REMEMBER WHEN……..??
author: Leon Botha
There are quite a number of people who shrink back if not cringe a bit whenever I start anything with \\\"remember when..\\\"?
The reason for that is obvious - it is I told you so! - time.
This time however - rather than go back to my predictions and warnings regarding the N4 and other class\\\' demise I want to tell you what is going to happen to S2000 in this very same year! That is 2010.
We started off with 18 cars and we should finish with about 10 maybe, 11.
The reason is not difficult to guess - Money, money and lastly money.
The cause? Well, once again you face the incredible and please pardon my French \\\'stupidity\\\' of us to try and follow the FIA rules regarding these cars to the very letter. This is exactly what we did to kill N4? Please tell me where are the people you protected then against genuine privateers who did their best to support the sport but were kille by the ridiculous rules?
Lets start at the beginning.
The manufacturers have their entries and for that matter if any car carries the name of a manufacturer in its entry - or if it is a known fact that it has the support like the Ford Fiesta S2000 for instance, of the factory (I know the timing is not great and I am sorry to mention the name this morning) then declare the car a works entry on its entry into the sport.
But if a car is campaigned by a privateer with reasonably limited - there will be grey areas but make a ruling and stand by it - then the car should be pulled from the FIA billionaire syndrome and certain things should be allowed.
The engine should be supplied by the manufacturer but silly as it may seem - the gearbox can be standard if the competitor wish to replace one every stage.
A ruling for isntance that no parts may be used that will exceed the specs of, or is more expensive or even then just a few percent cheaper than the homologated part from the official team will cost, can be made.
You know what? You can even make a ruling that the privateer should, on determining that a cheaper part works and that he intends using it, immediately inform the commission about the specific part. This part could be added to South African homologation and you can actually decided that a manufacturer may also on application use it limited to SA? If it sounds like too much work - we need to get people who are actually willing to do the work obviously at a price.
We -the rally fraternity\'s representatives are meeting on Wednesday to try and determine what to do to grow the sport - we are actually going as far as to get the Off-Road guys in to come tell you what they did to get a fields of 100 plus entries.
I will tell you for free and in a few words: They were not scared to take decisions and make life easier for the privateers and I have a feeling that they are not surrounded by people who do not have time to spend on the sport, or do not have the most important talent called VISION to ensure that we get the privateers back and keep those already involved in the sport. They simply opened the doors to privateers by addapting the rules.
I noticed with absolute dismay if not horror during a previous rally forum one of the most senior decision makers turn his back on the meeting while stating that we had exactly the same problems since 1983.
One can understand the frustration - and I am not criticising the attitude - but goodness knows we will not be able to get anything changed if we refuse to revisit the problem - with the right attitude.
The problem with rallying is that there are not enough people (I feel like saying two is enough) who are really willing to sit down and think about solutions and then MOST OF ALL - take a decision and stand by it.
No matter how the manufacturers feel - if we keep on worrying about that, we may just as well give them a separate championship and send their five cars through before we start rallying.
No balls to stand by a decision?
We started the Total Tour Natal again without any limit on tyre usage! So if you wanted to stay approximately with the top group you needed to fit about 28 tyres!
The rule should be simple - 16 tyres marked and allocated per car. If the rally becomes a wet event - allow grooving of tyres and that is that. On the other hand - allow 16 tyres wet or dry - the choice is that of the competitor.
I can hear the \"what the hell does he know?\" and \"he has nothing to say about it!\" going up as usual, without being paranoid.
All I can say is that the day you prove to me that you know what you are talking about and the day you prove to me that what you are doing is what the competitors want and that your wonderful superior brain power makes the sport grow - then I will happily shut up and watch the wonderful achievements.
Until then? All I can say is that I am not willing to sit back and watch the self chosen few mess up the sport!
The time has arrived for the privateers to stand up and be counted instead of hiding behind the \"fear\" of being discriminated against.
Who the hell are you sacred off - a few names that stand in the way of progress because they have some clout behind them? Take the clout away and you will be surprised at what is left?
Most of these silly stories are unfounded anyway because most (thank goodness) of these guys that actually do their job are too busy to worry about your little problem and all they are doing is to protect their own interest - which has not been the most difficult thing to do since 1983!
The simple solution is that we have to look at a happy medium - something that does not make either side happy - but surely something that will enable the privateers to stay in the game. Fifty thousand Rand a throw for a steering rack and about Ten thousand for an alternator will make a sizeable South African sponsorship (if you have one) only last for three of four rallies.
The long and short of this story is that we have to find a new solution as the old ways are obviously not working and may I add that those of you who have lost your real passion - something you will incidentally find with Willie du Plessis who are many times unfairly blamed - must please call it a day. The young ones and younger ones did not do a thing to you to deserve their sport being handicapped if not killed.
The days when we could afford to be handicapped by volunteers and be restricted to their pace are long gone. We have reached a point where someone with commercial sense needs to take over the sport and organise it professionally - for once you will have to look past your problems with some people and look at the sport - or, do like many before you, reset your target and go give the bowling club hell!
Another starting point that deserves serious attention is regional and grass root level participation.
I will make a statement that correctly managed rallies on regional level will outstrip National rallies within a year in many regards, but more publicity - easier control and better sponsorship on this level will ensure a natural growth into the higher level of the sport.
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