toofastforyou
2FAST4U
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
- Messages
- 5,785
I'm writing this post to express my feelings about these TSM, TSO, TSE, TSL's etc...classes:
Several years ago, I used to race an NHRA legal "super stock" class Chevelle and later a Camaro. There were rules for everyone which we did our best to follow. But year after year, NHRA was getting to a point where rules were more and more prohibitive...Instead of saying "you can do this or you can do that" etc... they seemed to take pleasure in saying that "you CAN'T do this and you CAN'T do that"......It was frustrating instead of being fun. The emphasis was more in prohibiting than in permitting. Also when you got to an NHRA sanctioned event, the officials were always quick to point out things that were "wrong" on your car and wouldn't let you race unless you fixed it the way they wanted you to. I'm not talking about safety related rules here, but rather rules about cylinder heads, carburetors, original parts that could not be allowed in the different classes, the weight of the cars, etc... I remember always being a little nervous passing tech inspections wondering "what will they find this time to keep me from running"?...That was no fun anymore. I then decided that I'd had enough and that I said "f**c" NHRA, I'm going bracket racing. "Class racing" was over for me. After all, I was racing mainly TO HAVE FUN!
Now that I'm into Buicks, I read about TSO, TSM, TSE, TSL "classes" and I feel the same way as I did back when I was NHRA racing!...Do you really think that I built my GN to please Scott Simpson and Lonnie Diers so it would "fit" into one of their classes? NO !...I built it the way I wanted and that I could afford and if it doesn't "fit" well in one of these classes, it's just too bad! I'll race it at bracket racing events, but they won't see me at those "Buick" events. I live quite far from Bowling Green or Norwalk etc... and it doesn't make any sense for me to set up my car for that one and only event!
These rules and those who make them always seem to favor a small group of racers who decide who gets in or not.
It's too bad because I would have one day to participate with my GN at the Bowling Green event...or maybe Reynolds...but I don't think I'll ever go after reading those discouraging TSM or TSO or whatever rules... After reading some of the rules in TSM and TSO etc..., I still cannot figure out in which one of these classes it would "happen to fit" (as opposed to a car specially-built for that class)...My car wouldn't be competitive as it would probably end up in a category where I wouldn't have a chance to win a single run.
On a more positive note, let me just say that I do attend the "Buick Performance Weekend" each year at Englishtown, NJ and their way of running the event is by putting the cars in several classes based on the times they run, which is much less complicated, but more important, GIVING EVERYONE A FAIR CHANCE AT WINNING!
Thank you for reading ...and sorry for the long post!...
Claude
Several years ago, I used to race an NHRA legal "super stock" class Chevelle and later a Camaro. There were rules for everyone which we did our best to follow. But year after year, NHRA was getting to a point where rules were more and more prohibitive...Instead of saying "you can do this or you can do that" etc... they seemed to take pleasure in saying that "you CAN'T do this and you CAN'T do that"......It was frustrating instead of being fun. The emphasis was more in prohibiting than in permitting. Also when you got to an NHRA sanctioned event, the officials were always quick to point out things that were "wrong" on your car and wouldn't let you race unless you fixed it the way they wanted you to. I'm not talking about safety related rules here, but rather rules about cylinder heads, carburetors, original parts that could not be allowed in the different classes, the weight of the cars, etc... I remember always being a little nervous passing tech inspections wondering "what will they find this time to keep me from running"?...That was no fun anymore. I then decided that I'd had enough and that I said "f**c" NHRA, I'm going bracket racing. "Class racing" was over for me. After all, I was racing mainly TO HAVE FUN!
Now that I'm into Buicks, I read about TSO, TSM, TSE, TSL "classes" and I feel the same way as I did back when I was NHRA racing!...Do you really think that I built my GN to please Scott Simpson and Lonnie Diers so it would "fit" into one of their classes? NO !...I built it the way I wanted and that I could afford and if it doesn't "fit" well in one of these classes, it's just too bad! I'll race it at bracket racing events, but they won't see me at those "Buick" events. I live quite far from Bowling Green or Norwalk etc... and it doesn't make any sense for me to set up my car for that one and only event!
These rules and those who make them always seem to favor a small group of racers who decide who gets in or not.
It's too bad because I would have one day to participate with my GN at the Bowling Green event...or maybe Reynolds...but I don't think I'll ever go after reading those discouraging TSM or TSO or whatever rules... After reading some of the rules in TSM and TSO etc..., I still cannot figure out in which one of these classes it would "happen to fit" (as opposed to a car specially-built for that class)...My car wouldn't be competitive as it would probably end up in a category where I wouldn't have a chance to win a single run.
On a more positive note, let me just say that I do attend the "Buick Performance Weekend" each year at Englishtown, NJ and their way of running the event is by putting the cars in several classes based on the times they run, which is much less complicated, but more important, GIVING EVERYONE A FAIR CHANCE AT WINNING!
Thank you for reading ...and sorry for the long post!...
Claude