That is a typical view/comment of an engineer.
Allow me to offer a different approach.
Gentlemen!
Racing is an exiting sport. Thousands flocks to race tracks everywhere,
not just here in good old USA. They go to tracks days and night to see
Go-karts, off-track cars and bikes, to see dragsters, and even trucks
pulling loads with brute force until out of breath, as well as
demolition Derby's. What would the world be without the internal
combustion engine and is enormous power everyone gets so exited to see,
smell and hear.
Progress has largely been contributed to using this marvellous machines
in racing and competition of all sorts and kind. We all know the phrase:
Win racing on Sunday, sell cars on Monday.
To further progress, experimenting is necessary, in fact, experimenting
is the mother of all progress.
Now, we see that the organizers of these many motor events put rules in
place. They say to avoid unfair advantage of one over the other. But
ones you put rules in place, you limit experimentation, don't you?
In all respect, some rules regarding classifications are necessary, say
in motorcycle racing, there are different cc classes. Fair enough.
The picture gets a bit more obscured, once to have a different internal
combustion engine type. Here is an engine around for 40 year that is
sold publicly, although lately only by one company. The rotary engine,
being an alternative to the Reciprocating Piston Engine which a bit over
100 years old.
In the name of progress, why would you not let cars with the Rotary in
it compete against the RPE. Only in competing head-on we can judge
progress. By not allowing the rotary to compete, it seems to me you are
not allowing progress.
Of course, size classifications should apply and the true displacement
of the Rotary per two shaft rotations, (four-cycle engine) must be used.
Then we have a different mechanism but have the same amount of
throughput or displacement of the engine. Meaning we have the same
staring point.
Would that not be exiting for the audiences to see what is best? Just
remember in the Roman Days when various types of gladiator fighting each
other was an "exiting" entertainment. Not, that I agree with the killing
of slaves. But here, there is no killing, only shear competition. What
do you say? Won't you to let the Rotary race? The people coming the
races would love it. Attendance may actually go up, certainly not down.
Have some courage and do not hold progress back.
Regards
Signed
Note: The whole thing might be too long for your taste, Paul. All I am
suggesting is to speak a bit about the passion of racing, progress and
fairness. After all, the Rotary burns the same fuel, ignites internally,
forces a piston down to turn a shaft. All else being equal, why not let
progress happen?
Regards
Rolf Pfeiffer