I'm all conflicted in that I both agree and disagree with some things here. This is a great discussion though.
My .$02...
As mentioned, it is funny that a few guys on the east coast just plain whip ass all year, then either never go to the ARRC or for some reason are oddly slower when they do go. Now, there aren't "alot" of guys like this, but they are out there. This seems to show that the teardowns do work.
As far as the teardowns are concerned, I hate them. Not because I'm cheating, because I'm lazy and I like beer and cajun food. If I win the ARRC, I don't want to spend the evening re-assembling my motor for the enduro, I want to spend it drinking beer and eating with my cajun buddies.
That said, I do agree that the teardowns lend some credibility that the podium is LEGAL, so I'll deal with it.
As far as the extent of the teardowns, I think its good the way it is. There seems to maybe be a bit of deviation year to year in that you don't know exactly what to expect. Heck, if they decided to not do teardowns at all one year it wouldn't matter at all as long as nobody KNEW they weren't going to do it.
Remember the "doomsday device" from Dr. Strangelove??? The knowlege that a tear *could* happen will keep cheaters away, but only if everybody knows about it. At this point I think everybody knows about it. I'd even be all for a system of drawing a car number out of a hat for the top 5. Whoever gets drawn gets a complete teardown, the other guys get to watch. I think that would still deter cheating and be easier on everybody. The tech shed sure would be less crowded.
I think we were stuck in there for 2 hours last year. That kind of sucked.
As far as it being a "real" championship... Well, it might not be. But what it is is as close as we IT guys are going to get, so I have no issues calling the winner a National Champion. As Greg mentioned, if someone in the midwest wants to put on an event like this... Go for it. Most of us that try to run up front at the ARRC would be there.
Finally, if you've never been to an ARRC... It's different. Honestly, it is. Its not just a glorified SEDIV race.
Its just different. The competition is tougher, the stakes are higher, and everyone cranks it up a notch. Last year was my first ARRC as a competitor and I was nervous as all hell. Note that I don't get nervous, ever. Friends have made fun of me for napping or planning what I'm going to have for dinner inside the 5 minute call on grid. At the ARRC last year I actually had to take a minute and get my proverbial shit together.
Yeah... Its different.
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#22 ITC Honda Civic
3rd Place 2004 ARRC
1st Place 2004 ARRC Enduro
www.motorpride.com/Catch22