Salt Cat

[1212FBGS]

no protest was filed.... The SCTA board has the option to overturn records that they feel were not within the rules.... They have overturned records that were years old.... it was pretty brutal and painfull discussion at the meeting... i argued pretty hard to follow the recommendation of the vintage committee and to support Dan and the other volunteers involved...... The commitee of 6 (i believe) felt the head was not within the guidelines of the rules..... but it was pretty obvious Waters and other old school board members wanted punishment instead of following the class change of the commitee and entitle the salt cat of records..... painful....
kent

[Dynoroom]

I thought only folks who were entered in the same class as you were allowed to protest?  Am I wrong in my thinking?

Yes, you're wrong.   

[saltcatracing]

I don't believe it was a "pay $100 fee to file a protest" - I think it was simply a "better check this out guys" kind of a contact....

Obviously we are not familiar with all of the intricacies of filing protests.  We haven't even seen what was filed - perhaps it was a phone call?  We are simply hoping that a protocol exists that will allow us to respond to the vote cast on behalf of our records; and for the opportunity to enter into a discussion with those that carry the power to award the records we honestly feel we earned.  

It would seem only right given the year of work, the great expense both before and during the event (aside from the $985 registration/class change fees); and the emotional/passionate commitment of our entire team.

[nrhs sales]

Thanks for correcting my wrong thinking.

SaltCat,
I feel for you. Just don't seem right that they wanted to "punish" you as Kent said for something it sems you did everything the way you were supposed to.

If Dan  Warner said it was okay what else were you suposed to do?

[1212FBGS]

The next board meeting is the Friday after Elmo Oct29th at 7pm at Dad Millers golf course..... You can show up and plead yer case but I'm thinkin its gonna take quite a lot to change them crusty old eff minds.... From what Ive witnessed in the past It would pleasure some of them for you to show up and grovel... Sadly you and the vintage committee have no vote in your matter, only board members can vote.... The Committee had a solution that i thought was reasonable.... My bad.....
Kent

[RichFox]

One of the records these guys destroyed, using the acceptable head, was mine from 1980. At that time I had a twin Corvair turbo 270 GMC that made people nervous. So I lost a record that I had set in '78 and the rules were changed to protect the status quo. Until now when somebody else scared the guys with money or memories tied up in GMCs and the rule needs adjusting again. The Salt Cat is one good running old Buick. Made plenty of fast runs, with both heads, and lived. Unheard of. I think this is a bad ruling, but it's a ruling. And you guys are a long way from So Cal. I'm only 400 miles away and that was to far.

[saltcatracing]

Another thought about the rules on page 16:

“A specialty cylinder head is a fabricated, created from billet stock or cast.   All X class engines, as described above, which are 325 cid, but less that 375 cid, shall be classified as either XXF or XXO. Specialty cylinder heads are NOT allowed in this instance.“  

We looked in the rule book "definitions" section and "fabricated" is not defined!  We definitely know it is NOT a "created" head...so how far can one go before an OEM head becomes a "fabricated" head?

[1212FBGS]

I think the head issue was with changing the number of ports...... 6 people in the vintage committee said no.... hard to argue that....
Kent

[RichFox]

If you look at a Wayne or Skinner head there are a lot more changes than just the number of ports. That's why they went to the trouble of casting a new head. Same as Brodex. Adding ports to Vintage engines is an old an honored tradition in the SCTA. I wonder what would have happened if that engine had been in a streamliner? Ron Main met with plenty of hate and resistance when he had his engine in a roadster. "Liners seem to be a little more liberal.

[nrhs sales]

Kent said; "From what Ive witnessed in the past It would pleasure some of them for you to show up and grovel."

All I can say to that statment is WOW!!  It speaks for itself.

[RichFox]

I think my reason for starting this thread is that I felt the board was just plain being unfair. If the SCTA powers that be themselves were not sure of what class the car should be in. And the competitors inquired of the last word on the salt what class they should be in. What other reasonable measures were they to take to ensure entry into the correct class? In truth no one knew what was the correct class until the board met and spaketh their decision. It seem to me to be clear that the only fair thing would have been to allow the records to stand in XXO. I will always believe the engine is a great example of a XO. But you can't fight City Hall. You can point out an unfair decision.

[Billy @ AHG]

So, as I understand it , the SCTA reserves the right to stifle creativity and the basic spirit of "Hotrodding" in its purest form !   If these guys were in power when Stuart Hilborn invented his fuel injection system, would they have banned it ?  When do the members of this board come up for replacement ?   Can members vote, or is a preordained "position for life" ?
I mean , at least refund the class change fees !

[Stan Back]

Not that anyone cares, but I'm with Rich on giving them the XXO records if they'd surpassed them.  They didn't intentionally break the rules as known to them.  And it appears that they tried to get them clarified.

But relying on one person's interpretation of a rule is risky at best and has proven to put one in jeopardy before.

I kinda figured that when you changed the port configuration of a vintage engine, you were creating a specialty head (and/or block).  How much of the regular cast head must still be used before it's declared a specialty head.  Wop off everything above the, say, first inch of a stocker and build something new on top of it.  Wouldn't that be a specialty head? 

But folks have been splitting ports and dividing them for years, so that verbage won't work.

Passing inspection does not mean a car is class legal.  Many of us have fought for the past few years to have class questions addressed in inspection and noted in log books.  This is coming more into practice.

No, the SCTA is not stiffling creativity.  In my opinion, NHRA and NASCAR both lead the way in that category.  SCTA works hard to get the cars and bikes in classes where the creativity in certain ways is allowed.  That's why there's so many dammed classes.

"Off with their heads!"  -- and find another bunch of leaders out there somewhere that are as dedicated.

They don't get them all right, but they sure have a good success ratio.

Stan Back

[saltcatracing]

FYI - The XXO/BFALT record is held by Hart Racing at 131.028 mph.  The XXO/BGALT record also is held by Hart Racing at 136.494 mph.  Our runs averaged:  BFALT - 184.816 mph, and BGALT 183.714.  Our 3rd record; XO/BGC was set at 188.208 during Speed Week.  We ran the XXO/BGC during the World of Speed and set the record @183.628 mph - lower than what the record would be if they rolled our Speed Week record.

[jl222]

  Looks like they need to add a few words or define fabricated better. It's got to be tough being a board member when there's wording like this but easier said than done.

  But I do agree that they should get their class change fees refunded under the circumstances.

                                     JL222