TeamDI.com Pro IT Race - Lime Rock - May 15

[lateapex911]

Suggestion:
Group 2: FV, F500, FF right now.....FOUR cars.
Group 4: FA, FC, FE, FM, FB, CSR, DSR, S2000.....SIX cars.

ELEVEN classes, TEN cars, TWO groups! Why, do ANY of them have to do more than take the green to get the trophy? Sheesh.

In before the "Formula Atlantic cars CAN NOT share the track with a Formula Vee, the closing rates are deadly...".....ummm, really, it looks like there will only be one car nearly every fifth of a mile...passing can't be THAT hard, especially considering that it looks like there's no reason to actually race....(assuming all 4 or 6 cars aren't in the same class.)

[lateapex911]

Banzai Ben is ready for LRP - lemme tell ya - winning and then getting moved to last has put the psycho back in me again...

Coming up early Friday - getting my new tires and handing out free beer to my competitors whilst drinking club soda...free tequila shooters for any ITR drivers.

Ben ya might want to extend that offer to the ITA boys....you don't want to be getting in the way of their race, right??

[Andy Bettencourt]

ELEVEN classes, TEN cars, TWO groups! Why, do ANY of them have to do more than take the green to get the trophy? Sheesh.

In before the "Formula Atlantic cars CAN NOT share the track with a Formula Vee, the closing rates are deadly...".....ummm, really, it looks like there will only be one car nearly every fifth of a mile...passing can't be THAT hard, especially considering that it looks like there's no reason to actually race....(assuming all 4 or 6 cars aren't in the same class.)

And you know what? I symapthise with the concept. But at some point you really need to help the Regions out by allowing them to make some money. Two groups of Pro IT would allow them probably 50+ cars. Give the open wheelers 3 extra laps to compensate for the FA guys lapping the FV guys.......but 10 cars for 2 groups should be fine.

[ner88]

just a thought but.......Pro IT only gives the region half the entry money, the rest goes to awards.
So, every National entry equals 2 proIT
The region needs a hell of a lot of $200. entries to pay for LRP.
Sorry, just the facts!

[Andy Bettencourt]

just a thought but.......Pro IT only gives the region half the entry money, the rest goes to awards.
So, every National entry equals 2 proIT
The region needs a hell of a lot of $200. entries to pay for LRP.
Sorry, just the facts!

Good point Jerry but you aren't excluding any National entries. If you combine 2 rediculously undersubscribed groups, you can ADD money to the bottom line.

[dominojd]

just a thought but.......Pro IT only gives the region half the entry money, the rest goes to awards.
So, every National entry equals 2 proIT
The region needs a hell of a lot of $200. entries to pay for LRP.
Sorry, just the facts!

Also you pull Pro-IT out and the region looses REALLY BIG at LRP. Just sayin.

[ner88]

they need each other to survive, just sayin

[Andy Bettencourt]

So much mumbo-jumbo. Jerry, is it a viable idea to combine those two groups to allow for 2 Pro IT groups and more entries?

I really don't see why not. 4 FV guys get upset so you can add $2K in revenue?

[ner88]

First off, this is not my event so I have no say.
That being said, I'm sure there is some rule(not a GCR expert either) about compining these classes.
Think about being in an ITB car racing with GT1 cars

[lateapex911]

First off, this is not my event so I have no say.
That being said, I'm sure there is some rule(not a GCR expert either) about compining these classes.
Think about being in an ITB car racing with GT1 cars

I've shared Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and other tracks with GT1 cars in my car powered by the all conquering weed eater motor. Lime Rock too, but closing speeds are MUCH greater at the other tracks. Gotta stay awake. Which isn't really asking much. And honestly, if there are 10 cars on the whole track, it's easy peasy. Oh, and further, I'm not racing them either... heck, statistically speaking, in this case, even IF there is another car in my class, odds are WE'RE not racing either.

Just playing devils advocate...

[gran racing]

I have to say that I'm quite surprised with the national entries, or lack there of. Right now I'm thinking that I should have entered in ITS. Is this unique to National events? Is it JUST about the runoffs and qualifying for that event?

[StephenB]

IRB with GT1...Been there and done that... not that bad since they are gone and out of the way. Less cars will be on track than in a hardship session or even a test day.

Stephen

[Andy Bettencourt]

First off, this is not my event so I have no say.
That being said, I'm sure there is some rule(not a GCR expert either) about compining these classes.
Think about being in an ITB car racing with GT1 cars

When there are only 4 GT1 cars on the track and 6 ITB cars? Pllllease. Just make sure the race is lengthened enough so that the ITB cars get about the same amount of laps they would have. Provide the same 'value' albiet in a more intense environment. But when you only bring 4 cars to a dance with 42 empty seats, you get less picky who you go home with.

[Greg Amy]

I think you guys may be missing a key point: this is a National weekend, with an invite to the Restricted Regional cars to be grid (entry)-fillers. As such, Regional drivers - despite their higher numbers - suck hind tit in priority.



