IT car eligible for "Switch to GTLite" contest, $1500 1st prize

[peterzekert]

Alltel's "Switch Your Plan to GTLite" Contest

June 1, 2007. Midwest Wireless, now part of the Alltel Wireless network, announced the "Switch Your Plan to GTLite" contest for the 2008 race season. The contest will reward the 2008 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National racer who switches to Alltel's GTLite class for 2008 and runs the most GTLite National races. The winner will receive a $1500 cash sponsorship package, presented at the 2008 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Second place will receive a $500 cash sponsorship package.

Eligible drivers may come from any of the SCCA race classes, including, but not limited to: E, F, G & H Production; GT3; SM; IT; and a variety of local Regional classes. All of these classes are similar to the GTLite class and are therefore easily "Switched" to GTLite.

The program will be administered by GTLite racer Peter Zekert. Contest winner(s) need not be present at the 2008 GTLite National Championship Runoffs. In case of a tie, the 2008 GTL Runoffs race will be included in the winner's race count. If needed, a second tiebreaker will be the 2008 GTLite Runoffs finishing position. In case of unbreakable tie, all prize moneys will be shared equally by all winners. All rulings are final. Winner(s) are not guaranteed of additional sponsorship past this contest. For information or to register, contact Peter Zekert, 314 724-7098 or by e-mail at PeterZekert"at"Juno.com.

[seckerich]

Interesting way to prop up a class and get a runoffs spot. Reminds me of the guy at Kershaw letting people drive his extra beater for free. :rolleyes:

[R2 Racing]

It's amazing to see what these undersubscribed classes are trying to do to get us "bastard IT racers" to come and save their butts. Thanks, but no thanks.

[Rabbit07]

It's amazing to see what these undersubscribed classes are trying to do to get us "bastard IT racers" to come and save their butts. Thanks, but no thanks.
[/b]

Wouldn't it be nice if they just gave us our own spot at the National level? Didn't we have the biggest run group a few weeks ago at Mid-O? :bash_1_:

[OTLimit]

Kevin,
While I can understand some of your disdain, I can not agree. Peter has practically single-handedly rebuilt GTL. He was one of the architects for the creation of the class when it appeared that GT5 was headed out. Instead of whining and complaining, he is actually DOING something, unlike some of the whiners who didn't want their applecart upset (things change, rules change, life isn't fair--get over it). You may not like his methods, but it's not like he is only targeting IT---he is posting this message wherever there might be someone who would be interested.

I commend Peter for not just walking away from the entire GT4/GT5 >> GTL issue and for being proactive for change that can benefit everyone, and showing all of us that a class (and a bunch of cars) CAN be brought back from the brink. Which is where GP is standing right now. The difference is that I never felt engaged with Prod to begin with, and it has been a disappointment to me for a lot of reasons.

[zchris]

Well I would like to add that Prod and GT do not look at IT as the bastard child of SCCA. Maybe the homosexual child, not that there is anything wrong with that. :D .
Chris Howard

[Jakester]

Wouldn't it be nice if they just gave us our own spot at the National level?[/b]

At the risk of being rude, there's already enough 'spots' at the National Level. The runoffs are already having to begin excluding some of the 28 or so national classes. I'd opine there are national classes that almost every IT car can be 'upgraded' to, if national level opportunities (and competition) are what you seek.

Regional only classes were intended to provide cost effective racing. Seems that when a class goes from regional only to national, the cost of being competitive doubles (at least). When it was regional, A Sedan did rather well in SowDiv, when it went national, it essentially disappeared due to cost increases.

Even IT no longer seems to contain that....$25K ITS cars seem to be on the way to being the norm.

[lateapex911]

At the risk of being rude, there's already enough 'spots' at the National Level. The runoffs are already having to begin excluding some of the 28 or so national classes. I'd opine there are national classes that almost every IT car can be 'upgraded' to, if national level opportunities (and competition) are what you seek.

Regional only classes were intended to provide cost effective racing. Seems that when a class goes from regional only to national, the cost of being competitive doubles (at least). When it was regional, A Sedan did rather well in SowDiv, when it went national, it essentially disappeared due to cost increases.

