ITAC News.

[Andy Bettencourt]

In my opinion the ITAC would do well using a bigger dose on on track performance evaluation. If nothing more it would show where the the classification Process is working and where it needs adjustment.

Please outline for us how you would evaluate on-track performance and how you would validate your findings.

Really.

[tom91ita]

Please outline for us how you would evaluate on-track performance and how you would validate your findings.

Really.

i agree that there is no good practical way to do this consistently but it is in the rules:

the vehicle’s racing performance relative to other vehicles in its class shall be evaluated.

if we can't do it, why is it in the rules?

[JeffYoung]

It is unfortunately a "know it when we see it" proposition. In rare cases, where cars are so visibly overdogs (the ITS E36 and the ITA CRX are the only two examples I recall) that we take a harder look at the power numbers.

But we don't adjust based solely on visible on track performance. We use it as a trigger to find out if there is something wrong in the process.

[Andy Bettencourt]

i agree that there is no good practical way to do this consistently but it is in the rules:



if we can't do it, why is it in the rules?

It can be done. Just depends on your definition of evaluation. Again, the practical application of the rule is to 'pay attention' for class overdogs. Cars that are having an adverse effect on 'class equity'.

[gran racing]

In my opinion the ITAC would do well using a bigger dose on on track performance evaluation.

Charlie, becareful of what you wish for. I have no idea how well built your car is, so this isn't said in any disrespect.

Take your car, have a TOP notch build done, pour $30,000 into with boat loads of development, maybe some factory support and engineering help, numerous test days, then have an absolute fantastic driver behind the wheel. YOUR car would get weight quite quickly. In fact, almost all of ours would in that scenario.

There are also other cars where people have gone beyond the rules such as putting in cams. There's quite a bit which can be done with some of the BMW 2002s related to cams, and getting to them for a protest isn't simple. That's just one example since I know the subject has come up in the past, but can easily be applied to any car. Now using on track performance, the legal cars are getting a penalty. Then there are days where everything just falls into place such as temps, cars to bump draft or even just draft with, and so forth.

A more personal example for you and know we've discussed this in the past (at least most of it). Summit point last year. Any idea how many new tires I was using? Not talking about 3 or 4 cycles old, but freshly mounted at the track. After an amazing battle with Martin, he came up to me after and said this next race is yours and bumped me on shoulder. (I did tell him the he better be racing me!) We worked together during that race and the times showed it. Having swapped the tires for old ones, and/or not having him to work with ontrack performance would have been different. Oh, then after the race our cars were weighed. No one torn engines down to look at legality.

In some categories on track performance can be more useful when there's a significant number (1.8 vs 1.6 SMs come to mind). We don't have that in IT. Prep and driver levels also vary greatly.

Use it as a trigger to look closer and that's it.

ps - while my Prelude was to stand losing weight when reviewed, I'm not entirely sure it would make it faster in a sprint race as the weight would have come off the rear of the car. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to have the option though.