Sowdiv IT Truck

[jhooten]

Other than Lone Star's March three day NN it is extremely hard to work the GCR required practice and qualifying time in the schedule with 6 groups and not have to pay the track overtime. I would like to see a short warm-up/practice/shake down session, a qualifying session, and then the race for each group

The tentative schedule for next year has Lone Star two weekends, Texas three, and Houston four.
One N/N
five RN/RN
two R/R
one R/Enduro
If I remember right.

We can only do nationals or rationals up to the runoffs. Anything after that can only be regionals until the start of the next rules year. One of the reasons, besides the weather, the enduro is done later in the year.

[TStiles]

Schedule looks good to me.

Just my 2 cents , but 5 groups are better than 6 if it means everybody gets the warm up.

I like the short warm-up / shakedown ... We've done that @ MSRH. It's a good opportunity to shake off the cobwebs before it's go time.

BTW : Thanks for what you do for the club

[Matt93SE]

Lots of things to comment on, but it's late and I've had a long day..

First.. getting an SCCA license isn't THAT hard. I went to the SCCA super school back in August of last year and walked away with a novice permit. I then ran the next 6 races- all regionals FYI- and got my nat license in time for the first National race of the year in Feb.
So I started racing in August and had my National license in Jan. I didn't have any waivers or special treatment or anything. I did the school and did the required number of races so nobody had to stick their neck out on writing letters and such.

If you want a license quicker than that, anybody can go to MSRH and do one of their several licensing schools each year and walk away with a novice or reg license in a weekend. cost is more than the SCCA school, but if you just want your license, it's cheaper to pay their weekend price and have your license than it is to do the SCCA school and run the required regional races under the novice permit.

Point is, it's doable. BUT not too many people know how the system works and they're afraid of paying for a "racing school." I as heck couldn't talk the wife into letting me do a $4000 Bondurant school, but I could talk her into a $700 school and two race weekends (4 regionals) in my own car at $1500 each after all costs are considered.
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Next point..
I think there are a good number of races in our season. We race once a month except Sept (Runoffs) and July (heat). For the guys that have the money, that's great. For the guys who can't afford to race more, then that's their problem.
Yes, it probably lowers attendance at each race because some people choose to 'randomly' skip races where they would all show up if you ran fewer per year.

BUT... there are also guys like me, Steve Takke, Caesar Vielmas, and many others I can't remember that have run every race this season. (I was mainly doing it because of our first child coming this month and I had a feeling my racing days would be scarce after that.. So the wife kinda let me run wild this last year. Anyway, you get the point.

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Jerry... Any word on whether or not STU will be allowed to run the enduro this fall? I know that was still a subject of debate a few months ago and never heard a yay/nay on it.
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SM + SRF combining... I see them run together at the enduros and I've run with them several times on practice days, so I don't see a problem with SRF and/or SM being combined with another class.

Midwest division does a different set of run groups and I guess it works for them. We would have to look at average entries in each of our classes to see how that would work and I'm too tired to look at that right now.
http://www.midiv.org/Code/2010_Results.htm

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LeMons/Chump.. We would definitely have to consolidate the rest of the run groups so we'd be down to 5 groups to make that work. Especially on true street tires, I wouldn't want to be out there with them. I also don't know if they would be willing to pay the entry fees to get into an SCCA event. The fees are pretty freakin high for the amount of track time you get, and the LeMons/Chump demographic are all about bang-for-the-buck. $475 just in entry fees to get two 25 min qual and a 30 min race in a weekend? They'd rather save their money and get twice as much seat time for $300.
It's also similar for NASA. I haven't looked at the cars locally, but I would think some of the PT, ST, Spec 944, and Honda Challenge cars could fit into IT or ST.
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That's all my brain can handle right now..
One final question for Jerry since I know you'll look at this thread ..
My car is due for annual tech (expired in June). It's going to Louie for some work later this week and will be at the track until the race. Since I run group 1, what's the best time to get the annual done where you guys aren't running and I don't have to wait in line for 4 hrs?

[jhooten]

I have to work the 5th and 6th so I won't be be able to do the Friday night tech. One of the tech guys usually show up in the early afternoon well before registration opens to be available for annuals. Cooper should be there working on his car to get ready for the race and both Rogerson and Swaton have been given their tech licenses. See if you can get one of them to mosey over to Louie's at take care of it.


Anybody want to take on the tech job in Lone Star? I may be a little busy for the next couple years.

Last I heard the enduro was going to be IT, SM, SRF. Still being discussed.


Lastly, is it ever going to cool off so I put the damn car back together? Oh yes, the Supra is going to make it back to the track. Take that Cooper!

[Matt93SE]

Yeah, it's been nasty hot in my garage, but I've been working on it about 5-6 hrs a day for the last two weeks straight. Who knew installing a brake pedal assembly would take this much effing work?! If I knew it was going to be this bad when I started, I would have never messed with it. There is literally ZERO working room inside the foot well on this car if I keep the dash and factory steering column. absolute PITA.

Anyway, thanks. I'll see if one of those guys will do it. I'm hoping to have it back together for the Red Meat & race fuel thing on thursday- it's ALMOST there, but I'm having a problem with the master cylinders sucking air from nowhere- just can't get the damn things to bleed properly. When I get it done, I'll ask Rogerson to take a look at it while it's at Louie's.

I wouldn't mind helping out in tech, but I can't commit to a full-time 'gotta be there' position with my job and the new baby at home. Just too many unknowns as I'm on call 24-7 with my job. ugh.
But I would certainly like to get a tech license and would like to help out.