Even IT no longer seems to contain that....$25K ITS cars seem to be on the way to being the norm.
[/b]

I'd opine that IT cars wouldn't BE IT cars if they were upgraded. Everytime this comes up, the answer trotted out is "Well, change your Borgward GT to a Prod car, and stop whining...you knew what you were gettting when you got into IT"....

While thats true, it also misses a huge point...people LIKE IT because of the ruleset, the relative stability, and the prep level. Kinda like Goldilocks, not too much, not too little. it's a popular combination.

Which brings up point 2. Racing isn't expensive just because a class is Runoffs eligible. No, classes are expensive when they are popular! True, allowable prep level adds to that, but popularity drives the cost first and foremost.

I betcha I can finish top 5 at a lime Rock National in a prod class for less money that it would take to finish top 5 in a Lime Rock ITA race...right now! Now, you'll say, "But thats Lime Rock...it's not like that everywhere!" Precisely my point...racing expense depends on the popularity of the class where you run. In IT, as the above quote points out, you see $25K IT cars commonly. (Selling price). But recently, a top Prod car went unbid on on ebay for less than half that! And if IT were to go National, I bet things in my part of the world would hardly change. In other areas, you might see some guys getting into IT, and traveling to National races, while the regional guys race like nothing ever happened!

The expense in running a National program comes in the travel, and the decision to prep to the top level. BUT, if you don't make that decision, HOW can it get more expensive!?

The whole "Going National will ruin the category because it will get too expensive" is, in many ways, a red herring. The category is popular, and if you want to run at the top of ITA in the NE, bring bags of money, hours of development, and some talent. You'll need all three, and thats the way it always is when the class is popular.

[seckerich]

If you have to drag people out by any means possible to keep a class alive it needs to die. Classes come and go for various reasons and get replaced by those that are popular. Simple market driven economics. Let the top 28 survive and spare us the embarrasment of some of the joke races at the runoffs now. Let them drop to regional only by participation numbers and let others move up.

[Jakester]

I betcha I can finish top 5 at a lime Rock National in a prod class for less money that it would take to finish top 5 in a Lime Rock ITA race...right now!

Well yeah, because there will only be 3 entries in the prod class, not because you can RACE to third.

Show up at the runoffs with your 'less than ITA' investment and you'll be 15 seconds down to the top 5.

[zchris]

Just look what happened to our fast NEDiv guys at the runoffs in SM. Even with there A game they got squashed. Thats what happens when you go National. The A game gets even more out of sight in cost. By all means, push IT into the National realm and watch how many drop out. Like Prod and GT, cost to run up front escalate. And poeple get tired of being the moving chicanes and drop out.
Chris H

[ddewhurst]

IMHJ, "IF" all classes were Runoffs eligable including IT the same thing would happen that happened when Spec Miata went National last year. Economics will decide where who races. From what I see in the CenDiv roughly half the Spec Miata do National & half do Regional. ALL of them are fighting for one little bit of raw meat (plastic on wood). I was at Road America yesterday for the Sat. Regional (another today) & they all fought like dogs to gain a spot. I viewed the same thing a couple weeks ago at Blackhawk Farm for a National race.

My thoughts relative to EVERYONE that is sucking at the IT ranks to save their sorry Runoffs spot can all go......................... Peter is doing what he thinks is correct for the GTL class & what he has to do in an attempt to salvage the GTL class tell the whole story. G & H Production classes are getting just what they,
the traditionalist Production folks, the PAC & the CRB want. NO new cars clased at the National level that have a prayer to run in in the top three. Unless of couse it's a Hybird or some other breed that the traditionalist Production folks want. On a personal level I could care less because I'm building a Spec Miata
& will race at the level where I Have Fun. ;)

IIRC from a new post on the Production site within the SCCA, 75% of event fees come from Regional cars. YES there are more Regional races but that same 75% is still a fact.

Kevin Ruck, I found out yesterday where your roots originated. NO WONDER yer a great racer. ;) Yer roots equal Wisconsin. :o Your father is one interesting guy. :023: