Rationalize the classes

[Sumner]

OK, I'm donning a fire retardant suit and putting on a face mask here...

From an "outsider's" standpoint, the current classes of LSR have little correlation to modern (last 20 years) of other motorsports.  Why can't the LSR world correlate their classes with other sports racing bodies (SCCA, IMSA, etc.) and retire the roadster-hotrod-studebaker classes that on one hand, dilute the potential of modern participation and on the other hand marginalize the participation of modern types of racing.

OK, these are controversial opinions from a newbie.  Flame on.

Realize that I am a wee bit experienced in other motorsports and my perspective is one shared by people the LSR world wishes would participate.

Blue, I tried to get the SCCA to take all the turns out of their darn races because I wanted to race my lakester in one of their events, wanna guess the outcome...
Every form of racing has a set of rules and requirements, this one was born in hot rodding, guys building something they thought would go fast, then racing it to see if they really did.  All you need to do in LSR is find a class (God knows there seems too be a million of them) you think you can go faster than the guy already did, build to the rules and race to win...  That is what most of us do in this sport.  We bitch about the rules changing, the weather, the scta, the BNI and the guys we think have to be cheatin' cause they went faster than us... if we lose our record, we figure out how to go faster and go back again.  If we don't set a record we figure out how to go faster and go back again.  It is the sport of very patient people... people that also want to go very fast, that is what binds us together and builds lasting friendships with people we only see once a year. 
So do I care if there are roadsters or not, sure, some of my best friends run roadsters, but I don't, same for Studebakers and all the others that don't run in my classes, they are my friends because we landspeed race together.  There is plenty of modern participation, show up at an event and you will see it, any event, there are lots of them these days, each venue with a set of rules, with the same basic premise, go fast, be safe and have fun.
Please feel free to join us in our quest to go fast, but don't try to get us to fit into the mold of some other motorsport because it suits you better. 
If you want to race on the salt with some other type of motorsports vehicle, and don't want to comply with the BNI rules or restrictions, rent the salt from the BLM, set up a track, get someone in there to time it.  If you want to run during one of our events, build something that fits one of our many classes.
If you are trying to get us "flaming" you will find we are a passionate bunch when it comes to LSR, but we welcome all like-minded to our  sport.  We are family. we will fight among ourselves, but don't come in and try to change us, especially if you haven't been to the salt to experience our style of motorsports   
Come on in and see what we are about before you try to reinvent us...

Wow this took a while and more was added, but it all still applies

Wow a record setting word count post for Stainless.  He is probably praying Jon will pay him by the word for this one . 

I'll just say that I agree with 98 percent of it,

Sum 

By the way where are the Studebaker only classes..............

[Stainless1]

I'll just guess the 2% was the part about taking taking the turns out of the SCCA races.... well I know I can go 5 miles quicker than those darn little sports cars if it weren't for that turn thing

[thundersalt]

Who is Franklin Ratliff ? And why does he e-mail us direct but doesn't participate on this forum ?
Just something I was wondering.
Newbie Brian

[RichFox]

Franklin was deemed disruptive to this forum and banned.

[sockjohn]

From an "outsider's" standpoint, the current classes of LSR have little correlation to modern (last 20 years) of other motorsports.  Why can't the LSR world correlate their classes with other sports racing bodies (SCCA, IMSA, etc.) and retire the roadster-hotrod-studebaker classes that on one hand, dilute the potential of modern participation and on the other hand marginalize the participation of modern types of racing.

Almost any car that can run SCCA could run as a GT or as modified sports if I understand it correctly.  You could walk into any dealership and buy a new car, add safety features and run it as production, GT, or production pickup.  What you did with it after that would determine the class, but there are plenty of options on the table with the current classes.

The LSR gurus are working hard at trying to decide how to limit the number of participants.  It's gotten unmanageble at a couple of venues.  They're really not wanting to increase the numbers or add to the mix.

By the way, over 25% of the Bonneville entries are roadsters.  They're certainly not lacking in numbers and apparently that's what a large group wants to race.

