<VV> VV Autocross Article

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/8/2010 3:27:22 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
bub049 at comcast.net writes:

It  appears to me that Ron did what he was supposed to do. As someone 
stated  here it is up to the driver to say what his/her car has for  
modifications, if any. Ron did that. He said he had a big bore engine. And,  yes, his 
'62 Monza is stock except for the engine. I know the car well. He  said it was 
his first autocross. The person doing the classifying should have  properly 
placed the vehicle.  I can't see where the problem should become  Ron's, 
especially if he is new to autocrossing and doesn't know the classes.  He told 
the official that his car had a big bore engine. He came out to  have fun 
and see what his new motor would do.
 
Bob - According to Ron, that is not exactly how it happened. Ron said  he 
had a "Big" motor. If you say that to a Corvair person, and you are driving a 
 stock-looking 1962 car, what would you think that means? To me, that would 
 indicate a 164" motor, instead of a 145" motor. The person working tech 
then  asked if it had 4-carbs or 2-carbs. Ron told him 4 carbs, and the guy 
suggested  SS-4. That is where a stock late model with a stock 140 would be. 
That  was a mistake - it was bad advice. A 140 equipped early would be in an 
Improved  Stock class. With the 3.1, the car would move to SM-3. Nobody 
accused Ron of  doing anything underhanded, just a rookie mistake. We have all 
done that.  

However - Only one person does the classification at a Corsa  autocross. 
The competitor. They fill out the form, and, if needed, place the  
classification on the car window. They can ask for advice - and many do - but it  is 
advice. The only time that a car will be "classified" - or rather  
"re-classified" is if the initial competitor's classification is protested  by another 
competitor in that class, and the competitor refuses to properly  classify 
his/her car. At that point, the Corsa Competition Chairman, or his  
representative, could re-classify the car. It behooves the competitor to  "Read the 
rulebook". I assure you, there are lots of competitor who read every  word. 
 
We realize that this self-classification puts a burden on the  competitor. 
Unlike the Concours, we cannot point out all of the  modifications that 
would change the class of a car. Many modifications are  internal, or not 
identifiable by easy visual means. That is why the burden is on  the competitor. 
In many ways we put more trust in the competitor than the  Concours folks do. 
Over the years, I have given classification advice to  hundreds of 
competitors. But it was advice. As the representative of the  Competition Committee 
Chairman, I have, on several  occasions, requested competitors to correct 
their classifications, based on  protests. Usually, however, when the "error" 
is pointed out, the competitor  corrects the "mistake". When I am competing 
in a class where certain things  are allowed, and others are not allowed, I 
always scope out the other cars in  the class, and I am not shy about 
pointing out any discrepancies, or, at least  asking about them!  
 
And as far as the reader pointing out the 3.1 motor in the admittedly  
great article? Well, I think Ron's skin was a little thin here on VV. The reader 
 was asking the question, not accusing anybody of underhandedness. As I  
mentioned, Ron's only mistake was a common one for first-time competitors.  
"Mis-classification happens" 
 
Just as an aside, Rod Bradley, the local autocross chair in Cedar  Rapids, 
and I offered an early tech inspection option for several hours in the  
afternoon before the event, right at the hotel. We did help several competitors  
get a leg up on the day at Hawkeye Downs. We had copies of the rules 
available,  (as did every competitor in their Convention packet)  and answered  
questions for others. 
 
A final note. The results, as printed, stand. As someone else pointed  out, 
the limit on protests is long past. Nobody will be shipping any trophies  
around, at least not at my request.
 
Seth Emerson
Corsa Autocross Chairman