[ChrisL]

The reality is that race-cars by their nature do not have any single specification. So trying to make an absolute science out of something that is not absolute is doomed to fail. And as time moves on and contemporary cars become historic, it will become all the more difficult.

Take a modern LeMans race winner for example. The question could not possibly be asked in the future if that car is in its original spec because a modern race car is only ever a snapshot of its development at any given stage. It may go through half a dozen spec changes between one race and the next just to find the best combination for the day, and by the following year all that may be left "original" is the driver’s grin. I know that this is the extreme example but all classes of motorsport are moving in that direction.

Combine that with the fact that these ultimate rockets require that the pilot be an elite sportsman, just so that they might last more that a handful of competitive laps. Historic racing is bound to change its face in years to come.

I don’t envy organizers who are looking into the future and are trying to come up with a plan.