At the risk of hatred from tens of people, I'd suggest reading this column I just read this morning. It's not about racing rules, but the principle is the same.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/24...sers-facebook/
At the risk of hatred from tens of people, I'd suggest reading this column I just read this morning. It's not about racing rules, but the principle is the same.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/24...sers-facebook/
Josh Sirota
ITR '99 BMW Z3 Coupe
That's a great article!
Mike Uhlinger
Funny article.
[Rant mode ON]
A guy I know, is got to be the most ego centric dude in the world. he updates his stupid "Bob is" thing three, four , or even more times a day. "Bob is having salad for lunch with oil dressing"....."Bob can't wait for his new model boat to arrive in the UPS shipment".... "Bob is sweating at the gym".
WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!????????
"Bob HATES the new Facebook"
Bob, step away from Facebook.
Sheeesh.
[Rant mode OFF]
here's a discussion the centers around that issue from another board:
(Tom was suggesting that the ITAC be staffed with people wha are elected to the position, to better reflect what the racers want)
my response:
Tom, that's where it gets tricky. The ITAC tries to walk a fine line between giving people what they want, and giving people what they think they want.
The ITAC has an easy job in many respects. While the IT category is large by club standards, it's not National, and with that comes the freedom of being a bit off the radar. In other words, the CRb and the BoD are more likely to let us "try" things that haven't been tried before. (Like "the Process")
Secondly, we can look back at the history of other categories in the club, and learn from their mistakes.
Which is to say: Prod.
Prod is a category that has had lots of troubled waters, and many of the issues stem from giving people what they wanted. it seemed like a good idea at the time, but the long term effects have proven to onerous, and have changed the way racing in the SCCA/Prod world is done.
(I should add that time and technology pose real challenges to racing categories and must be dealt with effectively by organizing committees. )
Trust me, we on the ITAC are always "feeling the pulse" of the membership. I've been to races and talked to hundreds of IT guys from California to Georgia to New Hampshire in just the past year or two. Guys who don't frequent web boards. From all the interface, we've boiled out some cornerstone philosophies. It's those philosophies, and the consistent application of them, that guides the category.
Replacing the ITAc yearly would, in my opinion, create inconsistency, and would ultimately (and quickly) hurt the category. People would run on "Platforms" then spend their time trying to enact their particular platform. Committee members should, in my opinion, always remember the core philosophies that guide the category/committee, and never forget that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
I know the current system could be seen as un American and rather dictatorship-like, but I think the benefits outweigh the possible downside and perceptions.
(Further, every racing organization that hasn't been run by a benevolent dictator has failed. Every time.)
__________________
Last edited by lateapex911; 03-25-2009 at 02:43 PM.
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
for sale: 2003 Audi A4 Quattro, clean, serviced, dark green, auto, sunroof, tan leather with 75K miles.
IT-7 #57 RX-7 race car
Porsche 1973 911E street/fun car
BMW 2003 M3 cab, sun car.
GMC Sierra Tow Vehicle
New England Region
lateapex911(at)gmail(dot)com
And I might add you folks do so pretty well.
One comment about any ITAC crew I would like to suggest is that ITAC members be CURRENT IT racers, that is, having participated in at least one or two IT races in the last twelve months to remain on the committee. Seems that a vested interest would be a good thing.
A question that anyone representing a group whether appointed or elected is always do you enact the will of those you represent or do you owe those people your best judgment.
Usually the people in positions of power have spent more time thinking about an issue and listening to arguments than the average man on the street. For proof check out any news show man on the street interviews.
To vote against a populist opinion you need conviction, thought and a bit of ego, but I have more respect for someone with consistent convictions than someone who blows in the wind even if I disagree on a given issue.
dick patullo
ner scca IT7 Rx7
Jeez, all I want is a couple of freakin' jacking plates. That, and a way to influence people to get what I want. Is that so much to ask?
Tom Sprecher
Last edited by lateapex911; 03-27-2009 at 06:01 PM. Reason: boldened for the wsie guys...
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
for sale: 2003 Audi A4 Quattro, clean, serviced, dark green, auto, sunroof, tan leather with 75K miles.
IT-7 #57 RX-7 race car
Porsche 1973 911E street/fun car
BMW 2003 M3 cab, sun car.
GMC Sierra Tow Vehicle
New England Region
lateapex911(at)gmail(dot)com
I agree we should be able to install jacking plates. I don't know about anyone else, but the underside of my car, no matter how careful we are, is a dented, distorted mess. Maybe some of you in other parts of the country do not have to jack up your cars in sandy paddocks like we do in the Florida, but it is always tricky getting the jack in the right location. I know several of my compatriouts tried to work the "jacking plates" issue when Enduros were initiated many years ago. And it fell on deaf ears then. To me it is absolutley ridiculous that something so functional, so necessary, so logical has been resisted in the past. But, like our Federal Government, logic and common sense will not be tolerated, David Ellis-Brown
Dave E-B
Bookmarks