What would it take for you to go Production car racing

[cherokee]

***The fast Prod guys seem to have more of a clue about proper racing manners...***

James, manners come real easy when there are not enough competitive (Production cars within a single class) cars to run wheel to wheel in packs as you call it. If you were a spectator only, would you prefer to watch a group of Spec Miats racing wheel to wheel or would you prefer to watch a mix mash of 4 production classes intermingled with the faster classed cars lapping the slower classed cars. < This is not a slap at anyone, it&#39;s a fact of life with SCCA racing.
[/b]

IMHO sports car racing IS " mix mash of 4 production classes intermingled with the faster classed cars lapping the slower classed cars." That is the kind of racing I want to do, not in some cookie cutter car just like the other guys. Put this spectator in front of that and I will find a new way to spend my time. Spec racing is not for me in any way shape or form, be it a spec miata or a Nascar. Give me Audi Vs. Peugeot and Porsche vs Pontiac, Mazda vs Acura, Cadallic vs Chevy any day, put them all on the same track.

(In General)

Dealing with traffic as the passer and the passie is what sports car racing always has been, and should be.
"Manners" come from a guy that has spent years getting his car to the pointy end of the field, he has learned how patentience, the ability of his car, of himself and know what works and what does not. Put a mess of drivers with vary different levels of experence as close together as spec series dictate and you know what is going to happen.

MOST production drivers have been around a while, their cars have been around a while and know their abaility and their cars.

[JWiley]

This has gotten a little off the point, I&#39;ll belabor it no more after this:

My comment about SM driving manners is based on the fact that my co-driver and I have both been nearly hit, and squarely hit, on numerous occasions by these guys. I believe that there is something about a Spec class where the cars are relatively easy to build and relatively inexpensive that attracts a type of personality that sometimes fails to recognize the responsibilities that amateur racing puts on them. When I have the line and position in a corner, I don&#39;t appreciate some testosterone-crazed bozo racing for 15th place trying to banzai his way under me, and I&#39;ve experienced that more with SM than any other class. I will gladly give up the line to faster cars when possible, but every one of us deserves racing room, and I have seen an overall steady decline in what I called "racing manners" across the board since I started racing 20 years ago. I&#39;m not some old lady, I just think that a little more basic respect towards your fellow competitors and their equipment would make racing more fun, and certainly less expensive.

James Wiley

[ddewhurst]

***If you were a spectator only, would you prefer to watch a group of Spec Miats racing wheel to wheel or would you prefer to watch a mix mash of 4 production classes intermingled with the faster classed cars lapping the slower classed cars.***


cheeroke says, Put this spectator in front of that and I will find a new way to spend my time.

IMHJ spectators watch a race to see wheel to wheel racing.


James says, This has gotten a little off the point, I&#39;ll belabor it no more after this:

***testosterone-crazed bozo racing for 15th place***

James, maybe you should check some of the references many of the Spec Miata drivers bring to the party. The fact the OVER 900 Spec Miatas have been built over the past 5 years says a lot about what people think about the class. How many total Production cars exist in the four Production car classes? I will say that the Spec Miata is a momentum class just like MANY of the H & G Production cars. Body work is body work no matter what type of car it is. I for one back out of it when there may be contact because I don&#39;t want to do body work while at the same time I NEVER blame the entire deal on another driver from my class or another class. You can bet I will dam well talk to the other driver/drivers (in my mind offending driver).

[shwah]

How did spectators just become a topic in this discussion about club racing and production racing?

The miata driver generalizations, like many in life, is quite often true (and of course quite often not true). It is simply a result of so many people trying the class - there are more good drivers, but also more bad drivers. I would wager there are more first time drivers than most classes as well. So the inexperienced and bad numbers are up, thus lots of people can share their &#39;that stupid SM story&#39;. It&#39;s not fair to Miata drivers, but that is what I think drives the impression.

[ddewhurst]

***How did spectators just become a topic in this discussion about club racing and production racing?***

Quite simply, I brought spectators into the discussion. Happy 4th of July to you

***I would wager there are more first time drivers than most classes as well.***

If you consider Karters first timer drivers you may be correct.

[shwah]

Happy 4th back to you

I am sure there are plenty of karters. There are more of EVERY type of driver in such a popular class. However I expect there is a higher percentage of beginners than an average SCCA club racing class, because it is a &#39;spec&#39; class and does not require as much effort to get rolling.