New IT class revealed at National Convention

[jhooten]

ITJ has been announced by Oregon region. The class is designed to give a place in SCCA racing for LeMons/Chump cars. In case you are wondering the official class name is Improved Touring JUNK.

[CRallo]

Is it April 1st already?!

[Simon T.]

LOL There's no way!

[Greg Amy]

Where's my Fonzi icon...?

By the time these cars are built to meet SCCA safety prep standards, and drivers are wearing SCCA-required safety equipment, the whole concept is well above "Look down, there's some sharks!" status...

Can't wait until the first SoWDiv scrutineer looks at something with a shark fin bolted on top and pulls out the "neat and clean appearance" GCR requirement...

Have fun!

[preparedcivic]

This is for real. I have a friend going through SCCA Driver's School in one out there.

[BruceG]

ITJ has been announced by Oregon region. The class is designed to give a place in SCCA racing for LeMons/Chump cars. In case you are wondering the official class name is Improved Touring JUNK.

I went to the SCCA Oregon website and this schedule for the upcoming Drivers school/regional shows ITJ as a class!!

http://www.oregonscca.com/media-libr...-12%281%29.pdf

ITJ will be running in race group 7

My question is....who's paying for the zamboni to sweep the track after ITJ runs?

[Ron Earp]

for the Oregon region being proactive and trying to find a place for these racers to race in the SCCA.

[RacerBill]

Where's my Fonzi icon...?

By the time these cars are built to meet SCCA safety prep standards, and drivers are wearing SCCA-required safety equipment, the whole concept is well above "Look down, there's some sharks!" status...

Can't wait until the first SoWDiv scrutineer looks at something with a shark fin bolted on top and pulls out the "neat and clean appearance" GCR requirement...

Have fun!

Shark fins might be OK, but the stripper poles may raise some eyebrows

[Knestis]

This is going to be a VERY interesting place to watch the "cheap race cars" experiment in all of its glory.

** ITJ gives people with existing Lemons/Chump cars a place to race

** The "$500 rule" goes POOF without a tzar to enforce it at the races

** Time passes - about 18 months is my guess

** Someone looks at the ITJ rules and does a purpose-built car - without the cultural and enforcement constraints, it's going to be KILLER, DUDE...!

It's like someone did a ctrl+alt+del on IT.

K

[StephenB]

I wish they didn't give a false representation to what IT is... These cars are not IT cars at all and probably never will be. They should have called it what it is not an IT car.

Stephen

[Ron Earp]

Lots of flaws for sure, but at least they're trying. I sort of figure the entire "junk race car" thing is a fad, but you never know.

[tom91ita]

can't these cars run ITE anyways if they have the proper safety equipment?

or is it the fact that the cars are prepared to the "specs" of an alternate series that they do not not need to meet certain GCR issues?

[Ron Earp]

can't these cars run ITE anyways if they have the proper safety equipment?

ITE differs from region to region. Therefore this might be the case is some regions, but maybe not in Oregon.

[Simon T.]

Have you all been to a LeMons/Chump event? Chump Car isn't that bad, many cars I've seen are similar to IT cars, many of which don't even have the crazy glue on shark fin type items you all mention. I was surprised at how quick and how well prepped some of the cars at the Road Atlanta Chump Car round looked.

ITJ sounds like a joke though, as someone said, without the $500 rules and what not it just makes no sense. Plus why would you want to run it with SCCA when there is a busy Chump Car schedule anyway with endurance races and full fields?

What safety rules are different for these than SCCA? I think the only main difference is no H&N system, no?

[ribbie78]

Plus why would you want to run it with SCCA when there is a busy Chump Car schedule anyway with endurance races and full fields?

After running in both LeMons, Chump, and scca regional events I can say an attraction is one endurance weekend cost me the same as 2-3 weekends of club racing by myself. The gamble with our $500 car was if one of the other guys wrecked it you don't get any seat time possibly.

There was talk a year or two ago around Nelson that there "might" be a junk car class at some events.

[924Guy]

I wish they didn't give a false representation to what IT is... These cars are not IT cars at all and probably never will be. They should have called it what it is not an IT car.

Stephen

Are we really that sure the "rest" of SCCA Club Racing can tell the difference between and ITJ car and any other IT car?

[JeffYoung]

I think this is a great idea.

What are the licensing requirements though? Do you have to have a regional road racing license?

I think that will keep a lot of the folks with these cars away.

[rydermike]

Actually the Chumpcars are more in the spirit of what IT cars started out as or at least intended. Basically street cars with safety equipment added. Just not having the expense of everyone investing in high dollar suspensions and blueprinted and beyond motors.And once everyone spent all that money for same type improvements wheres the advantage?Whats with the snobbery anyway?

[TStiles]

I would love to see the potential revenue come into the club , However the challenge is going to be in mixing race groups with ITJ and I'm not crazy about adding more race groups to a crowded schedule

Some of those ChumpCar are pretty slow.

Going to be interesting when some of the guys lap the same car 3-4 times in a rational race

[Doc Bro]

So what happens when a guy with a $500 investment (little skin in the game) pulls a total bonehead move and takes out a 60K racecar? Oh well....that's racing???

I think it's a poor idea......sounds purely revenue-centric to me....

The good news is this will pave the way for figure-8 racing, school bus racing, demo derbies, monster trucks, corn dogs and funnel cakes......

R