so everyone gets a trophy now?

[Lotus7]

(deleted a needless rant, sorry)

[EYERACE]

The world's best trophy

[problemchild]

Meet the Fockers.

I attended a regional in October that had single entries in 4 classes to make up the F/SR group . Not only did the "winners" claim their trophies, but they did victory laps. Very sad! Perhaps that sums up what is wrong with the world today ...... but certainly club racing.

[RussMcB]

I've raced many times where I'm the only car in a class (FS, FX), If someone asks me how a race went, I rarely say, "I won", but I don't feel guilty about getting the trophy or taking a victory lap (when they're offered, very rare). I do realize I can't hold a candle to winners in FF, FC, SM, FV, SRF, P2, etc., but it's certainly not my fault other competitors in my class don't show up. This is especially true when I feel like I've driven well enough to beat people, and heck, just getting to the track has always taken a lot of effort, time and money.

Just sharing this perspective. I can understand why it might bother some.

[Lotus7]

Sorry, I shouldn't have left a blank message for people to speculate on.
My rant was not related to participation numbers, but to F1 again proposing changing rules to even up the field.
If losing to the same guy over and over doesn't motivate you to get better, then why show up? Lobbying the rules makers to make you more equal seems lame...

[stonebridge20]

Sorry, I shouldn't have left a blank message for people to speculate on.
My rant was not related to participation numbers, but to F1 again proposing changing rules to even up the field.
If losing to the same guy over and over doesn't motivate you to get better, then why show up? Lobbying the rules makers to make you more equal seems lame...

It happens in SCCA every day. That's why I left.

[Hardingfv32]

F1 again proposing changing rules to even up the field.
If losing to the same guy over and over doesn't motivate you to get better, then why show up? Lobbying the rules makers to make you more equal seems lame...

Sounds just like the statements made against affirmative action. Well history has clearly shown that it takes a little more than just trying harder for the disadvantaged to move up/get ahead.

This is clearly the case in F1. There are any number of factors that keep secondary teams from advancing up the order. Trying harder is not one of them. F1 has a show to improve and they know that things are not going to change on their own. This is not a sport anymore, it is show business. As such a better show makes more money for all the participants.

Brian

[problemchild]

Just sharing this perspective. I can understand why it might bother some.

Interesting social commentary that 3x the people liked "driving around by myself then celebrating with a trophy and victory lap" than those thinking "that's not racing". If my personal standards of competition ever fall to this level, somebody, please run me over in pitlane and put me out of my misery.

[DaveW]

Interesting social commentary that 3x the people liked "driving around by myself then celebrating with a trophy and victory lap" than those thinking "that's not racing". If my personal standards of competition ever fall to this level, somebody, please run me over in pitlane and put me out of my misery.

It's the competition that makes racing the most attractive to me. Of course, I like driving fast, engineering the car, and even the mechanical work necessary to keep the car in good shape, but it's the competition that keeps me racing.

That's why I keep running in the FRP F2K Series - there are always drivers to compete with. That is definitely not the case in SCCA club racing, except for the Runoffs.

[Earley Motorsports]

Competition makes you better. No competition, no betterer.

[halcyon]

A 100 years or 1000 years from now, no one will remember or care how many club racing trophies we got. If it makes someone happy to get a trophy whether they had competition or not, good for them.

Personally, I measure my success on how well I drove and whether I am continuing to get better, not on finishing order or trophies. One of the trophies I am the most proud of came from a 4 or 5 car race, because the win by a few hundredths clenched a championship in a very competitive spec series in my first year of racing. I was no where near as good of a driver as I am today, but I drove my best and even better than what was expected of me at the time. At the same time, I have 1st place trophies from 70+ car fields that mean very little to me. Still, I take all of the trophies whether there was competition or not (car count doesn't equal competition) and send the pics to my parents as it makes them smile. So, to each his own and go with whatever makes you happy.