1999 SCCA Performance Rally "Vision Guide"

I struggle with being a blue collar guy with blue collar lower class upbringing living in a white collar world.
My solution has been to do really good work and make myself nearly indespensable. That way I can show up late and hung over. I can wear tennis shoes and green polyester pants with a t-shirt to work. And they don't really bother me. I can take off mid-day to run to the junk yard.

I don't take credit for the following statement, but I agree with it, even if it was said long ago, it's still valid today.

Buying a motorsport doesn't work long term. Building one does. Look at american roadracing. No series can stand on it's own for long term because they always flock to the sugardaddies...until the sugardaddies lose interest...which they always do...rich guys typically aren't by definition "passionate," they're enthusiasm passes onto something else.

Look at the motorsports success stories. NHRA. Nascar. Built from the ground up, slowly and painstakingly, never selling out the concepts to one party because they flashed some cash.

---

Grant Hughes

I am the record holder for number of days going to work to sit behind a tube all day, moving lines around in space, with grease under my fingernails.

I hired a fabricator when I got sponsorship because I know how to pick my battles.

But I still drive the powerwasher and the wheel bearing press, and ruin more clothes with gear lube and CV grease than anyone in a 50 mile radius.

---

Lurch
Eric Burmeister
The west coast...of Michigan

Feel free to find what I have commented about this Vision Statement 10 years ago.

No I didn't have a crystal ball, but as expected I was branded an anarchist back then for my comments.

As of right now ............. Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give A Damn.

---

Cheers
M.Samli
Phoenix AZ
Gaylant VR4
EVO III GSR (Stolen)


Rallies are no place for traitors

Welcome back Mustafa! So have you bought a plane or taken up sailing yet?

---

Grant Hughes

john vanlandingham Wrote:

>
> Ooooooh yeah.
>
> I've talked with well everybody how the basic
> demographics of the sport devolved from primarily
> working class people who uh work on things
> themselves to a higher, more visible class where
> peopel think their time os too valuable to spend
> building shit---YOUR EXCUSE!!! teee hee!!---- so
> they BUY everything from car to prep to install,
> to Tim O'Neil, to license and all the romper suits
> and doo-dads, then poof they're a "Rally Racer".
>
>
> John Vanlandingham
> Sleezattle, WA, USA
>
> Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
>
> www.jvab.f4.ca


But whats actually wrong with the CONCEPT of buying a car/paying for labor? The PEOPLE might be asses, but you seem to have a problem with the concept. Not everyone HAS to work on race cars to drive them. There isnt anything wrong with buying a car/paying for a crew/paying for labor because you cant or just dont want to, if all you want to do is drive.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Anders Green Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Document linked here:

.....

> This was written in 1999.......

> Thoughts?



I can't look at it again without first building a necklace of garlic, holding a wooden stake and mallet, and burning it with a crucifix.

What was Spitzner's phone extension at SCCA? Oh wait...I remember! 666






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2009 06:19PM by Jens.

Note to self;

"Self, send Jens some sage bundles and a bottle of holly water"


Yo Grant !!

Still looking for a 25' or so swing keel with a trailer. Looked at a bunch of planes and ascertained that Piper Tomahawks scare the shit out of me and I do not fit in Grumman AA1s, dash is too low and my legs are too long. Besides I need a 4 seater. Anyways I have to wait till the economy shows signs of improving before buying anything.

---

Cheers
M.Samli
Phoenix AZ
Gaylant VR4
EVO III GSR (Stolen)


Rallies are no place for traitors

Wow. Brings back memories of "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price.

Jens Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anders Green Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Document linked here:
>
> .....
>
> > This was written in 1999.......
>
> > Thoughts?
>
>
>
> I can't look at it again without first building a
> necklace of garlic, holding a wooden stake and
> mallet, and burning it with a crucifix.
>
> What was Spitzner's phone extension at SCCA? Oh
> wait...I remember! 666
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Edited 1 times. Last edit at Jul 15, 2009 by Jens.

---

"Talk about drugs. Driving a car like that, going that fast, it’s like all the drugs at once." - Tommy Byrne

"Now, Pinky, if by any chance you are captured during this mission, remember you are Gunther Heindriksen from Appenzell. You moved to Grindelwald to drive the cog train to Murren. Can you repeat that?" - The Brain

Dazed_Driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But whats actually wrong with the CONCEPT of
> buying a car/paying for labor?

Among other things, buying cars or paying others to build and maintain breeds a lack of understanding of the machinery and what it is really capable of. Additionally, if you've BUILT the car you are better equipped to make roadside repairs and troubleshoot issues on stage,

In Radio Controlled model aviation, the 'ready to fly' models have taken over in a big way. The 'old guard' of the hobby looks on in disbelief as people who have never built a model throw away an easily fixable plane in favour of throwing out the money for a new one or giving up on the hobby.

The same principle, in a way, applies to rally.

That said ... the 'big name' pay and play guys typically take the time to get to know their rides.

---

First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

Morison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dazed_Driver Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > But whats actually wrong with the CONCEPT of
> > buying a car/paying for labor?
>
> Among other things, buying cars or paying others
> to build and maintain breeds a lack of
> understanding of the machinery and what it is
> really capable of. Additionally, if you've BUILT
> the car you are better equipped to make roadside
> repairs and troubleshoot issues on stage,

And there's nothing wrong with paying for labor. You have to choose your battles on some things. In fact there's nothing wrong with the rich guy I hardly even touch the car and just want to race. I envy them personally as I'd much rather not work on my own car. It's the lack of passion that has such a high correlation that causes the negative connotation. There are many rich guys in rallying that have true passion for rally and are huge contributers to rallying. Just as there are plenty of non-rich guys that don't. How many 'I'm going to build it myself because it's cheaper' guys are there that have been sitting on halfway done projects for the last 5+ years because a year or two into it they got bored or found something else to fill that niche.

---

Grant Hughes

NoCoast Wrote:

> And there's nothing wrong with paying for labor.

Agreed

---

First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

"And there's nothing wrong with paying for labor."

As long as it's me getting the work!

Robert.

---

Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

I see this same line of thought on several boating forums. Guys who have a little skill seem to think that all the other boat owners are idiots if they can't work on the outdrive or rebuild a carb. I've seen so many "my neighbor who works on cars or boats" screwed up messes it's laughable. There is no rule that says a driver has to be able to work on a car. There is no rule that says a good mechanic or fabricator should be able to drive well either. If everyone built there own cars, and I mean really built them, then JVL wouldn't be selling any struts, Dave wouldn't sell cages and I wouldn't ever work on Malcolm's Talon and ACP's Evo. I like people who can't work on cars.

I just think its ridiculous to declare EVERYONE has/should have innate mechanical aptitude, or have a problem with those who don't. I worked with a guy who couldn't use a ratchet strap. Smart guy, no grasp of mechanical concepts...

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Back to the vision plan...I've read that before and still don't see an actual problem with it nor reason for anyone to get upset. Having a tiered system is fine. Having a late model clean car is fine. Looking professional is fine. Honestly the condition of some of the cars now wouldn't have been accepted in the late 80's, years before that plan was thunk up. There was provisions for regional rallies, no limit on car age and specifically states affordable events. So how is that really any different? The problem I see is getting enough top tier guys to make it work. We have plenty of regional guys to keep that part of the plan working.

The real and only reason this plan is ever frowned upon is that many of us old, traditional ralliests are non-conformists. We chose rally because of the fun, excitement, challenge AND lack of rules. We simply hate coloring within the lines...that's why were are better than the snobby road racers of the old days. It matters not if we "do" only that we "could".