Strategic Planning and "The Problem with IT"

SCCA does not make it difficult. The region putting on the event and Steward make it difficult because all they know is (this is the way we have always done it.) :dead_horse: They do not think out side of the box. There are many things that can be done to make the weekend fun and easy for people to get on the track.
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SCCA makes it difficult b/c of the National/Regional class distinction rules. Can't run the two together, so depending on how many Regional vs National racers there are for a period of years, One or the other suffers. Right now in TX, SM went National, which took a huge chunk of regional racers, leaving behind a skeleton of a regional program that supposedly can't support itself. So, mostly R/N race weekends for 2008, which will thin the regional ranks even more. If we could only change the GCR to qualify and run the "like" National/Regional classes together, then our SOWDIV problems would be largely solved.

So, SCCA IS making it difficult for club racing to survive in TX. Too few racers are willing to travel past their home track for 40 minutes of track time for $175.
 
RE: the 20 year rule...

That's brilliant. I'm looking at registration for the final MARRS race this weekend and guess what? This rule would reduce ITB entries from 16 to 4. I'm sure you're thinking that those guys would build a newer ITB car but I don't think so. Those guys like racing rear wheel drive cars. Most would either go to Spec Miata or Production. That won't help IT.
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+3....Yes!

As in my Brother, our best friend and I all run 79 Pintos.

Throw us a bone for crip sakes.....

It sucks running 4 seconds slower than visiting V Dubs at our home track.

We are seriously talking SRF.....Or cheating our asses off.

Yea we bought the wrong car to be competitive but hey.....We raced 8 events each this year & are helping to keep ITB alive.
 
RE: the 20 year rule...





Throw us a bone for crip sakes.....

It sucks running 4 seconds slower than visiting V Dubs at our home track.

..........Or cheating our asses off.

Yea we bought the wrong car to be competitive but hey..... [/b]
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I'm not sure i follow what that has to do with the 20 year rule....

That said, if you think the cars are so well prepared, to the letter of the rules, and so well driven,and you need to "cheat your asses off", then something is amiss. Perhaps a better option (Cheaper certainly, and better if you prefer not to cheat) would be to first request the car be looked at by the ITAC. Thats not to say they will magically fix everything, but it couldn't hurt to have it reviewd. Certainly that's a better solution than the ones proposed.

4 seconds off the pace .....if accurate...and if they are full builds and driven by Stigs, (Not that results are the prime determining factor for the process) is a lot. What times does ITC run there?
 
SCCA makes it difficult b/c of the National/Regional class distinction rules. Can't run the two together, so depending on how many Regional vs National racers there are for a period of years, One or the other suffers. Right now in TX, SM went National, which took a huge chunk of regional racers, leaving behind a skeleton of a regional program that supposedly can't support itself. So, mostly R/N race weekends for 2008, which will thin the regional ranks even more. If we could only change the GCR to qualify and run the "like" National/Regional classes together, then our SOWDIV problems would be largely solved.

So, SCCA IS making it difficult for club racing to survive in TX. Too few racers are willing to travel past their home track for 40 minutes of track time for $175.
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dsmith - There are many of us who feel the same way as you, I know I do. I don't think the majority wants us, it's a national division. I've given up on trying to change SCCA and instead myself and many others are running a full NASA schedule next year. I may not even make a SCCA race as there aren't many to choose from. I'll be posting more info in the Southwest section of these forums here soon, basically you are looking at 6 weekends, 5 tracks, 6-7 sesssions per weekend, contingency, etc. etc. all for the same cost.
 
I'm not sure i follow what that has to do with the 20 year rule....
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We wouldn't even be racing if the 20 year rule was in effect

That said, if you think the cars are so well prepared, to the letter of the rules, and so well driven,and you need to "cheat your asses off", then something is amiss.........



4 seconds off the pace .....if accurate...and if they are full builds and driven by Stigs, (Not that results are the prime determining factor for the process) is a lot. What times does ITC run there?
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Agreed...Over their long history (at least 15 yrs and 3 log books for me) everything has been tried.
Many people better than me have driven them and not managed to match the ITC track record ( 1:21.000)
BTW....We are ITB and the track record for us is 1:18.100
My best is 1:22.100 but I'm not setting the world on fire.
The other 2 I race with are quite good and they have come very close to 1:21.000

Perhaps a better option (Cheaper certainly, and better if you prefer not to cheat) would be to first request the car be looked at by the ITAC. Thats not to say they will magically fix everything, but it couldn't hurt to have it reviewd. Certainly that's a better solution than the ones proposed.[/b]
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That is the next thing we are going to try.....
We just rebuilt our engines legal and have no real intentions of cheating yet
Pinto racing so far is like :dead_horse:

Except when it rains..... :D
So we'll keep doing the Pinto rain dance
 
RWD.....Everything I have ever driven is RWD

FWD cars feel funny <_<

Oh-yea.....& they are chick magnets
 
what in the world would posess a person to race a pinto?

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RWD, SLA front suspension, Plenty-o-aftermarket parts, very reliable powertrain, ect. They were competitive in ITB at one time.
 
