Well, that was a good discussion.. maybe production is really where I need to be after all... I'd love to ditch the junk and move the battery (had a car burn in a wreck due to the battery being out there in harms way). IT keeps drifting over the years (open ECU, coil overs, blah, blah) that sure didn't meet the intent, yet gets stupid a about stuff like heater cores and washer bottles..... I like a car to look like a car (especially on the outside) and like the old rules where you could take out carpet and headliner, but the rest stayed in, no coilovers, no ecu mods.......
.........but would rather just port it into the washer bottle. I guess it all depends on if somebody wants to get all anal with protests after the race results are in I guess.
Every category will have it's positives and weaknesses.
In IT, stability and careful management are the cornerstones. Major changes are discussed with the membership via forums like this (I can find a half dozen ECU discussions here alone), and THEN put out for member comment.
Prod has historically been a "Rewards weight" category, except your reward might not be weight, it might be a smaller carb, or other mechanical change, OR, it could be a change to your competitor. AND it happens yearly, and in the past, without a consistent and repeatable process. Not to mention the stories of smoke filled backroom dealings...
Further, your category choice is affected by where you live, and your desires for competition. You might be able to campaign a Prod car competitively in certain parts of the country more inexpensively than an IT car, just because the pond is smaller and more stagnant. or vice versa....or, you might decide to swim in the bigger pond because you value competition.
But, apples to apples, I'd bet that IT returns more even competition for the dollar.
I think IT's popularity can be attributed to the reasonable nature of the ruleset (Not perfect, but a good balance of not too little and not too much), and the rules stabilty (It's not a year to year changine weight and specs category). Secondary reasons are, I think, the wide range of available car choices, and the rather transparent nature of the ITAC.
Your example about the battery above is something that can be rectified, (for the most part) by proper installation and a battery box, and it's occurrences are extremely rare. (Yours is the first I've heard where the car was seriously burned...or burned at all)
The coilover changes have been in place for sheeesh, 2 decades ..actually more now. Remember, technology changes, adn the category MUST adapt. The ITAC tries to adapt as painlessly as possible, but it won't ever be painless...that's the nature of the beast. Our number one concern is to be fair and consistent.
As for washer bottles and catch cans, mine is a catch can, the top is open and the hose is stuck in. (I think..maybe I drilled the top out.!?!?! Have to check) But, nobody is going to protest that in a million years guys! Really, it's a no issue.
Heck, the real stuff that I've seen going on takes forever to protest....if at all.