Big Picture of IT - Share Your Opinions

[Bill Miller]

Mac,

I think the reason that SM is not a valid example of what could happen to IT, were it to go National, is all in the name. It's a 'Spec' class. That's a significant dynamic that doesn't exist in IT. And while I know Shannon M. was the guy that really got the ball rolling w/ SM, it was my understanding that the concept was born of the fact that, at the time, SSB was essentially Spec Miata. Pretty easy reach to get to a spec class. You've already got a bunch of the cars out there, and drivers that are racing them.

[tnord]

2 different generations of car
4 different engines
5 different ECUs
2 different gear ratios
2 different LSD types
4 different brake packages
4 different min weights
2 different suspension geometries
2 different steering geometries
3 different restrictor plate sizes

it is not a spec class, and practically nobody that actually runs in the class will tell you that it is. the concept was born because there were a lot of old SSB cars that had nowhere race as they were not competitively classed in IT.

what does go on in SM is something that doesn't explicitly happen in IT....yet. they do make an effort to balance all the different cars "on the tip of a pin." the ITAC and the process isn't designed to do that, but when it becomes clear that there are two or three different favorable cars to run at the RO track, i'd bet money all the other guys will be crying foul and looking for an adjustment. or i guess you could just let national IT become a 3 car class if you want.

[IPRESS]

Bill,
I know it is called a "Spec" class. And the leaders of it try to make it a "Spec" class. But in reality it is a "Hybrid". With that in mind, it is a close cousin of IT with the two different generations of SMs classed in two different IT classes.
Some of the warts that came to SM when it became a national class should be a concern when broaching the subject of IT being a ROs class. No I can't tell you without a doubt that those negatives will happen, but the money escalation has happened with both SM and AS when they moved to racing at the ROs. That is a fact.
The idea that the regional races would get "easier" or cheaper to win is probably false in most cases. In SM we have seen some national hotshoes use the regionals for testing. But most still race the regionals. Lots of former SM racers got frustrated with the price of poker and are doing something else. Yes some of the drop out is just natural flow of numbers, but the ROs war fueled the numbers going down.
The NE is such a hotbed of racing that I am sure (without my SM experience) that if I was racing up there my viewpoint on the subject would be somewhat different. The SE is IT heavy and might not suffer from a National IT, although I think it would. The rest of the country might struggle ITwise. Try to look at it this way.......If IT went National and became RunOffs eligible it would be no different than the other 20 something classes. SCCA needs a class division that IS different and IT is the answer.
You almost never hear someone say "You know ITX is really screwed up." But you do hear that about most of the other classes from time to time. It is something to keep in mind.