They were competitive in ITB at one time.
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<_<
I heard they have explosive performance :D
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Yes it is legal to race a 71 Pinto with an ORIGINAL gas tank in ITB...

Cpt Sparkles (Kyle # 99 red/grey) does NOT have a fuel cell. :D

(but it does have a windscreen washer bottle so don't even think about protesting :P )
 
Just out of curiosity, what HP did it come with stock? (I'm assuming the number is SAE net, not gross, right? post 73)) Weight? How low can you get the weight legally? Engine size? Brakes? What are it's strengths and weaknesses?
 
We can basically hang with just about anyone in the corners, even though we have live axles & leaf springs.
Although I think IRS would help at Nelson ledges on account of it being so bumpy.
(It's our home track so we pretty much know what places to avoid)

The problem is the straights....We get murdered there.
Huge bummer pulling off the perfect pass only to be out-dragged on a freak'n straight.

The problem isn't the block, head [mostly], gears, or welded rear (no LSD available)

The intake runners & bowels are really ugly & the valves look like they came out of a tractor.
The intake manifold is so convoluted it's like drinking a milk shake through a bar straw.
And you ought to see what kind of tool box we have devoted exclusively to the DGV tuning.
(That thing is possessed)

Oh yea....And we weigh 2490 (124hp +/- 2)

None of us has ever passed another Pinto on the straights.....We are dead even on power.
And maxed out on rules.

Now that they have opened the ECU.....I think we're toast!!!
 
<_<

Yes it is legal to race a 71 Pinto with an ORIGINAL gas tank in ITB...

Cpt Sparkles (Kyle # 99 red/grey) does NOT have a fuel cell. :D

(but it does have a windscreen washer bottle so don't even think about protesting :P )
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Eeew, stock gas tank in a Pinto race car. In that case the best paint job for a Pinto would be black with hot rod flames........that start at the back and go forward!

For what it worth I always thought that Pintos made cool looking race cars. Especially in prod and GT with fender flares and fat tires.
 
Eeew, stock gas tank in a Pinto race car.
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Yea....We've been trying to talk sense into him since he bought the car.
What would the minimum weight a Pinto could acheive be?
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Most everything is gone now...
All I have is the bare heater core bolted to the firewall & the hoses connected to it.
That is the only non-essential part left inside.

And I have 60# of ballast which made me less than 10# over, once this year. (Mid-O)
I could take out the passenger's side glass and save maybe 20# w/ the mechanism & all.
If I looked elsewhere.....I might be able to put fatty on a diet and make 2400#

Keeping in mind, a fresh ITB legal Pinto engine makes very close to 124 hp.
Where do we stand as far as power to weight in comparison to the GTI's?
 
I have found several sites on the web that say that the original '71 Pinto coupe had a curb weight of 1950 lbs. Apparently being sub-2000 was one of the Iaccoca design goals.

Apparently later cars got quite a bit heavier.

But it seems like it shouldn't be too hard to get REALLY light if one started with a '71.
 
Wheel HP or Crank HP?
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Crank...But that was before we switched from Holly to Webber.
And we want to take all 3 to a chassis dyno before next season to compare them on the rolling road.
Apparently later cars got quite a bit heavier.
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SCCA has 2230# for the 2L and 2490# for the 2.3L

Now here is the catch....The 2L makes a little bit more hp.....Like 5-10
(Better head & intake + it spools up faster)
 
If I've followed this correctly and done the math half right, this all adds up to 18.0 lbs per IT-prep'd flywheel horsepower. That's 146 at the flywheel for the Volvo... I'll take it! Must be something else seriously wrong here; brakes, chassis, aero?
 
what in the world would posess a person to race a pinto?

that's like trying to fly a car to the moon. [/b]
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Don't cut these guys short, all three of them drive very well,...exsepte "Krazy Kyle", sometimes I think he closes his eyes... :bash_1_: but he's sometimes the fastest one...

I race with all three of them and can tell you that in the corners, there very fast,... my car was built for nelson and had the track record for a long time, till the builder helped his buddy set-up his car and that car now has the record, I don't know how the hell I'll ever match that but he work's in racing professionally and may have a trick or 2 up his sleeve...

Any way as for competitive if your in the 121's you have as much chance to win as the next guy, you just need to do it the hole race and can't make a mistake and on a track like Nelson, a little mistake in the wrong place can cost you a lot of time, the bitch about it is there are a couple places that you need to hold back in the corner so you can go faster coming out and faster coming out is the key to speed on a track like that, it's easy to get all pumped up in a race and go way to fast in a critical corner, killing your exit speed, witch in return kills that lap all together.
3 or 4 of those and you may as well go to the pits...lol

A lot of the time I have a on board video camera not for the entertainment value but for self analysis, you can tell me how I suck in a corner till your blue in the face, but win I see it for myself on tap over and over and over........I can see it and make the necessary adjustments.

I know,.. theres the new guy trying to tell me how to drive, those new guys think they know every thing...
And for that I apologize, forget very thing I just told you it's all bullshit... :023:
 
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