I am going to oh so very gently tip toe out onto the ice w/this topic. Lots of thoughts right now, so pardon the randomness as I try to put some of them to print.

Is the value of a Runoffs trophy really worth the increase in the cost to your race car program? There will be a lot of individual argument here, but history has shown that a "rule of thumb" in going from Regional to National racing is anywhere from 2 to 4 times your current cost (depending upon marque). This is not a simple matter of "Well, I am spending the $$$ now, so why not go National racing?" It's a case of "I am spending $5K a year now, do I want to spend $10K (or $15K, or ...) in order to merely get to the Runoffs?"

OK, now you have spent the $$$ & qualified for the Runoffs. You now have travel (to & from), lodging, food, etc., & we haven't even gotten to the spare transmission & complete spare suspension + 2 extra engines (after all, if you are planning on running w/the big dogs, you'll need a practice, qualifying & race engine). Then there is the week's vacation that will have nothing to do w/quality time spent enjoying the scenery (such as it is in KS) w/the wife & kids.

Now here is the really "good part" for those of you who do not want to go for the brass ring. Bubba goes & wins a National championship by 20 lengths in his $50K+ Bullsnot 3000 ITS car &, true to form, SCCA gives him: 1) a checkered flag; 2) a bottle of bubby; 3) a medal; 4) 15 minutes of fame AND (a little drum role here) a nice 50 lb lead trophy to take back to the regional racers cuz Bubba made the mistake of winning by too much!

Can SCCA add weight now? Yes, they can. But it doesn't happen overnight. (Look how long it took the CRB to even think about doing it in IT ... over 20 years). Due to its regional only status, SCCA has been kind enough to leave the class pretty much alone except for driver requested items. However, once you choose to step into the spotlight of being a potential Runoffs entrant, things will happen a lot quicker. And those things will directly & immediately affect those who enjoy the nice low key racing that IT provides. Just imagine living in a peaceful little town somewhere & then having a WalMart move in next door.

Except for the cam, pistons & cyl head mods, the original production classes ('72 & earlier) were pretty much IT prep cars. The GT cars you see at any SCCA race today are the end result of what the CRB calls "rules creep". Right now SCCA promises you nothing more than a place to race in IT. But, & trust me on this one, that concept will have to go if IT goes National. The entire premise of National racing is to WIN, not to just go out & have fun w/whatever you happen to be driving. And any & all "upgrades" given to those National IT cars in the name of competitive racing WILL trickle down to the regional level (along w/the associated costs, of course).

Racers are, as a whole, very short sighted. They tend to see no more than the car/issue directly in front of them. They will only see how a ruling will benefit them. For example, they will gladly push for something that will give them 5hp ... never, for a minute, thinking that the same ruling will give someone else 10hp. The evolution from the original (pre '72) production car to the current GT car was done w/almost 100% driver input (as opposed to SCCA mandated items). And those options, upgrades & mods were proposed by drivers who chose not to look at the future of the class, but only at their immediate wants.

Another downside will be reduced grid size. Ask any IT driver & he/she will tell you that is one of the major perks to running IT. Drivers who run a National schedule seldom run Regional races ... can't afford to. Without being able to quantify this loss of entrants, it is possible that the IT classes could lose their favored status at National & restricted Regional events. Face it, IT (& SM) classes are brought in as "grid fillers" cuz the OA # of IT cars means more $$$ for the sanctioning club. If the entries drop, expect that the available # of events that the average IT racer can now compete it will drop off also. Look at what IT cars (due to their #s) can run at now ... National (as supplemental classes to increase revenue), Regional, restricted Regional, enduros, road courses, oval tracks, etc.

If IT goes National, so be it. I will not flame those for wanting to do that. All I ask is that those people really, really think about not just the higher cost of racing to yourselves (which you are choosing to accept), but the increased costs that you are forcing those who enjoy the status quo to have to bear (higher cost of car prep, fewer races, smaller grids, etc.).

Just some food for thought from someone who has been involved in IT racing since the beginning.