In post #2 on the SFOS thread "Car Mad" is bemoaning the fact that North Island competitors are not making the trip south.
I know of two competitors (one from Hawkes Bay and one from Christchurch) who were keen to compete (the one from HB had made all their ferry bookings and accommodation arrangements) but are not doing so. The reason they both cited was the class structure (or more specifically, the lack of it) at the SFOS meetings.
Both competitors are what I would describe as drivers (as distinct from racers) by virtue of the fact that they are not super competitive-they do not have that 'mongrel' in them that characterises the true winners. They have competed for 50 years and 60 years respectively and never won an event at anything more than a clubmans meeting or local hillclimb. But they still love to get out in their single seaters and sports racers and drive them hard. But they also love to have other cars to dice with. They don't care where they are in the field BUT they are both adamant that there is no fun whatsoever running around on their own. So why would anyone spend a lot of money preparing a car and entering an event when their small capacity single seater or front engined sports racer is having to run with FF 2000s, Formula Pacifics, ex Formula Holdens etc that are bound to disappear into the distance at flag fall, never to be seen again until they start lapping the tail enders?