/500 was what prompted the change. Any time they bump, its the open wheel car that loses. The "fix" is to put the CSR, DSR, S2 and CS2 in with the Spec Racers and again the Vees 440/500's in with the FF, CFF, FC and FA's.

I found it ironic that at the same board meeting where this was passed that they would look closer at cars running a second race under the UNR catagory because some really didn't belong out there because of SPEED DIFFERENTIAL.

I am disappointed that driver's were not even asked what they thought of this. It is our club isn't it? Don't we have a say? If you are concerned about this, I will be attending the next MC Board Meeting to express my displeasure at how this happened. If you race with us and are concerned about this please send me an email. Tell me what you think.

Brad

[EYERACE]

you're going to need to get a lot of drivers & owners to a lot of meetings not just one or two and.....you're going to need to ask for split starts ??? ...and you're going to perhaps need to inform the insuror of your collective objections in writing....in a worst case scenario maybe the entire assembled grid will together enmass refuse to leave the grid and just sit there for the entire 15 minutes for one of the shorter races or practice sessions as a way of protesting the chief steward [it would take the entire entry list being priorly organized for that - good luck] - hard to imagine this last one happening.

[Tico Racing]

Here in SoCal we are running all open wheel and
sport racers, except for SRF, together this year.
This was done for a couple of reasons, most
important that SRF's are tanks compared to our
open-wheel cars, and we always loose when there's
contact. After running the small-bore open-wheel
cars with SRF last year, most open-wheel drivers
did not want to run with them again. At one event
we had four or five open-wheel cars taken out by
SRF's.

The other reason we didn't mind so much is that
we typically get one FV, and only some times get
a FA. Our open-wheel numbers are very small
down here, which is sad.

Gerry.

[Brad Ellingson]

For anyone keeping score, the Madison Sports Car Club will be going to the next Board meeting with the OFFICIAL position that the grops NOT change. MSCC will make the motion that the groups stay the way they were in 2003. Please contact your Club Steward and urge them to leave the groups as they were in 2003.