The question about Conference’s survival has been raised and I think that it survive only as an adjunct to NASA whose rules, classes and procedures it is rapidly adopting, leaving the traditional Conference classes and racers excluded.
The biggest threat to its continuance is that it is becoming a bigoted “Old Boys” group in that if your face fits, you’re in. If not get lost, you’re not welcome.
In my opinion.
If you find this incomprehensible then let me tell you my story.
In 2014, on short notice because my wife was back east giving end of life care to one of her sisters, I made a quick foray to a race at Pacific raceways. On Saturday morning I was prevented from going in the first track session by a leaking fuel pump. Ready for the afternoon session, I noted that it was listed as a “Qualifying Race” on the schedule. Inquiring about this, I was told that it was still just a qualifying session, they just wanted to start it like a race. This was run and I returned to my pit like always. Shortly afterwards the weighmaster approached me to inquire if I had gone over the scales. I replied that it was not a Championship race and weighing was not required. He agreed and returned to the weigh station. Upon checking the times I found I was listed with “No Time”, in other words disqualified. I approached the Steward for an explanation given the Competition Regulations did not require weighing on a non-points track session. His reply was that “they” thought it should be just like a race in all facets. I was S.O.L.
Forward to 2015. I entered the race at O.R.P. and I had only one other competitor. In the race due to a balky shift linkage (since repaired) and inappropriate gearing, I fell two laps behind during the race. As it wound down I was surprised to see my competitor parked well off in the infield with a broken left front spindle. I counted two laps that I passed him meaning that we were now even but as I crossed the start/finish line once more I was taken aback to see the chequered flag (there was no Last Lap Board). I’ve been racing for 44 years, don’t tell me I don’t look at the stations.
Uncertain as to the finishing order, I waited until the next day, when due to the difficulties with the car I was going to withdraw and return home, to check with Driver Services who assured me the win fell to me so I took my trophies and we started for home. Ten days later while in a telephone conversation with one of the T.C. officials, my wife learned that the finish had been reversed and I wasn’t the winner. I inquired of the same Steward who had taken away my times for not weighing at Pacific Raceways and he told me that the Competition Committee had got together and it was decided that the other driver, who was a member of the Competition Committee, should have the win. When I asked about him weighing, I was told “they” thought it would be too much trouble so the rule was waived.
Since results are supposed to be official after 30 minutes (I was not informed there was a protest or query) and the winner is required to weigh by the Competition Regulations, I protested. In the package that was sent out, of which I received a copy, the Steward plainly stated to the members of the Contest Board that if they were having trouble making their decision, they were free to call him and he would guide them on their vote. One further event was that an official who I had previously admired and respected called me and tried to lobby me to withdraw my protest saying it was unwinnable. This was a tactic I endured where I worked when ever there was a dispute over conditions of employment. It boiled down to “Don’t’ make waves, someone will ask questions.” I found it repugnant in both cases.
I lost the protest.
I appealed to the Executive Board because I felt that the Steward was not acting impartially since the rule change which allowed a non-finishing car to be scored had been proposed and sent through the Contest Board Meeting by a Steward’s panel of which this self-same Steward was a member. I was in the position of appealing a rule to a person responsible for implementing it and had not recused himself but had taken an active part in having it upheld. I never did get a proper answer to my appeal from the Executive Board but I did hear anecdotally that one club up-held the Steward, not on the merits of the case, but because they thought it would be too embarrassing for him, the Steward, to be overturned.
Since the Steward had to willfully break at least two Competition regulations and make a farce of other procedures in Conference, why you might ask did someone go to all this trouble to stick their thumb in the eye of a septuagenarian racer who has faithfully participated and supported Conference for 45 seasons?
The answer, in my opinion, is right there on the engine cover of my racecar.
Even an august publication such as Road & Track has noted in an article that the vast majority of racers come from the right side of the political spectrum. They support the party whose official colour is Red. Its mascot is the elephant. With some irony, they call themselves the Party of Lincoln.
On my engine cover is a decal for a trade union to which I belong, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
In my working life I was a master machinist and being proud of my trade and the skill sets it gives me to bring to the repair, maintenance, and upgrading of my racecar I display the insignia of the IAM&AW. Not as a political statement but a symbol of the pride I have in my profession and my skill sets.
Since the Red/Elephant/Lincoln party is moving to the extreme right it is now virulently anti-labour and anti-union. I guess someone wanted to show the “Lunchbox Lout” just who is in charge here.
I don’t go where I’m not welcome, I’m gone.