STL: No National Championship?

[LD71]

I agree STL is a better fit for the Miatas, but the STU thing is just a poor assumption on your part. STU's numbers are only growing here, and it has nothing to do with Miatas.
<snip>
So out of 12 regular entries (we usually have 5-6 per race, pick any of the above and they could show up), only one, sometimes two are double-entering SMs.

Your region may be vastly different, but that's what I'm seeing in Houston.
There are also a couple others that are in the process of being built. one could be a Miata, could be RX7. either way, it will be a rotary, and it will be FAST.

Matt,
it will be interesting to see---your re-cap is interesting. Hopefully those cars come out and race--I was looking at the participation numbers-http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/2012_National_Participation-MAY.pdf
Shows as average of 5 STU in SW Nationals, maybe I should have been clear I was talking Nationals, maybe those numbers are different. Only had time to look at the Sat Double National (?Lone Star?) and it showed 7 STU. Results are not clear as to the model of car--it looks to me like 3 or maybe 4 of those 7 were SM, maybe I'm wrong.
Cheers,
LD71

[Greg Amy]

Larry (et al) it would be SHOCKING to me if the vast majority of STL entrants in Nationals are "true" STL cars. I'm more than confident they are not. But I submit that "true" is a bit of a misnomer, as a Spec Miata entered as an STL car is still an STL entrant, just as much as my Integra is. An entrant is an entrant.

Where the significant of a "true" entrant comes in is when we get to the National Championships: if we have within-the-year STL numbers that put the class top 1/4 of the field but then have few Runoffs entries of far less than that, then I'd personally consider it a failure. Then again if the Runoffs entries are still up there and the majority of the entries are SMs or IT cars, that's perfectly fine.

Again, an entry is an entry and unless the Club wants to get into judging the "validity" of each specific entry -- a process which will have to be applied across-the-board, not just in STL/STU -- if we make the numbers then we make the numbers. If we don't, we don't.

Leverage your strengths, minimize your weaknesses.

We are starting to see "true" STL cars showing up; just this past weekend we had a new CRX enter the Regional weekend at LRP. I know of a few other Hondas being built, and even some Miatae guys that are harboring latent interest in jumping to the manly-colored panties side (the 1.6L Miata is looking interesting, given the across-the-board weight increase.) If we get BoD approval on JDM engines for 2013 it opens may other possibilities for engine swaps. Once this ball gets rolling downhill we're going to see many other unique entries popping up.

As for the whole "championship in 2012" thing, not giving STL a shot at it in 2012 was the right decision. STL was given that provisional status and placed with STU cars at the Runoffs as a concession to those that opposed the class primarily due to "too many classes". Its purpose was to see if STL could be a viable class within the National Championship program. If we had reneged on that agreement and given STL a national championship in 2012, then the very next class that asked or this opportunity would be met with "Oh no you don't! We fell for that once, we're not falling for it again! Go pound." We are going to work through this process the right way, not with end-run games.

For the 2012 Runoffs I am working to qualify for the event and enter my STL car as an STU car, and spend time there in Wisconsin supporting Super Touring in general and promoting STL specifically (I'm thinking some kind of gentleman's agreement to stick to STL prep and run some STL stickers).

It's all about the numbers...let's see what happens.

Oh, and read my signature please.

GA

[Matt93SE]

Matt,
it will be interesting to see---your re-cap is interesting. Hopefully those cars come out and race--I was looking at the participation numbers-http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/2012_National_Participation-MAY.pdf
Shows as average of 5 STU in SW Nationals, maybe I should have been clear I was talking Nationals, maybe those numbers are different. Only had time to look at the Sat Double National (?Lone Star?) and it showed 7 STU. Results are not clear as to the model of car--it looks to me like 3 or maybe 4 of those 7 were SM, maybe I'm wrong.
Cheers,
LD71

Not all race at once- usually we see about 6 STU entries at each race. I'd love to see more since I usually finish 2nd or 3rd and the class always about 1 entry short from me actually winning any contingency!
Point being, just because it says "Mazda" doesn't mean it says "Spec Miata". There were two or three Miatas on Sat, Two on Sunday. the rest were RX7s or 6s.

... Enough's enough, back to the subject.

[dickita15]

If we get BoD approval on JDM engines for 2013 it opens may other possibilities for engine swaps. .

GA

watch fastrack in a few days

[Knestis]

watch fastrack in a few days

...for my letter of support? That probably doomed the whole idea. :026:

K

[Greg Amy]

...for my letter of support? That probably doomed the whole idea. :026:K

Let's just say your letter "raised some eyebrows"...but you have a friend in the "in crowd"...

Your support is much appreciated.

GA