Sorry to bring back an old thread but I was on travel last week and was surprised to see the end result of this thread. We have all seen “thread drift” before. All it takes is a single word misunderstood or left out and the thread heads off in a different direction. In this case, I was amazed how fast it became negative and/or defensive. I hesitate to post this but hope it is clearer. There were some very good counter-points made causing me to reflect on what I wrote.
To be perfectly clear, I support all things LSR and all LSR organizations. Further, I volunteer my time and money. As pointed out, the USFRA has played a pivotal role interceding with the BLM in saving Bonneville for racing. They are great people and have helped me in the past. I clearly stated I am not demeaning USFRA. My biggest mistake was not clearly indicating I was talking about the 130 club in particular and not USFRA itself. See my edit in red below.
Many don't want to go to the trouble, or have the skill, time and money, to enter an SCTA event. That is why the USFRA 130 club exists (new edit) . . .
The last I checked all you need to run the 130 club is a $23 driveshaft loop and a fire extinguisher. You can borrow a helmet, and street tires are legal. By design, the class was created to eliminate burdensome requirements and get you on the salt and that is a good thing. Compare that with SCTA’s requirements of a full cage (about $5,000 pro installed) racing seat $1,000 and an SFI driver suit. In addition, many street cars may fit into a class where a 200 MPH record already exists and you therefore need $2,000 in tires even if you go 130 mph. Maybe you can get a dispensation from the tire requirement for licensing runs less than 200 mph but you would have to lobby hard for it. You may fudge the numbers up or down but $23 vs. $8,000 characterizes a different kind of commitment. You may quibble with a $5,000 cage and do it yourself for $350 in tubing but that requires welding skills, personal time, tools, and machines, etc. That is what I was talking about when I said about the 130 club; “many don't want to go to the trouble, or have the skill, time and money . . .”. That is a true statement. If you think it is negative that is your judgment call. My ludicrous exaggerations should have been obvious when indicating you could rent a Corvette or a Lincoln Luxury car! I was making a point (and not a very good one) about the difference in racing venues (the 130 club vs. SCTA).
Call it what you want, the 130 club is a bracket race. It takes 27.692 seconds to run a 130 mph mile. And that is the bracket you are running on. The object is to get as close to that as possible. I’m not saying it is easy. In fact it is almost impossible! In the first place you must have enough horsepower in reserve to not only get to 130 but to slightly exceed it so you can make midcourse adjustments. I’m sure the precision needed, plus the always precarious salt conditions, makes it a lot of fun (or even stressful) for many. But it is completely different from trying to set a maximum effort record. Whether it is a ¼ mile or 1 mile, running a bracket is different from a record attempt. I’m not saying it is not difficult. Even with rally clocks, or precision GPS, trying to get within .001 MPH is an extreme activity and requires total concentration.
Don (reply #30) I completely agree with you. The salt is difficult to drive on. It makes no difference what association is in attendance. Salt conditions are the determinant, not the club that collected your entry fee.
Debbie (reply #25) you make a good point. I would be naive to think none of it exists. However, it is more common to see a loyal and hard working crew member get a ride. I remember seeing a team trying to break a record for 3 years. They finally did get a gas record by about 2 mph. They then bolted on a front air dam, covered the headlights and ran altered. The owner offered the car to a good friend, his long time crew member. He set an altered record and got a hat. You have never seen a smile so big. This person had no money invested, only years of his personal time, a good friendship, and a love for the sport. I can’t describe how happy I was to see him wear that hat.
There is an old document in the National Archive that states “. . . among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. We are all guaranteed the pursuit of happiness and that is why we are on the salt. Different strokes for different folks.
PS: Wes: I have ridden in Tony's 32 coupe a few times. Nice car.
