Can we think in more than black OR white, this OR that?
Geeze Mark,
We've never met and I wonder how it is that this generates the exact same response from you as it did from me?
Could it be because it's so obvious that the question of what the malaise is is not a this OR that thing?
To me it seems that discussing the one OR the other of two options offered here, and this latest brilliant idea or that brilliant idea which arrive from "above" is ultimately futile without first backing way up and attempting to figure out and agree on just what the "Big Idea is which we are trying to reach.
It is clear that there are at least two very strongly opposed ideas of what ALL U.S. rally is supposed to be ESSENTIALLY about.
What is -->The ESSENCE, the elementary constituent of what a rally is supposed to be?
Is rally supposed to be an extended "infomercial", with all of (somewhat) normal, non-millionaire, guys and gals relegated BY ADMINISTRATIVE FIAT to be the background filler, or even more cynically, the source of entries to allow organisers to put on a show which only "showcases" the antics of a few 3-4 cars?
Or is a rally a sporting competition to detirmine the best _driver_ on any given day at any given venue?
In simpler terms: who is the constituency which the event is ultimately intending to primarily serve?
This has not been detirmined as yet, even though the feeling of many many longer term rallyistas is that it is nakedly obvious that the intent of Kurt Spitzner and his apologists and mentors is to bureaucratize and usurp control of the running of the events and to systematically squeeze out all non "Really Really Expensive Shiney New Cars" by any and all means possible, ignoring the fact that in excluding cars, he is excluding PEOPLE, MEMBERS.
So folks, can we try and discuss in basic terms what we, as present, and past, and maybe next month participants in this sport want to to be in it's essence.
Sporting competition among people?
Saturday morning Smurf Cartoon interspersed with inane Smurf commercials blended into one barely distinguishable seamless program of HYPE?
A free ticket for an increasingly large contingent of paid SCCA office types to arrive after all the hard work is done and stir up trouble and run up bills?
A series of individual events organised by members for members thriving on their own joined under a loose roof of the National Championship Series, with larger emphasis placed on individual rounds results rather than the emphasis on series long year end "towing Championship"?
An organisation where the membership decides and the administrators have a minimalist function of licencing and sanctioning, and writing rules only after membership demand?
geeze, it's sorta like trying to figure out what economic system we want, and what the whole point of working is, iddnit?
Please, let's see what the Big Idea is supposed to be, and then see if we are on track to that destination.
John Vanlandingham
Seattle, WA
Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
Black Rocket Rally Tires
http://www.blackrockettires.com/