I am the person responsible for the groupings and your message(s) have been received - no need for additional e-mails. I combined ITA & ITS because of car counts the past two years, not necessarily to give Miatas another race.

I assume ITA & IT7 play together pretty well (although there HAVE been issues there in years past). (A)SM tends to run in packs (which we realized when combining them with SRF earlier this year), so we need to be careful who we combine them with.

In 2005 we had the following counts in each group:

ITB - 19 + ITC - 13 = 32 total
SM - 48; that should be less this year
ITA - 28 + IT7 - 12 = 40 total
ITS - 24

Because of other commitments we need to fit those classes into three groups in 2006 and we're allowed a maximum of 67 cars per group. SSM will run in Group 1, which has plenty of room with only 16 entries last year.

The counts aren't the problem, so I guess the comparable relative speeds ARE the problem in combining ITA & ITS. I also know the ITB and ITC guys don't like running together, perhaps again for the same reason.

How about this (and I need to hear from the ITB and ITC guys as well)?

ASM & ITC
ITA & IT7
ITS & ITB

Split starts for all groups.

I cannot commit without discussing it with the ARRC Committee, but I CAN guarantee that your input will be considered before I send the Supps to Topeka for approval.

Butch Kummer
Atlanta Region Competition Director