<VV> Smitty beats most everybody.

[James P. Rice]

Smitty:  I've been beaten in a autocrosses plenty of times by people in
slower cars but much greater skill than I.  Just 'cause I know racing
history does not mean I am a good racer or autocrosser.  The statement
"Those that can, do, those that can't, write about it." comes to mind and is
probably applicable.  Of course, because I do and almost always have cared
about history, I have resources and I can do the research and write about it
much better than most racers.  Only because they were to busy racing and
generally do not care much about history, their own or others.  Until they
get old and wish they had remembered more.  Or maybe wish they could
remember more.

But the statement I was responding to from Frank was about drag racing...on
the street, in cars which were not the same.  There are to different driver
skill sets required between drag racing and autocrossing or road racing.
For drag racing you have to be, one, unwise and, two, only have one foot and
one hand.  You actually have to have some skill to drive a stick well.  And
just about all your normal body functions fully working, like both feet and
both hands.  So if you get beat in a drag race in a 4-speed by a PG in
otherwise identical car, which is hardly possible, I'm reminded of the
statement someone at Corvette once made:  "If you get beat in a (then new)
Corvette against a (then new) Buick Grand National, you didn't race long
enough."  Give me a 4 speed, a quarter mile track, and I'll race you down
and back.  Better yet, I'll let Seth or Warren drive the 4-speed.  And I'll
take the pictures and do the race report!!

And as far as Smitty goes, he goes very well and has beaten lots of folks
half his age.  Smitty is on my list of people I want to be like: old and
still very much with it.  My hat, if I had one on, would be off to him in
respect.

Historically Yours,
			James

PS:  Besides, in most autocrosses, you can put it in second and left foot
brake.
PSS:  One of the main reasons Corvairs got beat in their very first ever
road race was because they had 3-speeds and the Falcons and Ramblers had
4-speeds.  Multiple gears matter.  Oh. wait, that's the historian speaking.
Oops.  Sorry.  Actually, no I'm not!!

*****************************

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:59:09 -0500
From: "Smitty" <vairologist at cox.net>
Subject: <VV> Autocrossing a PG
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>

Smitty Says;  Frank DuVal said it well that a PG is a pretty good match for
a stick in an autocross.  James says, well put the same rear in it and see
what happens.  He may well get his butt kicked anyway.  I autocrossed my
wagon for years in pure stock and did quite well (Before my reflexes started
doing me in a few years ago).  I beat plenty of 3:89 cars and plenty of 3:27
cars.  A good number of them were thinly disguised modifieds.  There was one
stick shift which used to beat me regularly and I looked forward to tangling
with him.  Even after a young companion of his, and I, had a long
conversation about how his car was preped for the track.  The kid had no
idea who I was.
Two things come to mind about racing a PG.  One is that if you left foot
brake, your feet are already where you want them while jumping back and
forth between power on and power off.  Add that to the fact that you have to
make no gear changes on your way to 50 mph and you are gaining by at least a
half second per lap.  My record from just a few years back speaks for
itself.