...and it reinforces what I had already come to think - that expediency was the ultimate factor.

Since the weight was already set for some of the cars that would end up on that spec line, it was decided to not stir up a hornets' nest by appearing to add weight to existing cars, to make the system work based on the later ones.

I can completely see how that would have been badly received - there would have been a lot of shrieking from people who had just committed to the ITA Miata - but ultimately, I submit that the downside of this kind of decision eventually outweighs the immediate bitching that would probably have resulted, and then subsided.

At the end of the day CONSISTENCY of application of the process is going to be of more value to the category than will any number of instances of "being right" that might arise from diddling with it. Next time this choice comes up, maybe the ITAC can jam through the option that seems harder at the time.

K