STL : National ?

[Greg Amy]

.....about building a full STL car, only... and only if it goes national.

x2

x3. This is exactly what I'm hearing from others, which is why I'm not worried about the whole "double dippers" argument; I see it as a red herring. It's just a "gut feel" from talking to others, but I get the impression that this class will explode once it goes National, but absent National status it will remain, really, just as a place for double dippers.

I'm actually pretty dismayed to see the "2.5 rule" go away; I think the concept is actually a good thing for the Club overall, forcing our leaders to accept a pre-determined, non-political result (if we only had the cojones to follow through). The only problem I see with it is that it doesn't allow Regional Only classes to compete for that rule on the same playing field.

I have actually suggested to the CRB and some BoD members that all classes* be given "National Status", and the 2.5 rule be used to decide who goes to the Runoffs**.

We'll see what happens tomorrow.

GA


* Unfortunately, this does not include Improved Touring. I say this NOT because I don't want to see IT go National -- I've actually been a passive supporter of that idea(l) from the start - but because various factions, both within IT and without, do not want IT National, period. My arguments for "all classes" are limited to those that wish to have National status but do not purely due to participation numbers.

** For STL specifically, I suggested that this class could be used used as the initial entry for this idea: make it National, let it run the National program without a guarantee for a Runoffs berth, and for the first year or two of eligibility the top STL competitors could be invited to the Runoffs as grid fillers for STU as an exhibition class. No guarantee you'll get a berth, but if there's some spots left over in the STU group - which will have its own group in 2012 - then STL guys can show up. From there on STL would be on-par with the rest of the organization, succeeding or failing purely on its participation numbers.

This same idea could be used for any other class/category looking to go National. Don't know if that got any traction...