We may not like it, but it would be no different should there be a restricted Regional be added to a regular Regional weekend for a bunch of, say, Spec Racers to have a convention and they bring in more cars. The fact that the Regional racers are kickin' ass in entries overall should have no effect on the weekend's priorities (e.g., "we're Spec Miata drivers and we bring in more entries, therefore we should have priority over those ITC cars").

I'd suggest that "we" stand down on the "holier than thou" attitudes...just sayin'...

[Andy Bettencourt]

I think you guys may be missing a key point: this is a National weekend, with an invite to the Restricted Regional cars to be grid (entry)-fillers. As such, Regional drivers - despite their higher numbers - suck hind tit in priority.



We may not like it, but it would be no different should there be a restricted Regional be added to a regular Regional weekend for a bunch of, say, Spec Racers to have a convention and they bring in more cars. The fact that the Regional racers are kickin' ass in entries overall should have no effect on the weekend's priorities (e.g., "we're Spec Miata drivers and we bring in more entries, therefore we should have priority over those ITC cars").

I'd suggest that "we" stand down on the "holier than thou" attitudes...just sayin'...

I am going to disagree Greg. At the end of the day, the Region needs to make money. All *I* am suggestion is combining two rediculously undersubscribed groups in order to make room for another group that is overfull. What WE may be missing is that plenty of Regions across the US hold National/Regionals during the same weekend in order to fill up the track. I don't see this as different...and we aren't devaluing their entry.

If there was a 'regular' regional and an 'invited' convention of XYZ cars and they were bursting at the seams and could occupy two groups - and all it took to make that happen was to move a 4-car group into a 6-car group, I would EXPECT that to happen.

At some point you have to look the 4 drivers in the eye and tell them that they simply can't have 60 minutes of track time to themselves because the occupation of an entire run group is holding probably 10-15 other entries at bay.

I hear what you are saying but don't think a 4 car group has any more 'rights' than anyone else. Everyone was 'invited'. Says so on the supps. And it's not a ""holier than thou" attitude, it's simple math.

Maybe National entries are so weak now at some tracks we need to switch to the National/Restricted Regional as the norm - like other regions.

Maybe this is a hard line I am taking but I am going to be ill if I see 4 FV's take the track in their own run group when I know they had to turn away entries in other groups.

(continued thoughts) I can see how there might be angst if we moved an 'invited' group into the 'home' group to fill up said home group but this isn't the case.

[gran racing]

tell them that they simply can't have 60 minutes of track time to themselves

YAWN! Who would want to be in a race with so few cars out on track anyways? Not me.

I was giving the Pro and qualifying to be in the race more thought Andy. You're right about it IF it were extremely clear and visable (more than just stuck a few pages into the supps even though it all should be read throughly), that wouldn't be such a bad thing. I can still see that having a negative impact though. People who are unsure if they could qualify that may choose not to attend. Or if they do, some customers would be guaranteed to be turned away. Either way it's not ideal IMO.

[benspeed]

If this was run like a business the organizers wouldn't need to be asked - they would have already made the adjustments to capture more entries.

The closing speed argument is really diminished when there's hardly any cars on the track. AND these guys share the track during warmups in the AM already.....

No doubt this event will spark some lively debate in the future. If run groups of 4 and 6 cars are allowed to run independantly while entries are being turned away, we won't be having many races in the future because the club will be broke....

[Greg Amy]

I am going to disagree Greg.

What you are arguing is a cultural, strategic, long-term solution. What you want is a short-term change two weeks from now. The former is admirable, the latter is unreasonable.

I agree with your long-term outlook; I came from a division that used to run Regional/National combo weekends quite well. But what I'm hearing, Helen, is "hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore"; problem is, the breast-beating will resolve nothing over the next two weeks.

"Shut up and go racing" in two weeks, and reserve all that energy for the long-term changes that we pretty much all agree we need.

GA

[Doc Bro]

[QUOTE=benspeed;305231

The closing speed argument is really diminished when there's hardly any cars on the track. AND these guys share the track during warmups in the AM already.....

QUOTE]


Exactly, and more importantly....do we all do test days? Test days are ALWAYS a mixed bag, and although it isn't a "race" or a "qualify"....most guys can't distinguish that in their own mind. Furthermore test days have MINIMAL corner support, and seem to go OK. Just my thoughts....

R

[benspeed]

I think Andy and Greg need to settle up on the track!

WE SHOULD TAKE A VOTE!!! Who says that wouldn't be a great race - I will volunteer Crazy Joe or Marc Cefalo's ITA cars for Greg to run - now that's a great idea RIGHT???

Greg - where's the Egg when you need it most???? Winning STU is just like kissing but not the best of the rest, eh? You need to throw down.

PS - I will run the book for the 'off track bets' - I'm from Jersey, ehhhh?