[Alan Schup]

Gary, I am not blaming you. But if one wanted to try to keep the people involved anonymous, one could have brought up the topic without publishing the private (never meant to be public) communications almost verbatim. Although not mentioned by name, it is recogizable as my email by many people. So yes everyone, I am the person who wrote the letter that is being discussed.

I have absolutely no problems with Gary personally or as a judge --- he is an interesting and nice gentleman who is very thorough and extremely fair in comparing cars. He is one of the reasons I joined SCAT this year. My beef is with the classing system administration. There was at least three other men at this last show that told me the fun of the show was tarnished (not as fun as previous years) because of the very same issue, so the size of the class is not an issue. I believe in fairness so I wrote the letter and truly believe that the Mustang Club did not know they have participants grumbling about the same issue because they do not ask for critiques to make the show better. I thought a simple suggestion might get round-filed, but a protest might get some attention.

The letter is not about winning or losing, or the trophy/plaque or the cost thereof, but the principle --- and about people themselves (not the cars) --- the "funness" of the contest and of being with people and seeing beautiful cars. The one most important thing (and focus of the letter) that was missing somehow from that very private communication was that I still greatly enjoyed participating at the show and really do not expect anything out of my protest letter except maybe a change to the rules for future Yellow Rose shows. Jim and Matt made me out to be a big cry baby, but they have me wrong, or maybe just enjoy to be the bad boys on the block and stir up people's emotions --- I don't care for such attitudes --- I may have them wrong as well. I just like to see a fair and honest contest, and changed/edited my email from a comment letter to a protest type of letter when many more than myself was in the same situation. I think I am maybe the only one who wrote back to the show administrators.

As far as doing more with the club...
From the few club events I am able to attend each year, I have found the people in this Texas Cobra Club are a super great group of people with one exception who is driving me away with his continuous harsh personal comments directed at me over the many years, from the very first time I met him at Lone Star Classics to the first club meeting and dinner I attended to this forum continuing in this very topic thread. Except for this one man, everyone in the club has been very friendly, supportive, and very helpful. I've always paid my dues (contributed financially to the club) upon reminder, and try to contribute useful information to this forum.

I wish I had the time to be more active in the club events... I really do.

-Alan

ps. Doug... Great looking Cobra deserving of many trophies, definately the best of all the Cobras in the show. I have been very busy at work (my manager requested 4 new people to be hired, but instead directed to fire 2 people to raise the company stock price) and I've been out of town on the weekends lately. Your pictures are downloaded from my camera and will transfer them to the computer I have hooked up on the internet to send them to you soon. I did not forget. Expect them soon.