October Fastrack is up
- Thread starter Greg Amy
- Start date
its66
New member
Maybe several regions could work together to develop a series of production based classes that closely shadow Improved Touring cars--wink wink nudge nudge. Maybe extend the "Radial Sedan" class from the left coast? This is assuming that competitors wanted in to the whole National thing. I really don't, but that is a debate for another thread.
Jeremy Billiel
New member
I do too, but my request, Andy's and Zsolt's were in there and all we got was a "Thank you for your letter."
Not IT-related, but:
The following items were withdrawn by the Club Racing Board: Item 9. Effective 11/1/06: Reclassify the 1995-98 LP Dodge Neon (SOHC and DOHC) from EP to FP at current EP weight, with .450 inch lift on
the camshaft, and 11.0:1 compression ratio.
NOT RECOMMENDED: EP - Reclassify the LP 1990-94 Nissan NX2000/Sentra SE-R and 200SX/SE-R to FP (Amy). The cars are classified correctly." (I had requested it moved to FP with the same compression-ratio and camshafts limitations that others in the class are getting, same as the Neon above).
Yet, the Acura Integra LS, the very same car that runs in ITA with us very competitively, was classified in FP this year with - wait for it - .450" camshaft lift and 11.0:1 compression. There are numerous other ITA-classed vehicles (mostly Hondas) that have also been reclassed to FP from EP at the same limitations.
Sigh. With the NX and the Neon it's 2002 all over again...
The following items were withdrawn by the Club Racing Board: Item 9. Effective 11/1/06: Reclassify the 1995-98 LP Dodge Neon (SOHC and DOHC) from EP to FP at current EP weight, with .450 inch lift on
the camshaft, and 11.0:1 compression ratio.
NOT RECOMMENDED: EP - Reclassify the LP 1990-94 Nissan NX2000/Sentra SE-R and 200SX/SE-R to FP (Amy). The cars are classified correctly." (I had requested it moved to FP with the same compression-ratio and camshafts limitations that others in the class are getting, same as the Neon above).
Yet, the Acura Integra LS, the very same car that runs in ITA with us very competitively, was classified in FP this year with - wait for it - .450" camshaft lift and 11.0:1 compression. There are numerous other ITA-classed vehicles (mostly Hondas) that have also been reclassed to FP from EP at the same limitations.
Sigh. With the NX and the Neon it's 2002 all over again...
lateapex911
Super Moderator
That's exactly what i was thinking when I read gregs letter in Fastrack.....brave...very brave.
mustanghammer
New member
I like being a part of one of the largest club racing catagories and then being told I don't count. I like it so much that I never want to see IT results in SportsCar.
erlrich
Super Moderator
Well, if there was ever any doubt at least now we know EXACTLY where we stand with the boys in Topeka. Not that there was ever any doubt.
I like being a part of one of the largest club racing catagories and then being told I don't count. I like it so much that I never want to see IT results in SportsCar.
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I think the DC region needs to add a new regional-only class. We could call the class TI (Touring/Improved).
Bill Miller
New member
You're right, there never was any doubt. Looks great to an outsider too. They talk about ITR being a home from some ex- Touring 2 and Touring 3 cars. You get to 'improve' your car by losing your ability to run for a National Championship. What are they afraid of? Why not make every class eligible, and let the drivers speak w/ their entries?
Did anybody notice that they lowered the participation standards? Went from 3.5 CPR (cars per race) from the top 5 Divisions to 2.5 CPR for all Divisions. Do these people have any idea how foolish policies like that make them look? You don't need to average 3 cars per race, across the country, yet you get to run for a National Championship? Granted, you have to be one of the top 24 classes, and it's pretty much a given that once a class doesn't make the Runoffs, that it will be next to impossible to get back there.
I only got to skim through FasTrack yesterday, I need to read it through a couple of times to see what other weasly (sp?) language they've come up with.
mustanghammer
New member
They are afraid of what happened in Spec Miata. They know that another set of classes that offers close competition at a reasonable operating cost will kill off some of the over-priced elite classes the club is now pushing.
These people are out of touch.
x-ring
New member
Well, my thoughts on this are mixed. At first blush it seems we are getting the short end of the stick by being forever banned from national racing, and I do admit that it does look appealing from the outside.
As I think about it though, I think I support the 'forever regional' clause. Have you ever been to the runoffs? The cost of making your way to the front now is getting out of hand. If IT were in the hunt for one of the 'top 24' what do you think would happen to the cost of IT racing?
I'm afraid of what happened to SM too. Three years ago you could run up front in a $10K car. Now a 'crate' engine from one of the big names is half that, and one of their 'better' engines is quite a bit more. All this in a class with eight pages of rules, the first of which is IIDSTYCTYC.
Besides, as I age, I'm past worrying about the 'we're better than you and don't you forget it' BS.
As I think about it though, I think I support the 'forever regional' clause. Have you ever been to the runoffs? The cost of making your way to the front now is getting out of hand. If IT were in the hunt for one of the 'top 24' what do you think would happen to the cost of IT racing?
I'm afraid of what happened to SM too. Three years ago you could run up front in a $10K car. Now a 'crate' engine from one of the big names is half that, and one of their 'better' engines is quite a bit more. All this in a class with eight pages of rules, the first of which is IIDSTYCTYC.
Besides, as I age, I'm past worrying about the 'we're better than you and don't you forget it' BS.
Andy Bettencourt
Super Moderator
That's funny, I haven't seen any 'Make IT a National Class" letters hit the CRB.
Trust me when I say this: In some pockets of the country, nothing would change, but in a whole bunch, it would require everyone to step up to this at a minimum:
Pro motor
Better bits and pieces
Tons of test days
New tires every 6-8 heat cycles
The bottom line is that the more attractive the class becomes, the more people - and the more money - come with it. Some of the cars I see winning in some parts of the country could NEVER win in others. Most people play to the strength of their competition in any sport. Haveing said that, I am all for IT going National but there are PLENTY of people who have seen what it has done to the 'average' SM guy and are against it.
Trust me when I say this: In some pockets of the country, nothing would change, but in a whole bunch, it would require everyone to step up to this at a minimum:
Pro motor
Better bits and pieces
Tons of test days
New tires every 6-8 heat cycles
The bottom line is that the more attractive the class becomes, the more people - and the more money - come with it. Some of the cars I see winning in some parts of the country could NEVER win in others. Most people play to the strength of their competition in any sport. Haveing said that, I am all for IT going National but there are PLENTY of people who have seen what it has done to the 'average' SM guy and are against it.