The new ITA class

[RSTPerformance]

Dayrl-

In the past I have thought a lot along the lines of Jakes comment, however I really can't argue with anything you said...

Nicely put Daryl!!!

Raymond "Their is always another view" Blethen

PS: I am still not a huge fan of vintage racing, I just a kid!!!

Brother Daryl, to me clicking mirrors in a turn just adds to the rush of racing, now give a 800HP Mclaren M8F or a Bud moore Mustang or anything thats a brown short ride and you could sign me up in a new york minute. when I make my second million....

[lateapex911]

One time I was walking the paddock at Lime Rock during a vintage event, and came upon a guy with an old Porsche. He was packing up, but his race wasn't until later that day, and I asked what was up.

Seems he had been excluded for a spins. One in practice the previous day that did no damage, and a second that morning that left some scuffing on the bodywork from a tirewall. He said the car had been "twitchy" and couldn't figure out why. He figured it was him! After the second spin he found a loose bushing. Ding!

He said he went to the organizers and explained, but they were unimpressed.

Of course that was his point of view, but it left an impression with me.

I hope those who share the track with me will tell you that I will fight for a spot if we're close to each other, but I will be a gentleman if you are dramatically faster...in all cases I try to avoid any contact.

They will also tell you that I have been known to spin... sad but true!

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by lateapex911 (edited April 29, 2004).]

Jake, your a true sportsman. That being said, while I have spun on dirt tracks, paved ovals, too many times during races, I have never spun during a road course race, I get that over with in friday practice and during warm up and qualifying, I spun 4 times during a 30 minute friday practice once, my personal best, while feeling out every corners limits (buttonwillow 5-03) with my new hoosiers and yes, I was flagged in. If you dont do this you will never know how fast you can go.

Oh and as Ron carroll can attest, do not try this in corners that have (A) a wall in close at the exit be it inside or outside or ( in turn six at laguna, he watched me go on a "Brown shorts ride" there in practice last year.

[RSTPerformance]

one time in bandcamp... opps I mean...

useless story to add posts and get a giggle:
My brother and I shared (borrowed) my fathers old ITA MR2 for 2 COM (time trial club) events at Tremblant our first year on track (1996). At the second event we couldn't make it in time for the "school day" and COM frowned upon us driving since we had only had 1 track event prior to that. Our argument being that in the first event e(earlier that year) we were 1st and 3rd in ST3 (popular class) so we already proved ourselves... COM said fine, you can run the event without doing another school. I spun the car once in each of my first 2 sessions, and when my brother went to go on-track they stoped him and said, nope this car has spun twice it is done for the day. My brother explained that it was me who had spun, not him, so they said... OK go ahead then. 6 or 7 laps later stephen flipped the car at 110mph!!!

my point... I guess I don't have any other than the rules clubs have are (somehow) in the best interest of its members. While I am not of the vintage type or BMW club type who would not enjoy being limited to testing the limits of my ability, I do see a need for those organizations to meet other racers interests.

Raymond

you guys took your fathers car out and flipped it, now that really does qualify as a bandcamp story. off to work

[Chris Wire]

Originally posted by chuck baader:
You guys are killing me I am building an ITA BMW e30....128hp/2750#. Maybe I can lobby the board to drop the weight to about 2500 Chuck

Or you can simply call the Dean boys down in SEDiv. They have found the secret to making the E30 ITA look like an ITS car. The father sat on the front row of the ITS/ITA group at the Sebring long course event in Nov. 2002, and actually led the beginning of the race, ultimately turning a lap within .3 of the fastest ITS lap and 4 secs faster than the next quickest ITA car. Needless to say, he was slower the next day! Go figure.


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Chris Wire
Team Wire Racing
ITS Mazda RX7 #35
[email protected]

[therooster]

"I spun the car once in each of my first 2 sessions, and when my brother went to go on-track they stoped him and said, nope this car has spun twice it is done for the day. My brother explained that it was me who had spun, not him, so they said... OK go ahead then. 6 or 7 laps later stephen flipped the car at 110mph!!!" Raymond

Was this the same weekend you backed that car into the guardrail or was that the prior event? I was there for both and may have been the one to stop the car before letting you go out. If only I had stopped you guys then.... PS I have driven that car at Summit Point since then.

Chris Aylward
edit grammer

[This message has been edited by therooster (edited April 29, 2004).]

[lateapex911]

And the Blethen legend grows.....

must be trying to out Sheppard the Sheppards...

But back to topic...

So, the "New" A class...

Cars with a known shot: The CRX, 240SX, Integra....

Cars with an theoretical shot: The Miata, the Saturn, tne Neon, the NX-2000, the GTI/golf, and the SE-R.

The rest: IT Lite...

What am I missing? How would you categorize them? What's gonna be hot in 2005 if things were to go down as the recent published changes list.

