I usually try to stay out of the flame war threads, but this is drving me nuts!
QUOTE(grantsfo @ Sep 30 2007, 02:09 PM)
Again who would want to drive cross country to Kansas for a AX other than a true nutter?
Someone who is looking for competition. Specially at an event that draws people from all across the country.
QUOTE(nebreitling @ Sep 30 2007, 03:23 PM)
i don't know much about autocross competition. i would have just assumed that participants would have to earn points (or something) to be qualified to participate.
If the sport was popular enough that an "open to all who shows up" event like Nationals produced a flood of competitors, then they would probably do something to limit entry such as via a points system. But it is not a problem yet. So autocrossing (in general) is able to support two distinct groups. Those who take it VERY seriously and those who just want to show up and have some fun. At Nationals, you tend to have less of the later, but you may still have some people who like to show up and measure themselves against better drivers.
QUOTE(nebreitling @ Sep 30 2007, 03:23 PM)
but i know that enough people take it seriously enough to ensure deep talent pools.
That is the key point. You are going to have people show up who have little chance of winning at their local level let alone at the national level. But you are also going to get a number of drivers who are the best or nearly so in the sport. So the point is you measure yourself against the top of the list and not the bottom.
Sure there are going to be some people who are very good (maybe even the best in their class) who don't show up for some reason (including length of drive). But for those who don't show up, they have taken themselves out of the equation and including them in the mix (driver X would have beat driver Y if he had attended) is pure bench racing. While actually showing up and driving is the real deal.
QUOTE(grantsfo @ Sep 30 2007, 08:48 PM)
It is sort of cool in that you could show up to a poorly attended class and likely have a spitting chance at a podium placing.
If you are a good driver, can you potentially cherry pick (i.e. purposely driving in a class with low attendence)? Sure you can. If you are good enough to cherry pick and easily win, then you have just decided you like to stroke your own ego and would rather be a big fish in a small pond vs. measuring yourself elsewhere.
QUOTE(grantsfo @ Sep 30 2007, 08:48 PM)
And you know me I have little respect for the sport and put it up there with amatuer bowling. I just cant take cone dodging too seriously. I certainly try to take it serious when I'm out driving and its great fun. I also have utmost respect for everyone that is giving it their best (even JP
), but I have a hard time with people who take the "sport" too seriously. Did I mention that I placed 7th in amatuer bowling championship once as a teenager? I thnk bowling and AX share a lot of similarities when taking a zen perspective.
There are plenty of sports "I don't get" (Curling anyone?). You mention bowling. I bowl maybe once every few years and have fun doing it. I also have no idea why some people love it as much as they do. However they obviously get something more out of it than I do and I respect their enthusiasm and skill. I don't think that just because I don't enjoy the top level of the sport that there is less value in their accomplishments.