So, here's what I think might happen if IT were to "go National." I'm going to use a completely different set of assumptions than Jake - that NOTHING else changes, except that the IT classes get added to the National list and there's some process in place to allow the best-subscribed classes to qualify for the RubOffs (including IT). Problem is, YOU need to decide if you think they are "good" or "bad," based on your priorities and values:
** Some current Regional drivers with competitive streaks will step up and start doing Nationals
** Some of those will make the extra effort in an attempt to qualify for the RubOffs
** Enough will do so AND make the trek to the National championships that the IT classes will be better subscribed than some of the "legacy" classes
** Many current Regional drivers will decide to continue doing exactly what they have
** Some National drivers currently in other classes will make the switch to IT cars
** Those drivers, along with the most dedicated Regional switchers, will raise the quality of preparation, testing, and tuning among the cream of the IT cars in the US.
** Some of those top-shelf driver/car combinations will find their way to Regional events, shifting the balance of power enough that the drivers who have stuck with Regional programs will face additional competition
** As preparation levels at the front of the grids increases, the middle of the pack will follow, with performance required to finish at any given place increasing marginally
** IT grid sizes at Regionals will decrease slightly in the short term, then increase consistently as popularity and the lure of National status convinces racers to switch from other Regional classes
** Increased competitive pressures will increase the relative cost of maintaining any pre-National level of competitiveness, the greatest increases being felt in the regions with traditionally low IT participation numbers but OK National programs
** Pro shops will begin to pay more attention to IT cars (e.g., BSI might revisit the logic of getting out of the VW business for Miatas), increasing the availability of go-fast parts, broadening the knowledge base, and increasing competition - all of which should serve to decrease the cost associated with making particular improvements to IT cars
** Increased competitive urges will increase the frequency of protests, first at National events, then increasingly at the front of the grid in Regionals
** Increased attention from the scrutineers will create trickle-down motivation for drivers of IT cars in both programs, and at all levels of preparation, to pay more attention to legality - correcting issues that might historically have been ignored
** Conversely, additional competitive pressure - particularly in the short run - will increase the chance that a small number of IT competitors (perhaps most likely new ones) will be tempted to push the limits and cheat
** It will take some time before these previous two forces stabilize, and a cheating equilibrium is achieved but the net result is that IT cars will be less illegal, particularly at the front of the grid
** There will inevitably be disagreements that require appeals to resolve, which will establish and clarify the operational interpretations of the ITCS
** Some members (including tech inspectors and stewards, and even board members, in addition to drivers) will desire additional "clarification" of written rules, as a result of these disagreements
** Some rules will be corrected, following recommendation by the ITAC and action by the boards, where existing language is found to be unclear or conflicting
** In other cases (few initially but increasingly more as time goes by) the ITAC will recommend no changes to the rules, recognizing that interpretation and enforcement are beyond their purview
** The CRB will generally support and implement ITAC recommendations, barring any really radical realignment of either body
** There exists a chance that, if substantial turnover in either body were to occur, prevailing sentiments and first principles might change enough that those bodies might disagree
** Substantial conflict might result, causing unforeseen outcomes and discontent among IT entrants
** Some manufacturers, tire makers, and aftermarket parts suppliers will offer contingency prizes to IT cars, where they were not previously available - some simply because IT is now National (e.g., VW that already offers a sweeter deal to Nat'l entrants than Reg'l ones), but others because of the attractiveness (popularity and competitiveness) of IT
** A very small number will think that their commitment to contingency or other awards or sponsorship programs should afford them some special consideration in the rules, and will make requests for rules changes favorable to their positions, through the approved rule change process
** The ITAC will, for the foreseeable future, continue business as usual and will reject requests that are inconsistent with the current first principles of the category, that have made it as healthy as it is today
** In very rare instances, someone with a special interest (member/entrant, manufacturer representative, etc.) will think that they can use back-room connections to leverage rules changes in their favor
** Should this happen, the ITAC and IT entrants will mobilize to rise up against any individual promulgating this kind of behavior - the used food will hit the rotational air moving devices
** The RubOffs will be a better show, at least for a couple of days, as IT races bring out larger, deeper, more competitive fields than many existing classes
** Participation in several legacy National classes will decrease enough to make them weaker and even more vulnerable than they already are, hastening their demise
** Increased standards and expectations of levels of participation and competition will skew the curve enough that even if some National classes don't shrink, they will appear smaller by comparison
** Successes in the National program of IT-as-currently-constituted will influence other category committees and/or the Club Racing office to consider extending the formula to existing or replacement new categories, taking what is right about IT and increasing speed and tinkering potential through additional allowances
** Similarly, there is a small chance that IT rules will be extended (perhaps with some modifications) to a series like the World Challenge Touring series, pulling back the rules to a more restricted level
** This would further increase competitive pressures down through the category to National and Regional levels, if only to a small degree
** Some existing IT drivers would be unhappy enough about losing their relative competitive positions that they will decide to do something else
** Some will initially migrate to the smaller ponds of Production racing, modifying their existing IT cars to "move up" a category - they will face the harder decision eventually of whether to continue with that category when it either peters out or is dramatically changed under the guidance of its advisory committee and the boards
** Others will leave SCCA for NASA or other racing opportunities where they can be relatively more competitive for the same commitment
** Others will be unhappy emough about increased competition that they will choose to not worry about competition at all, moving instead to HPDE or TT type events
** Some drivers will quit IT blaming various changes, when in fact they would have been lost to existing forces influencing turnover anyway - primarily financial overextension - realizing that it's easier to blame [insert someone/something here] rather than their bad decision making for their departure
** Prices of used IT cars would increase with demand, regardless of how far the IT preparation rules are extended
** This would benefit those selling cars but increase this barrier to entry for new IT entrants
** Increase popularity and competitiveness will increase the potential for rough driving at the front of the grids, with the influence propagating gradually down through the field
** Competitors and stewards will be forced to deal with instances of this type of thing - at least initially - until a consensus level of acceptance is achieved
** At this point, IT ruffians will begin to suffer consequences for their actions, and the initial blip in on-track hooliganism will level out
** Increased popularity of and expectations for IT classes would create pressures on the weakest of those classes (ITC, most notably) to include newer cars
** Some scheme would be developed to accomplish this (e.g., "limited preparation" ITC)
** These pressures would not exist to the same degree in well-subscribed classes
** Similarly, it wouldn't take long for drivers wanting to experience higher levels of performance to push for another class above ITR - perhaps to accommodate AWD and/or turbo cars, in addition to those that are simply too powerful for the current R index
** R will have grown enough to convince the ITAC that the world is ready for another, faster class - they would recommend it to the CRB and it would be approved
** There is a small chance that this new class might oust the current WCGT class, creating a semi-pro series
** There is also a small chance that the performance level of these cars would be great enough to substantially increase the chance that someone would be critically hurt or killed in an on-track incident
** Were this to come about, additional pressure to increase the safety of IT cars (starting with the fastest class[es] perhaps) would come to bear (e.g., additional cage stiffening, crushable structures, new driver impact protection such as leg panels)
I figure I've left something out but I really want another beer and they are all the way downstairs...
K
EDIT for spaciness.
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Originally Posted by Andy Bettencourt
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