(And to be clear, let's not say a Fiero can win, with the asterisk "if the other cars aren't prepped", or any of that silliness. Assume fully prepped, legal {and just because you saw a 2002 out drag a E36 once doesn't mean it should be able to} examples....)

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[gsbaker]

Originally posted by lateapex911:
...They will also tell you that I have been known to spin... sad but true!

No Jake, say it isn't so! I've never seen you spin--although I once did see you parked with a broomstick handle... Ah, never mind.

Gregg

[Hotshoe]

Quickshoe:

I like your last post:

It is tons more difficult to pressure someone into making a mistake, or racing them through a corner or series of them cleanly, to complete a pass than it is to nudge someone out of the way.


I had my car destroyed by someone that does not understand the concept of that statement.

I have made mistakes that have cost other drivers some sheet metal and have always made a point to apologize to them for doing so. But I have never done anything that I consider intentional. I have been the recipient of a few hits that I know were not accidental and it sure takes the fun out of CLUB racing.

I would consider it a hollow victory if a person was to win a race by punting someone.

I'll get down from my soap box now ....I just wanted to add to the posts .....400 is coming up soon.... What about the original topic? Oh, yeah, I knew: ITA has CLASS...LOL

[Jake]

So Jake, shall we start ITA - Lite? First race next weekend at LRP? Is there anything stopping our region from doing this? Heck SM has SSM - I don't see what's stopping us.

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by Jake:
So Jake, shall we start ITA - Lite? First race next weekend at LRP? Is there anything stopping our region from doing this? Heck SM has SSM - I don't see what's stopping us.

The Jakes are in agreement!

I think "Lite" stickers on the car will make a nice counterpoint...sort of like how I ran "IT2" stickers in Atlanta at the ARRCs to support the IT2 initiative. No, my car wasn't eligible, but it brought light to the inequities in classing....I better call the graphic guys in the AM!



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[Bill Miller]

Jake,

I agree w/ you, although I'm not so sure about the Golf/GTI (unless of course, they're moving the 2.0 16v from ITS to ITA). '05 is going to be interesting, for sure!


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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[emwavey]

Originally posted by lateapex911:
The Jakes are in agreement!

I think "Lite" stickers on the car will make a nice counterpoint...sort of like how I ran "IT2" stickers in Atlanta at the ARRCs to support the IT2 initiative. No, my car wasn't eligible, but it brought light to the inequities in classing....I better call the graphic guys in the AM!

hmmm, I'm not sure why this issue has been ducked so much, but wouldn't weight penalties eventually even out the field? It's certainly cheap for the front runners in ITA to stick some extra ballast, and I certainly wouldn't mind doing so ... especially if I was at the top 5 every race.

This would also work with that whole "ITA - Lite" thing... although IMO it would look pretty silly to have a CRX with a graphic that reads "ITA - Heavy". :P...

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by emwavey:
.... but wouldn't weight penalties eventually even out the field? It's certainly cheap for the front runners in ITA to stick some extra ballast, and I certainly wouldn't mind doing so ... especially if I was at the top 5 every race.....

Wow....YOU, my friend need to put that in writing ans send it off to the boys at the top! That'd be the ITAC, and the CRB. Addresses at SCCA.com

As for why it's been ducked ....well, I imagine that the CRX guys don't want 200 lbs of weight if the Integra guys aren't getting it and the 240SX guys aren't getting it and so on down the line.

Also, with Neons and NX2000s and Sentra SERs coming into ITA that would be adding a lot of weight to a lot of cars, and I guess the powers that be are wary of the backlash, jsut to keep a few guys in the lower class of ITA quiet! So we go round looking for other solutions, but it IS an enigma!



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[7racing]

First, I like the changes and the look of the new cars in ITA. I think it will be a great race if 6 or 7 different make/models are represented in a fight for the lead in ITA. Will be as good as a WC Touring race.

Second, how much weight would need to be added to an Integra/240/CRX to slow it down 2 seconds a lap on a 1.5 mile track? I'm not sure that much lead would be a good idea. I would like to see the slower ITA cars sped up somehow, along with a slowdown of the "heavies".

Maybe the Fatty Acura name is correct.....

Jeremy

[ITSRX7]

All top A cars getting the "Boombalatti" treatment...

One thing to consider is that when you add weight, the goal can't be to just slow the cars down "x" per lap. You have to look at the whole race. More weight equals more wear on tires, more use of brakes, etc. It would take it's toll over the course of the ENTIRE race as opposed to bringing the qualifying times perfectly in line.

It can never be perfect but it could certainly get better!

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
06 ITS RX-7
FlatOut Motorsports
New England Region
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[Turfer]

Originally posted by lateapex911:
well, I imagine that the CRX guys don't want 200 lbs of weight...

Plus creating a situation where all the post 6/1/94 .095 wall cages would be illegal.

Rick