Memorial Weekend at CMP?

[Butch Kummer]

Any guesses on a schedule or when registration will open up for the Memorial Monster at CMP May 23-25? The only information currently on CCR's website is about the Track Trials program on Monday.

Thanks...

[seckerich]

Had some delays in getting approval from some stewards. Got it straightened out now and registration will be open today or tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

[Butch Kummer]

On DLB, I assume?

[tom_sprecher]

We discussed this before but who do I need to talk to about redeeming my "get in free pass" to one CCR event I won as a door price at the SEDiv Annual Banquet a couple of years ago? I'll probably do both races so I'll also need to pay the difference for the second race.

BTW: I got the coupon but decided to go with the RA1's which of course it will not apply towards. Thanks anyway and I'll offer the coupons here on another post.

[seckerich]

No problem Tom. My wife Vicki is registrar and we will work your coupon out at the race. Just register on DLB and we will shake all your money out for the second race at the track. See, I answered you and Butch in one post!!

[JeffYoung]

This is a great event, my favorite of the year -- racy track, close to my house, and Memorial Day off. Come on out, CCR puts on a great show for us.

[pballance]

Sure would like to go back to CMP but work may have me in Florida for several weeks.

You are right, CCR does a good job!

[seckerich]

Registration is open now. Thanks for the patience. http://www.dlbracing.com/default.aspx?

[seckerich]

I have been getting a lot of questions about our TT on Monday at CMP. This event is open to novice drivers. Here is a great chance to pay back the crew,kids, etc and let them drive your car Monday. Novice permits will be available at the track. Some drivers are taking this chance to introduce their children to racing. Great deal at $100.

[Cobrar05]

DLB is showing ITO running with ITR in group 4 and with GT1 in group 6. I think I would have a lot more fun in my DOT tire car in 4 rather than against all those stock cars on slicks.

Can you confirm which it is?

[JeffYoung]

Hmmmm...Rob, that run group (admittedly mine) is S/A/7/R....you probably have 2.5 to 3 times the hp as the A and 7 cars. Not sure that is a good fit. Have you run the new config and what times did you run?

[Ron Earp]

R/S/A/7 cars will be in the 1:46 to 1:55 range with the new configuration. What times did you run in the Cobra in the old or new config?

[seckerich]

DLB is showing ITO running with ITR in group 4 and with GT1 in group 6. I think I would have a lot more fun in my DOT tire car in 4 rather than against all those stock cars on slicks.

Can you confirm which it is?

I can confirm you will run with big bore group 6. I will check what the problem is on DLB. Thanks.

[Cobrar05]

I have not run CMP before, either configuration. NASA SE ran there first weekend of April and the AI cars ran times between 1:48 and 1:53. The week before was the SCCA Buck Muse Double SARRC and ITO ran with the GT1 cars. Charles Burkett, the only ITO entry, ran 1:53.

Tony Ave ran 1:29.7. The top 10 ran 1:42's and 1:43's.

It strikes me that the ITO cars belong in group 4 based on lap times. If you don't like the idea of sharing the track with a 300hp Mustang at 3100lbs, consider what its like in the mustang on DOT's with 20 700-800hp 3000lb stock cars and GT1 cars on full race slicks? Particularly when there are 3 or 4 of you and 25 or 30 of them.

[Cobrar05]

I can confirm you will run with big bore group 6. I will check what the problem is on DLB. Thanks.

That's a shame. Its really no fun at all sharing the track in a street stock car on dot's with purpose built race cars on slicks.

[JeffYoung]

As a driver of an S car I'm not opposed to your car being in our run group, but there are other considerations:

1. R/S/A/7 is the "standard" SEDiv run group.

2. A 300 horse Mustang should be far more capable and turn faster lap times than the best R and S cars. This makes comparing actual lap times difficult vs. theoretical ones.

3. While the actual lap times are comparable to or slower than the times of a good S or R car, it's the A and 7 guys who may have the most concern.

[Ron Earp]

I have no problem with the car in the run group if it turns similar times - makes since to me. I haven't followed the performance of the car too closely but wasn't it around 2:16 to 2:22 at VIR? That is essentially ITS times and although the ITS cars have less than half the horsepower, it is what it is.

If a Cobra R is running ITS sort of times and whatnot ,looks like to me the Pony cars would be a shoe in for ITR. Better suspension prep, lower horsepower, should be no threat to ITR.

[Cobrar05]

There is a hp/weight bias against the pony car family, including AS and ITO/American Iron like cars. It particularly shows up in situations controlled by the small bore contigent. The ECR for instance. We are running the ECR at Road Atlanta on Saturday, but Atlanta region is the only one that will allow us to compete. The small bore cars do not want us on the track with them and they can keep us away.

At the same time the influx of stock cars in SPO and GTA are completely overrunning the run group that has the AS cars in it. These cars DO NOT belong in the same run group. PERIOD!!

I ran 2:18's and VIR and if I were an expert driver I might could get it down to 2:14 or even 2:12. At the same time Ave ran 1:57 in his GT1 car with many in that run group running times in the 2:04/2:05 range.

Our cars need to be in a run group with cars more our speed and that is group 4. Group 4, however, has the clout to keep that from happening. Reality is there is probably no good place for street stock pony cars on dot tires to race in the SCCA and there is nothing really that can be done about it.

Unfortunately its probably decision time. With the stock cars taking over the big bore run group and fewer DOT V8 cars entering, its probably time to move on from the SCCA for NASA because the car count there and run groups is far more favorable.

Its a shame, but its the way the clubs are evolving.

[Cobrar05]

As a driver of an S car I'm not opposed to your car being in our run group, but there are other considerations:

1. R/S/A/7 is the "standard" SEDiv run group.

2. A 300 horse Mustang should be far more capable and turn faster lap times than the best R and S cars. This makes comparing actual lap times difficult vs. theoretical ones.

3. While the actual lap times are comparable to or slower than the times of a good S or R car, it's the A and 7 guys who may have the most concern.

I think you would find that its more track specific. My Cobra R would not get caught up with R and S cars at Road Atlanta where the HP comes into play more than at a place like CMP.

We run 1:39 with my co driver and 1:42/1:43 with me at Road Atlanta. Grid up at Barber and the amount of cornering and lack of straight away brings the V8 cars right back to the lighter R and S cars.

I will also tell you that its Katie bar the door for me at Road Atlanta or VIR when I am out there with NASCAR Cup stock cars in the same run group. Street stock(my Cobra R is a T1 car and so its street legal) on the race track with 10 800hp NASCAR Cup cars and another several tube frame Trans AM cars. Thats just stupid. The closing rate is scary.

[JeffYoung]

Rob, I would respectfully suggest that your car is probably capable of 2:10 to 2:12 at VIR. I think that is around the AS track record?

If so, at that speed, you are between 5 and 7 seconds off the normal GTA/1 cars. However, you would be 10 seconds plus FASTER than most IT7 and A cars.

There is no bias in SCCA against your type of car. Well, not sure I totally agree with that given the "issues" we are having geting the V8 ponies classed in ITR....but let me rephrase....your car as an ITO car -- like any ITO car -- is in a catchall class. Since the numbers of participants are low, you get stuck in basically where you (a) fit and (b) cause the least "trouble" from a time difference perspective.

I just think you happened to pick a car to race that right now, SCCA does not provide a good fit for class wise. AI in NASA is probably a much better fit.

Hate to lose you, and hope you build an ITR Mustang when they get classed.