Eye opener in IT

[IPRESS]

My first weekend (at MAM) out since April opened my eye to a new day in MidDiv. IT is getting stronger. ITA has really become tough with most all entries pure IT cars instead of crossovers from SM. With that said there were more miatas entered in IT than in SM. The cars were not all full out builds, but most of them were pretty good IT cars.There were one or two that are real close to 100% and the driver talent is also very good.
I was pleasently surprised that IT has progressed in MidDiv. SM may be suffering from rule changes. IT may be the place to race again.

[tnord]

The cars were not all full out builds,

some of them more than 100% i suspect.

There were one or two that are real close to 100% and the driver talent is also very good.

Jesse Prather? yeah, he's alright.

[lateapex911]

some of them more than 100% i suspect.

???such as?

[IPRESS]

I think only a couple had the overbore, but several have MEGASQUIRTS and some decent suspensions. I think Travis was poking fun a little as if he was confident of a trangression he would throw Fresh Paper.
I was glad to see such good racing in IT. The last two cars in the group (IT7s) had the crowd cheering for them on every pass of the grandstands. There were numerous brands involved and with 30+ running it was the largest group of the event.

The beer mugs as trophies pleased the thirsty podium finishers!

[Greg Amy]

Back in 2004 or so, I was having an ongoing online argument with someone in regard to the "competitiveness" of the BMW E36 in ITS. Basically, this person (a very good friend to this day) did not believe me/us how dominant this car was, even when not fully prepared. No matter how many times you told him/them about what "we" were experiencing up here, about how dominant this car was, it was still all about "the car is classified correctly".

That argument lasted for a very long time, right up to the moment he visited the ARRC and got to see it for himself how the cars ran. Then, all of a sudden, he "got religion" and we ended up with the cars having intake restrictors and, ultimately, the birth of ITR.

Ironically, he is from Texas, where the competition level of most Club Racing cars isn't quite up to the standards of other parts of the country, like the Northeast, where you can get away with lesser prep.

Welcome to the bigs, Mac.

And before you (royal "you") get all pissy, I'm from Texas. Been there, done that. Moved to Connecticut in the early 90's, specifically chasing the racing competition.

GA

[Gary L]

I was pleasently surprised that IT has progressed in MidDiv. SM may be suffering from rule changes. IT may be the place to race again.

Here's a video of the opening lap of Saturday's race from back in the pack (started 14th). ITB should have been a race to watch, and actually was for about 5 laps, but...

Oh Hell, just watch the 3 minute video and find out.

http://www.youtube.com/v/tJjZy53AoFc...en_US&hd=1

[RacerBill]

VERY COOL, Gary!!!!!!!!

[IPRESS]

Back in 2004 or so, I was having an ongoing online argument with someone in regard to the "competitiveness" of the BMW E36 in ITS. Basically, this person (a very good friend to this day) did not believe me/us how dominant this car was, even when not fully prepared. No matter how many times you told him/them about what "we" were experiencing up here, about how dominant this car was, it was still all about "the car is classified correctly".

That argument lasted for a very long time, right up to the moment he visited the ARRC and got to see it for himself how the cars ran. Then, all of a sudden, he "got religion" and we ended up with the cars having intake restrictors and, ultimately, the birth of ITR.

Ironically, he is from Texas, where the competition level of most Club Racing cars isn't quite up to the standards of other parts of the country, like the Northeast, where you can get away with lesser prep.

Welcome to the bigs, Mac.

And before you (royal "you") get all pissy, I'm from Texas. Been there, done that. Moved to Connecticut in the early 90's, specifically chasing the racing competition.

GA

Sir Greg,
No welcome needed, (but thanks for the sentiment) I went to my first ARRC in 2000 and got a good intro into big time club racing. I have been most years since (was there for your win) and always love to see the talent from different areas of the country. Some places are hotbeds for Regional racers while others are more National leaning. Yet others have enough to be strong in both. Texas is more concentrated on the National side. Down here many of the drivers also run NASA. Great IT cars are just not seen too often. MidDiv at least had IT numbers when I started racing there 4 years ago. Now they have not only numbers, but folks committed to building better cars and doing some development. I think it has to do with more stable rules than SM. A stronger IT group is good for the whole division.
(Letting my Republic of Texas side show) Hey we have had some ARRC Champs in the past, Stretch, Benzer, and you (sort of half way ) just to name some off the top of my head.
As my original post stated, I was pleasently surprised to see IT in such great shape after not being able to race for a while. Hope it is like that in other parts of the country.

