A Valuable Lesson

An interesting - and educational - turn of events at the Stratham NH show. A situation that screams out a valuable lesson: if your vehicle is worthy of winning its class, it will likely win, no matter how many other vehicles are in the class. So you are bertter off just staying in your class - no matter what.

If you do not have faith in your wheels, that is a sign you need to put more effort into it. And if you do have faith in it, there is no point jumping class.

At the Stratham NH show, one particular vehicle was registered in the correct class - at first. He soon noticed that his class got rather busy - a whopping 16 vehicles! So, he decided to jump into a class that only had 2 vehicles. Alas, he was advised that it was improper to jump class, and begrudgingly left, returning to his own class.

Had he stayed in the class of two (he would have been the 3rd vehicle), he would have taken 3rd place by default. Not exactly anything to be proud of. I guess he figured at least it would be a trophy. But he did not stay in that class, and chose honesty over dishonesty and returned to the class of 16, realizing his chances of winning anything at all were remote.

But he did choose honesty, and that is important.

And in spite of the heavy competition, he won First Place out of 16. Not Third, as he would have in the smaller class. First Place out of a class of 16. Now THAT is a real achievement.
Think about what that really means...

To begin, he had a vehicle worthy of winning. But he lacked FAITH in his vehicle, and almost forfeited his 1st Place win by jumping class. The message here: if you have a winner, have faith in it. Then, register where you belong, so it can prove how good it is. "If ye have but the faith of a mustard seed..." You may not always win, but you will always be a winner in ways that count.

The second lesson is one that he learned well today. He learned that while it may be more difficult winning in a large class, it is also incredibly satisfying when you do. After all, to take 3rd in a class of 3 is no big deal. In fact, it makes you a loser, not a winner, because you came in last. But to win ANY trophy in a class of 16 is a real feather in the cap. It means your vehicle is a champion, and not just a runner-up.

To that fellow, I say "Congratulations." You deserved 1st place in your class. You did not deserve 3rd in the other class.

And to anyone considering jumping class, keep this true story in mind - the bigger the class, the greater the reward if you win. And it is easier to win in your rightful class.

Also at Stratham, one of the best looking vehicles in Imports was the Cobra. But he did not even place. Why? Because more and more folks are refusing to vote for vehicles out of their class. Had he been in his own class, he would have taken at least 3rd, and possibly 2nd, or even 1st (there were only two other vehicles in his class - a sure win).

Look over the winners in the "Best of the Best" contest. In every case these winners all had two things in common...

1) The vehicles are put into great shape and kept that way - a good deal of effort is involved, and

2) In every case, every one of them always registered in their rightful class. Every time

And that is what makes a vehicle a winner.

At Stratham, two great vehicles. Both worthy of winning. The one in the correct class did win. The one in the wrong class did not even place.

Do what you KNOW is right, and not what you THINK you can get away with.

'Nuff said.

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