You're posing a very, very lenghty disucssion that is complicated to answer, the majority of us don't have enough information on, the questions are vague, and so on. There's a reason why we have a national staff who work on these full-time.
How about this, why don't you post your opinion for your own question?
Also, what's your name, where abouts are you located, and what do you drive?
Lengthy discussion? Complicated to answer?
http://www.improvedtouring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23946
17 pages, a good chunk of which is what's wrong with the National program. Lots of side discussions about "fixing" National Racing as part of or instead of making IT part of the Nationals program.
National staff? You mean the same folks who enabled the National program into its mess? We're the experts on what we want from the program. We're the ones that will be asked the questions and if we aren't, lord help whatever they develop on their own.
Name: Jeff
Located: NEDIV
Driver: ITB Crx
Problem: Most popular class isn't integrated. Us versus them mentality. Simply adding IT to the mix still leaves alot of classes at the Runoffs that are so thin as to be embarrassing.
Plan: Take the hit now for growth in the future.
One type of race: SCCA. You only score points for beating competition. Race alone? No points. Points are paid upto 10th place, but only if you finish higher than a car that turned a wheel during the weekend. You can't pick a dead class in a small division and default your way into the Runoffs.
Each Division decides how many events pays points subject to equal representation for its tracks. No track can hold more than 2 points paying events. A region can waive a track's right to host a points event (i.e Waterford since it's too small). You can count 2 out of division races. NEDIV/SEDIV split into NEDIV/MAtlDiv/SEDIV. MAtlDiv gets Charlotte, VIR, Summit, NJMP, Beaver. NorPac splits into NorCal and RainForest. Let's try to put an end to monster tows to simply qualify.
Novice Licences: You run your rookie stripes for 12 months or 8 race weekends, whichever comes first. Novices are eligible to earn points towards the Runoffs.
Drivers on probation: Required to run letters BAH on both sides of car and back to alert flaggers that this driver is on probation and to let other drivers know this is a bad boy.
Races are 35 minutes long or 40 miles, whichever comes first.
Dump the DOT-requirement on tires. The DOT classes are basically running slicks anyway.
Open-Wheel: V.Fast/Fast, middle, slow. FA/FC/FF/FV
Sports-racers: SRF, SR1 - combines S2,CSR,DSR.
IT becomes Touring: A,B,C,D,E,F with slowest class A. ITC = A, ITB =B, ITA = C, ITS = D, ITE = ITR, ITF = Cars too fast for ITR and the types of cars which would run in such current classes as T1, TCC, etc. but prepared to Improved Touring standards. Basically, a home for folks with too much money. If something faster comes along, it becomes TG. Touring is open to 5-year through 40-year old cars.
Spec Miata:
Showroom Stock: A, B,C,D - Current model year cars through 5 years old. Again, A is slowest. Cars must be mass-produced, with minimum production numbers set for each model year, for the North American Market. All options must be available, at the dealer, to the general public. (SSC = A, SSB = B, T2 = C, T1 = D)
Super Touring: A, B, C, D, E, F with A slowest. No tube frames. Touring (now-IT) rules allowing limited modifications to be determined by technicians. This allows those who want to tinker to do so. Adjusts to a car's allowed modifications during the first 3 years it is listed. No car may be delisted until it has been listed for 5 years. If a car becomes a class killer, it gets to run for 5 years. After that, the only option is to ban it.
GT: A, B, C, D, E No tube frames. What ever you can fit in the unibody, you can run. Classification is similar to NASAs points sytem. You want to mount a big fugly wing on the car, you get to do that too.
SRFs/SR can be combined with each other and open-wheel.
28 classes. All go to the big show, provided that at least 25 entries are received for that class. Classes are subject to combination, at promoter discretion. Any class subject to termination if it fails to meet minimum total participation count for ALL events. (Kill point TBD).
Damn, make that 29. Forgot about Formula Mazda and it seems to be doing OK. Maximum number of races at the Big Show: 30, hard and fast.
If SCCA decides a new class/category is desirable (probably because some Region thought of it already), then it may be added, but it cannot bump an established class until it ranks in the top 50% in terms of overall car counts for races.
And yes, IT is "national".
It's the studs. The drywall, wiring, plumbing and what not.
