October Fastrack

[Renaultfool]

I find it interesting that some of the group think the open ECU thing will kill the class.
I think it will save the class by allowing more competitive cars. If that is competitive adjustment so be it. The fields are smaller each year, we must do something.

Drag racing had to change because they almost priced themselves out of existance with the specific rule/car type of approach. They went with bracket racing in which you could do anything you wanted to your car, just say which bracket you would run.

I don't suggest we go there, but IT-B and IT-C are dying now. The rest of you are not far behind. Everyone in the club does not chose to and cannot afford to run $40,000 BMWs in IT-R or whatever. IT needs to remain a class where someone can build a car, out of junkyard parts if necessary, and have a chance to compete.

The club is just letting IT-B and IT-C die. I am not convinced that in the time of $3.00 gas, the only cars being made and sold are $40,000 sport sedans. That seems to be the only interest of the club right now. Where are all the Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Dawoos, Caveliers, Cobalts, Kias, etc. even the new Wal Mart Chinese car eventually. I see them on the road everyday. OH thats right, they all have ECUs and are not sports models so no one makes anything for them. Poor you if you own one of those. Might as well stay home.

If you don't make it cheaper and simpler for them to get involved they won't come.

While I am on my soapbox, where are the younger racers in our club? There aren't any because they cannot afford a $40,000 race car. Make them a place and they will come.

If you want to make it work get rid of IT-R because it is pricing IT out of the original intent of the rules.
Put a claiming price on all cars in IT to limit some of the over spending.
Don't let anything in that cost over $20,000 new.
Now you have some practical limits.

[lateapex911]

....., but IT-B and IT-C are dying now. The rest of you are not far behind. Everyone in the club does not chose to and cannot afford to run $40,000 BMWs in IT-R or whatever. IT needs to remain a class where someone can build a car, out of junkyard parts if necessary, and have a chance to compete.
[/b]

Wow. I have to respectfully, but strongly disagree with your insinuations and suggestions here. ITC? Well, sure it IS withering, and you know what? That's OK.....time moves on. As others point out, there just aren't many cars that fit the class that racers want to race. Honestly, Jeff hit the nail...people buy cars like that because they are cheap transportation. Heck, if we get a request, we'll class them, but aftermarket parts aren't common. If there was a market, they would be. It's pretty straightforward.

But ITB? The very thing you cite that the club needs...a place where you can get a cheap racecar...exists in ITB!!! And I don't know where you live but I just watched a nearly 30 car ITB field take the green at Lime Rock a week ago.

And throwing the demise of IT on ITR, well I think thats stretching it a bit. IT offers choices. Want to race cheap? ITB...heck, even ITA. Want to go a bit faster and have more to spend? ITS, or ITR. Honestly, I could go out and win ITR right now for less than it would cost to win ITB. Seriously. Why? Because it's less popular right now. Thats what drives costs...popularity. It's like an auction. You need two people who want to win. Then it's a spending race. Until then, it's easy and cheap pickings.

Ultimately, people decide which level fits their needs and their budget, and they make their choice. We hit this in another thread, but SCCA is a racing club, where the cars are appliances, and it's about racing. So, yes, if you must race a Honda S2000, you might need to get the checkbook out if there's someone else who wants the trophy more. But....if you want to compete, the rules are setup to give you choices in performance levels and cost levels, you do the research, and you choose whats right for you.

The club is just letting IT-B and IT-C die. I am not convinced that in the time of $3.00 gas, the only cars being made and sold are $40,000 sport sedans. That seems to be the only interest of the club right now. Where are all the Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Dawoos, Caveliers, Cobalts, Kias, etc. even the new Wal Mart Chinese car eventually. I see them on the road everyday. OH thats right, they all have ECUs and are not sports models so no one makes anything for them. Poor you if you own one of those. Might as well stay home.
[/b]

Huh??? Look around....again...who drives those cars??? Daewoos? Not a choice of a racer.... but hey, if we got a request, I'm sure we'd class it.

Hondas?? Now really, have you looked at the ITCS in , oh say, the past dozen years?? There are PAGES of Hondas classified! In ITB too! My head SPINS when we go over some Honda DX-LX-EF-CVCC model on the ITAC con calls! Honestly I can not fathom how you can deduce the only interest the club has is in 40K sports cars.

If you don't make it cheaper and simpler for them to get involved they won't come.
[/b]

I agree that simpler would be good, but it's really not that expensive as it stands. Simpler des get problematic, because a simple ruleset is very often an expensive rules set, and an unfair one at that.

While I am on my soapbox, where are the younger racers in our club? There aren't any because they cannot afford a $40,000 race car. Make them a place and they will come.
[/b]

This question is much more complex than that. But, it's NOT because there isn't a cheap entry. And be real, I can hit you with a dozen ads for cars right now that are viable and fun racers that can compete for $5K.

But thats not the problem. The kids have the money, and the time. Cruise a carshow sometime. Or check out some lapping days. I've seen younger guys in their 20s at lapping days with $50K Cadillacs and equally bucks up BMWs, and show cars with paint jobs that cost 5 digits.
But SCCA is about racing, and winning, and lots of people would rather not find out that they aren't #1, or they just get off on cool video displays or whatever. And that's fine.

If you want to make it work get rid of IT-R because it is pricing IT out of the original intent of the rules.
Put a claiming price on all cars in IT to limit some of the over spending.
Don't let anything in that cost over $20,000 new.
Now you have some practical limits. [/b]

ITR is an option...nobody has to choose it. HOW can one option be pricing the rest out of existance> Not logical.
Nothing classed that costs over $20k new? That is a great way to kill IT. First, new pricing is massively unrelated to used residuals. IT requires 5 year old cars, and there are LOTS of really expensive cars that are worth 25% of their new price 5 years old...and some that are worth 80%!

I don't, for one second, think that eliminating choices will foster greater car counts, at least not based on such a limited scope and view.