Reference all the above.
I have to agree with all the sentiments expressed BUT with the proviso that the Replicas are already out there and have been racing for some time, in FIA events and others. I think the new ruling kinda makes allowances for these cars/owners.
I was just skimming through the postings about the FIA topic on the
www.gt40s.com site and one posting stated that there was a Cobra currently racing that was a mixture of a new chassis, new body built to exact detail and various parts all bolted together to make a duplicate of the owners Genuine Cobra that is all nicely tucked up in his garage. The replica, he races. Naturally.
I know that to be true but cannot prove it, and one or two other cars are open to question. Just check out the lap times of Cobras at the Goodwood Revival.
It is hardly a state secret that the race Cobra (CSX2212) that Bill Shepherd used to contest the FIA Historic championship between 1990 - 1992 was, according to the entry in the SAAC Registry, a replica in every sense of the word. If the car stayed on the circuit, it was always in the top three and in '92 won 5 races!! Note: That's the 'FIA ' championship!!!!
If you have my Real Thing book to hand, look at all 3 pics on the left of page 138. None have seen the inside of a Thames Ditton factory.
I think that the FIA are on a loser no matter which way they jump, so they might just as well concede to the inevitable and ensure that the cars that do race are built to the correct specs of the period and leave it at that. It would be wonderful if, in a crazed spell of total honesty, all the owners of replica racers would, at the end of a meeting such as the Revival (Monterey?) have the nerve to line them all up away from the genuine cars. Might be a bit of a shock.
And then of course, we have the E-types, GT40s and as for the Lola T70's...............