[IPRESS]

Here's a video of the opening lap of Saturday's race from back in the pack (started 14th). ITB should have been a race to watch, and actually was for about 5 laps, but...

Oh Hell, just watch the 3 minute video and find out.

http://www.youtube.com/v/tJjZy53AoFc...en_US&hd=1

As usual Gary it is fun watching you wheel "The Flying Blue Box" as my girls call your car. Thanks for the video, my "To the left...to the right" move at the start looks as exciting on video as it was in the car. You, Chris, & Chuck had a super battle going, too bad it went south. That run group had battles throughout...The "A" bunch with Jessie, Brian, and Travis: Y'alls "B" scrum: My fight with the RX8, and the IT7s at the tailend just going tooth & nail........Great stuff according to people in the stands.

[rsportvolvo]

Good to hear IT is improving here! Now I'm excited to race some local talent in ITB!! I was considering just leaving my Volvo 242 in FL to compete, which I will for starters. Now she's definitely gonna be based out of Texas. I hope this trend continues.

[Greg Amy]

I.T. was tremendously popular in SowDiv/MidDiv in the mid- to late-80's when it first arrived. I remember I.T. fields that were the biggest of any Regional/National weekend. 'Course, back then it was the Wild West, run-whatcha-brung, very little rules enforcement....

[rsportvolvo]

Somehow Mac's good news is getting pooh-poohed by an Exan and SM disciple. Unfortunate.

Again I look forward to renewed IT interest in the MidDiv. Running in the same group with Albin, Hemmingson and Learned will be more than enough competition for me, if I can catch them.

[R2 Racing]

Yeah, I've noticed some real impressive ITA performances out there this year, but I can't help and think it's too bad no one out there is seriously ringing out anything other than a Miata. Fields full of Miata's make baby Jesus cry.

[Greg Amy]

Somehow Mac's good news is getting pooh-poohed by an Exan and SM disciple. Unfortunate.

LOL! Never heard that term before, "Exan". I'm assuming you're life-long resident yourself, with much "real" Texas experience and not just someone that moved to one of the big cities and bought some shiny boots and a cowboy hat (and irons his jeans for Sunday), and complains about all that traffic on the "durned" Interstates...?

Then again, since I actually lived the first third of life in Cajun country (one side of the family is agriculture and cattle, the other side is cattle and oil service) one can certainly argue I'm as much coon-ass as I am Texan or Yankee...I really did enjoy my time in Aggieland the best, though...

But posh, you know all about that stuff.

The point bein', friends, is that Mac's "good news" is like walking into a church on Sunday and loudly proclaiming "The Lord is Our Savior!"...hey, yeah man, that's great brother; have a seat and can ya pass the tithe plate over, wouldja...?

(Mac, I'm just ribbin' ya.)

GA

P.S. "SM disciple"? LOL! You haven't been around very long, have you...?

[tnord]

Yeah, I've noticed some real impressive ITA performances out there this year, but I can't help and think it's too bad no one out there is seriously ringing out anything other than a Miata. Fields full of Miata's make baby Jesus cry.

there's some other builds popping up kevin. a guy in wichita has brought out a new fiero, new last year was a Nissan SE-R that's coming along nicely, and another guy in Columbia MO has an EG hatch. there aren't really any "new build" miatas, just converts from SM.

[rsportvolvo]

It's all tongue-n-cheek. I know you've only recently converted to the race church of Miata. I was in the shadows during your ITS/ITA Nissan days and have read up on your road to victory.

Any plans for another drive in Texas? Now that IT is heating up down here maybe the local shoes could use some Yankee competition.

I'm a native Virginian, just in Texas for the work, which fortunately allows me to build my car (finally!).

[PSherm]

What was Chuck doing/driving in B???

And was Jesse just playing in A or is he making a switch?

Wish I was there but had to work. At least the Peon had unbroken rear struts this time.....

[tnord]

chuck seems to drive in B at this event every year....or at least the times that i'm there. jesse was just playing around, but i know he had a good time. i'm trying to talk him into the ARRC since he's not going to the runoffs.

[IPRESS]

Greg, did you go to school at A&M? I have been going down there for games since 61! I paid a bunch of money for two of my daughters to be Aggies.
The Aggieanapolis was a good race weekend at TWS.

Yeah Jessie should do the ARRC. There should be a decent bunch of MidDivers down there.

Trav, bring some actual "real tires" to ARRC!

[tnord]

Trav, bring some actual "real tires" to ARRC!

if i make it, you can be rest assured that i'll have some stickers.