November Fastrack

[JoshS]

http://www.scca.com/documents/Fastra...strack-nov.pdf

[tom91ita]

ITC

1. #2616 (Brody Saari) Request rules explanation/reasoning
All air restrictions from the original fuel injection system must remain in place, although air metering devices may be added to support aftermarket ECUs.

is the comment regarding the "restrictions" have to be remain in place the question or the response?

if it is the response, just what does that mean? i consider the OEM air filter and inlet hose to be restrictions and they can be replaced.

[JoshS]

Nothing has changed, don't worry. The letter was specifically asking why the original air metering device had to stay in place if one was added.

[cjb25hs]

I am very glad to see my fellow pgh'er Brett Mars got the Focus ST classed in ITA. In my opinion this car could dominate the class. This car should be capable of putting down between 160 and 165 at the wheels and at a weight of 2680. I like the package

[dhardison]

I am very glad to see my fellow pgh'er Brett Mars got the Focus ST classed in ITA. In my opinion this car could dominate the class. This car should be capable of putting down between 160 and 165 at the wheels and at a weight of 2680. I like the package

I wonder if this means Brett is looking to run a Focus as well as the 'Stang? He was a force to be reckoned with in NASA SpecFokus a couple years back.

[Knestis]

Requests for "clarification" or "explanation" should *not* be handled through Fastrack. That's like asking a senator for an opinion about whether a particular law passes legislative muster. More words are almost never the right answer...

That official Fastrack item just opened up the rule - "A MAP or MAF sensor and its wiring may be added" - by saying that "air metering devices may be added." More than one and any type. While at the same time stipulating, as Tom points out, that we now have to worry about something called "air restrictions." Neither of those terms is in the GCR Glossary, btw.

Why can't we just leave well enough alone and let the systems work the way they are supposed to?

K

[quadzjr]

I agree with kirk.. leave well enough alone.. should of done that awhile ago. *cough* open computers and spherical suspension joints *cough*. IF we kept fatory computers there would be no need for aditional sensors. yes the newre cars have better designs, but thusly they are expected to be able to adapt to changes better and should be calculated in their expected gains.

Josh am I correct about these air restrictions rule. Does force the addition of new AFM's to to run in series to the orignal pieces? Meaning does all air have to go through both the factory and additional meters one after the other?

[quadzjr]

is the comment regarding the "restrictions" have to be remain in place the question or the response?

if it is the response, just what does that mean? i consider the OEM air filter and inlet hose to be restrictions and they can be replaced.

yoru factory air filter and intake tube can be replaced currently. However, you must still collect air from the stock location and cannot collect air from outside the engine bay unless it came stock that way.

[tnord]

Why can't we just leave well enough alone and let the systems work the way they are supposed to?

K

"we" got what "we" asked for after complaining endlessly that "thanks for your input" was not good enough.

[lateapex911]

Well, if Kirk was still on the board......
Annnnnyway, LOL.
Josh, can you explain the current practices of weighting cars? How did all the Honda adjustments come to be? What's the internal policy about actually changing existing weights?

[JoshS]

The Honda adjustments came about because of two letters asking us to clarify the Del Sols, and their inconsistency vis-a-vis their mechanical siblings, the Civics. In addition, splitting up the Sis across the two different engines is analogous to what we did with the ITR Z3s. Wholly different engines, slightly different stock HP, identical chassis.

Perhaps we didn't need to answer the ITC question in Fastrack -- the author had already gotten his answer privately. But I disagree with Kirk that the answer changes anything, as nothing changes with respect to the actual rules, and certainly all the context isn't present in Fastrack (such as the actual question.) I agree with Travis that the answer there is a side effect of the desire to be more verbose and explanatory with every letter that comes in.

[mossaidis]

Josh, keep the clarifications coming... great work. I am being a little selfish as well, since my 92 Civic Si just dropped another 35 lbs. With that, the 92-95 Civic EX will need to drop weight as well... i.e. since the EX has the same suspension, engine, etc (except that it's a coupe/sedan).

[Andy Bettencourt]

I am very glad to see my fellow pgh'er Brett Mars got the Focus ST classed in ITA. In my opinion this car could dominate the class. This car should be capable of putting down between 160 and 165 at the wheels and at a weight of 2680. I like the package

What is the stock HP on this car?

(Edit - did the research: 151hp. Interesting that the ST in 2006 is the only version of the Focus that has the 2.3L according to Edmunds.)

It would need to make 160whp to be 'at process'. HP in ITA is really creeping up. Mazda 3, this car...you got a big home track? These could be the ticket.

[JoshS]

HP in ITA is really creeping up.

That's probably going to happen in all the classes. We class based on power-to-weight ratios, and newer cars are both more powerful and heavier than older ones.

[joeg]

Yeah I owned a 2006 Focus ST as my daily driver a couple years ago (had an '04 SVT Focus immediately before it).

The ST was a great car; you could keep the SVT. I would not concern myself with HP; it has torque and good gearing.

At the weight, it should be a great ITA car.

[lateapex911]

I am very glad to see my fellow pgh'er Brett Mars got the Focus ST classed in ITA. In my opinion this car could dominate the class. This car should be capable of putting down between 160 and 165 at the wheels and at a weight of 2680. I like the package

OK, IF that's true, and IF we accept the "top dog" (bla bla bla, in everyone's minds, never really 'proven', bla bla bla) Miata puts 138 down at the wheels , we get 16.54 lbs/hp for the Focus, (using 162) and 17.25 for the Miata.

So, indeed, the Focus looks like it has potential...

But....

That said, 150 stock hp to 162 at the wheels is a just bit more than the standard 25%, (my math shows 160.4 at the wheels expected.)
Initial math 151 x .25=37.35, = 188.75 crank, x 14.5= puts it at 2736lbs, minus 2% FWD, (54.73) = 2680.
No additional adders appear to come into play, right?

IF you get 165 out of it, that's 14.5 x 4.5 =65.25 -1.3 (FWD) = 64. So, you'd have an advantage of 64lbs. ...
To me, it looks like a good listing, one that could threaten/win at certain tracks, but not necessarily all tracks....

[Andy Bettencourt]

Remember Jake, the power to weights are going to be off a bit because the FWD subtractor is taken off AFTER the P/W calc is done.

[lateapex911]

yea, that's why I said, "but".....then did the math with the FWD adder, and concluded it looked like a "Good" listing. Pretty much right on.

[pitbull113]

Did I read it correctly that the ST class will be a regional class only as of next year? I guess IT drivers wanting to run a national race and the runoffs is a dead issue.

[JoshS]

Did I read it correctly that the ST class will be a regional class only as of next year? I guess IT drivers wanting to run a national race and the runoffs is a dead issue.

I think that's the ST *class*, not the ST category (STO/STU/STL). ST is a little-known class in the Touring category for cars too fast for T1 (super-expensive supercars, basically). Just another recent failed new class experiment.