I would guess by observation at events and the pre-entries, that it is 25% roadsters and 25% lakesters!

If the popularity is a problem, wouldn't more events like the Texas mile take off some of the pressure for the more casual entries?  Certainly there are enough straightways on tracks and suitable old airstrips in a few more places.

[Dean Los Angeles]

Select one from below:
Choice A: Ah, man, I miss Franklin! Let's let him back in!

Choice B: Don't bother, we have a Blue one! Errr . . . New one.

[836dstr]

Well, the guys that like to go around corners can and likely will go around and around on the Salt.

Two years ago it was great to see the race to be the first diesel streamliner over 300 and is wasn't the Megabuck JCB Team, but the guys fron Chassis Engineering.

[JackD]

Don't put Blue in the same category as FR.
As far as FR is concerned, I enjoy turning him blue all the time.
I spent an hour and a half on the phone with this Blue the other night and the main point of the discussion was all things tire.
It was a good discussion and he was very inquisitive.
The dose of supply reality stuck the first time and he is quite knowledgeable about the forces experienced for a given environment.
He is still a little bit like an Engineering Student that wandered into a Biker Bar, but should do well.
He is just gonna have to get accustomed to it.

[aircap]

Hey, folks - he got a "thumbs up" from Jack. That's not a bad recommendation on this forum.

[Dr Goggles]

I love this ............
1./best topic and best comments for a long time
2./DW , Dean LA and SSS let alone Stainless are makin' more sense than every other m/sport message board put together in their whole history
3./In the DLRA we have Gordon , FMD!
4.An hour and a half?...more than most get bro'
5./I miss Franklin too and , Franklin why don't you write to me , huh?

[racergeo]

YO,Dr. Gogg [in 'Straliar they shorten every thing up and every one greets you with ow ye goin mate?] Any way doc I'd like to look ya up when I visit my daughter this winter. She's in Shepp and I believe I read your in the area. I  love belly tanks and yours looks great. A mate of mine is building one in Shepperton with 2 litre Toyota engine. I'll definitely look you up.  Any way on the subject at hand, I would suggest to any one thinking about a Landspeed career that they read a couple books on the subject to get an idea of the back ground and the spirit of this great sport and the pioneers [past and present] that make it up! One thing I like about Andy Green is his awareness of the history and significance of Bonneville. He is very respectful. Try to remember before you try and come in and BASTARDIZE this sport is that it belongs to 12 hotrod clubs in Socal and they don't need no freekin aliens and thier alien ideas.        ........and a thumbs up from Jack could be a good thing or a bad thing or a good bad thing. [him]

[Dr Goggles]

Owyagoin' mate?

......firstly my last post mentioned SSS ,I meant Stan Back , sorry  , I loved that post , and the others I mentioned it was the best I've seen from DW too.......

I'm still waiting for Franklin to call.

Now , Racergeo....don't bring your woollies when you come "this winter".....coz um , through a strange phenomenon to do with the world being spherical( huh? when did they change that?)it will be hotter than blazes here over christmas...........

still waiting Frank......

[JackD]

I think the Politicians call it "Global Forming" or something and it happens all the time.
 It seems to peak just before the erections, and then die of neglect until the next time.
Since it is going to happen anyway, you might as well lay back and enjoy it from a good vantage point.

[Stainless1]

Well Blue, sorry you didn't get all the flame you were trying to incite.  Most of us understand "outsiders" don't realize our "correlation to modern motorsports" or understand LSR.  Attend an event, check the clock on the home page, it will tell you how long you have to wait.
Oh, watch out for "Jack's thumbs up"  you never know where you will find it or where it has been...

[Rex Schimmer]

Roadsters, lakesters, streamliners, competition coupes etc, are all old classes and you know what? most of us (I'll include myself here even though I have yet to build a car for Bonneville, soon though!) are mostly OLD! and if you look at the SCTA guys there is a lot of white hair there also and we like old things! and it is our football so if you want to play it is our rules.

Rex