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Thread: New Zealand Historic Muscle Cars Under HRC

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  1. #10
    At the risk of repetition, the AES & Arrow Wheels series points races are all handicaps and they don't have the speed differential problems, as the groups are split, not by capacity, but by (proven) lap times.
    The handicapper retains all past history and that means that sand-bagging generally isn't possible.
    Engine capacity means diddly-squat, as those who raced at the Whangarei street races will confirm. The fastest car there was Murray Sinclair's 1600cc Lotus Elan.
    AMCO's times in the Mini are not the same as the times set by Angus and that is fine, as neither is then advantaged or disadvantaged.
    We know there are well driven, well modified 1300cc MG Midgets that are faster than more standard or less well driven MGB V8s and MGBs.
    Splitting any classic group just by capacity, disadvantages and discourages drivers of more standard cars, regardless of engine capacity.
    The 3 litre limit class is generally somewhat pointless when you look at the range of lap times as the speed differential is massive.
    HMC is aiming specifically at (large) Muscle Cars - which is great, as the sheer size of larger cars tends to put off the drivers of smaller, faster cars if on the same grid, on the grounds of safety.
    The under 3 litre class is trying to mix highly modified almost race cars with fairly standard road cars and meanwhile, a Jaguar Mk2 or XJ6 is totally out in the cold. Sorry, but we have to look at ALL classic cars and see where they fit as none should be isolated.
    Handicap racing is always going to be a lottery but at least the fastest and the slowest guys get to see other cars, which isn't always the case in scratch races.
    Unfortunbately, you only need one yellow flag at the Pukekohe hairpin for example, to totally upset the finishing order, but who cares? Study the results of past handicap races and you'll see anything from blanket finishes by a whole swag of cars to runaway wins and for every one, there is a good reason.
    We all have to accept that the sheer variety of cars, ages, capacities and driver ability, are what Classics are all about, so any talk of a level playing field is total BS. You can't have a level playing field, with 7 litres vs 1000cc, but that doesn't mean you can't have great racing, as winning is indeed irrelevent and we need to support the regular supporters of each grid.
    Last edited by screwdriver; 05-30-2012 at 07:55 AM.

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